Vehicle crash barrier

A vehicle crash barrier for decelerating a vehicle that has left a roadway, said crash barrier comprising:

• spaced front and rear ground anchors;
• a tension member stretched between the ground anchors;
• an elongated frame comprising a plurality of sections including a front section and a plurality of additional sections arranged end to end along the tension member;
• each of said sections comprising two side panels disposed on respective sides of the tension member and a ground support leg, at least some of the legs defining openings through which the tension member passes such that the legs are slidable along the tension member;
• a plurality of straps, each connected between axially adjacent side panels by a plurality of fasteners, wherein each axially adjacent pair of the side panels overlap, wherein the fasteners connect a first portion of each strap to one of the respective pair of overlapping side panels and a second portion of each strap to the other of the respective pair of side panels, and wherein the straps and side panels are configured to peel the fasteners sequentially out of at least one of the side panels and the straps in response to axial movement of the frame when a vehicle axially impacts the front section;
• directionally sensitive means for fastening the front section to the front ground anchor and for preferentially releasing the front section from the front ground anchor in response to an axial vehicle impact;
• and
• brake means slidably mounted in the front section to slide along the tension member and generate a frictional retarding force tending to decelerate the vehicle, said brake means comprising a plurality of brake sleeves shaped to grip the tension member and means for resiliently biasing the brake sleeves against the tension member.

A vehicle crash barrier for decelerating a vehicle that has left a roadway, said crash barrier comprising:

• an elongated frame comprising a plurality of sections including a front section and at least one additional section arranged end to end along an axial direction, said frame configured to collapse axially when struck axially on the front section by a vehicle;
• at least some of said frame sections each comprising at least one side panel, at least first and second of said side panels axially aligned with and partially overlapping one another, and
• a strap defining first and second sets of axially spaced openings;
• a plurality of fasteners positioned in the openings and securing the first and second side panels such that the fasteners in the first set of openings are secured to the first side panel and the fasteners in the second set of openings are secured to the second side panel;
• said side panels, straps and fasteners configured such that axial collapse of the frame causes the first and second side panels to bend the strap into an S shape and to peel the fasteners sequentially out of one of the first panel and the strap, thereby disconnecting the first panel from the strap.

A vehicle crash barrier for decelerating a vehicle that has left a roadway, said crash barrier comprising:

• an elongated frame comprising a plurality of sections including a front section and at least one additional section arranged end to end along an axial direction, said frame configured to collapse axially when struck axially on the front section by a vehicle;
• a ground anchor;
• a fastener secured between the front section and the ground anchor;
• and
• a release lever having a lower end coupled to the fastener, an upper end positioned at a forward portion of the front section, and a fulcrum supported by a reaction surface such that an axial impact on the front section pivots the release lever about the fulcrum in an axial direction and parts the fastener to release the front section from the ground anchor.

A bidirectional vehicle crash barrier adapted for use between two adjacent roadways, one carrying vehicles in a first direction and the other carrying vehicles in a second direction, oriented opposite the first direction, said barrier comprising:

• a collapsible frame comprising a plurality of sections including a front section, at least one middle section, and a rear section, each of said sections comprising two side panels, each on a respective side of the frame, each side panel having a forward end nearer the front section and a rearward end nearer the rear section;
• the side panels on a first side of the frame overlapping with the rearward ends of the side panels disposed outwardly to protect a vehicle moving toward the rear section from contact with the forward ends of the side panels on the first side;
• the side panels on a second side of the frame overlapping with the forward ends of the side panels disposed outwardly to protect a vehicle moving toward the front section from contact with the rearward ends of the side panels on the second side;
• and
• means in the frame for retarding axial collapse of the frame when the frame is struck by a vehicle axially on the front section to provide a decelerating force to the vehicle;
• wherein one of the sections of the frame is braced against axial collapse such that the braced section is more resistant to axial collapse during axial collapse of the frame than at least some other of the sections to protect an impacting vehicle from being speared by the side panels on the second side of the frame.

A bidirectional vehicle crash barrier adapted for use between two adjacent roadways, one carrying vehicles in a first direction and the other carrying vehicles in a second direction, oriented opposite the first direction, said barrier comprising:

• a collapsible frame comprising a plurality of sections including a front section, at least one middle section, and a rear section, each of said sections comprising two side panels, each on a respective side of the frame, each side panel having a forward end nearer the front section and rearward end nearer the rear section;
• the side panels on a first side of the frame overlapping with the rearward ends of the side panels disposed outwardly to protect a vehicle moving toward the rear section from contact with the forward ends of the side panels on the first side;
• the side panels on a second side of the frame overlapping with the forward ends of the side panels disposed outwardly to protect a vehicle moving toward the front section from contact with the rearward ends of the side panels on the second side;
• and
• means in the frame for retarding axial collapse of the frame when the frame is struck by a vehicle axially on the front section to provide a decelerating force to the vehicle;
• wherein the retarding means comprises a tension member and a friction brake coupled between the frame and the tension member to retard axial collapse of the frame as the brake moves along the tension member.

A bidirectional vehicle crash barrier adapted for use between two adjacent roadways, one carrying vehicles in a first direction and the other carrying vehicles in a second direction, oriented opposite the first direction, said barrier comprising:

• a collapsible frame comprising a plurality of sections including a front section, at least one middle section, and a rear section, each of said sections comprising two side panels, each on a respective side of the frame, each side panel having a forward end nearer the front section and a rearward end nearer the rear section;
• the side panels on a first side of the frame overlapping with the rearward ends of the side panels disposed outwardly to protect a vehicle moving toward the rear section from contact with the forward ends of the side panels on the first side;
• the side panels on a second side of the frame overlapping with the forward ends of the side panels disposed outwardly to protect a vehicle moving toward the front section from contact with the rearward ends of the side panels on the second side;
• and
• means in the frame for retarding axial collapse of the frame when the frame is struck by a vehicle axially on the front section to provide a decelerating force to the vehicle;
• wherein the rear section side panel of the first side is secured to a first side of a guardrail in a manner to facilitate telescoping therebetween, and wherein the rear section side panel of the second side is fixedly secured to a second side of the guardrail.