Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
  • E01F13/00—Arrangements for obstructing or restricting traffic, e.g. gates, barricades ; Preventing passage of vehicles of selected category or dimensions
  • E01F13/12—Arrangements for obstructing or restricting traffic, e.g. gates, barricades ; Preventing passage of vehicles of selected category or dimensions for forcibly arresting or disabling vehicles, e.g. spiked mats

Definitions

• This invention relates to a device for impeding the motion of a land vehicle.
• the military and police officials are at times required to stop a moving land vehicle. For example, the military may be called on to stop a truck laden with explosives. The police may be called on to stop a speeding car containing suspected criminals. It is desirable that the occupants of these vehicles, that may include hostages, not be injured by immobilization of the vehicle. Therefore, immobilization by conventional methods such as road blocks using other vehicles and tire puncturing is not acceptable.
• the Terio et al. patent discloses a pair of I-beams disposed on opposing sides of a roadway supported in an underground enclosure. Cables supported by shock absorbers extend between the I-beams. When the barrier is actuated, the I-beams rise from the underground enclosure, extending the cables across the roadway.
• the Waldecker patent discloses a plurality of fabric cylinders disposed in a trench extending across a roadway. A net is supported on one side of these cylinders. When actuated, gas generators fill the cylinders causing them to rise and form a barrier across the roadway. Impact with the gas-filled cylinders serves as a primary braking means to impede the land vehicle. The net forms a secondary braking means.
• Application Serial No. 09/290,850 discloses exemplary systems for stopping and capturing vehicles.
• the barrier is deployed by telescoping actuators or erectors that serve as supports for the barrier in its deployed condition. Braking systems, associated with the erectors, may apply sufficient force to the barrier to stop the vehicle.
• the '850 application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length.
• the barrier and its support system are configured to allow an impacting vehicle to travel deep into a pocket formed by the barrier, reducing a tendency of the barrier to slide up or down out of engagement with the vehicle.
• the vehicle-engaging members of the barrier are oriented and configured to prevent the vehicle's tires from pulling the entire barrier beneath the vehicle.
• the barrier is provided with appropriately sized gaps, and its members oriented so that any tire beginning to ride up a barrier member will shortly encounter an empty space and disengage from the member without encountering another member to engage to continue the movement of the vehicle over the barrier. These gaps also allow a lower member of the barrier to pass sufficiently beneath portions of the vehicle to catch on such portions and avoid being pulled over the vehicle.
• the invention is directed to a device for capturing a target vehicle traveling along a pathway.
• a flexible barrier is supported in a deployed condition extending at least partially between first and second support members at a height that is effective to engage the target vehicle as the target passes between the support members.
• the barrier includes upper and lower members extending generally horizontally across the pathway when the device is in the deployed condition.
• a plurality of linking members extend between and are coupled to the upper and lower members effective to transfer a restraining force applied to at least one of the upper and lower members to the vehicle when the vehicle is engaged to the barrier.
• any linking members extend other than parallel to the median and leave one or more large gaps in the barrier effective so that a vehicle tire overriding the lower member and any portion of a linking member will encounter such a gap and, thereby, be unable to draw the barrier beneath the vehicle to drive over the barrier.
• any linking members may extend outward from the lower member to the upper member.
• the linking members may include a median member, and pairs of left and right inboard and left and right outboard members.
• each inboard member may be separated from its associated outboard member by a gap of at least 2 feet (0.6 m).
• the length of upper member between associated inboard and outboard linking members may be less than the length of lower member between associated inboard and outboard linking members.
• the separation between upper and lower members may be between 4 and 6 feet (1.2 and 1.8 m) at the median.
• the upper and lower members may be formed of nylon webbing.
• a pair of left and right polyester ropes may respectively span left and right ends of the upper and lower members and be coupled to left and right braking mechanisms.
• the device may be actuated from a stowed condition to the deployed condition.
• the barrier In the stowed condition the barrier is at a height effective to permit a non-target vehicle to pass over the barrier as said non-target vehicle passes between the support members.
• a pair of left and right elastic members may be coupled to the upper member to raise the barrier from the stowed condition to the deployed condition and to maintain engagement of the barrier with the target vehicle in an initial phase of impact of the target vehicle with the barrier.
• Each elastic member may be coupled to the barrier by a nylon cord which has a tensile rupture strength between 75 and 150 pounds (330 and 670 N) which is effective to maintain the initial phase until the barrier is securely engaged to the target vehicle.
• the upper member may have a length of from about 10 feet to about 14 feet (about 3.0 to about 4.3 m). With the device in the deployed position and prior to vehicle impact the lower barrier may lie atop the pathway or a barrier enclosure and is therefore not suspended.
• the enclosure may have at top having a hinged cover element movable from closed to open conditions. In the closed condition the cover element protects the upper and lower barrier members from vehicles passing over the enclosure. In the open condition, at least the upper barrier member may be deployed upward past the cover element.
• the support members may each include a propulsion system effective to actuate the support member from a compressed condition to an extended condition.
• the invention is directed to a device for stopping a vehicle traveling along a pathway on a terrain surface.
• the device includes first and second support members and a flexible barrier held therebetween.
• the barrier has upper and lower members and a plurality of linking members extending therebetween.
• the linking members are dimensioned and positioned so that a target vehicle impacting the barrier and causing a tire of the target vehicle to contact at least one of the lower members or linking members will cause such tire to override the contacting member and enter a gap from which the tire will be unable to engage further barrier members to draw the vehicle under the vehicle.
• the linking members may be angled so that upon engagement of the tire with such a linking member the tire will no be able to ride along such linking member to the upper member when the vehicle normally impacts the barrier.
• the linking members may not cross over each other intermediate the upper and lower members.
• the barrier may be configured so that no linking member is angled substantially inward as it extends from the lower member to the upper member.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a preferred barrier configuration.
• FIG. 2 is a view of the barrier of FIG. 1 showing engagement with a vehicle.
• FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a barrier 20.
• the barrier is illustrated in a deployed condition, prior to vehicle impact.
• the barrier includes an upper member 22 extending from a left end 23 A to a right end 23B and a lower member 24 extending from a left end 25 A to a right end 25B.
• the upper and lower members extend generally horizontally across the pathway (e.g., a road or lane thereof).
• the upper member is likely to have a modified catenary-like shape, while the lower member may be similarly suspended or may lie partially or entirely on the pathway, or in a barrier enclosure embedded in or positioned atop the pathway. If suspended, the lower member is advantageously very close to the pathway (e.g.
• a median member 26 is secured at its upper and lower ends to the upper and lower members, respectively.
• Left and right inboard barrier members 28A and 28B also span the upper and lower members on left and right sides of the median 100.
• the inboard members are secured at their lower ends to the lower member 24, median member 26, and each other at a common junction.
• the inboard members extend upward and outward to the upper member 22, secured to this at a distance from the median.
• a pair of left and right outboard members 30A and 30B also span the upper and lower members.
• the outboard members have a slightly higher slope than the inboard members.
• inboard and outboard members are preferably both at angles between about thirty and sixty degrees to the median, in the exemplary embodiment the inboard members are very close to an angle of forty- five degrees while the outboard members are at a lower (shallower) angle relative to the median (higher angle relative to the ground). For reference, these angles may be measured with the barrier in an unfurled condition.
• Exemplary dimensions for the barrier portions are:
• the aforementioned members are all preferably formed of a strong synthetic strapping or webbing (e.g., nylon) stitched to each other at all appropriate junctions. Alternatively, other materials such as cable or rope or other cordage (having spliced rather than stitched connections) may be used in place of stitched webbing.
• a strong synthetic strapping or webbing e.g., nylon
• other materials such as cable or rope or other cordage (having spliced rather than stitched connections) may be used in place of stitched webbing.
• the upper and lower members may be coupled to the support 70A, 70B and/or braking systems 72A, 72B (FIG. 2).
• a short length 40 of nylon cord or other member which has a desired threshold tensile strength.
• the cord is connected to an elastic member 42 such as a shock cord or bungee cord (for example, including a core of natural or synthetic rubber strands surrounded by a fabric jacket).
• the elastic member 42 extends under tension to a support member.
• a member 44 (for example a polyester rope) extends between the adjacent ends of the upper and lower members.
• the members 40 and 44 may be secured to the barrier by appropriate means.
• the ends of the barrier members may carry D-rings which are engaged by clasps on the appropriate ends of the members 40 and 44.
• each is coupled to an associated brake line 50 which may be withdrawn from the associated braking system (e.g., a disk brake) to provide a resisting force for slowing the vehicle.
• a loop (or alternatively a D-ring) is sewn into the member 44 at the point of attachment of the brake line 50 which is then secured to the loop or D-ring via a clasp.
• the D-ring may be secured to the brake line with the associated member 42 passing therethrough.
• the member 44 may be formed into separate segments joining at the junction with the brake line or one of the segments may be unitarily formed with the brake line or one or both with one or both of the upper and lower barrier members.
• FIG. 2 shows the barrier 20 associated with support and braking systems such as those shown in the '850 application at FIG. 35.
• the combined elements 40 and 42 take the place of the breakaway link and lift line of the '850 application while the brake line of the '850 application serves as the present brake line 50.
• FIG. 2 is based upon a photograph wherein the vehicle 73 (a full size 4- wheel Dodge RAM passenger van) was driven at very slow speed into the barrier merely to show positioning and relative relationship of the vehicle to the barrier and not to show the dynamics of barrier/vehicle interaction at speed.
• the exemplary support systems comprise nested telescoping pneumatic cylinders capable of being actuated from compressed to extended conditions to deploy the barrier driven by associated propulsion systems such as cylinders 74A, 74B of compressed gas.
• the lower member lies along the pathway 78 or supported by a barrier enclosure originally containing the undeployed barrier so that there is some slack in the linking members (median, inboard, and outboard members of the exemplary embodiment).
• the exemplary barrier enclosure 80 of FIG. 2 includes a hinged cover 82 which would be driven open by the barrier during its deployment. The impacting vehicle will initially contact the inboard and median members, pushing them forward and forming a pocket in the barrier. The original slack in the linking members facilitates formation of this pocket. When the slack is taken up, the members will tense. Tension in these members will then draw the upper and lower members around the vehicle.
• Tension in the elastic lift lines 42 will increase, allowing the lift lines to stretch and hold the upper member 22 elevated and in engagement with the vehicle. Eventually, the stretch and tension increase, with the latter reaching the threshold tension of the members 40 which rupture to free the barrier from the lift lines. The threshold tension is sufficient so that the members 40 will not rupture until the barrier is firmly engaged to the vehicle and is not likely to fall out of engagement with the vehicle.
• the vehicle's front tires begin to engage the barrier they must initially engage either the lower member or one of the various members linking the lower and upper members. Given the wide gaps along the lower member between the inboard and outboard members, it is likely that the tires will simply slip over the lower member into a gap. Should one or both of the tires, however, encounter one of the inboard or outboard members, the slope of such member will prevent the tire from "riding up” that member and drawing the barrier entirely beneath the vehicle. Rather, the tire will simply drive over a lower extremity of that member and into a gap. With the barrier fully engaged to the vehicle, advantageously, the lower member is not in contact with any driven tires of the vehicle to prevent spinning of such tires from cutting through such member. This may involve permitting the lower member to pass sufficiently between/behind the front tires to avoid contact therewith where a front wheel drive vehicle is concerned.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Refuge Islands, Traffic Blockers, Or Guard Fence (AREA)
• Vehicle Cleaning, Maintenance, Repair, Refitting, And Outriggers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=22499571

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (14)

• 2000
  • 2000-07-05 WO PCT/US2000/018423 patent/WO2001002648A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-07-05 JP JP2001507865A patent/JP2003503613A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-07-05 IL IL14747000A patent/IL147470A0/xx unknown
  • 2000-07-05 EP EP00973347A patent/EP1232307A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-07-05 AU AU11867/01A patent/AU1186701A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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