Tactile embedment plate assembly with an alignment bracket
Tactile detection embedment plates used in pedestrian walkways releasably aligned by a bracket on at least one of the embedment plates. The bracket can be mated with a bracket on another plate to define a receiver yoke in which a wedge is disposed for a releasable plate assembly connection.
1. A tactile embedment plate assembly comprising:
a first plate;
a first bracket joined to the first plate;
a second plate arranged co-planar and adjacent to the first plate;
a second bracket joined to the second plate and aligned with the first bracket to define a receiver yoke there between; and
a wedge member disposed in the receiver yoke.
2. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first bracket includes a first wedge surface spaced apart from the first plate; and
the second bracket includes a second wedge surface spaced apart from the second plate and the first wedge surface to define the receiver yoke.
3. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiver yoke is defined by:
a first wedge surface on the first bracket, the first wedge surface is spaced apart from the first plate; and
a second wedge surface on the second bracket, and the second wedge surface is spaced apart from the second plate and the first wedge surface.
4. The plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first bracket is disposed adjacent to the second bracket.
5. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a second pair of connecting brackets comprising:
a first bracket joined to the first plate; and
a second bracket joined to the second plate to define a receiver yoke therebetween.
6. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first bracket includes a first foot; and
the second bracket includes a second foot.
7. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wedge is a rod.
8. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wedge is a rod with a substantially round cross-sectional shape.
9. A tactile embedment plate assembly comprising:
a first plate;
a first bracket joined to the first plate and the first bracket includes a shoulder;
a second plate adjacent to and co-planar with the first plate and bearing at least partially on the first bracket shoulder;
a second bracket joined to the second plate, and the second bracket includes a shoulder and the first plate bears at least partially on the second bracket shoulder; wherein
a receiver yoke is defined by the first bracket and the second bracket; and
a wedge disposed in the receiver yoke.
10. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 9 , wherein the receiver yoke is elongated and arranged substantially parallel to an edge of the second plate.
11. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 9 , wherein the receiver yoke is wedge-shaped.
12. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 9 , wherein:
the receiver yoke is defined by a first wedge surface on the first bracket, and the first surface is spaced apart from the first plate, and
a second surface on the second bracket, and the second surface is spaced apart from the second plate; and
a wedge is wedged between the first surface and the second surface.
13. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first surface and the second surface define the receiver yoke that is wedge-shaped.
14. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 12 , wherein:
the wedge is a rod.
15. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 9 , wherein the wedge is a rod with a substantially round cross-sectional shape.
16. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 9 , wherein:
the first bracket shoulder includes a lip for engaging a notch in a lower surface second plate.
17. The tactile embedment plate assembly of claim 13 , and further comprising:
a lip on the second bracket for engaging a notch on the first embedment plate.
18. An alignment bracket for aligning a first tactile embedment plate to a second tactile embedment plate in a substantially co-planar relationship, the alignment connector comprising:
a first bracket joined to the first tactile embedment plate;
a second bracket joined to the second tactile embedment plate and aligned with the first bracket to define a receiver yoke; and
a wedge releasably disposed in the receiver yoke.
19. The alignment bracket of claim 18 , wherein the first bracket comprises:
a shoulder on which the second tactile embedment plate bears.
20. The alignment bracket of claim 18 , wherein the first bracket comprises:
a shoulder on which the second tactile embedment plate bears; and
a foot extending from the first bracket, substantially parallel to the first tactile embedment plate.
21. The alignment bracket of claim 18 , wherein the first bracket comprises:
a shoulder on which the second tactile embedment plate bears; and
a wedge surface that at least partially defines the receiver yoke.
22. The alignment bracket of claim 18 , wherein:
the first bracket comprises:
a shoulder on which the second tactile embedment plate bears, and a wedge surface that at least partially defines the receiver yoke; and
the second bracket comprises:
a shoulder on which the first tactile embedment plate bears and a wedge surface that at least partially defines the receiver yoke; and
a wedge surface that at least partially defines the receiver yoke.
23. A method of installing plate assemblies for being cast in concrete or asphalt pavement which includes the steps of:
setting a first plate in a desired position;
bringing a second plate substantially edge-to-edge with the first plate;
pivoting the second plate toward a co-planar position with the first plate to insert a bracket extending from the second plate under the first plate and into a co-planar position with the first plate to bring the bracket into bearing support of the first plate by aligning the bracket on the second plate with a bracket on the first plate to define a receiving yoke; and
inserting a wedge into the receiving yoke.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of pivoting the second plate toward a co-planar position with the first plate comprises the step of:
engaging a lip on the bracket of the second plate with a notch on the first plate to releasably join the second plate and the first plate.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of pivoting the second plate toward a co-planar relationship with the first plate comprises the step of:
bringing a bracket on the first plate into bearing support of the second plate.
26. The method of claim 23 , and further including the step of:
placing a moldable material around and under the first plate and the second plate to form pavement having a detectable warning surface.
27. The method of claim 23 , and further comprising the steps of:
engaging a lip on the bracket of the second plate with a notch in the first plate to create a plate assembly of the second plate and the first plate; and
installing the plate assembly into a pavement location to at least partially define a detectable warning surface.
28. The method of claim 23 , and further comprising the step of:
sliding an edge of the second plate along an edge of the first plate to adjust a spacing between the bracket on the first plate and a bracket on the second plate.