Retractable guard for vehicles
OwnerKenneth A. Wellsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A protective guard is provided for a school bus. A series of telescoping members retracts along the front of the bus, and are in a compact form when the bus is moving. When the school bus stops two of the members telescope outwardly in series and extend across the lane of oncoming traffic. The members are so long and strong that any motorist attempting to pass the bus will damage his car. Flashing red lights are mounted on the extended members. The members are extended and retracted by a lead screw. The lead screw, when it extends the telescoping members, first drives the innermost member outwardly and away from the other movable member. The lead screw then engages the other movable member and drives it outwardly and it carries the innermost member to its ultimate extended position.
Claims20
In a vehicle movable in a forward direction:
- elongated enclosure means extending horizontally across said vehicle for a substantial distance, said elongated enclosure means having a longitudinal axis transverse to said forward direction,
- a horizontal elongated member having a longitudinal axis coinciding with the first-named longitudinal axis, said member being located in said enclosure, and
- control means for moving said member along said axis until it projects away from said vehicle for an extended distance,
- said horizontal elongated member, comprising two members the first of which telescopes within the second, and including means which in response to said control means extends said members in series horizontally away from the vehicle.
In a vehicle as defined in claim 8, said light directing means comprising reflectors for reflecting light.
In a vehicle having a side and capable of moving in a forward direction:
- telescoping means comprising at least first, second and third members, said telescoping means including means for extending at least two of the first, second and third members in a series configuration extending away from said side of said vehicle,
- control means for extending and retracting the telescopic means,
- warning means on at least one of the said members which moves outwardly from the side of the vehicle when said telescoping means is extended.
- said members being elongated along a common axis, and
- said control means, including a lead screw extending along said common axis, for extending and retracting said members.
In a vehicle having a side and capable of moving in a forward direction:
- telescoping means comprising at least first, second and third members in a series configuration extending away from said side of said vehicle,
- control means for extending and retracting the telescopic means, and
- warning means for extending and retracting the telescopic means, and
- warning means on at least one of the said members which moves outwardly from the side of the vehicle when said telescoping means is extended,
- said telescoping means being long enough and strong enough to do substantial damage to an automobile attempting to pass said vehicle.
In a vehicle, having a front end, a rear end and two sides,
- means for projecting a member away from one of said sides of the vehicle and into a lane of traffic that is parallel to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and
- means on said member for applying a distinctively colored fluid to a car striking said member to thereby identify such car.
In a bus movable in a forward direction and having a front end, a rear end and two sides that are in parallel planes,
- an elongated element having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of one of said sides, and
- means for advancing said element along said axis so that said element extends away from said bus, for blocking traffic in a lane of traffic parallel to the lane in which said bus is traveling,
- said elongated element comprising means for doing substantial damage to a car in said parallel lane that collides with said elongated element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.