Innovation Practices Submissions

• Equipment

Overnight signs are required for various duties including patching and seal coating. This is a hydraulic operated puller designed to pull overnight sign stobs or delineator post. It mounts to any MoDOT dump truck that has a wing plow mount on it. It is simple to install with only two pins and is operated off the truck's wing and plow hydraulic functions. It adjusts in multiple directions for easy two-person operation and pins back alongside of the truck for transport. This innovation allows the stob to be pulled without an employee trying to pull the post or stob by hand possibly causing back strain or using other tools to pry the stob from the ground. The truck can pull alongside the sign staying on the roadway. Employees then unbolt the sign from the stobs and place it in the back of the truck, the spotter can then unpin the puller and signal for the driver to raise, lower, or move the puller in or out, then place the puller attachment over the stob and then signal for the driver to raise the puller removing the stob from the ground with minimal effort. The signs and stobs can then be taken back to the MoDOT lot and stored until they are needed for the next task.

Benefits of this innovation include:
-Improves efficiency of pulling stobs/delineator posts
--Faster than previous methods
--Reduces time on roadsides, which decreases risks to employees and public (shorter work zone duration)
--Simplifies work. Easier than utilizing manual methods and various hand tools (hand jack, etc.)
-Eliminates potential back injuries (PRICELESS-Improves safety and saves money)
-Prevents damage to stobs allowing for continuous reuse