AU772646B2

AU772646B2 - A barrier

Info

Publication number: AU772646B2
Application number: AU11402/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Robin Noel Adcock
Original assignee: KINABALU INVEST Pty Ltd
Current assignee: KINABALU INVESTMENTS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-10-19
Filing date: 1999-10-19
Publication date: 2004-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-19
Also published as: AU1140200A

Description

WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 1 A BARRIER This invention relates to a barrier constructed from a plurality of barrier elements arranged end to end.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a people barrier used to prevent access to an area enclosed behind said barrier and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications such as a traffic barrier or for confining flowable materials such as grain.

Demountable barriers, whether they be people barriers or traffic barriers, typically include a plurality of hollow, water fillable, barrier elements which are arranged end to end and are linked by a plurality of pin joints or by interlocking end portions.

In most instances, the individual barrier elements when arranged end to end do not form a continuous wall and wherein there exists a gap between adjacent barrier elements which may entrap a wheel of a motor vehicle should said vehicle ride up the barrier wall when used as a traffic barrier.

It has also been noted that persons in the past have used the gap between adjacent barrier elements as a means of gaining access to the other side of the barrier. Accordingly, barriers of the type described above were not terribly effective when used for controlling crowds and such like.

The individual barrier elements are typically of hollow construction and include a wide base wall. Storage of individual barrier elements often consumes considerable space.

Often hundreds of barrier elements are used to construct barriers along highways and such like. Because of the aforementioned limitations a large space is WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 2 required for the storage of the barrier elements and several vehicles are usually required to transport them.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the above disadvantages and to provide a barrier which will be reliable and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a barrier, said barrier including: at least two barrier elements which are arranged end to end and are connected by cooperating connection means associated with each barrier element, said barrier elements each having spaced apart longitudinally extending side faces which act as obstacles; a bridging member locatable intermediate the opposing ends of said adjacent barrier elements, said bridging member being adapted to at least partially close a gap between the opposing ends of said adjacent barrier elements, and retaining means for inhibiting lateral displacement of said bridging member relative to said barrier elements. The retaining means may be associated with the bridging member and/or one or both of the barrier elements.

The barrier elements may be of solid construction and may be manufactured from a variety of materials depending upon their intended purpose. For example, the barrier elements may be constructed from concrete, polystyrene or a plastics material.

Alternatively, the barrier elements may be of hollow construction and wherein said barrier elements may be capable of receiving and retaining ballast and/or an energy absorbing material such as sand, water or a foamed material. For example, the barrier element may include an inlet port for receiving ballast and/or an energy WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 3 absorbing material, and an outlet port enabling the ballast and/or the energy absorbing material to be selectively removed therefrom.

The barrier elements may also be stackable. For example, the upper portion of one barrier element may be locatable within a hollow recess formed in the lower portion or base of a barrier element placed on top thereof.

Preferably the stackable barrier elements are of hollow construction and wherein there are provided with one or more internal cavities adjacent the base of the barrier element for the storage of ballast material.

The connecting means used to connect adjacent barrier elements together when arranged end to end may include one or more pin joints or interlocking end portions.

The bridging member may be adapted to fill the gap between adjacent barrier elements in a transverse direction only. For example, the bridging member may consist of a panel that is locatable between adjacent barrier elements and which in use prevents the passage of persons or objects in a transverse direction between adjacent barrier elements. However, the side wall of the panel may lie in a plane that is set back from a plane containing the side walls of the adjacent barrier elements.

Consequently there may exist a gap in the longitudinal direction which in other embodiments may be filled by a bridging member that includes lateral displaced portions that fill said gap. For example, the side wall of the bridging member may lie in the same plane that contains the side walls of the adjacent barrier elements.

In some embodiments, the bridging member may be constructed from a flexible material and may be adapted to accommodate the angular displacement of one barrier element relative to an adjacent barrier element. For example, the bridging member may be made of a rubber or a flexible plastics material.

WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 4 In other embodiments, the bridging member may be substantially rigid. For example, the bridging member may be of solid or hollow construction and wherein bridging members which are hollow may be adapted to receive and retain ballast and/or an energy absorbing material. In this regard, the bridging member may include an inlet port for receiving ballast and/or an energy absorbing material, and an outlet port enabling the ballast and/or the energy absorbing material to be selectively removed therefrom.

The bridging member may be substantially "open", namely that there may be one or more openings or passageways formed therein. For example, the bridging member may consist of a peripheral frame and one or more intermediate members which extend across and thereby divide the region bounded by said frame.

Alternatively the bridging member may be substantially "closed". For example, the bridging member may include a side wall which is not punctuated by any openings formed therein and wherein the side wall may co-operate with respective side walls of adjacent barrier elements so as to create a substantially continuous obstacle. For example, the side walls of the bridging member and the adjacent barrier elements may be substantially flush.

Typically barrier elements are arranged end to end in a substantially straight line and wherein the bridging member may be locatable between adjacent barrier elements so as to close the gap that exists. The bridging member may also cover and/or conceal the connection between adjacent barrier elements. For example, the bridging member when viewed in plan may be substantially rectangular in shape.

Where the barrier elements are arranged such that they follow a curved path, the bridging member locatable between adjacent barrier elements when viewed from above may be substantially triangular in shape.

WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 The retaining means may include male and female interlocking portions associated with the bridging member and an adjacent barrier element. For example, there may be provided a channel shaped recess or groove formed in an end wall of the barrier element which is adapted to receive a complementary shaped end portion of a bridging member.

In one embodiment the groove may be a captive groove. For example, the groove may have a shaped transverse cross-section and may be adapted to receive a complementary shaped end portion of a bridging member.

In other embodiments, the bridging member when viewed end on may look like an inverted letter or and wherein the bridging member may be adapted to overlie the connecting means connecting adjacent barrier elements. In these embodiments, the retaining means may include the connection means which, located between opposing side portions of the bridging member, in use will inhibit lateral displacement of the bridging member relative to the adjacent barrier elements.

It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments the retaining means may simply consist of the ballast used to fill the hollow bridging member.

The barrier may also include locking means which may be used to prevent, or at least inhibit, the removal of the bridging member from between the adjacent barrier elements.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein: WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 6 Figure 1 is a side view of a barrier consisting of two barrier elements and a bridging member, said barrier being constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the two barrier elements illustrated in figure 1 shown stacked one on top of the other, and Figure 3 is a pictorial view showing the end portions of two adjacent barrier elements and a bridging member.

Figures 1 illustrates a barrier 10 consisting of two barrier elements 11 which are arranged end to end and are interconnected by a pin joint generally indicated by arrow 12. The barrier 10 also includes a bridging member 13 which is located intermediate the opposing ends 14 of the adjacent barrier elements 11.

The barrier elements 11 are constructed from a substantially rigid plastics material and are of hollow construction.

Each barrier element 11 includes an upper portion 9 and a base portion 8.

The upper portion 9 includes two opposing, upwardly and inwardly inclined, outer side walls 15 and two opposing, upwardly and inwardly inclined, inner side walls 16.

The upper edges of the two outer side walls 15 are connected by an external web or top wall 17. Similarly the upper edges of the two internal side walls 16 are connected by an internal web 18.

The outer side walls are joined to the adjacent inner side walls at their ends by respective end walls 19 thereby forming a hollow cavity The upper portion 9 rests on an integral base portion 8 which consists of a hollow rectangular prism and wherein the cavity 21 bounded by the walls of the base portion 8 communicates with the cavity The barrier element also includes an inlet port, not shown, located in the upper portion of the barrier element, through which ballast or an energy absorbing material, WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 7 such as water, may be introduced to the interior of the barrier so as to at least partially fill the cavity 21 and possibly the cavity 20. The barrier element may also include an outlet port, not shown, located preferably in the base portion of the barrier element through which ballast or an energy absorbing material may be removed from within the barrier element.

The bridging member 13 is manufactured from a rigid plastics material. The bridging member 13 includes a peripheral frame 30 which is hollow, and one tubular bar 31, in communication with the interior of the frame 30, which extends across the region bounded by said frame so as to divide said region into two halves.

The bridging member also includes an aperture 32 which extends between opposing side walls of said bridging member. The aperture 32 may be used as a handle if so desired.

The bridging member 13 also includes an inlet port, not shown, located in an upper portion of the bridging member, through which ballast or an energy absorbing material, such as water, may be introduced to the interior of the bridging member so as to at least partially fill same. The bridging member 13 may also include an outlet port, not shown, located preferably in a lower portion of the bridging member through which ballast or an energy absorbing material may be removed from within same.

In use the gap between adjacent barrier elements 11, which are arranged end to end and are interconnected, may be partially closed by the placement therebetween of a bridging member 13 as shown in figure 1. Lateral displacement of the bridging member 13 relative to the barrier elements 11 is inhibited by the location of the end portions 35 of the bridging member 13 within vertical channels 36 formed by opposing portions of the internal walls 16 of each barrier element 11.

WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 8 To provide stability and inhibit the unauthorised removal of the barrier 10, the barrier elements 11 and the bridging member 13 are preferably filled with water.

It also will be noted that the barrier elements 11 are stackable; the upper portion 9 of one barrier element being received in an internal recess 37 formed in the base portion 8 of a barrier element 8 located on top thereof.

Figure 3 shows the end portions 100 of two adjacent, water filled, barrier elements 101. Each barrier element 101 includes two opposing side walls 102 that are separated by a base wall, not shown, and a top wall 103.

Each end portion 100 includes a lug 104 that extends outwardly from an end wall 105. The lugs 104 each include a vertically orientated aperture or bore formed therein, not shown. In use, the end portions 100 are interconnected by a pin, not shown, which is extended through the aforementioned apertures of the adjacent lugs 104.

The gap that exists between the opposing end portions 100 may be selectively closed by the insertion there between of a bridging member 110 as generally indicated by arrow 111. The bridging member 110 is of hollow construction and includes two opposing flanges 112 that depend from an intermediate web portion 113.

The bridging member 110 includes an inlet port 114 that may be selectively closed by a lid, not shown, and an outlet port 115 that may be selectively closed by a plug, not shown.

In use, the bridging member 110 may be positioned between the adjacent barrier elements 101 such that the flanges 112 lie on either side of the lugs 104. As a consequence, the side walls 102 of the barrier elements 101 and the side wall 116 WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 9 of the bridging member 110 lie in the same plane and form a substantially continuous side wall of a barrier.

Preferably the bridging member 110 is filled with water via the inlet port 114.

It will be appreciated that lateral displacement of the bridging member 110 relative to the barrier elements 101 is prevented by the engagement of the flanges 112 with the lugs 104.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the present invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A barrier, said barrier including: at least two barrier elements which are arranged end to end and are connected by cooperating connection means associated with end portions of each barrier element, said barrier elements each having spaced apart longitudinally extending side faces which act as obstacles; a bridging member locatable intermediate opposing end portions of said adjacent barrier elements, said bridging member being adapted to at least partially close a gap between said end portions, and retaining means for inhibiting lateral displacement of said bridging member relative to said barrier elements.

A barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said barrier elements are of hollow construction and are capable of receiving and retaining ballast.

3. A barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said barrier elements are stackable one on top of the other.

4. A barrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said barrier elements includes a hollow recess formed in a lower portion of said barrier element that is adapted to receive an upper portion of a like barrier element. A barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said connection means includes a pinned connection.

WO 00/23657 PCT/AU99/00905 11

6. A barrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said connection means includes interlocking end portions of the adjacent barrier elements.

7. A barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said retaining means includes male and female interlocking portions associated with said bridging member and an adjacent barrier element.

8. A barrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein said end portions each include a groove formed therein that is adapted to receive a respective end portion of said bridging member.

9. A barrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said bridging member includes two opposing flanges that depend from an intermediate web portion and wherein said flanges are adapted to overlie said connecting means. A barrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bridging member is of hollow construction and is adapted to receive and retain ballast.