Signaling material and method for protecting subterranean structures

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I claim: 1.
A device adapted to be buried in the ground above a structure to be protected, the device comprising: a continuous elongated support formed by a multiplicity of transverse plastic elements of low resistance to rupture, and a plurality of parallel and longitudinally extending rows of longitudinally spaced strip sections mounted on and unitarily interconnected by the transverse elements and of high resistance to rupture so that upon encountering the device a mechanical excavator will pull the sections while rupturing the support and thereby signal the presence of the device and the structure in the ground by visible ends of the sections, the spaces between the strip sections of one row being offset longitudinally from the spaces of the strip sections of the other rows.




Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION My present invention relates to a signaling method and material for indicating the presence of a subterranean structure, e.
g.
a pipeline, electrical line or other buried object, to the operator of an excavator which might encounter the object and damage the same in the course of excavation if not for the signaling of the presence of such structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the dangers of excavation is that the bucket, tooth or blade of an excavator will encounter a buried object such as a subterranean pipe, electric line, telephone line or other structure and damage it before the operator of the excavating machine realizes that he is in the presence of such a buried object.
Accordingly it is known to bury alongside such objects, generally above them, a signaling material which is intended to be seen by the operator of the excavating machine before the latter encounters the protected buried object.
The material in the past generally has comprised a continuous rectilinear strip whose resistance to elongation (tensile strength) and rupture resistance are different from those of a carrying grid, e.
g.
of synthetic resin material.
As the shovel or bucket of the excavator slices through this material, the material may be visible in the bucket or in the excavating trench in which the material has been exposed by the excavation