Fences – Highway guard
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-15
2001-01-30
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Fences
Highway guard
C256S065080, C256S019000, C404S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179273
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a road barrier, and more particularly, to the connecting element or spacer positioned between the posts and the guardrail running alongside a road.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional road barriers include wooden or I-beam-type posts placed in the ground at spaced locations alongside a road and a metal guardrail connected to and spaced from the posts. A connecting element or spacer, generally referred to as a “block-out”, is fitted between the posts and the guardrail. Conventional block-outs are made of treated wood or extruded metal.
Conventional posts used with road barriers include sections of I-beams and round wooden posts. Guardrails are generally formed from metal. A problem with conventional road barriers is that different block-outs must be provided depending on whether the round wooden posts or the I-beam-type posts are used. A block-out used with round wooden posts should be provided with a curved post-interfacing surface for engagement with a portion of the outer circumference of the post. Block-outs used with I-beam-type posts should be provided with a post-interfacing surface that conforms to a flange of the I-beam.
Another problem with conventional road barriers is that the wooden block-outs must be treated with preservatives to withstand deterioration resulting from environmental conditions. The preservatives used for treating the wooden block-outs are generally hazardous chemicals that present problems of handling and disposal. Another problem with conventional wooden block-outs is that they often crack and splinter over time as a result of exposure to moisture and changes in temperature. The hazardous materials used to preserve conventional wooden block-outs and their tendency to splinter makes handling of the conventional wooden block-outs hazardous and increases the chance that workman's compensation claims will be filed by those handling the conventional block-outs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has as an object to produce an economical, environmentally safe and versatile block-out for connecting and spacing a post from a guardrail used in road barriers alongside a road.
It is a further object of the invention to produce a block-out for use between a post and a guardrail that can be readily mass-produced and that will fit a variety of conventional posts.
Yet another object of the invention is to produce a block-out for use between a post and a guardrail that can be made from various types of recycled materials.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes a conventional post, a conventional guardrail, and a connecting element between the post and the guardrail, with the connecting element being formed from injection-molded plastic and including at least one internal web extending substantially parallel to a line between the post and the guardrail.
The invention also includes the connecting element having a post-interfacing side and an opposite rail-interfacing side, with an elongated hole being defined through the connecting element between the post-interfacing side and the rail-interfacing side to allow passage of a connector extending from the post to the guardrail.
The invention further includes the post-interfacing side of the connecting element or spacer having a stepped surface. The stepped surface of the post-interfacing side has a bottom surface with two ends separated by a first width, an intermediate ledge surface spaced above the bottom surface and extending outwardly beyond both ends of the bottom surface to a second width greater than the first width, and a top surface spaced above the intermediate ledge surface. The inside corners of the intermediate ledge surface and of the top surface are chamfered and lie along a locus of points having a radius approximately equal to a radius of the outer surface of a round post. The first width of the bottom surface is selected so that a standard flange on an I-beam-type post will fit on the bottom surface. The chamfered inside corners of the top surface and the intermediate ledge surface are selected to fit the outer circumference of a conventional round wooden post.
The invention also includes the connecting element or spacer being an injection-molded plastic honeycomb structure having a plurality of substantially parallel internal webs, with the internal webs extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the post and the guard rail (or substantially parallel to a line extending between the post and the guardrail). Each of the substantially parallel internal webs is provided with a stepped surface on the post-interfacing side of the honeycomb structure. In addition, at least one of the internal webs is connected to an internal partition extending from the post-interfacing side to the rail-interfacing side. The internal partition defines an elongated hole through the spacer for passage of a connector extending between the post and the guardrail.
The stepped surfaces on the post-interfacing sides of each of the substantially parallel internal webs are aligned with each other to form the stepped surface of the post-interfacing side that will engage with a variety of different posts.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
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patent: 5902067 (1999-05-01), Rushing
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Edmunds, III Edward
Rutherford James
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Highway Plastics, LLC
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
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