US2181703A - Highway guard - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1939. J, E MCCRACKEN 2,181,703

HIGHWAY GUARD Fileff. April rio, 1937 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 idpifilhi @tiri fil HIGHWAY opzien Joseph E, lllcraclien, Bethlehem, Pa., assigner `to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania,

Application April 3i), 1937, Serial No. l39,926

7 Claims.

My invention relates to guards such as are installed along the sides of highways and more particularly to those highway guards of the semirigid type.

The primary purpose of a guard rail is to protect dangerous sections of highways so as to prevent vehicles from accidentally leaving the highways and the guard rail should be of such structure that it will withstand the impact of a vehicle and at the same time reduce to a minimum. the damage to such vehicle and to the oc cupants thereof.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved highway guard structure which will effectively resist impacts transmitted thereto by travelling Vehicles coming into contact with the guard rail and thereby prevent said vehicles from leaving the highway and at the same time to provide a structure which will sufciently absorb the shocks 'transmitted thereto so that no substantial damage will occur to said vehicles.

Another object of my invention is to provide a structure'which is sufciently rigid so as to be self-sustaining, thereby eliminating the necessity for end tension members, such as springs, anchor `rods or anchors, thus eifecting a substantial economy in erection and maintenance.

A further object of my invention is to provide a guard rail which presents to the roadway a surface free of projections along its entire length, including joints, thus permitting the vehicle, upon impact, to slide freely and to gradually decelerate, thereby eliminating any possibility of .a sudden and disastrous stopping of said vehicle.

The novel features of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig- 1 is a side elevation'of the road guard structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the road guard structure shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. l in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing morel in detail, I show a road guard` structure comprising a plurality of posts or supports l0 having a plurality of metal guard rails II mounted thereon. The guard rail II as shown in the drawing comprises a plate member having a relatively deep longitudinal corrugation I2 and at portions i3 and I4. The corrugation I2 engages the supports IIl and spaces the portions I3 and I4 at each side of the corrugation I2 from the supports Ill. Corrugation I2 also imparts strength to the rail II and enables therefor.

(Cl, 25E-13.1)

from center to center of the supports or posts Il! d,

and are connected in an end to end iiush rela "l0 tion by angle members l@ and il which are disposed above and below the corrugation E2 and engage the adjoining portions I3 and I4, respectively, of the respective plate members. The` rails II are preferably connected'by placing the vertical legs I3 and i9 of the angle members I6 and I'I, respectively, against the rear faces of the portions I3 and it of the plate members and securing them together by placing bolts 29 or other suitable fastening means through the open ings 2I provided therein. The openings 2i are preferably larger than the shank of said fastening means 2li so as to provide means to permit movement of the rails II due to thermal expansion and contraction. A slight clearance is also. provided between the ends of the rails i i to permit expansion thereof.

An elongated slot is provided in the ends of the post engaging portion I5 of the corrugation I2 of the adjoining rails II, thus forming an opening 22 through which a bolt or other suitable fastening means 23 is passed to attach rails I I to the posts Hl. The opening 22 in the adjoining rails is longer than the diameter of the shank of the fastening means 23 passing therethrough, thus allowing for thermal expansion and contraction of the rails Ii. As canreadily be seen, the joint thus formed has a surface free of projections which will permit a Vehicle impacting therewith to slide along the guard rail structure, and therefore to be gradually decelerated until it is brought under control, thereby eliminating damage to occupants, vehicle and. guard rail which invariably occurs when a vehicle is suddenly stopped.

The horizontal legs 24 and 25 of the angle members lia and ll, respectively, lare situated in relatively close proximity to the post engaging portion I5 of the corrugation I 2, and extend from the rear faces of portions I3 and Ill of the plate member tov subtsantially the opposed face of the post Il). Theangle members I6 and Il in addition to constituting connecting means for adjoining rails I i also constitute reinforcing means Upon impact of a vehicle with the rails II of the guard rail structure, the angle members I6 and I1 by their engagement with the posts will provide supports for the portions I3 and It of the plate member and thereby prevent the rails from collapsing and thus obviate any possibility of the vehicle striking the posts. Due to the angle members being in slidable relation to the post, the rails H are permitted to spread transversely to a limited degree upon the initial impact of the vehicle. After impact, the rails will assume their normal shape, and return the angle members I6 and l1 to their original position.

It will readily be seen that one of the advantages inherent in the structure of my guard rail is the ease with which moisture Will drain therefrom, thereby avoiding corrosion and prolonging the life of the rail.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A highway guard comprising a plurality of spaced supports and rails intermediate said supports, said rails comprising impact receiving portions spaced from said supports and a centrally disposed longitudinal corrugated portion engaging said supports and secured thereto and relatively short members intermediate the support and the rails having their ends terminating adjacent the supports.

2. A highway guard comprising a plurality of spaced supports, rails intermediate said supports, said rails having their end portions in alignment at said supports, said rails comprising relatively deep longitudinal centrally disposed corrugations engaging said supports and spacing the outer portions of the rails adjacent the corrugations from said supports, a flanged member disposed intermediate the said outer portions of said rails and said supports, said flanged member having a flange secured to and cooperating with said outer portions of said rails to retain the rails in facial alignment and having a portion extending substantially to said supports.

3. A highway guard comprising a plurality of supports, intermediate rails having their end portions in alignment at the supports, said rails comprising centrally disposed longitudinal corrugations constituting support engaging means and spacing means for spacing the outer por'- tions of the rail from said supports, land flanged *Y extending substantially to said supports, and fas-` tening means cooperating with said corrugations and said supports to retain said rails in assembled relation with said supports.

5. A highway guard comprising a plurality of spaced supports, a plate member intermediate said supports, said plate member having a deep corrugation extending rearly of the face thereof and portions'at each side of the corrugation, said corrugation constituting strengthening and support engaging means, and the portions of the plate at the sides of the corrugations being in spaced relation with the supports, and angle at each side of the corrugation, each of said angle members extending across the face of a support and having its ends terminating adjacent the edges of said support.

6. A highway guard comprising a pluralityof spaced supports, plate members intermediate said supports, said plate members having deep cork rugations extending rearly of the face thereof,

and portions at each side of the corrugations, said corrugations constituting strengthening and post engaging means, the portions of the plate members at the sides of the ,corrugations being in'spaced relation with the supports, and relatively short members having ,their ends termi nating adjacent the edges of the supports adapt- 5* ed to engage the supports upon impact ofna vehicle with the guard.

7. AY highway guard comprising spaced supports and rails intermediate said supports, said rails comprising a corrugated portion'having the outer surface thereof engaging the supports and spacing the remainder of the rail from the supports, and an angle member intermediate the support and adjacent rails connecting the ends of said rails.

JOSEPH E. MCCRACKE'N.

members intermediate the support and the plate 30

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