The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 16, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
James B. Welch, Placerville, CA (US);
Owen S. Denman, Granite Bay, CA (US);
Assignee:
Energy Absorption Systems, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
E01F 1/500 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
E01F 1/500 ;
Abstract
A guardrail includes an array of vehicle-deflecting rails secured to an array of posts extending along a roadway. An impact-receiving element is slidably mounted to the forward end of the array of rails, and this impact-receiving element includes a vehicle-engaging portion having a first frontal area that is substantially greater than a second frontal area characteristic of the first end of the array of rails. A column is interposed between a forward portion of the impact-receiving element and the first post to apply initial compressive forces in a collision directly to the first post.