US3308724A - Roadway guard rail barrier - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1967 H. s. SMITH ROADWAY GUARD RAIL BARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Hf'A/,QyjUc/15M/ rH.

Filed 0G13. 8, 1965 March M, 1967 H. s. SMITH ROADWAY GUARD RAIL BARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 0G15. 8. 1963 NVENTR. INPVUCHM/ TH.

March 14, E967 H. S. SMITH ROADWAY GUARD RAIL BARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 8, 1963 Mai-ch i4, i967 H. s. SMITH 3,308,724

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United States Patent Oli ice 3,308,724 ROADWAY GUARD RAIL BARRIER Henry Such Smith, Raritan Road, P.O. Box 55, Roselle, NJ. 07203 Filed Oct. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 315,739 13 Claims. (Cl. 94-1.5)

This application is a continuation-in-part of a copending application No. 55,534, filed Sept. 12, 1960, now abandoned, which in turn is a oontinuation-in-part of abandoned applications 660,129, tiled May 20, 1957 and Ser. No. 584,789, filed May 14, 1956.

The present invention relates to roadway guard rail barriers, for use in both side-of-the-road and center-ofthe-road applications, and as to the latter to provide a center roadway guard rail barrier for separating lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions.

`One of the greatest single causes of traffic fatalities, the head-on collision, can be virtually eliminated by an adequate middle strip separating the opposin-g lanes of traffic.

In the prior art, means have occasionally been employed for separating lanes of trafc moving in opposite directions. For example, a center dividing stnip of ground for the roadway has sometimes been used. Such a strip, however, in order to be effective, must be quite wide and, according to highway engineers, preferably at least fifteen feet wide. Obviously, a st-rip of this nature takes up a great deal of the roadway. On new constructions, such a strip would entail a greater land acquisition cost, or with a given land acquisition cost, narrower shoulders and greater danger of roadside accidents. `On existing roads, the addition of a center strip of even modest proportions, protected by concrete curbing, has been impractical, because it would narrow the existing lanes of trafc, and still further increase the already excessive lateral dangers of the highway to the motorist.

Another means which has been employed for the purpose of separating oppositely moving traffic is the installation of a high center concrete curb. Here, however, much time and expense are involved in laying such a curb and the use of cumbersome concrete fonms is required. These forms must be set, secured, and subsequently removed, which process, combined with the related ones of installing reinforcing steel and pouring concrete, either requires the work to proceed on a long length of roadway simultaneously, with a -great demand on the contractors equipment and manpower, or requires very slow progress to be made with consequent continuing delay to the improved ow of tratlic. Such a concrete curb must be very wide at the bottom to resist being overturned by the force of a collision. Further, by the very nature of concrete owing to its inherent weakness under tension stress, it is sufliciently strong only when present in considerable mass, and 4also adequately steel reinforced. That is, the very best designed center curb must be either unnecessarily wide and bulky, having the effect of further displacing the traic flow towa-rd the crowded sides of the road, or be subject to sacrifice of strength at the top. 11n the latter instance, the c-urb may fail to retain under impact the desirable contour necessary most effectively to prevent the crossing thereof by vehicles under any conditions of driving error or collision impact. That is, such curbs may frequently be jumped unless extremely high, and consequently runwieldy and forbidding from the motorists point of view. Such high unwieldy curbs cause the motorist to instinctively pull away to avoid vehicle damage, and thereby have the effect of displacing tra'ic toward the crowded sides of the road. Also, in addition to the normal repelling effect of a high concrete curb on the driver, there is added the ele- 3,308,724 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 the existing high concrete curbs, which still further tends to displace traic flow toward the sides of the road.

Attempts in the prior art to obviate some of the disadvantages of concrete face barriers have resulted lin various designs of elastic or yielding rails, bars, ropes, cables, link fences, woven wires or the like, used simply or in combination, supported on posts, pedestals or other essentially discrete supports which permit yielding upon impact between supports. Such yielding, whether elastic or permanent, on the part of prior art barriers can form a pocket or bag-like indentation in the prior art barrier just before the next support beyond the point of impact in such way as to trap the forward component of motion and either needlessly injure or kill the occupants of the colliding vehicle at the instant of impact, or throw the vehicle over into a series of rolls or catapulting motions which often lead to the most severe type of multiple vehicle accident.

vOne object of the present invention is to provide a center roadway guard rail barrier of ideal and aesthetic proportions and which is at the same time of simple and inexpensive construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guard rail barrier which may be so easily and rapidly installed without special contractors equipment, that highway departments lmay install it with maintenance personnel, paid from general mai-ntenance funds, immediately as highway hazards develop.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a center roadway barrier of such conldenceegiving stability that highway motorists can safely divert their presently-demanded attention from oncoming other-lane vehicles, to their own side of the road, with a consequent increase in safety to other drivers and pedestrians and a reduction in same-direction and off-road accidents.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guard rail ba-rrier wholly without projection or irregularity which could impede the forward motion of a vehicle coming in collision with it.

'A further object of the present invention is to provide a center roadway guard rail barrier which will prevent collisions between vehicles moving in opposite directions in adjacent traffic lanes by keeping said vehicles in their proper lanes, regardless of driver inattention, mechanical failure, or any lateral component of motion toward the other on-coming traic lane which could be caused by any combination of collision circumstances in the drivers lane or acting on the drivers vehicle.

A still further object of the presen-t invention is to provide a rail barrier of the simplest possible structural elements, which may be jam-locked to the road surface and the opposite sides to each other, regardless .of the type of condition of roadway construction, which rail barrier may be connected with downwardly tensioned bolts or tie rods to the highway pavement or `ground beneath, thereby functioning in conjunction with the pavement to utilize the mass of the highway pavement inI opposition to a vehicles lateral component of force in collision with the barrier.

A further object of the invention is to propide a guard 'rail Ibarrier member the reinforcing of which is external to the member, so that with a minimum use of material a maximum stiffness of the member may be obtained, and the force of a collision may be absorbed by maximum length of member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a guard rail barrier so effectively narrow that use of it will be practical across narrow bridges and in similar areas where any median separating strip has been previously impossible because of space limitations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rigid when installed, yet easily benda-ble during installation solid rail barrierwhich can be applied on sharp highway curves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guard rail barrier which, when filled with concrete in accordance with a preferred embodiment, will act as its own permanent concrete form, and may be filled with concrete by gravity by the continuous progression of semi-automatic filling equipment.

A still .further object of the invention is to provide a guard rail barrier in which each side, locked in an inclined position to the other, acts to brace and support the other side against collison damage.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following specification thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a center roadway guard rail barrier member in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the interior of one of the skin plates as taken at 2 2 of FIG. 1, the positioning of the upper and lower tie clips for attaching the opposite plates Ibeing shown with their alternatively high and low stations indicated diagrammatically as discussed below;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the member of FIG. 1 filled with concrete in accordance with the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 1; while FIG. 4a is an enlarged, fragmentary, s ectional view of a portion of FIG. 4 showing on an enlarged scale, the overlapping clips integral with the side plates respectively employed for bolting and maintaining in proper alignment the side plates to the -roadway as discussed below;

FIG. Sis a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but showing amodifiedform of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken along line 6 6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the top portion .of a modified guard rail in accordance with the invention, showing two possible forms of trough clips carried by the skin plates and an anchoring lug for interconnecting the plates;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary Vsectional viewV similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a modifiedv trough clip and anchoring lug construction;

FIG.,9 is also a fragmentary, sectional view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a still further trough and anchoring lug construction;

FIG. l() is a perspective View of the trough clip at the left of FIG. 7;

FIG. 1i is a perspective View of the trough clip at the right of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a perspectiveview of the anchoring lug of FIGS. 7 and 8;

FIG. 13 is a view in vertical section` of a preferred form of the invention; and

FIG. 13a Iis a fragmentary sectional view as taken at 2 2 of FIG. 13.

Referring to the FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is shown a center roadway guard rail, consisting of two identical metal skin plates land 2. Each skin plate is formed of a straight, or flat, inclined side 3, which side merges into a relatively short upwardly and outwardly curving neck portion 4, the latter merging into an -upper reversely, i.e., inwardly, curved head portion 5. The plates 1 and 2 are mounted in conversely opposed and spaced apart relation as shown and such as to provide a central opening 6 therebetween.

Welded at regularly spaced points to the opposed inner surfaces of the neck portions of plates 1 and 2, are pairs of lopposed upper L-shaped tie clips 7a, 7b. The clips 7a, 7b are each formed of a long, substantially horizontal leg 8a, 8b, FIG. 4a, and a short, substantially vertical leg 9a, 9b. The short legs 9a, 9b, the outer edges of which are bevelled as at 10a to receive weld metal, are welded at top and bottom as at 10b to the skin plates, respectively, as shown. The opposed clips of each pair are reversely positioned, so that when the two skin plates are brought together into the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 4a, the long leg 8b of one of the clips 7b, will overlie the long leg 8a of the other clip 7a. In the sectional view shown, the underlying clip 7a is welded to skin plate 1, and this construction may tbe said to be the lower station attachment of an upper tie clip 7a. The overlying clip 7b is welded to plate 2, which construction may be said to be the upper station attachment of .an upper tie clip 7b. If the section 4 4 of FIG. 1 had been taken one station further along the guard rail, as at 4X-4X, then the long leg of clip 7a would overlie the long leg of the opposing clip 7d, and so in alternating manner from station to station along the guard rail. In the drawings, it can be seen that the upper surface 9c of the vertical leg 9a of the underlying clip 7a attached to skin plate 1, is at the same height as, and lines up with, the horizontal upper surface 8c of the long horizontal leg 8b of the overlying clip 7b which is welded to plate 2. An important element of the invention, as will be apparent subsequently is that these two level horizontal surfaces, each at the same height above the roadway, are also at the same height as the point of narrowest approach towards each other of the inside surfaces of the outer skin plates 1 and 2 as best shown in FIG. 4a.

Also welded to the inner surfaces of the skin plates l, 2, and adjacent to their lower edges, are pairs of oppose- d tie clipsl 11a, 11b. These clips are substantially horizontal, flat bars welded to the plate sides 3, as at 12 in FIG. 4. As in the case of the clips 7a, 7b, the clips 11a, 11b, have alternating lower and upper stations, one clip overlying the other at the center as shown in FIG. 4. As will be shown subsequently, the two clips 11a, 11b, are subject only to tension stress, and therefore can be made relatively thin and somewhat bendable. Therefore, for economy and simplicity in manufacture, the two clips 11a, 11b, may be welded at the same height to their respective skin plates, and the free end of the one subsequently bent down to take the lower station, and the free end of the other subsequently bent up to take the upper station. It is to be noted that, at a given point proceeding along the longitudinal direction of a skin plate as in FIG. 2, an L-shaped clip 7a at the top corresponds vertically to a station of the substantially horizontal fiat bar clip 11u at the bottom.

Resting upon the clips 7a, 7b, is a locking spreader washer 13, having the same width as the dimension of the narrowest approach of the inner surfaces of the skin plates 1 and 2 when they are positioned at maximum distance from each other as will be subsequently explained. The clips 7a, 7b, and 11a, 11b, haveraligned,

longitudinally elongated slots 14a, 14h, FIGS. 4 and 4a, at the center line of the rail guard. Passing through the slots is a machine capped bolt 15, threaded at its bottom at 16. The slots 14a, 14b, are Alaterally wider than the diameter of bolt 15, and are so positioned that, when the skin plates 1 and 2 are supported loosely upon the surface of the road 17, and placed more closely together than in the final structure, the bolt 15 may be easily passed therethrough by hand. However, as the skin plates 1 and 2 are forced apart to their proper final positions, shown in FIG. 4, upper and lower slots will partially eclipse each other, to the extent that in the final structure, there will be only sufficient lateral clearan-ce through the slots to permit the bolt 15 to be in tight pinning contact with the slot sides.

The guard rail assembly of FIGS. 1-4a, incl., is assembled by placing together the skin plates 1 and 2 bearing the clips, so that the center slots 14a, 14b, will be in approximate registry. Washer 13 is then held in position in the neck of the member in loose position somewhat above its final secured position. The bolt 15 may then.

be inserted manually through the top opening 6 between the skin plates and thence through the manually held washer 13, and through the approximately registered slots 14a, 14b. The bolt may then be manually started into a cinch screw anchor 18 or the equivalent set below the surface of the roadway in a previously drilled hole in the roadbed 17. As the bolt 15 is turned home by means of a wrench applied to the cap 15a, the skin plates 1, 2, at height of the lower tie clips 11a, 11b, are meanwhile pushed apart to their final positions of FIG. 4, by use of any suitable spreadingr device, and the locking spreader washer 13 is forced downward in a spreading fashion into the narrowest internal dimension of the neck portion 4 at the plane of the top of the L-shaped clips 7a, 7b. As has been previously described, the height of the point of narrowest clearance between the skin plates 1 and 2, and of the top plane of the L-shaped tie clips 7a, 7b, is coincidental. Also, the width of the lock washer 13 corresponds to the maximum width to which the skin plates 1 and 2 can be stretched apart as the clips 7a, 7b, separate to jam the appropriate sides of the laterally widened slots 14a, 14b, against the bolt 15. As a result, the entire assembly consisting of skin plates 1 and 2, the clips 7a, 7b, the clips 11a, 11b, the locking spreader washer 13, the bolt 15, the cinch screw anchor 18 or its equivalent (through threads 16), and therefore the roadbed 17, become jam-locked together into a single structural unit. Thus, as the locking spreader washer 13 comes down tight, it forces a spread between the skin plates and takes all play out of the tie clips.

Because of the ample clearances in the slots 14a, 14b, before the jamming down of the locking spreader washer 13, only moderate accuracy of alignment of the skin plates laterally to the roadway is necessary to permit easy manual insertion of the bolt 15. In the event that ground anchor rods on a soft roadway are to be used, a speedy installation can be accomplished by having pairs of skin plates in full registry lowered over the protruding rods.

It should be noted that the bolt 15 (or anchor rod), will have been tightened to a pretensioned unit stress of near its elastic limit. Coincidenta-lly the lower portions of the skin plates will be under pre-compression. Which ever method f loose assembly of the skin plates, elements and washers is employed, the tightening and jamming procedure is the same, as are the stress relationships.

An important element of the invention is that by the correct longitudinal, alternative spacing of the low and high clip stations, it is possible to assemble the opposed skin plates'in full registry, half registry, or quarter registry. The desirability of choice of registry will be apparent from the further discussion below.

In constructing a guard rail for a roadway, a number of members of the kind illustrated in the drawings may be joined end to end, with the opposed skin plates 1 and 2 in full registry. This type of construction is preferable in localities where a wide range of temperature is to be expected. In such cases, expansion joint members may be employed between adjacent skin plates. For example, stamped bitumastic felt expansion iillers may be used.

Where the temperature of a locality is substantially constant, it is preferred that the opposed skin plates be installed in a longitudinally staggered, or 1/2 or 1A: registry position. For example, if the skin plates 1 and 2 are each 20 ft. in length, a 10 ft. or 5 ft. overlap as between the two plates might be provided.

Under conditions of equable temperature, the staggered position is desirable, since it assures additional strength at the joints. The quarter staggered or ft. overlap position will be subsequently mentioned in connection with the use of the barrier at road intersections and forks.

In order to install the guard rail on a roadway, a series of anchor holes is first drilled along the center of the roadway at intervals of distance equal to the spacing of the bolts 15. A spacing and alignment jig preferably may be employed to facilitate this operation. If the roadway 17 is concrete, screw-in cinch anchors 18 may be employed. If, however, the roadway is of a soft or more yielding surface, ordinary ground anchors (not shown) should be used. In the latter case, each bolt 15 would be replaced by the upward projection of a ground anchor rod, the upper end of which Iwould be cut oif and threaded by means well known to the trade, to accept a nut to cooperate with the lock spreading washer 13. When the nut is properly brought down on this ground anchor rod, the spreading, locking and jamming process as above described in connection with the use of the bolt 15 would take place in a similar manner. That is, the guard rail barrier of the invention can be lock-secured to even an earth surfaced roadway, paving materials being entirely absent.

Referring specifically to FIG. 5, a modification of the invention is shown, designed for roadways having a center expansion joint 20. In this embodiment the bolts 15 extend substantially parallel to the skin plates. The cinch anchors 1'8 are set in the roadbed 17 in appropriately inclined positions to receive lthe threaded ends of the bolts in the manner illustrated. Also in this modification a special washer 13a having an inclined top surface area '13b for contact with the underside of the bolt head is provided. The lower tie clips 11a, 11b, are provided with additional slots at their ends adjacent to the skin plates, respectively, as at 14C, 14d, and the bolts 15 pass through the appropriate slot of each, as shown. The bolts 15 extend at alternate angles at successive stations longitudinally of the Irail guard, and hence through oppositely disposed slots 14C or 14d of the tie clips 11a and 11b at successive stations. The centers of the tie clips 11a, I11b, are fastened together at each station with a short bolt 21 of the diameter of the bolts 15. The alternate position of the bolts 1'5 is indicated by the dashed lines 15b.

It will be noted from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the positioning of the upper .-tie clips 7a, 7b, and the geometrical relationships between said clips, the locking spreader washer 13 and 13a, and the skin plates 1, 2, are such that tightening of the bolts 15, or the ground anchor rod, if the latter is substituted, tends to stiflin and straighten the inclined straight sides of the skin plates. This is because portions of the top surfaces 8c and 9c, FIG. 4a, of the upper tie clips, each extend horizontally on Iboth sides of the prolongation upward of the center line of the inclined straight side of the appropriate skin plate. When the horizontal lower surface of the locking spreader ywasher is bolted down on surfaces 8c and 9c, it maintains said latter surfaces horizontal. Such surfaces, rigidly related by welding to the upper portions of the inclined straight sides of the appropriate skin plates, thus maintain the said upper portions in straight and proper alignment. Thus, a lower portion of the inclined straight side of a skin plate resists outward deflection, such as could be caused by a filling of the space between the skin plates with wet concrete, in accordance with the formula for a beam fixed at one end, supported at other, rather than that for a simple beam as `would be the case were it not for the said positioning of the upper clips and the associated geometrical relationships. This method of construction of the invention is so much stiffer that with a given thickness of skin plate, and with a given assumed internal pressure of wet concrete, the skin plate deflects less than one half as much as without such construction. Stated in another way, the construction of the invention permits approximately a 15% reduction of the thickness of the skin plate without increase in deflection as compared to ordinary construction.

A bolt 15 or a ground anchor rod if substituted may also be used to secure the upright pedestal for a reflector, traffic reguation or direction sign, or the equivalent.

With any selected alignment and skin plate registry system, but particularly where full registry is combined with installation of the rail guard over a soft earth roadway, the two locking spreader washers 1-3 or 1i3a at the ends of adjacent skin plates, may be replaced with a single joining fish-plate having its ends dimensioned and the holes inserted as for thewasher, but elongated in a longitudinal direction. This {ish-plate construction serves more rigidly to retain the skin plates in alignment and, if concrete is to be poured into the interior between the skin plates, it also serves as a reinforcement.

In practice, the structure will preferably be filled with concrete. Concrete may be continuously filled into the structure through the top opening 6.

The skin plates or armor oi the guard rail of my invention are preferably 20 ft. long, and may be made of any suitable metal, such as aluminum or galvanized or corrosion-resistant steel; or alternatively, of a suitable synthetic material such as reinforced plastic or libre glass. The tie clip stations are preferably provided every 30 inches, with the first station starting 15 inches from the left end of the skin plate as viewed in FIG. 2. Skin plates forming the outer surface of the member are preferably approximately 1A inch thick if the rail guard is to be left hollow, and approximately 1/s inch if it is to be lled with concrete. The straight rising portions of the skin plates for this embodiment are set at an angle of approximately 69.5 to the horizontal, this angle being desired for reasons to be set forth below. This places the lolwer edges of the skin plates approximately 20 inches apart, the total bottom width of the member.

As may be most clearly seen from FIG. 3, the completed guard rail provides a continuous inclined at metallic side wall which, at its neck 4 merges into the bulged top S of the guard. When concrete is employed it will completely hide and protect the bolts 15 and tie clips.

The function of this bulge may be shown by considering a 20 to 50 approach to the member by a vehicle, which approach may have been occasioned by a drivers dozing and wandering from his former driving position toward the extreme left of the road, by a very sharp squeeze on the vehicles right in passing or maneuvering, or as a result of an actual side-swipe or violent mechanical forcing of the vehicle against the guard member. In this situation, the bumper or other metal parts at or about the height of the bumper above the road, will establish and maintain effective contact between the lower area of the bulge of the guard member and the vehicle. The bumper or striking portion of the vehicle will thus be unable to rise above the outwardly curving bulge at the top of the guard rail.

The guard member, when illed with concrete, weighs approximately 1.6 tons for every lineal feet and is tied down to the pavement with bolts which in this same lineal distance, if the bolts are made of ordinary steel, have a capacity to resist an upward pull of 50 tons. A high speed glancing collision against the guard member tends to apply pressure over a continuing lineal footage of guard member if the struct-ure of the colliding vehicle gradually collapses by severe impact, with the result that the impact may be applied against as much as 30 or 40 lineal feet of guard member. Since the members have externally slick and blemish-free skin plates, there is no interference with the forward component of a vehicle colliding against them. On the contrary, they operate to stop only, and completely, the lateral component of motion by a colliding vehicle which Iwould tend to carry that vehicle into the on-coming line of traic.

Referring to FIGS. 7-12, inc., modifications of the guard rail of the invention are shown in respect of the tie or clip arrangement.

Referring particularly to FIG. 7, a guard rail member is il-ustrated generally similar to that of FIGS. -6v. However, in place of the upper tie Aclips 7a, 7b, of the latter figures, two opposed trough clips 22 or 22a are welded as at 22C to the interior surfaces of the neck portions 4 of the skin- plates 1 and 2. A special washer member 23 is provided, having at its opposite end, downwardly extending flanges, as at 24a, 2412, these flanges being inserted in the trough clips, respectively. Washer member 23 has a central aperture 25, FIG. l2, for receiving the bolt 15.

As indicated above, two forms of trough clips are shown in FIG. 7. In the one form, trough clip 22 is provided with an aperture 26 at its bottom. In the other form, trough clip 22a is closed at its bottom. The structure of FIG. 7 has a particular advantage in that it eifects a reduction in the amount of metal required for the clip and washer assembly. Y

FIG. 8 illustrates a further modification of the inven tion, somewhat similar to that of FIG. 7. However, here trough clips 27 are employed, which clips are of hairpin cross-section. These clips extend continuously for the full length of the skin plates. This structure has the special advantage of enabling greater exibility in the positioning of the clip and bolt assembly, and the positioning of the skin plates of the members with regard to their registry one with the other. Furthermore, if the members are to be filled with concrete, the tro-ugh clips 27 serve as additional reinforcement members.

FIG. 9 shows a still further modication in which the skin plates 1, 2, rthemselves are formed near the t-op with trough-like portions 1a, 1b. These trough-like portions are positioned at a height corresponding to the height of the neck portions 4 of the other forms of the invention described. In the modification of FIG. 9, the plate member 23 is provided with flanges 24a, 24b, which extend into the troughs 1a, 1b, and in addition is preferably somewhat deeper at its center portion 28 than the corresponding washer members of FIGS. 7 and 8. Between its center portion 28 and the flanges 24a, 241;, in each side are rounded `channels 29a, 291;, adapted to engage the correspondingly rounded portions 30a, 30h, of the skin plates. As indicated by the dashed` line 15b, the modifications of FIGS. 7-9 may employ in addition to a vertically disposed bolt 1'5, the modification in which these bolts are disposed at angles. If such an angle bolt arrangement is employed, the upper surfaces of the washermember 23 will be modified as shown by they dashed,

line 13b.

In FIGS. 13 and 13a there is shown my preferred center roadway guard rail or barrier consisting of two identical metallic skin plates 31.- Each skin plate is formed of a straight, or flat, inclined side, which side merges into a relatively short upwardly extending, vertical neck portion 31X, the latter merging intoan upper curved head portion. The opposed head portions of the skin .plates 31 at their ends turn inwardly so as to form a central top -opening 36. Welded continuously to the inner lower surfaces of the neck portions 31X are pairs of opposed inclined strips 32. These attached strips pro-vide continuous hold-down and spacing lines of pressure application near the top of the barrier. Special tie members 34 are provided and these members have grooves 34a for receiving the strips. In the embodiment shown each tie member 34 is formed with at least one aperture adapted to receive a prestressed anchor bolt 35, which is shown in vertical position in FIG. i3. In order that the anchor bolt 35 may have alternately inclined locations as indicated at 35X, tie member 34 may be of a type formed with a sloped hole and inclined top face as at 13b, FIG. 9, so that by turning the tie member the sloped hole previously arranged for inclination of the anchor bolt at one side of the structure may provide for a like inclination of the anchor bolt at the opposite side of the structure. Also the tie member 34 may be provided with a central vertical hole and with two sloped holes extending in opposite inclinations, or a single sloped hole in addition to the center vertical hole.

Vertical anchor bolts are used generally, except where the barrier has 'to be placed over longitudinal asphalt expansion joints in the road pavement. Where this occurs, the anchor bolts are set on a slope, successively alternating right and left by placing successive members 34 with the slope of the bolt hole alternating.

The barrier is secured to the roadway pavement, and held in proper alignment position against impact shock from out-of-control vehicles by means of threading the anchor bolts 35 into expansion anchors 37 set into previously drilled holes in the concrete pavement 38.

The continuous steel strips 32 which support and interlock with the tie members 34 are weld-ed to the inside of the neck 31X ofthe plates 31 at an angle 34e the bisector of which is a projection of the center of the associated sloped barrier side -plate 31, and the points at the apex of the angle 34C of the tie member margins, exterior the grooves, are in line with the center line of the thickness of the plates 31. This eliminates eccentric loading on the side plates and materially helps to prevent buckling thereof when the successive anchor bolts are pre-stressed before the barrier is filled with yconcrete or other cementitious material, the latter being indicated at 42a in FIG. 13. Stiffeners 41a of substantially Z section, and welded to the skin plates 31 at longitudinally spaced intervals, bond these plates to cementitious filler 42a, thus to lock the skin plates t-o the filler and thereby reinforce the barrier. The weight of the concrete fill, together with the weight of the steel parts of the barrier, aids materially in preventing its overturning under lateral impact shock.

The plates 31 are turned inward at the base to form continuous lines of a hook-type interlock 39 to be engaged by specially formed wide steel spreader-tie plates 40 Which are placed into the barrier during installation at approximately 30 on centers. These lower spreader-tie plates hold the barrier side plates firmly in position and insure perfect alignment of the base of the barrier along its predetermined location. The spreader tie plates 40 are provided with upturned stiifener edges 41 which terminate in outwardly projecting lportions 42, which prevent the tie plates 40` from jumping out of an interlock 39 after the skin plate 31, during assembly, has been rotated from the road into position. This construction facilitates and speeds up installation.

It is preferred that the barrier have the following dimensions: A base width at roadway surface of 221/2; the over-all height of 26" which is from l" to 31/2" higher than center of gravity of automobiles of current design; and the steel armoured sides of the barrier should rise from the pavement at a slope angle of 65% This slope is sufficiently steep to inhibit car wheels from mounting it, especially in view of the very low friction factor that will develop between rubber tires and smooth steel surfaces such as the barrier sides. The barrier side slope of 65% from the pavement level permits car wheels to travel along and in direct contact with the bases of the barrier without scraping any part of the car body or chassis against the higher-up portions of the barrier.

The side plates 31 preferably are of 20 foot long sheet steel plates, butt-ended together to form the indicated barrier shape, the space between being filled with poured concrete.

The short vertical neck 31X which then widens out to form a continuous horizontal ledge Sly has the function of catching the bumper of a car that may be thrown against the barrier at, or near, a right angle approach, FIG. 13 showing the normal height of current car bumpers.

As will be observed in FIG. 13, there is an area 31X which is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal area Sly related to the top area. v

Thebarrier can be installed as shown directly on pavements whether the pavement is level or on slight vertical or horizontal curves. It can be equally well installed on sharper short radius horizontal curves by merely shortening the horizontal (longitudinal) length of the side plates as required. It can also be installed on top of and along the side edges of curb height o-r higher raised central platforms of roadways. In such cases the sloped side plates would be carried down below the edge of the platform to the roadway level.

Successive short steel dowel rods extending from the larger body of the concrete below the neck of the barrier and up into the flanged, narrower head may be inserted following the pouring of the concrete to assist in preventing damage to the barrier from future excessive impact shocks.

The shape, general dimensions, and -design of the barrier are such that:

It forms a true insurmountable and unstraddleable barrier.

It will guide an out-of-control automobile into a flatter deflection angle than the original approach angle and, under certain conditions of impact angle, redirect and guide the vehicle unharmed in continuous progressive contact along the barrier to provide guided vehicular travel.

It prevents jump and bounce of the car after impact such as are produced by ordinary curbs or by gentle or curving barrier slopes and will therefore help irnmensely to prevent car overturn.

Since rubber on steel, painted or unpainted, produces a very low friction factor, a car wheel can roll and slide along the steel barrier sides Without materially reducing the cars forward Velocity. Consequently, there is very little tendency to climb the barrier even on fairly wide approach angles.

It can be quickly installed and opened to traf-lic almost immediately.

It is made of standard parts which can be readily stocked and the installation in a dangerous section of roadway can therefore be made almost immediately.

As shown on the drawings, the barrier shape permits cars moving in opposite directions to pass each other within only 9 between the car body sides.

The projecting ledge at the head of the barrier positively prevents a car from surmounting or straddling this barier even when the car is forced or thrown against it by a previous `collision with another car or object on its own side of the roadway.

By virtue of the comparatively wide base for the short cantilever height of the barrier, impact stresses produced by a collision against it are immediately distributed over a fairly long length of the barrier. This quick distribution of impact stresses is assisted by pre-tensioning the anchor bolts-thus pre-compressing the skin plates before filling with cementitious material-which materially reduces the danger of localized impact damage to the barrier at point of contact.

While in actual practice, operation of the barrier of the present invention involves a considerable number of variables and a rather complex interplay of forces, it will be appreciated that the principle which underlies this operation is based upon the dissipation of selected portions of an impinging vehicles kinetic energy. That is, the barrier operates by reacting against and causing dissipation of -only the lateral component of the vehicles energy, i.e., that component which is directed perpendicularly to the direction along which the barrier extends. At the same time, due to the smooth, fiat and friction free outer surface of the barrier an-d the continuous and rigid manner in which this surface is supported, it produces substantially no effect on the orthogonal or longitudinal energy component of the impinging vehicle. It is important to note that for a vehicle which veers from the normal course of trafiic and into the barrier, the energy associated with the longitudinal component is over ten times as lgreat as that associated with the lateral component. Also, since the longitudinal component is not dangerous in itself, it need not be controlled or restricted by the barrier.

As indicated previously, the barrier operates to cause dissipation of a vehicles Alateral kinetic energy by directing such energy through the suspension system of the vehicle and into its shock absorbers. As the vehicle moves against the barrier, the sharp incline of the barriers outer surface causes the impinging wheel of the vehicle to slip rapidly upward so as to compress its supporting spring and to flex its shock absorber. This llexing of the shock absorber dissipates a portion of the lateral kinetic energy while the remainder of this energy is converted to potential energy .Of compression of the supporting spring. The steepness and smoothness of the barriers inclined surface, however, is too great to permit the risen wheel to remain at its elevated position; and consequently, the `wheel immediately slides back down While its supporting spring expands and its shock absorber unexes. At the same time, the other wheels which are on the roadway, are caused to slip laterally` away from the barrier. The lateral sliding of the vehicles wheels and the flexing and unflexing of its shock absorbers dissipates the remainder of the undesired lateral kinetic energy.

It will be appreciated that unless the vehicle wheel or wheels contacting the barrier slip back down to the roadway immediately after lbeing forced up the barrier side, the thus compressed vehicle spring would begin to eX- pand in a direction causing swerving and rolling of the vehicle body in an uncontrollable manner.

In order to ensure this wheel slip down it will be understood that the barrier inclination angle must be at least equal to the sum of the angles which correspond to the two frictional factors opposing such wheel slip down. That is, the barrier inclination angle must be at least as great as the sum of the angles whose tangents are equal, respectively, to the wheel-to-barrier and wheel-to-roadway friction coefficients. Of course, the barrier inclination must not be so great that the wheel-to-barrier friction is able to prevent wheel slip up in the tirst place. Thus, the barrier inclination must be no greater than the angle whose tangent is equal to the reciprocal of the wheel-to-barrier friction coefficient.

It can readily be appreciated that the lower the variousfri-ction coefficients happen to be, the greater will be the range of barrier inclination angles which will give proper operation; and conversely, as the frictional values increase, a point is reached where no barrier inclination will permit both slip-up and slipdown of an impinging vehicle wheel, While friction coefficients vary from tire to tire, roadway to roadway and even from time to time in individual circumstances; it is commonly known that for large numbers of individual circumstances such variations occur within fairly well defined limits. For example, rubber tires on roadway pavements exhibit, under normal conditions, a friction coefficient between 0.6 and 0.9, the most common being about 0.75; and rubber tires on metal, such as steel or painted steel surfaces subjected to normal weather conditions, will exhibit a friction coefficient between 0.35 and 0.65, the most common being about 0.4.

From this, it can be expected that a barrier having a smooth, slick, outer surface and used in conjunction with lower friction pavements, will perform in the manner described when its inclination angle is between 50 and 71. However, in order to accommodate a greater rangev of pavement types, and in order to relieve somewhat the low friction restrictions required of the barrier surface,

it is believed that a barrier inclination angle of between 59 and 68 will perform most satisfactorily; and an inclination angle of approximately 66 will accommodate the greatest variation of other variables.

The barrier height must, of course, be suicient 4to enable the barrier to present to the Wheels of an impinging vehicle an inclination angle `within theabove indicated ranges. It will be appreciated that if the total barrier height is much below the vehicle wheel axle level, the inclination angle of the barrier is not effectively presented to the wheel, for the wheel would contact the top of the barrier only. In such a situation the slip-up and slipdown mode of operation which characterizes the present invention cannot take place, for in such case the vehicle wheel would mount and be held up on top of the barrier. While the wheel axle level determines the minimum barrier height required to achieve the desired mode of operation, it is to be noted that the invention is not practically operative unless the height of the barrier is such that the effective angle presented to the vehicle wheel is maintained within the aforementioned range over the entire distance of wheel slippage up the barrier surface. Thus,

while under certain special circumstances a barrier may be made to perform according to the aforedescribed principles at a height of only 13 inches, for conventional roadway traic it is `preferred that the inclined barrier surface extend to a height of approximately 20 inches above the roadway.

The bulge at the top of the barrier serves, in cases of extreme laterai velocities, to prevent traversal of the barrier by the impinging vehicle. This takes place by the bulge either catching on a projection, such as a bumper, or by forming its own projection, as by creasing into the body skin of the vehicle, at a .point in time before the vehicle body has risen appreciably. This prevents overturning of the vehicle or traversal by the vehicle of the barrier. Because the bulge operates to restrain upward body movement before it has reached appreciable velocity the forces encountered by the bulge are minimized. It can be seen that in order to operate as above described, the bulge should project horizontally outward from the top of the dat inclined barrier surface at a height of 19 inches or more and to a point somewhere above the inclined surface.

This application describes subject matter described and claimed in my copending applications Ser. No. 584,798, tiled` May 14, 1956, Ser. No. 660,129, tiled May 20, 1957 and Ser. No. 55,534, filed Sept. 12, 1960.

What is claimed is:

1. A roadway guard barrier comprising a structure mounted in fixed relation to and extending longitudinally along a roadway, said structure providing continuous and rigid support along a smooth continuous outer surface exposed to and inclined obtusely with respect to traffic on said roadway, said outer surface being flat and rising abruptly and atly from such roadway at an angle between about 50 and about 71 degrees and to a height of at least 13 inches, said outer surface having frictional characteristics similar to those of finished metal.

2. A roadway guard barrier comprising a structure mounted in fixed relation -to and extending longitudinally along a roadway, said structure providing continuous and rigid support along a smooth continuous outer surface exposed to and inclined obtusely with respect to traffic on said roadway, said outer surface being flat and rising abruptly and flatly from such roadway at an angle of about 66 degrees and to a height of approximately 20 inches, said outer surface having frictional characteristics similar to those of finished metal. v

3. A non-traversable roadway guard |bar-rier comprising at least one guard plate, said guard plate having frictional characteristics similar to those of finished metal, fastening Vmeans mounting said guard plate toextend longitudinally along the roadway, said guard plate having a smooth flat and continuous outer surface facingv traffic in obtusely inclined relation thereto which rises abruptly from the roadway at an angle of from about 50 to about 71 degrees to a height of at least 13 inches and means providing continuous rigid support along said guard plate, said angle, height, and frictional characteristics being inter-related to permit a vehicles tire to slide up said su-rface when subjected to lateral forces thereaglainst and to prevent retention of said tire up on said surface thereby preventing traversal by an impinging vehicle while producing dissipation of such impinging vehicles lateral kinetic energy through the sliding up and down of such vehicles tire on said outer surface.

4. A non-traversable roadway guard barrier comprising at least one guard plate, said guard plate having a friction coefficient with rubber less than 0.65, fastening means mounting said guard plate to extend longitudinally along the roadway, said guard plate having a smooth at and continuous outer surface facing traffic in obtusely inclined -relation thereto which rises abruptly from the roadway at an angle between 59 and 68 degrees to a height of approximately inches and means providing continuous rigid support along said guard plate.

5. A non-traversable roadway guard barrier comprising at least one metallic guard plate, fastening means mounting said guard plate to extend longitudinally along the roadway, said guard plate being charatcerized in that it includes a major base area extending from the Vroadway along its lower edge and a minor top area contiguous with the upper edge of said base area, the base area being substantially at over its entire area and inclined obtusely on an outer surface facing vehicular tratiic, said outer surface forming a constant acute angle in the region of from about 50 to about 7l degrees with respect to said roadway, and rising to a height of at least 13 inches thereabove, said plate being rigidly supported continuously along said inner surface and having a smoot-h, slick and blemish free external surfacewhich avoids interference with a colliding vehicles component of motion parallel to said plate,and"which operates to stop only, and completely, such colliding vehicles component of motion laterial to said plate, the top area of said barrier being constituted as an outwardly directed bulge of said su-rface, said bulge being constructed and arranged to be engaged by a vehicle in -contact with and moving upwardly along said base area, and said base area projecting towards said roadway beyond the bulge of said top area.

6. A non-traversable roadway guard barrier comprising at least one smooth steel guard plate, fastening means mounting said guard plate to extend longitudinally along the roadway, said guard plate being characterized in that it includes a major base area extending from the roadway along its lower edge and a minor top area contiguous with the upper edge of said 'base area, the base area being substantially flat over its entire area and inclined obtusely on an outer surface facing vehicular traic, said outer surface forming a constant acute angle of about 66 degrees with respect to said roadway, and rising to a height of approximately 20 inches thereabove, said plate being rigidly supported continuously along said inner surface and having a smooth, slick and blemish free external surface which avoids interference with a colli-ding vehicles component of motion parallel to said plate, and which operates to stop only, and completely, such colliding vehicles component of motion lateral to said plate, the top area of said barrier being constituted as an outwardly directed bulge of said surface, said bulge being constructed and arranged to be engaged by a vehicle in contact with an moving upwardly along said base area, and said base area projecting towards said roadway beyond the bulge of said top area.

7. A non-traversable roadway guard barrier comprising a pair of metallic guard plates fastened in opposed relationship to extend longitudinally along the roadway, said plates including major base portions which are substantially at over their entire area and which are inclined toward and space for each other to form therebetween a barrier base .portion of substantially tr-apezoidal crosssection, said major base portions being abruptly inclined with respect to said roadway, forming therewith constant internal angles between about 50 and about 71 degrees and rising to a height of at least 13 inches above the roadway, and means between said guard plates providing continuous rigid support therefor.

8. A roadway guard barrier comprising a pair of opposed guard plates fastened on the roadway, said plates including base portions thereof which are inclined toward and spaced away from each other to form therebetween a base portion of said barrier of substantially trapezoidal cross-section, the outwardly facing surfaces of said plates being smooth and having a low friction coefficient, said plates including a reversely curved top portion of each formed as an outwardly directed bulge thereof, each said plate projecting toward the roadway beyond the bulge thereof, upper and lower separable connector means extendingrespectively between the tops of the base portions and between t-he bottoms of the base portions of said plates to secure said plates in predetermined spaced relationship, anchor elements extending through aligned apertures in said upper and lower separable connectors and anch-oring said barrier to said pavement.

9. A roadway guard barrier comprising, opposed elongated plates each having a substantially flat majo-r wall area inwardly inclined upwardly towards that of the opposed plate, and ea-ch plate having at the top a minor wall area turned outwardly and thence inwardly to provide a bulged flange, the upper ends of said minor wall area being spaced to provide an inlet aperture therebetween,v inwardly projecting tie members carried by the inner face of each plate 4adjacent the upper region thereof at said minor area and also at the lower marginal areas of said plates, one of said upper tie members and one of said lower tie members overlapping the other of said upper and lower tie members, respectively, said upper and lower tie members having aligned apertures therein, bridging means extending between opposed plates adjacent said upper tie members and maintaining same in spaced apart relationship against inward collapse, said bridging means having an aperture therethrough in alignment with those in said tie members, means extending downwardly through said aligned apertures in said tie members and said bridging means and anchored in the surface below said plates to exert a downward force upon said plates, and a cementitious filling material disposed between t-he plates from wall to wall of the opposed surfaces, said filling material being hardened and formed in transverse section as a wedge having major relatively straight inwardly inclined side walls merging into a minor v bulged top area.

10. A roadway guard barrier comprising, opposed elongated plates each having a substantially flat major wall area inwardly inclined upwardly towards that of the opposed plate,v and each plate having at the top a minor wall area turned outwardly and thence inwardly to provide a bulged flange, the upper ends of said minor wall area being spaced to provide an inlet aperture therebetween, inwardly projecting tie members carried by the inner face of each plate adjacent the upper region thereof at said minor area and also at the lower marginal areas of said plates, one of said upper tie members and one of said lower tie -members overlapping the other of said upper and lower tie members and having aligned apertures therein, bridging means extending between op-posed plates adjacent said upper tie members and maintaining same in spaced apart relationship against inward collapse, said bridging means having an 'aperture therethrough in alignment with those in said tie members, and means extending downwardly throng-h said aligned apertures in said tie members and said bridging means and anchored in the surface below said plates to exert a downward force upon said plates.

11. In a roadway guard barrier -comprising opposed elongated plates each having a substantially at major wall area inwardly inclined upwardly towards that of the opposed plate, and ea-ch plate having at the top a minor wall area turned outwardly 'and thence upwardly and inwardly to provide a bulged flange, the upper ends of said minor wall a-reas being spaced to provide an inlet apertu-re therebetween, inwardly and upwardly projecting strips secured to the inner face of each plate adjacent the region of said bulged flange, and extending longitudinally thereof, a tie member extending between opposed plates and maintaining same in spaced relationship, said tie member having downwardly opening grooves receiving the strips secured to the opposed plates, the lower ends of said side plates being turned inwardly and thence outwardly to deline opposed hook portions, transverse fastening means formed with hook means at their ends cooperating with said opposed hook portions to maintain said side plates in proper spaced alignment, and means extending downwardly through said tie member and said transverse fastening means and anchored in a surface below said plates to exert a downward force upon said plates.

12. A roadway guard rail barrier comprising a pair of opposed guard plates supported on the roadway, said plates including base portions thereof which are inclined toward and Vspaced from each other to form therebetween a -base portion of said barrier of substantially trapezoidal cross-section,` the outwardly facing surfaces of said plates being smooth and having a low friction coeicient, said plates including a doubly, reversely curved top portion of each, which extends rst downwardly and substantially parallel to said base portion and thence upwardly and outwardly away from said base portion to form an outwardly directed bulge means maintaining the lower portions of said guard plates in spaced relationship, and apertured anchor plates extending between said guard plates at spaced intervals therealong, said anchor plates having grooved undersurfaces seating on the ridges formed by the tirst reverse curvature of said guard plates, and having terminal lugs seating in the grooves formed between the first and the second reverse curvature of said guard plates, respectively, and means securing said guard plates to said -roadway comprising roadway anchor bolts extending through the apertures of said anchor plates and secured thereto.

13. A roadway guard rail barrier comprising a pair of opposed gua-rd plates supported on the roadway, said plates including base portions thereof which are inclined toward and spaced away from each other to form therebetween -abase portion of said barrier of substantially trapezoidal crosssection, the outwardly facing surfaces. of said plates being smooth and having a low friction coeicient, said plates including a top portion of each which extends rs-t upwardly substantially perpendicular to t-he roadway and thence in reverse curvature first outwardly and upwardly and thence inwardly, anchoring strips secured to the inner surfaces of each guard plate where it begins to extend upwardly from its inclined base portion, ea-ch said strip being disposed at an angle to said verticalportion to form a groove therebetween, spreader tie plates extending between said strips at spaced intervals -therealong, said plates having grooved terminii on their under sides for seating upon said strips and in the groove formed therebetween and theV associated guardv plate, each said guard plate having at its base an inwardly and thence upwardly turned base portion for seating on said roadway, and hook'like spreader tie plates extending between the base portions of said guard plates at spaced intervals therea'long and interlocking with the inner and upwardly turned portions of said guard plates, respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,021,082 3/1912 Wright et al 94--18 1,606,588 11/ 1926 Meermans 94-31 1,726,267 8/ 1929 Higgins 94-1.5 2,135,400 11/1938 Johnson 94-1.5 2,153,392 4/1939 Robertson 9 4-l.5 2,279,942 4/ 1942 Hansherr 256-13.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 225,676 2/ 1958 Australia.

OTHER REFERENCES Highway Research Board, June 24, 193 8, 13. 343. Highway Research Board, Jan. 17-20, 1956, pp. 22 and 25.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A ROADWAY GUARD BARRIER COMPRISING A STRUCTURE MOUNTED IN FIXED RELATION TO AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG A ROADWAY, SAID STRUCTURE PROVIDING CONTINUOUS AND RIGID SUPPORT ALONG A SMOOTH CONTINUOUS OUTER SURFACE EXPOSED TO AND INCLINED OBTUSELY WITH RESPECT TO TRAFFIC ON SAID ROADWAY, SAID OUTER SURFACE BEING FLAT AND RISING ABRUPTLY AND FLATLY FROM SUCH ROADWAY AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN ABOUT 50 AND ABOUT 71 DEGREES AND TO A HEIGHT OF AT LEAST 13 INCHES, SAID OUTER SURFACE HAVING FRICTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF FINISHED METAL.

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