US 4,120,066 AGranted

Expansion joint for roadway sections

OwnerYves Gerald Lerouxinventor

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Abstract

An expansion joint for mounting in the gap left between roadway sections, e.g. sections of a roadway bridge structure, to accommodate thermal expansion of the sections, is provided with at least one intermediate beam member extending in the gap across the width of the roadway and sealing strips of elastomeric material fitted between the roadway section edge structures and the intermediate beam. The joint has a plurality of units spaced apart across the width of the roadway, each unit comprising a lazy tong link arrangement pivotally mounted to the edge structures of the two roadway sections and to the intermediate beam members and extending across the gap, so as to ensure that any expansion or contraction of the gap between the roadway sections is equally distributed among the various parts of the gap on each side of and between the intermediate beam or beams. A spanning member is provided in each joint unit, which extends across the gap below the intermediate beam members and is slidable with respect to them and with respect to the roadway sections. The lazy tongs link arrangement and the spanning member are both pivotable to a small degree with respect to each of the roadway sections, so as to accommodate relative height changes between them without damage to the structural parts.

An expansion joint for adjacent first and second roadway sections having a gap therebetween to allow expansion of said sections, the joint comprising:

at least one intermediate beam member in said gap and extending along at least a substantial portion of the width of the roadway sections;
resilient sealing means located in and closing gaps between said intermediate beam member and the roadway sections, substantially to seal the roadway surface across the gap;
a plurality of joint units in spaced apart relationship across the width of the roadway sections, each said joint unit extending from the first roadway section to the second roadway section across the gap, and including:
a spanning member extending from the first roadway section to the second roadway section and movable with respect to at least one of said roadway sections;
each said joint unit further including a glider box, fixedly secured to the intermediate beam member, the spanning member passing through said glider box in sliding relation thereto so as to support the intermediate beam member on the spanning member for relative movement therebetween;
each joint unit further including means for substantially maintaining a predetermined ratio of distance between the first roadway section edge and the intermediate beam member, to that between the second roadway section edge and the intermediate beam member, when the size of the gap between the first and second roadway sections changes, said means comprising:
a sectionally expandable and contractable device secured to the first roadway section, the intermediate beam member and the second roadway section, said device having expandable and contractable sections between said securings which expand and contract in the direction across the gap, the expansion or contraction of one of said device sections causing corresponding expansion or contraction of the others of said device sections, in predetermined relationship thereto, so as to move the intermediate beam member transversely across said gap in response to movement of the first roadway section or second roadway section to vary the size of said gap.

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Abstract

Claims18