Resilient safety extension for highway barriers

Abstract

A resilient safety extension is provided for highway barriers of the type having a broad base and upstanding central portion with opposed convergently tapered surfaces and a length which is infinitely variable, in the form of an elongated resilient member having an inverted generally U-shaped transverse configuration provided by a top portion and spaced downwardly extending portions adapted to straddle the upstanding portion of the highway barrier, the downwardly extending portions being convergently tapered to provide inner surfaces closely interfitting with the upstanding portion of the barrier and outer surfaces which are slightly divergent in the direction of the top portion, and the thickness of the downwardly extending portions being variable by amounts of the order of 2 inches to provide sinusoidally curved outer surface patterns, repeating at approximately 24' intervals longitudinally of the safety extension. The safety extension is preferably prefabricated in unit lengths of four feet to six feet by the blow-molding or rotation-molding of appropriate plastic material to form hollow bodies with resilience controlled by the wall thickness and the plastic material employed. Alternatively, the safety extensions can be fashioned as solid bodies of foamed plastic material with resilience provided by the nature of the material and extent of foaming. With either type of construction the sinusoidally curved surfaces and resilient characteristics provide effective warning to the motorist of a glancing contact with the barrier without the type damage associated with directly contacting a concrete barrier.