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US 4,047,701 AGranted
End assembly for roadway guard rail
AssigneeArbed - Acierles Reunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange S.A.
InventorErnest Glaesener
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AssigneeArbed - Acierles Reunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange S.A.
InventorErnest Glaesener
Estimating the term…
The end of a roadway guard rail which is spaced above and extends generally parallel to the ground is rigidly secured to a rigid beam at least 25 m long having a far end sunk in the ground and supported between its ends by a plurality of vertically compressible posts. The beam may be a metal shell filled with synthetic-resin foam. The posts may be provided internally with shock absorbers, or with springs, or may be made of sheet metal with a synthetic-resin core. In any case the posts are vertically compressible so as to absorb the kinetic energy of a vehicle colliding with the beam in order to slow the vehicle down without flipping it over. The upper surface of the beam is provided with a friction layer that further aids in slowing down a colliding vehicle.
In combination with an elongated guardrail spaced above and extending generally parallel to the ground, an end assembly comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Specially adapted for local protection, e.g. for bridge piers, for traffic islands: protecting devices located at the ends of barriers
Essentially made of longitudinal beams or rigid strips supported above ground at spaced points: rails of materials other than metal or concrete,…
Essentially made of longitudinal beams or rigid strips supported above ground at spaced points: supports, e.g. posts
Additional work, such as equipping roads or the construction of platforms, helicopter
Term ended 13 Sep 1994 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This application is related to my copening patent applications Ser. No. 559,510 (now abandoned) and Ser. No. 559,590 (now U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,173) both filed 18 Mar. 1975.
The present invention relates to a guard rail, and more particularly, to an end assembly for a guard rail.
In a roadside barrier having a guard rail held above and parallel to the ground by a plurality of breakaway posts, the end of the guard rail turned toward the oncoming traffic passing the rail creates a considerable hazard. When a vehicle collides with the rail at any location other than the end of the rail the posts snap off and the considerable kinetic energy of the vehicle is absorbed by the entire rail so as to slow down and gently stop the vehicle without ricoheting it back into the traffic.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical section through an end assembly in accordance with this invention;
FIG. 2 is a section taken along line II--II of FIG. 1 in enlarged scale; and
As shown in FIG. 1 a guard rail as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,861 has an end connected rigidly via a bolt 10 to a rectangular-section beam 2. This beam 2 is at least 25 m long and has a far end fitted into a seat 3 of concrete set in the ground so that the planar upper surface 2' of this beam 2 starts at the ground level and is inclined gently upwardly to the upper surface of the guard rail 1.
The beam 2 is formed as shown in FIG. 2 of an outer sheet-steel shell 11 of rectangular section 25 cm by 15 cm and having a thickness of 1.2 mm. This shell 11 is filled with a polyurethane foam mass 4 having a volume weight of between 45 and 55 kg/m.sup.3, preferably 50 kg/m.sup.3.
The beam 2 is supported on posts 5, 6 and 7 and, adjacent the socket 3, on an elastomeric bumper or roller 8. The posts 5, 6 and 7 are between 3 and 4 m apart, here 3.5 m. The post 5 comprises an outer end upper shell 52 in which is telescoped a lower shell 51 secured by means of a breakaway base 53 to a concrete base block 55. A hydraulic shock absorber 54 is engaged between sleeves 51 and 52 to allow the post to contract vertically. The upper sleeve 52 is widened at a flange 56 and bolted to the underside of the beam 2.