The Texas A&m University System

Other

Don L Ivey

Hayes E Ross

King K Mak

W Lynn Beason

Carl E Buth

Dean L Sicking

Roger P Bligh

Richard A Zimmer

Teddy J Hirsch

A collapsible crash barrier for use as and end treatment for a commonly known &ldquo;Jersey Barrier&rdquo; provides a frame assembly having a tubular construction and circular guides to control axial collapse of the barrier. A saddle is provided to rest upon and end section of a &ldquo;Jersey Barrier&rdquo; and slides along the top of a barrier when axially impacted by a vehicle in order to further control the collapse of the barrier.

Pipe rack crash cushion

Apparatus and methods are described relating to barrel crash cushions which readily collapse when impacted from a substantially end-on direction, and are more capable than conventional designs of substantially redirecting vehicles impacting from non-end-on directions and reducing the chance of these vehicles tearing through the crash cushion. The described configurations also substantially reduce the harm associated with 'coffin corner' impacts through a structurally reinforced portion that increases the ability of the barrel cushion to withstand impacts from directions other than substantially end-on. In some exemplary embodiments, the structural reinforcement is provided by a telescoping bracket assembly which surrounds some of the barrels of the crash cushion. In another embodiment, the reinforcement is provided by a plurality of interconnected cable sleeves which are carried on cables disposed along the longitudinal sides of the crash cushion to form a linear brace. In still other embodiments, a cushion is constructed using barrels having differing resistances to crushing. The barrels having the greatest resistance are placed along the longitudinal sides close to the fixed structure so that a vehicle impacting the cushion proximate the fixed structure will have a lesser chance of penetrating the cushion or contacting the fixed structure. These barrels are also surrounded by reinforcing structures which help redirect impacting vehicles back into the stream of traffic. Also described is the use of a downstream base for the crash cushion which has chamfered or reduced upstream corners. The base is placed on the upstream side of the fixed structure if the fixed structure presents angular corners which might pose a coffin corner hazard to impacting vehicles. The base is preferably secured in place and includes preexisting cable anchor points.

Barrel crash cushions

Apparatus and methods for preventing penetration of vehicles by causing the guardrail extruder terminal to contact and engage the frame or chassis of vehicles in a collision. In preferred embodiments, a guardrail extruder terminal end treatment is adapted for improved operation during impacts by attachment of a frame catcher penetration guard. The frame catcher adaptation extends below the usual lower edge of the impact head of the guardrail extruder terminal design in order to contact portions of the chassis of a vehicle during an impact at the guardrail end. In several embodiments, the impact head of a guardrail extruder terminal includes a substantially rigid downwardly extending portion which presents an expanded contact area, the location of which approximates the location of a portion of the vehicle's chassis. The frame catcher devices may be retrofitted onto existing guardrail extruder terminal impact heads.

Frame catcher adaptation for guardrail extruder terminal

Apparatus and methods are described for preventing the penetration of vehicles by narrow objects such as guardrail ends or portions of a guardrail end treatment during a collision. In one embodiment, portions of an ET-2000 guardrail extruder terminal are adapted for improved operation during impacts by attachment of a penetration guard. The penetration guard may also be affixed to other guardrail end treatments or even other suitable highway objects to create an improved safety apparatus. The penetration guard includes a frame and is affixed to the impact head of an ET-2000 guardrail extruder terminal. The frame is greatly collapsible when impacted from a substantially end-on direction. However, when impacted from a direction other than substantially end-on, the frame is substantially non-collapsible and maintains its integrity. The frame includes an outer housing which defines a central opening. The housing is preferably formed of a unitary outer of sheet metal which surrounds the central opening. In alternative embodiments, the housing is made up of a number of hingedly affixed plates or panels or deformable members which collectively change shape in a predetermined manner. In some embodiments, the frame includes an interior brace which helps prevent collapse of the frame when the frame is impacted from its side. If desired, the central opening may be filled with an appropriate energy absorbing deformable filler material.

Collision performance side impact (automobile penetration guard)

The invention features a new and improved safety treatment for rails, such as a highway guardrail or barrier, which through compression of elongated segments of a telescoping terminal dissipates energy from vehicle impacts approaching from substantially upstream of the rail and reduce the hazard of 'spearing.' The impact energy is resisted by frictional and, in preferred embodiments, mechanical compression by a smaller segment of a filler disposed within a larger segment. In some embodiments, the invention further provides a nose piece to further reduce the spearing effect.

Metal beam rail terminal

A method of cushioning highway vehicle impacts and an improved end piece for a highway crash cushion or rail end treatment for concrete barriers or for guard rail terminals. The end piece has means to trap the bumper or other forward elements of an impacting vehicle. Additionally, the end piece is slidably mounted to traverse along a linear guide track or curvilinear guard rail during the progress of the collision as the vehicle is decelerated from contact velocity to a stop.

Gandy dancer: end piece for crash cushion or rail end treatment

An elongated pedestrian safety barrier adapted to be longitudinally disposed between a roadway and an adjoining pedestrian walkway. The safety barrier features a concrete structure up to about 24 inches in height having an outwardly angled sidewall facing the roadway and a concavity on its bottom surface to engage the top and roadside surface of a standard curb.

Pedestrian safety barrier

A safety end barrier for use in coordination with roadside barriers. The safety end barrier lies substantially parallel to the direction of traffic flow and increases in height from about natural ground level at its lower end. The end barrier has sidewalls which angle upwardly outward from the barrier base. The taller end of the end barrier is preferably connected to a concrete roadside barrier through apertures extending from a recessed trough to the end of the safety end barrier. Preferably, bolts with two threaded ends, insertable through the apertures and secured by corresponding nuts, are used as connecting devices to connect the end barrier to a concrete roadside barrier.

Safety end barrier for concrete road barriers

A low profile road barrier that minimizes obstruction to vision and the ramping and rolling of automobiles which may be comprised of one or more interconnected concrete barrier segments stationed along the road or cast in place. The road barrier usually lies substantially parallel to the direction of traffic, may be up to about 24 inches in height and has a sidewall facing toward the road which angles outwardly from the barrier base. Abutting ends of contiguous segments are interconnected by economic, easily installed and removed devices, which preferably comprise bolts with two threaded ends insertable through apertures in the segment ends secured by corresponding nuts.

Low profile concrete road barrier

A breakaway system is disclosed for timber utility poles. The breakaway system limits the amount of force and energy imparted to an impacting vehicle and its occupants by incorporating an arrangement of slip plates and bolts to form a shear plane on the utility pole at or near ground level, and by providing a hinge mechanism on an upper section of the utility pole below conducting lines and the like. The material and configuration of the lower shear plates are selected to permit activation for any direction of collision loading. The material and configuration of the upper connection or hinge are selected to allow for adequate resistance to environmental loads while at the same time allowing for precise determination of the magnitude of failure load. In addition, the combination of upper connectors prevents the lower portion of the utility pole from rotating upward into the conducting wires after a vehicle impact. In this manner, impact by a moving vehicle with a timber utility pole equipped with the breakaway device shears the lower connection causing a middle portion of the timber utility pole to rotate upward. The upper connection allows limited rotation sufficient to permit the impacting vehicle safely to travel completely beneath the middle section of the utility pole while at the same time preventing the middle section from impacting the conducting wires carried by the utility pole.

AD-IV breakaway system for timber utility poles

An advanced dynamic impact extension module, used to protect occupants of vehicles from the adverse effects of extremely rapid deacceleration of a vehicle when the vehicle impacts an end of a concrete barrier wall is disclosed. According to the invention, a barrier wall is provided which has a structural concrete base and a channel portion adaptable to receive low strength reinforced concrete modules. The concrete modules are composed of three layers of crushable material of varying strengths. The first or lowest layer is composed of semi-crushable, higher strength concrete and which is adaptable to secure reinforcement and S-beam connectors. The second layer is lower strength material and the top layer is intermediate strength material. The second and top layer keep an impacting vehicle down and prevent ramping. The modules are arranged linearly beginning at a front end closest to the path of an oncoming vehicle and proceeding toward a back end proximate a roadside obstacle. An impacting vehicle will crush the modules in succeeding fashion according to its impact velocity. The last module in the linear array has triangular steel reinforcement which will cause the impacting vehicle to rise up to avoid the roadside obstacle if the impacting vehicle has sufficient impact force or velocity to crush all the preceding modules. The structural concrete base will coact with the undercarriage of the vehicle in order to bring the vehicle safely to rest before it impacts the roadside obstacle. The height or elevation of the non-crushable concrete base of the barrier will increase in step-wise or sloping fashion so that as a vehicle passes through the barrier, the increased height of the base portions of the barrier base coact with the bottom, or undercarriage, of the vehicle to create friction and drag between the bottom of the vehicle and the base component of the barrier to thereby bring the vehicle to rest before it impacts the end of a concrete barrier wall.

Advanced dynamic impact extension module

An advanced dynamic impact extension module, used to protect occupants of vehicles from the adverse effects of instantaneous deacceleration of a vehicle when the vehicle impacts an end of a concrete barrier wall is disclosed. According to the invention, a composite barrier is provided which has an upper, low density, crushable component and a lower, substantially non-crushable, base component. The height of the base component will increase from the front of the barrier to the back of the barrier, located proximate the end of the concrete barrier wall, so that a vehicle impacting the barrier will first crush the upper, low-density, crushable material. If a vehicle has sufficient impact force or velocity to crush the upper crushable front component of the barrier, the undercarriage of the vehicle will coact with raised non-crushable base components of the barrier in order to bring the vehicle safely to rest before it impacts the end of a concrete barrier wall. The non-crushable base component of intermediate sections of the barrier will increase in height in step wise fashion so that as a vehicle passes through the barrier, the raised base portions of the barrier coact with the bottom, or undercarriage, of the vehicle to create friction and drag between the bottom of the vehcle and the base component of the barrier to thereby bring the vehicle to rest before it impacts the end of a concrete barrier wall.

Growing community of inventors

Bryan, TX, United States of America

Don L Ivey