EP1455021B1 - Metal separator element for traffic lanes - Google Patents

Abstract

The separator has support with metallic runners (3) fixed on its two sides. Two terminal casings (2) are constituted by two parallel metallic flanges (6). The flanges are connected one to another by longitudinal rods (7, 8, 9) having holes for fixing runner. One end of the separator is provided with a linking clip sliding with another identical separator.

Description

The present invention relates to a metal separator element for road traffic lanes, usable in particular as part of a temporary separation barrier, with a view to the secure delimitation of a road or motorway construction zone, that is to say the physical separation, during the duration of a building site, between a lane or lanes reserved for the circulation of vehicles, and one or the other lanes or a strip of ground, on which are carried out, works such as repair or widening of floor.

These separator elements are, in most cases, made in the form of concrete blocks, supplemented by some metal parts mainly intended to join the separating elements to each other - see for example the French patent application No. 2,810,055 in the name of Applicant, or the corresponding European patent application No. 1,162,315.

However, it has already been proposed a concept of a modular lane separator made entirely of metal, in particular steel (see eg DE-C-19735507). Such a separator comprises support feet, on the sides of which are fixed metal rails, of the type commonly used as guardrails, installed along road traffic routes.

In the currently known embodiments for this kind of metal separators, the connection between two consecutive unitary elements, placed end to end, is made by bolting, by means of two, four or six screws, and with respectively male and female centering guides. , provided at the ends of these elements. A disadvantage of this connection mode is the impossibility of dismantling and removing a unit separator element inserted in a queue of elements, precisely because of the centering guides which constitute obstacles to such withdrawal. In addition, the bolting connection device requires, for its use, significant resources, both in equipment (van, compressor, key impact, bolts) in labor (three people being simultaneously necessary). The operating cost of these metal separators therefore remains, currently, still excessively high, which greatly limits their use. Added to this is the fact that the current metal separators are also much more costly than the concrete separator elements, simply because of their shorter lifetime, which necessitates a more frequent renewal; as indicative, the average life of metal separators is of the order of four to five years, given their oxidation in contact with air and weather, and also due to shocks and deformations suffered during their handling and of their use, while the average life of a concrete separator element can be estimated at twenty years.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of metal separators, and its purpose is therefore to provide a more economical metal separator system, in its design and operation, also allowing the easy removal and replacement of an intercalated element in a queue of elements.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is essentially a metal separator element for road traffic lanes, in particular an element that can be used for the temporary delimitation of a road or highway construction zone, this separator element comprising, in a generally known manner, supports on both sides of which are fixed metal runners, and being characterized, according to the invention, in that it comprises two terminal boxes, and optionally at least one intermediate box, each consisting of two parallel metallic cheeks, vertical, connected one to the other, on each side of the box, by longitudinal bars which each comprise at least one hole for fixing, by bolting, at least one slide which connects the boxes.

In a preferred embodiment of the metal separator element according to the invention, the two metal cheeks of each box have the general shape of an isosceles trapezium, whose large base, in the use position, is at the bottom and serves as a floor support for the caisson. In this configuration, the two metal cheeks of each box are advantageously also connected to each other, at their vertices which correspond to the small base of the trapezium, by an upper metal plate, whose side portions have lights for the fastening by bolting the upper slides.

In detail, according to a particular embodiment of the metal separator element according to the invention, this separator element comprises, on each side, three superposed slides connecting these boxes, with a lower slide fixed on a lower longitudinal bar, a intermediate slide fixed on an intermediate longitudinal bar, and preferably overlapping the lower slide, and an upper slide fixed on a bar longitudinal axis and on a lateral part of the upper metal plate of a box.

In a preferred embodiment of the metallic separator element which is the subject of the invention, the two metal flanges of its two end caissons are also connected by at least two longitudinal tubular guides, serving as housings and sliding guides for corresponding parts. a connecting device between consecutive separator elements, put end to end.

In particular, the connection device, provided at one end of the separating element, may be a connecting stirrup comprising a vertical metal plate on one side of which protrude horizontal elongated portions of section and disposition corresponding to those of aforementioned tubular guides, these horizontal portions being slidably mounted in the tubular guides of the terminal box of the separating element to which the connecting device belongs, and being engageable in the corresponding tubular guides of an adjacent terminal box belonging to another separating element to connect to the previous one.

In particular, in the case of trapezoidal metal cheeks, the two cheeks of the two end chambers of the separator element are advantageously connected by three longitudinal tubular guides, comprising an upper tubular guide and two lower tubular guides, arranged along the vertices of the an isosceles triangle, the vertical metal plate of the connecting stirrup bearing on one of its faces three elongated longitudinal portions of arrangement corresponding to that of the three tubular guides. In practice, these longitudinal tubular guides consist of horizontal metal tubes, of rectangular section, the ends of which are welded to the edge of corresponding rectangular openings, formed in the two cheeks of each terminal box, while the corresponding parts of the connecting device between separator elements are constituted by flat irons, each length slightly greater than twice the length of one of the aforementioned tubes, the flat irons being welded to one side of the vertical metal plate of the connecting stirrup .

This vertical metal plate advantageously still has an operating handle, on its opposite side to that provided with the elongated horizontal parts, in particular constituted by flat irons.

These elongated horizontal portions are themselves advantageously each provided, towards their free ends, with a slot provided for receiving a removable locking key.

The metal separating element according to the invention can be a relatively short separating element, comprising two end boxes and a single intermediate box, connected to each other on their two sides by side rails whose length is equal to the length. total of the separator element.

However, according to another possibility, the metallic separator element, which is the subject of the invention, is a relatively long separating element, comprising two end caissons and a plurality of intermediate caissons, interconnected by successive lateral slides of length approximately equal to a sub-multiple of the total length of the separator element, the ends of these slides superimposed at the level of intermediate boxes, on which they are simultaneously fixed by bolting.

Overall, the invention thus provides a metal separator element which has numerous and particularly valuable advantages:

The structure and manufacture of this separator element are simple and therefore economical, in particular because of the constitution of the caissons and the connecting device from cut sheets, flat irons and tubes, the only bolts necessary being those producing the fixing of the slides on the boxes.

The connecting device between separator elements placed end to end is also particularly simple, since it does not require bolts, hinge members or the like.

The economic nature of this metal separator element also results from the use of conventional, commercially available metal runners, in particular pre-existing metal runners, which can be recovered at a lower cost, for example when they are replaced by concrete barriers used as separation. final.

The boxes are particularly rigid, this applies in particular to the end boxes, which are further stiffened by the tubes connecting their two cheeks.

The two ends of the metal separator element according to the invention are perfectly smooth, since they are the outer metal cheeks of the terminal boxes, which makes it easy to remove a separating element inserted in a continuous line of elements, and to eventually put back this element.

The assembly operation of the separator elements to each other is particularly easy and fast. Indeed, this operation does not require bolting, and thanks to the stirrup device, all the flat connecting bars, which form in a manner of splints, are slid simultaneously in the corresponding guide tubes, with a small manual effort. It is obviously the same for the inverse operation of separating two elements. These operations can therefore be carried out without difficulty by one person, which also results in a significant saving of manpower.

In addition, the assembly thus formed between two consecutive separating elements is particularly rigid, and is secured by the locking keys.

Thanks to the separator design according to the invention, it is in particular possible to form "short" metal separator elements, typically four meters long, with two terminal boxes and a single intermediate box, which make a "module" equivalent to a standard concrete separator.

However, the invention also allows the formation of "long" metal separator elements, typically of a length of about twelve meters, with more intermediate chambers and overlapping slides, such elements being transportable on a tractor-driven tractor unit. and a semi-trailer with a handling crane, and their greater length making it possible to reduce the number of assembly operations between elements (for a given total length of the barrier to be produced).

• Figure 1 est une vue en perspective montrant les parties terminales adjacentes de deux éléments séparateurs consécutifs ;
• Figure 2 est une vue en coupe verticale d'un élément séparateur suivant II-II de figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 est une vue en plan par dessus d'un élément séparateur complet ;
• Figure 4 est une vue en plan par dessus, très schématique, d'un élément séparateur de plus grande longueur.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing representing, by way of examples, two embodiments of this metallic separator element:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the adjacent end portions of two consecutive separator members;
• Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a separating element along II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a plan view from above of a complete separator element;
• Figure 4 is a top plan view, very schematic, of a separator element of greater length.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, a metal separator element is designated globally for the marker 1. This element, for example four meters long, consists of three caissons 2, comprising two terminal caissons and an intermediate caisson, connected between they by lateral slides 3, 4 and 5 which they constitute the support.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the detail of a box 2 will first be described.

The caisson 2 comprises two parallel vertical cheeks 6, constituted by metal sheets cut in the general shape of isosceles trapezium, whose large base is located at the bottom (at ground level, when using the separator element 1).

The two vertical cheeks 6 of the box 2 are connected to each other horizontally, on each side of the box 2, by three superposed flat bars 7, 8 and 9, the ends of which are welded to the inclined edges of the cheeks 6. Each flat iron 7, 8 and 9 has, at mid-length, a hole 10 for fixing the slides, as specified below.

In addition, the respective vertices of the two vertical cheeks 6, which correspond to the small base of the trapezium, are connected to one another by an upper plate 11 made of sheet metal, whose horizontal median portion may comprise a large rectangular opening 12 , and whose side parts, symmetrically inclined, each have two lights 13.

The two vertical cheeks 6 are still connected to one another by three horizontal metal tubes of rectangular section, an upper tube 14 and two lower tubes 15, arranged at the vertices of an isosceles triangle. The ends of these tubes 14 and 15 are welded to the edge of corresponding rectangular openings formed in the two cheeks 6.

Each box 2, thus formed, forms a rigid block, able to rest on the self by the large bases of its two trapezoidal cheeks.

The boxes 2 are interconnected by the slides 3, 4 and 5, fixed by means of bolts 16. As shown more particularly in Figure 2, the two lower guides 3 are fixed symmetrically on the lower flat irons 7, by means of bolts 16 which pass through the holes 10 of these flat irons 7. The two intermediate guides 4 are fixed symmetrically on the intermediate flat irons 8, by means of bolts 16 which pass through the holes 10 of these flat irons 8, the lower part of each intermediate slide 4 overlapping the upper part of the corresponding lower slide 3. Finally, the two upper guides 5 are symmetrically fixed, on the one hand, on the upper flat bars 9, by means of bolts 16 which pass through the holes 10 of these flat bars 9, and on the other hand, on the inclined lateral parts. of the upper plate 11, by means of bolts 16 which pass through the slots 13 of these lateral parts. By thus fixing the slides 3, 4 and 5, all of the same length (in particular of four meters), on two 2 terminal boxes and on an intermediate box 2, it is constituted a metallic separator element 1, of rigid structure, provided on each side of three superimposed slides 3, 4 and 5.

The separating element 1 is provided, at one end, with a sliding stirrup 17 connected to another separating element 1, the two separating elements 1 being placed end-to-end, as illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 3. The stirrup 17, clearly visible in FIG. 1, comprises a vertical metal plate 18, of trapezoidal or triangular shape, on one face of which are welded three parallel and horizontal flat bars, comprising an upper flat iron 19 and two lower flat bars 20, of which the arrangement corresponds to that of the three tubes 14, 15 of rectangular section of a box 2. Each flat iron 19 or 20 has a length slightly greater than twice the length of a tube 14 or 15. To its free end, each flat iron 19 or 20 has a slot 21 or slot, provided to receive a removable locking key 22. On its face opposite the flat irons 19 and 20, the metal plate 18 of the stirrup 17 carries a handle Maneuvering 23.

Such a stirrup 17 is put in place at one end of each separating element 1, on the end box 2. The flat irons 19 and 20 of the stirrup are slidably engaged in the tubes 14 and 15 of this end box 2, so that the ends of the flat bars 19 and 20 project at the end of the separating element 1. The assembly of the stirrup 17 is thus displaceable in translation, in the longitudinal direction of the separating element 1 , following the double arrow F of Figure 1.

When two separator elements 1 are put end to end, as suggested in FIG. 1 and as shown in FIG. 3 on the right, the stirrup 17 of a first element 1, manipulated by its handle 23, is advanced towards the end of a second element 1, not provided with stirrup. The flat irons 19 and 20 of the stirrup 17, sliding in the tubes 14 and 15 of the terminal box 2 of the first element 1, are thus also engaged in the tubes 14 and 15 of the terminal box 2 of the second element 1. The free ends flat irons 19 and 20, which finally protrude outside the tubes 14 and 15 of the terminal box 2 of the second element 1, finally receive keys 22, which locks the assembly of the two separating elements 1.

This assembly remains removable, by removing the locking keys 22, then by moving back the stirrup 17, still by maneuvering it by its handle 23.

As is easily understood, a separator element 1 inserted in a continuous queue of such separator elements can, in this manner, be removed from the line of elements, and possibly be replaced without moving the other separator elements of this line .

Figure 4 shows a metal separator element of greater length, made according to the same principle, that is to say by the assembly of caissons 2 and slides 3, 4 and 5 superimposed. This element of greater length, for example of the order of twelve meters, results from the meeting of three successive sections each corresponding to an element 1 (typically a length of four meters) as previously described, the box 2 terminal of a section being merged with the terminal box of the following section. At such a common box 2, the ends of the slides 3, 4 and 5 of a section overlap the corresponding ends of the slides 3, 4 and 5 of the next section. The fixing of the superimposed ends of the slides 3, 4 and 5 on the common box 2 is also provided in a common way, that is to say by the same bolts, in the manner detailed above with reference to FIG. 2.

It is thus possible to form separating elements of a length of about twelve meters, transportable on a semi-trailer. These "long" separator elements may themselves be arranged in a row, and assembled together by the stirrup connecting device 17 which is still provided at one of their ends, as previously described.

• les formes de détail des caissons, en particulier le contour de leurs joues ;
• le détail des moyens d'assemblage entre éléments séparateurs ;
• la longueur de ces éléments séparateurs, et le nombre des caissons intermédiaires, choisi en fonction de cette longueur

One would not depart from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims, regardless of:

• the forms of detail of the caissons, in particular the outline of their cheeks;
• the detail of the means of assembly between separating elements;
• the length of these separator elements, and the number of intermediate boxes, chosen according to this length

Claims (12)

1. Metal separating element for road traffic lanes, in particular an element that can be used for the temporary delimitation of a roadworks or motorway-works area, this separating element (1) comprising supports on both sides of which metal rails are fixed, characterised in that it comprises two end boxes (2), and possibly at least one intermediate box (2), each formed by two vertical parallel metal cheeks (6) connected to each other, on each side of the box (2), by longitudinal bars (7, 8, 9) that each comprise at least one hole (10) for fixing, by bolting (16), at least one rail (3, 4, 5) that connects the boxes (2).
2. Metal separating element according to claim 1, characterised in that the two metal cheeks (6) of each box (2) have the general shape of an isosceles trapezium, the large base of which, in the position of use, is situated at the bottom and serves as an abutment on the ground for the box (2).
3. Metal separating element according to claim 2, characterised in that the two metal cheeks (6) of each box (2) are also connected to each other, at their tops that correspond to the small base of the trapezium, by a top metal plate (11), the lateral parts of which have apertures (13) for fixing the top rails (5) by bolting (16).
4. Metal separating element according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises, on each side, three superimposed rails (3, 4, 5) connecting its boxes (2) with a bottom rail (3) fixed to a bottom longitudinal bar (7), an intermediate rail (4) fixed to an intermediate longitudinal bar (8) and preferably overlapping the bottom rail (3), and a top rail (5) fixed to a top longitudinal bar (9) and to a lateral part of the top metal plate (11) of a box (2).
5. Metal separating element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the two metal cheeks (6) of its two end boxes are also connected by at least two longitudinal tubular guides (14, 15), serving as housings and sliding guides for corresponding parts (19, 20) of a connection device (17) between two consecutive separating elements (1), put end to end.
6. Metal separating element according to claim 5, characterised in that the connecting device (17), provided at one end of the separating element (1), is in the form of a connecting frame (17) comprising a vertical metal plate (18) on one face of which there projects elongate horizontal parts (19, 20) with a cross-section and arrangement corresponding to those of the aforementioned tubular guides (14, 15), these horizontal parts (19, 20) being mounted so as to slide in the tubular guides (14, 15) of the end box (2) of the separating element (1) to which the connecting device (17) belongs, and being able to be engaged in the corresponding tubular guides (14, 15) of an adjacent end box (2) belonging to another separating element (1) to be connected to the previous one.
7. Metal separating element according to claim 6, characterised in that the two metal cheeks (6) of its two end boxes (2) are connected by three longitudinal tubular guides, comprising a top tubular guide (14) and two bottom tubular guides (15), disposed on the vertices of an isosceles triangle, the vertical metal plate (18) of the connecting frame (17) carrying on one of its faces three elongate horizontal parts (19, 20) with an arrangement corresponding to the three tubular guides (14, 15).
8. Metal separating element according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the vertical metal plate (18) of the connecting frame (17) carries a manoeuvring handle (23) on its face opposite to that provided with the elongate horizontal parts (19, 20).
9. Metal separating element according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that the elongate horizontal parts (19, 20) are each provided, towards their free ends, with an aperture (21) designed to receive a removable locking key (22).
10. Metal separating element according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterised in that the longitudinal tubular guides are formed by horizontal metal tubes (14, 15) with a rectangular cross-section, the ends of which are welded to the edge of corresponding rectangular openings provided in the two cheeks (6) of each end box (2), whilst the corresponding parts of the connecting device (17) between two separating elements (1) are formed by flat bars (19, 20), each with a length slightly greater than twice the length of one of the aforementioned tubes (14, 15), the flat bars (19, 20) being welded to one face of the vertical metal plate (18) of the connecting frame (17).
11. Metal separating element according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that it is in the form of a relatively short separating element (1), comprising two end boxes (2) and a single intermediate box (2), connected together, on both sides, by lateral runners (3, 4, 5) whose length is equal to the total length of the separating element (1).
12. Metal separating element according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that it is in the form of a relatively long separating element, comprising two end boxes (2) and a plurality of intermediate boxes (2), connected together, by successive lateral rails (3, 4, 5) with a length approximately equal to a submultiple of the total length of the separating element, the ends of these rails (3, 4, 5) overlapping at intermediate boxes (2), to which they are simultaneously fixed by bolting.

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