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US 4,066,244 AGranted
Vehicular energy absorber
AssigneesGlenn Fisher, Warren G. Yoho, Leland E. Yoho
InventorLeland E. Yoho
Life of this patent
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AssigneesGlenn Fisher, Warren G. Yoho, Leland E. Yoho
InventorLeland E. Yoho
Estimating the term…
Disclosed is a device for absorbing the energy of a vehicle and protecting the same in the event of a collision with a relatively immovable hazard along a highway such as a bridge abutment or the like. The device includes a network of toroidal members, such as tires, including at least two rows of upright tires and a line of tires between the row of tires. The rows of tires extend in a direction generally transverse to the expected direction of impact with the tires of the line of tires extending in a direction generally longitudinally of the expected direction of impact. A plurality of stanchions are preferably located generally between the first row of tires and the hazard. A cable or the like extends from each stanchion and through the tires in the rows of tires to hold them down. The tires in each row are connected to each other and to the tires in the lines of tires to form an integral network of tires to absorb the energy of the impact.
Apparatus for absorbing the impact of a collision of a moving vehicle with a hazard comprising, at least two rows of upright adjacent toroidal members extending in planes generally transverse to the expected direction of impact, the first of said rows being generally adjacent the hazard and the last of said rows being positioned to receive the contact of the vehicle, means to connect each said toroidal member in a said row to its adjacent toroidal member in said row, a line of toroidal members between each said row of toroidal members, the toroidal members of said line extending in a direction generally longitudinally of the expected direction of impact and in planes generally parallel thereto, and additional means to connect each said line of toroidal members to it adjacent rows of toroidal members to form an integral network of permanently connected toroidal members to absorb the impact of a collision with a moving vehicle and with the toroidal members in each line engaging the toroidal members in each row along a chordal plane thru the torus.
Apparatus for absorbing the impact of a collision of a moving vehicle with a hazard comprising, at least two rows of upright adjacent toroidal members extending generally transverse to the expected direction of impact, the first of said rows being generally adjacent the hazard and the last of said rows being positioned to receive the contact of the vehicle, a line of toroidal members between each said row of toroidal members, each said line of toroidal members including at least one column of upright toroidal members positioned generally transverse to adjacent toroidal members of said row of toroidal members and extending in a direction generally longitudinally of the expected direction of impact, said column including more than one toroidal member, and means to connect the toroidal members of each said column to each other and to connect each said column to the adjacent toroidal members in adjacent rows of toroidal members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.