US1950719A - Highway guard - Google Patents

Description

March i3, 1934. vv. s. EDGE LQW HIGHWAY GUARD Filled April 1s, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR w s. EDGE L95979 l HIGHWAY GUARD Filed April 16', 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 13, 1934 HIGHWAY GUARD Walter S. Edge, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Steel Company, ration of Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, Pa., a corpo- Application April 16, 1932, Serial N0. 605,697 Claims. (Cl. IESS-13.1)

my invention relates to highway guards, such as are employed as fences or deflectors to prevent vehicles leaving the roadway on bridges, on embankments or at curves.

One object of my invention is to provide a guard structure that possesses a maximum capacity of resistance for a given weight of material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a guard of band-like form which is of relatively 10 narrow width, and which is reinforced at its upper and lower edges to reduce tendency for a vehicle to over-ride or under-ride the upper arid lower edges, respectively, of the band, through excessive deflection of said edges relative to the intermediate portion of the band.

Another object of my invention is to provide a guard structure that is highly yieldable, and can be deflected to a greater extent than various types of guards heretofore employed, without permanent deformation of the guard strip.

A further object of my invention is to provide l an improved form of yielding buffer support for guard bands.

Another object of my invention is to provide a guard band or strip of improved form, and an improved manner of connecting the same to supporting posts or the like.

Some of the forms which my invention may taxe are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a face view of a portion of a guard fence; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view showing a modification of the structure of Fig. 2; Fig. 4a shows a modification of the structure of Fig. 4; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the structure of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a face view of a modified form of band; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 8 is a face View of still another form of band; Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view thereof, and Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view of the structure of Fig. 8.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I show a band or guard strip 12 which may be of sheet steel or other suitable material. The upper and lower edges of the band are beaded or curved as indicated at 13, to stiffen said edges and resist excessive deilection thereof relative to the longitudinal mid portion of the band, thereby resisting tendency for the hubs or bumper bars of vehicles to be pushed over'the band or underneath thesame when the 4center of impact comes close to the upper or lower edges of the band. The edges at 13 may be curved only slightly as shown in Fig. 3, or may be bent to approximately circularform as shown in Fig. 7, at 33.

The band is shown as secured to posts 14 and 15 that may -be suitably imbedded in the ground,

'the end posts 14 being anchored by guy rods 16 L in any well-known manner. The ends of the band are connected to the sides of the posts by clamping plates 17 and bolts 18. The band is connected to the faces of the posts by means of clamping plates 20 and 21, as hereinafter explained.

'Ihe plate 20 issecured to the posts by means of bolts 22 that extend through the Yposts and into threaded engagement with tapped recesses in the rear side of the plate 20. The holes through which the bolts 26 extend are horizontally flared as indicated at 23, to permit the bolts to pivot about their heads, and thus allow sliding movement of the bar 20 across the face of the post, when the band 12'is placed under great longitudinal stress, as through an impact imposed against the same at points intermediate two posts. The plate 21 is secured to the plate 20 by means of bolts 24 that clamp the bands 12 securely in place.

It will be understood that when a band is deilected laterally at points between two posts, the stress will be transmitted to other posts, because the various bars 20 can slide on the faces of their respective posts. When the band is relieved of deflection stresses, it will tend to assume its normally straight position, and tendency toward sagging is opposed by the beads 13 which resist deection of the band, and thereafter tend to cause it to straighten out when the load is removed therefrom.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I show another means for connecting the band to the posts, such means comprisingnbolts 26 that correspond to the bolts 22,

and a spring plate .27. The spring 27 may extend u vertically for the full width of the band or may be composed of a plurality of leaves disposed in vertically spaced relation.

The bolts 26 are threaded into clamping plates 28, at their outer ends, and at their inner ends are screwthreaded and provided with nuts 29, which may be utilized to draw the plate 28 and the band 12 inwardly to increase the longitudinal tension of the band. The band 12 is secured to the bar 28 by means of a bar 29 and bolts 30.

T'he bolts 26 have pivotal movement in the posts as do the bolts 22, when the band 12 is shifted longitudinally by stresses imposed against the same. The spring 27 may also slide on the face of the post, and its outer edges are curled back collision of a vehicle therewith, the band will.

0 course be deilected and longitudinal pull eX- e (ted. Thus longitudinal stresses are transmitted to those sections of the bands between other posts, by reason of the fact that the clamping plates 28 and 29 can shift through pivotal movement of the bolts 26. The springs 27 will, of course, be compressed, and when the load isremoved from the band, they will assist in restoring the band to its normal or undeflected position. Also, the springs 27 will maintain the band under constant tension notwithstanding the shrinkage and expansion of the band under repeated changes in temperature. The tension on the band can be adjusted by means of the nuts 29, as above-explained.

In Fig. 4a the bolt 26a corresponds to the bolts 26 but instead of being threaded into the clamping plate 28a it extends loosely therethrough and has in effect a ball and socket connection therewith. The clamping plate 29a clamps the band against the plate 28a and retains it against the ends of the spring 27a.

By this arrangement, swinging or pivoting of the bolt 26a through shifting of the band longitudinally of itself causes the plate 28a to have pivotal movement on thebolt head, thus reducing bending stresses on the mesh by the plates 28a and 29a. f i

Referring now to Figs. 6 and '7, I show a band 12a that may be mounted on posts or other supports, as is shown in Figs. l to 5, but which differs from the band 12 in that cables or wires 32 are contained within the beads or curled edges 33 of the band. The ends of these wires 32 may be suitably anchored to maintain them under considerable tension, as by clamps 32a, and thereby stiien the band more effectively than if only the beads 33 are provided. The tension members 32 of course tend to make the band lie in straight lines and to return it from deflected position.

The band 12a is shown as provided with a number of longitudinally-extending slots 34, which will permit it to be sldably connected to a post by means of bolts, without the necessity of employing clamping bars such as the bars 20 and 21 of Fig. 2. This arrangement would permit the band to be connected to a post in the manner shown in Fig. 10, for example.

Referring now to Figs. 8 to 10, I show a band consisting of strand wires 35, which are preferably of spring steel and which are passed alternately in front of and behind stay strips 36, the strips being preferably oiset at the points where the strands cross the same. These offsets form seats on which the wire strands 35 are sldably supported, and resist deflection of the strands in vertical directions. g

The strand wires 35 may suitably be of 8 gauge spring steel wire for example, spaced apart inch, center-to-center, while the stay strips 36 may be 1 inch wide and 116 to 1/8 inch in thickness. These dimensions will, of course, be varied to suit conditions. Y

The band of Fig. 8 is shown as secured to a post Vincreased yieldability, since they will vtend to straighten out under lateral impacts, but will return to their normal positions when the load is removed from the band.

I claim as my invention:`

l. A guard fence comprising a support, an impact-receiving band, a bolt or the like having its inner end connected to said support for pivotal movement, a spacing member abutting the face of the support and the rear side of the band, and

means for connecting the band tothe outer end of the bolt.

2. A guard fence comprising a support, an impact-receiving band, a bolt or the like having its inner end connected to said support for pivotal movement, means for connecting the band to the outer end of the bolt, and a spacing member interposed between the face of the support and the band and connected to the band.

3. A guard fence comprising a support having a hole extending therethrough and ared toward the outer face thereof, a bolt or the like extending through said hole and having its rear end connected to the support, and a guard band connected to the outer end of the bolt.

4.' A guard fence comprising a support having a hole extendingtherethrough and iiared toward the outer 'face thereof, a bolt extending through said hole and having its rear end connected to the support, a guard band connected to the outer end of the bolt, and a member interposed between the outer face of the support and the band and sldably engaging the face ofthe post.

5. A guard fence comprising a support, an impact-receiving band, a spring of semi-elliptical form having its mid portion disposed against the face of the support and slidable thereon, and its end portions engaging the rear face of the band, and means for supporting the band against said spring.

6. A guard fence comprising a support, an impact-receiving band, a spring of semi-elliptical form having its mid portion disposed against the face of the support and its end portions engaging the rear face of the band, and means disposed between the ends of the spring and adjustable toward the face of the support for holding the band against said spring ends.

7. A guard fence comprising a support, an impact-receiving band, a spring of semi-elliptical form having its mid portion disposed against the face of the support and its end portions engaging the rear face of the band, and means for adjustably tensioning the band against said spring, the said spring ends being flared apart in directions longitudinally of the band.

8. A guard fence comprising, a support, an impact-receiving band, a bolt or the like having its inner end connected to said support for pivotal movement,4 and means for pivotally connecting the band to the outer end of the bolt.

able projections extending outwardly from the support, and means engaging said memberand 1,950,719 movable between said projections to eiect tensioning of the member.

10. A guard fence comprising a support, an impact receiving band, a bolt or the like having its inner end connected to said support for pivotal movement, andmeans for connecting the band to the outer end of the bolt, the bolt being slidable longitudinally of itself with respect to the post.

11. A guard fence comprising a support, a exible impact-receiving member, a pair of projections extending outwardly from the support, and means having connection with the support, and engaging said member, the said means extending between said projections and being adjustable toward and from the face of the support, to effect tensioning of the said member.

12. A guard fence comprising a support, a ilexible impact-receiving member, and a pair of arms connected to said support and extending outwardly into engagement with the exible member at longitudinally-spaced points thereof', the inner ends of said arms being rigidly connected and of convex form, the said convex portion bearing against the face of the support and having rocking movement thereon.

13. A highway guard including a support, a exible impact-receiving member, a. resilient member projecting from the face of the support and connected to the impact-receiving member, and adjustable means at said support for tensioning the impact-receiving member.

14. A highway guard including a support, a exible impact-receiving member carried by the support, spaced resilient members engaging the support, and means for4 deecting the impactreceiving member between the said spaced members to tension the said member.

15. A highway guard including spaced posts, a exible impact-receiving member, a spacing member movably supported at the face of the post and at its outer side having engagement with the impact-receiving member, and tensioning means for defiecting a portion of the impact-receiving member from the outer plane of the spacing member toward one of the posts.

WALTER S. EDGE.

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