Road structure – process – or apparatus – Traffic steering device or barrier
Patent
1991-07-02
1994-05-10
Brittain, James R.
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Traffic steering device or barrier
256 131, E01F 1300, E01F 1500
Patent
active
053102770
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a net for slowing down and/or stopping the motion of a land vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is necessary in some circumstances to be able to stop a moving vehicle or to slow down its motion by expedients external to the vehicle. A situation like this may present itself e.g. when it becomes mandatory to stop a vehicle which its driver, for instance a fleeing traffic offender, will not stop without compulsion. Another situation is that in which it is desirable to slow down the motion of a vehicle that is running off the paving and moving erratically, and to stop the vehicle in order to prevent damage.
It is known in prior art to use a so-called spiked mat in stopping a vehicle. The spiked mat is a means provided with spikes which are fixed or may come loose, and intended to be laid across the roadway, its purpose being to puncture the tires of the vehicle running over the mat. As the air escapes from the tires, the speed of the vehicle will slow down because the rolling resistance of the tires increases greatly. At the same time, the steerability of the vehicle is impaired and it can no longer be driven at high speed.
The problem encountered when using spiked mats is that the vehicle which should be stopped may continue even a long way after its tires have been punctured.
It is also a problem when using spiked mats that as a result of losing its steerability the vehicle may run off the road or, for instance, collide with meeting vehicles.
For preventing the vehicle from running off the road, it is known in the art to use various, fixed or loose, obstacles. Such obstacles may take the form, for instance, of fences made of metal sections, timber, concrete or another equivalent solid material. It is also common practice to use for lighter objects to slow down motion and to cushion bumps on race tracks, straw bales or other kinds of padding. Heavy and firmly fixed obstacles are likely to injure the driver or the vehicle. Both kinds of obstacle are unsatisfactory as to their stopping power.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above.
The object of the invention is further to provide a net for grabbing the vehicle which affords optimum grabbing of the vehicle and, at the same time, grabbing of the car's wheels in order to prevent the vehicle from getting loose.
In order to accomplish this, the means of the invention for slowing down and/or arresting the motion of a land vehicle includes a net structure with brake members as described below. The net of the invention for slowing down and/or arresting the motion of a land vehicle includes a heavy rope a foot rope and interesting warp elements as described below.
The means of the invention comprises an elongated net arranged to grab the moving vehicle; and brake members connecting the net with substantially fixed anchoring points. As taught by the invention, said brake members comprise first brake members and second brake members; one first brake member and one second brake member have been disposed on each end of the net; and the first brake member on either end of the net has been connected to the near end of the net and the second brake member has been connected to the opposite end of the net.
This crossing arrangement of the second brake members has the effect that the vehicle to be stopped, after driving into the net, is bagged in the net, whereby escape of the vehicle is efficiently prevented. The elongated net has advantageously the form e.g. of a rectangle, the brake members being connected to the end of the rectangle's short sides.
In an embodiment of the means, the brake members are arranged to operate stepwise; and the first brake members are members retarding the speed of the vehicle; and the second brake members are members further retarding the speed and stopping the motion. Stepwise action is here understood to mean that action of the brake members commences at different times. The brake members may operate simultaneou
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Arrestarum Ltd.
Brittain James R.
Connolly Nancy P.
LandOfFree
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