US2187556A - Highway guard - Google Patents

Description

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M. J. GlLL HIGHWAY GUARD Filed July 18, 1939 Jan. 16, 1940.

Jan. 16, 1940,

M. J. GILL 2,187,556

HIGHWAY GUARD Filed July 18, 1939 2 SheelZS-Sheell 2 INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE Theinvention relates to'highway guards and'` more particularly to protective means for the sides of highways.

The primary `object of the invention is the provision of a guard of thisv character wherein dangerous sidings `to a roadway will be rendered safe, avoiding motorfor'o-tlfier traflic from leaving the roadway, possibly resulting in the loss of life; orinjuryto the"person and damage to propl0 erty and at the same time minimizing the possibility of disruption of the guard due to impact of the vehicle therewith when the latter swerves from a straight course along the roadway.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a guard of this character wherein it possesses yieldability, shock absorption and is devoid of protruding portions so that a vehicle will not become entangled therewith or damaged thereby when making Contact and resultant in safety guarding life and property.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a guard of this character wherein road accidents will be reduced to a minimum and safe traffic over a highway assured.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a guard of this character which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and eficient in operation, economic for erection, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, il-

lustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the inveny *tion and pointed outin the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a highway guard constructed in accordance with `the invention being partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is a `horizontal sectional View through one of the guard posts.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through an overlapped joint of the guard.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2.

[Similar reference characters indicate corre- `spending parts throughout the several Views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally a portion of a roadway being constructed from cemen'titious orconcr`te ma! terial while extending laterally l with respect' to the roadway'at a selected side thereof arespaced' extensions Ii made from" the same' material as the roadway and are-imbeddedin `soft shoulders 5^ II` of conventional form. These extensions III may belintegral'with the body vvof the roadway or separate therefrom.

Rising vertically from" the outermost ends of the extensions I0 are posts I2, these being made 10 from the same material as the said extensions and body of the roadway and have imbedded therein the shanks of eye bolts I3, the Shanks being provided with nuts I4 for the fastening of the eye members within the posts I2 with the 15 eyes thereof projecting from the side faces of these posts toward the roadway A and trained through the eyes of these eye members I3 are steel wire cables I5, these being extended in spaced parallel relation to each other longitudi- 20 nally of the roadway and are held in a taut condition in any desirable manner for functioning as guard cables.

Partially imbedded in the extensions III and posts I2 are racks each formed from a single 25 length of stiif but inherently resilient wire bent into a substantially L-frame I6, being upright and carried a distance above the uppermost portion of the companion post I2 where the said frame has provided therein a coil I1 for an arm 30 I8 which at its free end is provided with a hook I9.I engageable with a `coil 20 formed from a horizontal limb 2I of this frame I6. This limb 2| is imbedded not only in the extension I0 but also in the roadway body A, the coil 2O being also 35 imbedded in the said extension IIJ. The coils II and 2D allow a determined yieldability to the arm I8 resultant from impact from a vehicle when striking the guard before andhereinafter described. 40

Carried upon the arms I8 of the frames IB are guard or shield plates 22, these being overlapped at ends adjacent each other and passed through the overlaps 23 are clamping hooks 24 which engage the arms I8 and in this manner the plates 45 22 are joined with the arms I8 of the frames I6. The plates 22 in their overlapped relationship have longitudinally outstruck therefrom in the direction of the roadway a protruding rib 25 being disposed closer to the bottom edges than to the 50 top edges of the said plates and this rib strengthens or reinforces these plates to withstand impacts with vehicular traffic when a vehicle leaves the roadway or swerves into the highway guard.

The arms I8 through the coils I1 and 20 cushion 55 the plates 22 and function as shock absorbers built into the guard.

The plates 25 are disposed spaced from the cables I5 and the angular disposition of the arms I8 to the vertical hold these plates 22 in a lateral sloping arrangement. A vehicle lost of control strikes the plates 22 which through the build of the guard absorbs the impact of the vehicle and avoids the possibility of such vehicle running oi of the roadway A and in this manner saving life and eliminating damage to property,

What is claimed is:

1. A highway guard comprising posts arranged perpendicular at a side of a roadway, extensions from saidl roadway and supporting said posts, substantially L-shaped frames partially imbedded vertically in the posts and said extensions and having upper and lower coils, arms formed with said frames and a part of ione coil and hooked with the other coil of each frame, and shield plates supported by said arms.

2. A highway guard comprising posts arranged `perpendicular at a side of a roadway, extensions' from `said roadway and supporting said posts, substantially L-shaped frames partially imbedded vertically in the posts and said extensions and having upper and lower coils, arms formed with said frames and a part of one coil and hooked with the other coil of each frame, shield plates supported by said arms, and guard cables fastened to said posts rearwardly of the shield plates.

3. A highway guard comprising posts arranged perpendicular at a side of a roadway, extensions from said roadway and supporting said posts, substantially L-shaped frames partially imbedded vertically in the posts and said extensions and having upper and lower coils, arms formed with said frames and a part of one coil and hooked with the other coil of each frame, shield plates supported by said arms, guard cables fastened to said posts rearwardly of the lshieldplates, and clamping hooks connecting the said plates to the arms.

4. A highway guard comprising posts arranged perpendicular at a side of a roadway, extensions from said roadway and supporting said posts, substantially L-shaped frames partially imbedded vertically in the posts and said extensions and having upper and lower coils, arms formed with said frames and a part of one coil and hooked with the other coil of each frame, shield plates supported by said arms, guard cables fastened to said posts rearwardly of the shield plates, and

clamping hooks connecting the said plates to the arms, the plates having ends adjacent each other disposed overlapping one another.

MICHAEL J. GILL.

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