Mobile work zone protection device

A mobile work zone protection device, comprising:

• a vehicle;
• a front carrier attachable to said vehicle;
• an elongate barrier coupled to said front carrier;
• a rear carrier attached to said barrier;
• an at least partially open work zone between said front carrier and said rear carrier and lateral to said barrier;
• wherein said barrier comprises a first front arm coupled to said front carrier, a first rear arm coupled to said rear carrier, and wherein said first elongate barrier is disposed between said first front arm and said first rear arm;
• and
• wherein said first barrier is rotatable from a first position lateral to the work zone to a second position lateral to the work zone and opposite said first position.

A mobile work zone protection device for protecting roadway workers from errant traffic, the device comprising in combination:

• an elongate first beam structure extending from a first end to a second end;
• said first end coupled to a front carrier;
• said second end coupled to a separate rear carrier;
• an at least partially open work zone between said front carrier and said rear carrier and lateral to said first elongate beam structure;
• and
• wherein said elongate first beam structure is adapted to be moved from a left side of said work zone to a right side of said work zone while remaining coupled to said front carrier and said rear carrier.

A mobile work zone protection device for protecting roadway workers from errant traffic, the device comprising in combination:

• an elongate first beam structure extending from a first end to a second end;
• said first end coupled to a front carrier;
• said second end coupled to a separate rear carrier;
• an at least partially open work zone between said front carrier and said rear carrier and lateral to said first elongate beam structure;
• and
• wherein an elongate second beam structure is provided with said second beam structure having a first end coupled to said front carrier and a second end coupled to said rear carrier, said second beam structure adapted to be positioned independently of said first beam structure.

A method of protecting roadway workers from errant vehicles, including the steps of:

• providing a vehicle with an elongate first barrier attached to the vehicle and oriented parallel with a direction of travel of the vehicle, the barrier having a first end coupled to a front carrier of the vehicle and a second end opposite the first end coupled to a second carrier of the vehicle, with an at least partially open work zone between the front and rear carriers and lateral to the barrier;
• positioning the vehicle adjacent a roadway work area with the front carrier in front of the work area and the rear carrier to the rear of the work area, such that the vehicle work zone is at least partially aligned with the roadway work area;
• wherein said positioning step includes the step of locating the barrier on a lateral side of the work zone most needy of errant traffic intrusion preclusion;
• and
• wherein said locating step includes the step of rotating the barrier about pivots on ends of the barrier coupled to the front carrier and the rear carrier, the pivots aligned with a rotational axis near a centerline of the work zone and with the barrier spaced from the rotational axis by a distance similar to half of a width of the work zone.

A method of protecting roadway workers from errant vehicles, including the steps of:

• providing a vehicle with an elongate first barrier attached to the vehicle and oriented parallel with a direction of travel of the vehicle, the barrier having a first end coupled to a front carrier of the vehicle and a second end opposite the first end coupled to a second carrier of the vehicle, with an at least partially open work zone between the front and rear carriers and lateral to the barrier;
• positioning the vehicle adjacent a roadway work area with the front carrier in front of the work area and the rear carrier to the rear of the work area, such that the vehicle work zone is at least partially aligned with the roadway work area;
• and
• configuring the vehicle to include two elongate barriers with each of said elongate barriers adapted to be located on opposite lateral sides of the work zone.