EP1740773A2

EP1740773A2 - Vehicle arrester systems

Info

Publication number: EP1740773A2
Application number: EP05718924A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ofer Beniamin; Dvir Arkin; Elyakim Reshef; Moshe Shani; Mordehay Yardeny; Avraham Attias; Moshe Israel Granot; Joseph Cohen; David Ben-Harosh
Original assignee: Israel Police; Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Israel Police; Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2004-03-28
Filing date: 2005-03-28
Publication date: 2007-01-10
Also published as: US20080060271A1; IL174766A0; WO2005093163A2; WO2005093163A3; IL161133A0; IL176614A; IL174766A; IL176614A0

Abstract

Devices for arresting a wheeled vehicle with rubber tires, comprising elongated flexible member (11) such as strips, mats, cables or chains disposed along the direction of motion and adapted to wrap around the tires using a tire attaching means (14) such as barb, spike or adhesive, the tire attaching means being fixed to the proximal end of the flexible member with respect to the vehicle's motion, and an arresting means (16) such as a rod attached to the distal end of the flexible member and adapted to interfere with the vehicle motion. The spikes may be anchoring in the tire and the cable or chain may be strong enough to tear the tires. The devices may be disposed in a flat housing with movable cover for allowing free passage of the vehicle.

Description

VEHICLE A RESTOR SYSTEMS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to equipment for arresting vehicles, particularly those interacting with the vehicle's tires.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are a number of reasons for which it is desirable to arrest a vehicle without the use of lethal force typically in police and military scenarios. To this end a variety of systems have been developed including the type of system designed to target the tires of the vehicle to be arrested. The most common of these is the type designed to deflate the vehicles tires. However, a drawback to this system is that the vehicle may continue on albeit at a slower rate. Also puncturing one or more tires at full speed of the vehicle may cause dangerous loss of control and stability potentially resulting in damage to the surroundings and/or harm to the driver/passengers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device for arresting the progress of a vehicle having wheels with rubber tires, the device being deployable on a road surface and comprising: (a) at least one tire attaching member, (b) at least one elongated flexible member disposed along the direction of progress and adapted to wrap around the tires, the tire attaching member being fixed to the proximal end of the flexible member with respect to the vehicle's motion, and c) an arresting means attached to the flexible member and adapted to interfere with the vehicle motion. Thereby, upon passage of the vehicle over the device, the tire attaching member attaches the flexible member to the vehicle tires so that the flexible member wraps around the tire, and the arresting means interferes with the motion of the vehicle so as to arrest it. The tire attaching member may be a barb or spike adapted to pierce the tire and to resist being pulled out. The elongated flexible member is a generally flat strip of durable material or a cable or chain, or may be a combination of both. The device is preferably foldable and portable. The device may have a plurality of elongated flexible members, wherein the arresting means is a rod disposed transversely to the flexible members and attached to the distal end of each flexible member with respect to the vehicle's motion. Preferably, the rod is deformable and capable of absorbing mechanical energy, for example a hollow metallic pipe. In one embodiment, the rod is composed of a plurality of tubular elements, each one adapted for fixing to one of the flexible members. A cable passes through each tubular element, and has two end fittings fixed thereto, so as to hold the tubular elements together. Preferably, at least one of the end fittings is fixed releasably to the cable so as to enable replacement of the tubular elements and the elongated elements, and\or adjustment of the device width. In another embodiment, the tire attaching members may be anchoring spikes attached to cables or chains and adapted to pierce the tire and to resist being pulled out so that strong pulling force would tear and/or strip the tire at least partially off its wheel rim. The anchoring spike may have at least one movable folded part adapted to unfold inside the tire after piercing it. The movable part is preferably spring-loaded and held in folded position by a catch releasable by interaction with the pierced tire. The arresting means may be a rigid member disposed transversely to the cables or chains and attached to the distal end of each cable or chain with respect to the vehicle's motion. The rigid member may be a rigid rod or beam. Preferably, the rigid member is a flat housing accommodating the cables or chains and the anchoring spikes, and having a sloping surface at its proximal and distal ends facilitating passing of the vehicle tires. The device preferably comprises a movable cover allowing hiding said anchoring spikes so as to let a vehicle pass over said device without being arrested. In yet another embodiment of the device, the attaching member may be a layer of sticky material applied to the upper surface of an elongated strip. The arresting means may be a slippery layer at the bottom surface of the strip, for example a smooth and flexible steel net. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for arresting the progress of a vehicle having wheels with rubber tires, the device being deployable on a road surface and comprising a) a plurality of freely rotating cylinder or ball-shaped members; b) supporting means adapted to hold the freely rotating members with axes of rotation substantially perpendicular to the vehicle motion and at predetermined distance from one another. The freely- rotating members are adapted to engage at least one of the vehicle tires and prevent its contact with the road surface, thereby arresting the vehicle. In one embodiment of the device, the plurality of freely rotating members comprises a series of adjacent rotary members of substantially equal diameter and a member of larger diameter disposed distally of the series. The device preferably comprises a friction plate disposed distally of the series of rotating members and carrying the member of larger diameter, the plate being adapted to absorb at least part of the momentum of the arrested vehicle and/or to dissipate the associated mechanical energy by friction with the road surface. The device may further comprise two freely rotating members of medium diameter, one disposed proximal of the series and the other disposed between the series and the member of larger diameter. The larger diameter may be about 25-40% of the vehicle tire diameter, the medium diameter may be about 10-15% of the vehicle tire diameter and the diameter of the members in the series may be about 5% of the vehicle tire diameter. In another embodiment of the device, the plurality of freely rotating members are of substantially equal diameter and the supporting means is a low bridge-like construction with ascending-descending slopes at the distal and proximal ends thereof adapted to accommodate the vehicle with all its tires contacting only the rotating members. The device comprises a plurality of supports disposed between the freely rotating members and adapted for lifting and lowering so that, when lifted, the supports may carry the vehicle tires and allow the vehicle to travel along and leave the arresting device. The supports may be mounted on one or more substantially horizontal plates disposed under the rotating members. The device comprises one or more jacks adapted for lifting the supports, for example powered mechanical jacks, hydraulic or pneumatic jacks. The device may comprise a means for towing the vehicle to or from said bridge-like construction such as a winch. The device is suitable for use in a remotely controlled roadblock arrangement comprising signposts, road humps, deployable road spikes, traffic lights, video cameras, voice communication means, lighting and personal identification means, etc. Preferably, at least one of the video cameras is disposed in the device so as to transmit picture of the vehicle underside. According to a next aspect of the present invention, there is presented a device for arresting the progress of a vehicle having wheels with rubber tires, the device being deployable on a road surface and comprising a) at least one tire piercing member disposed so as to meet said tire under angle suitable for piercing, and (b) means adapted to tear and strip the tires off their wheel rim after the piercing. The device may comprise mounting means for attaching the piercing members thereto under said suitable angle. In one embodiment, the device comprises a plurality of tire piercing members disposed in a rigid flat housing. The housing is open from above and accessible by the vehicle tires at least from the proximal end thereof. The housing may comprise two or more parts each containing a portion of the tire piercing members, the housing parts being stackable so as to hide the tire piercing members. The parts of the housing may be pivotally connected. The device may further comprise a movable cover allowing hiding the tire piercing members so as to let a vehicle pass over the device without being arrested. Preferably, the housing is adapted for moving and transporting. The piercing members may be anchoring spikes or blades, for example having a movable folded barb adapted to unfold inside the tire after piercing it. Preferably, the movable barb is spring-loaded and held in folded position by a catch releasable by interaction with the pierced tire. The piercing members may be attached to the housing by flexible cables or chains allowing wrapping around the tires after the piercing. In another embodiment, the device comprises one tire piercing member having a means for releasing pressurized gases into the tire after piercing it so that the tire is at least partially blown off its wheel rim. The piercing member preferably has a hollow piercing spike and a hollow cartridge in fluid communication with the spike. The cartridge contains volatile, reactive or explosive material capable of producing pressurized gases upon activation. The cartridge may be adapted for activation of the material by pressure applied to the cartridge by the vehicle tire, or alternatively, the device may comprise means for remote activation of the material by an operator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1A is a schematic top view of a vehicle arresting device in the form of "stick in the wheels" according to one aspect of the invention; Fig. IB is a schematic side view of the device in Fig. 1A; Figs. 2A and 2B are schematic sectional views of strips used in the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the "stick in the wheels" arresting device; Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of a vehicle arresting device in the form of "spinning cylinders" according to another aspect of the invention; Fig. 5A is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the "spinning cylinders" arresting device; Fig. 5B is a sectional view of the vehicle arresting device in Fig. 5 A; Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a remotely operated roadblock using the vehicle arresting device of Figs. 5 A and 5B; Figs. 7A-7C are front schematic views of a vehicle arresting device according to yet another aspect of the invention in which the vehicle tire is at least partially removed from the associated wheel rim; Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a housing for the vehicle arresting device of Figs. 7A-7C; Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a variation of the vehicle arresting device shown in Figs. 7A-7C with tire anchoring members attached to cables; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a tire anchoring member used in the vehicle arresting device of Fig. 9, anchored to the vehicle tire; Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a tire attaching device with pyrotechnic charge according to another aspect of the present invention. Figs. 12A and 12B are schematic views of a vehicle arresting device in the form of "low friction stickers"; Fig. 12C is an enlargement of an area, marked II in Fig. 12B; and Fig. 12D is an illustration of the vehicle arresting device of Figs. 12A and 12B shown engaging a vehicle tire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figs. 1A and IB there is shown a device 10 according to 5 the present invention, for arresting a land-vehicle having rubber tires (hereinafter, "the vehicle", not necessarily shown). The device interferes with the operation of the wheels of the vehicle to be arrested and is therefore dubbed "stick in the wheels". Fig. 1A shows a top view of the device and Fig. IB shows a side view thereof.

10 The device 10 comprises one or more members, for example, a mat or series of side-by-side strips/mats 11, typically rectangular, each having a number of cables 12 running the length thereof. The cables have attached thereto a plurality of tire attaching members such as spikes 14. At an end of the strips 11, the end typically arranged to be the farthest from the oncoming tires, the cables

15 12 are attached to a wheel-rotation interfering member, represented by a rod 16, running perpendicular to the cables. The rod 16 may be hollow, as illustrated in Figs. 1A and IB which lowers its weight and results in easier handling thereof. Figs. 2 A and 2B illustrate a couple of exemplary arrangements for incorporating the cables 12 into the strips 11 or attaching them thereto. In 0 Fig. 2A, the cables 12 are molded into a rubber strip 17; and in Fig. 2B the cables are attached to the strip by one or more fabric layers 18. The layers 18 may as well constitute the strip 11. When the vehicle tires roll onto the strip(s) 11, the spikes 14 stick into the rubber tire causing the strip(s) to wrap around the tires. It is understood that the 5 strip(s) 11 and cables 12 are appropriately flexible for this purpose. The arrangement is such that the strips 11 are well wrapped around the tires by the time the rod 16 is drawn up into the associated wheel well of the vehicle at which point the rod interferes with the body of the vehicle inhibiting rotation of the wheel(s) and causing the vehicle to stop. Fig. 3 shows another embodiment 20 of the device in Figs. 1A and IB. The rod 16 here is constituted of a plurality of short tubes 22 held together by a strong steel cable 24 passed through the tubes and equipped with end fittings 26 tightly secured to the cable 24. The end fittings 26 are preferably mounted to the cable by releasable means such as quick release pin . Each of the straps 11 end in an eyelet (loop) 28 fitted over one of the tubes 22. The straps 11 may be made of strong material which does not need reinforcing cables inside. This embodiment allows modular assembly of different number of straps and tubes to enable adjusting the device for different road widths and to facilitate replacement of worn-out elements. The tubes 22, preferably metal tubes, are deformable and capable of absorbing the mechanical energy (inertia) of the arrested vehicle whereby the arresting is less dangerous for the vehicle and the passengers. Fig. 4 illustrates a device 30 for arresting a land-vehicle having rubber tires 31, according to another aspect of the present invention. The device comprises a series of rotational members upon which the vehicle tires 31 may spin and is therefore dubbed "spinning cylinders" device. According to one embodiment, it is constituted by rods or cylinders including a holding cylinder or large cylinder 32 at one end of the series, a pair of medium sized cylinders 33 and 34 - one adjacent the large cylinder 32 and one at an opposite end of the series from the large cylinder, respectively. Between the two medium cylinders

33, 34 there are a plurality of smaller cylinders 36. The cylinders 32, 33, 34 and

36 are attached one to the next at corresponding axes 32', 33', 34' and 36' thereof such that the cylinders may spin about their axes. The diameters of said cylinders may be about 25-40%, 10-15% and 5% of the vehicle tire diameter, respectively. The cylinders 32, 33, 34 and 36 rest on the road surface 37 and are generally held in place by a friction plate 38 which is attached to the large cylinder 32 via a member such as a triangular block 39 - the friction plate and triangular block optionally being an integral member. The cylinders can be actualized by a number of geometries, for example, one long rod, several rods, spherical members and the like. When the vehicle's tires 31 - again, typically the front tires - pass onto the device, the vehicle is slowed by hitting the cylinders 32, 33, 34 and 36, especially the large cylinder 32, the entire device will then tend to slide in the direction in which the vehicle travels due to the vehicle's momentum (inertia), then the vehicle is arrested as its wheels interactively spin with the cylinders. This action is similar to the concept of a stationary exercise bicycle where the bicycle's wheel spins on a small wheel or cylinder attached to a frame. With reference to Figs. 5A and 5B, there is shown another embodiment of an arresting device with "spinning cylinders". A free-roller barrier 40 comprises two elongated bridges 42. Each bridge is a channel-like structure with side walls 44 supporting for free rotation a plurality of horizontal rollers 45 perpendicular to the channel axis, and ascending-descending slopes 46 at the ends of the channel. The bridges 42 are of suitable size and location to accommodate vehicles of various sizes with all their tires 31 supported by the free rollers 45. Between the rollers 45, there is a plurality of rigid non-rotary supports 47 mounted on strong carrying plates 48 which can be lifted by jacks 49 above the rollers 45. The jacks may be of any suitable type such as hydraulic, electromechanical or pneumatic, for example inflatable airbags under the plates 48. The barrier 40 is installed permanently or in mobile fashion on the road. In operation, a vehicle is allowed to approach the barrier 40 and climb onto the bridges 42 via the slopes 46 at low gear (low speed), with the rigid supports 47 raised. This is conventionally shown in the left half of the bridge 42 in Fig. 5A. When all tires of the vehicle are on the bridges between the rollers 45, the plates 48 with the supports 47 are lowered until the tires rest on the rollers 45, as shown in the right half of the bridge 42. It will be appreciated that with the tires 31 on the freely rotating rollers 45, the vehicle cannot move forwards or backwards. If the vehicle should be allowed to travel, the jacks 49 are operated to raise the supports 47 above the rollers 45. For the case of jack failure, a winch or similar means may be installed nearby, to enable pulling the vehicle off the bridges 42. With reference to Fig. 6, a remote control system for identification and control allowing closing down and opening of a roadblock 50 is shown built around a free-roller barrier 40. The system comprises other devices and installations such as signposts 51, road humps 52, road spikes 53, traffic lights 54, cameras 55 and 56, voice communication means 57, lighting 58, identification means 59, etc. The system is installed permanently or in mobile fashion, and is adapted to guide the vehicle towards the roadblock 50 at low travel speed. A system for driver identification uses ID-card reader 59 or picture/fmgerprints/image transferring to the roadblock operator (not shown). Another system transfers an image of the vehicle's underside using, for example, video cameras 56 installed between the bridges 42. Figs. 7A-7C are schematic front views of a vehicle arresting device 60 according to yet another aspect of the invention in which the vehicle tire 31 is at least partially removed from the associated wheel during arresting thereof. In Fig 7A, the device, shown in its closed position, comprises a base 61 and a corresponding top 62 each having rows of blades or spikes 64 protruding therefrom. The blades 64 may be integral or conveniently attached to the base 61 and top 62, for example by being screwed thereto which would facilitate easy replacement should the need arise. It is noticed that the blades 64 are dimensioned not to interfere with each other when the device is in a folded position as seen in Fig. 7A. Alternatively, the blades 64 may be positioned in an offset manner to avoid interference. Fig 7B illustrates the device 60 in a partially opened position; the opening aided by a pivot mechanism 66. In Fig 7C, the device 60 is seen in its fully open position, with both the base 61 and top 62 resting on the road surface 37. Prior to the approach of a vehicle to be arrested, the device 60 is deployed on the road surface 37. When the vehicle tires 31 roll on the device, the blades 64 pierce the tires and grab on thereto such that while the vehicle advances, the tires are at least partially removed/peeled from the associated wheel rims and the vehicle is arrested. An example of a blade of tire engaging member facilitating this action is detailed below in reference to Fig. 10. If the device 60 is deployed and one wishes to allow vehicles to pass without arresting them, a covering may be placed thereon. An example of such covering in the form of a housing 70 is shown in Fig. 8. The housing 70 comprises inclined slopes 72 and top surfaces 74 for allowing vehicles to conveniently pass thereover. When a vehicle to be arrested approaches the device 60, the surfaces 72 and 74 may be removed, facilitated by handles 76, thereby exposing the blades 64. Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment 80 of the aspect of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7A-7C and 8 including another variation of tire engaging member or blade. Here, the device 80 is shown exposed in a housing 81 similar to the housing 70, and comprises tire anchoring members 82 having tire piercing members 83 at their upper ends. Each anchoring member 82 is attached by its bottom end to a cable 84 which in turn is attached to a hook 86. The hooks 86 are engaged with a rod 88 running perpendicular to the cables 84. The blades 83 are seen in a closed position in Fig. 9, and for example, may have a sharp conical profile for facilitating piercing of the tires 31. Upon piercing of the rubber vehicle tire 31, the blade 83 opens, as seen in Fig. 10, to provide for anchoring at the tire. The blades 83 may be opened by a variety of mechanisms. For example, they may be spring-biased toward the open position, however held closed by a catch (not shown). The catch may be released by the action of the tire 31 coming down around the catch at its pierce point. The blades 83 are angled toward the vehicle tire 31 at an appropriate angle and may be fixed at this angle by any of a number of known means (e.g. by constructing the bottom ends of the tire anchoring members 82 to be so angled). When a vehicle passes over the device, the blade 83 pierces the tire 31 and gets anchored therein. With the advance of the vehicle, the cable 84 gets drawn around the tire 31 and eventually the rod 88 in the hook 86 catches on the vehicle causing the anchored blade 83 to at least partially remove the tire 31 thereby arresting the vehicle. The cables 84 may be as well fixed to the housing 81. It will be appreciated that, before tearing the tire, the arresting device 80 operates essentially as the "stick in the wheel" device 10 (Fig. 1A) where the rod 88 or the housing 81 interfere with the vehicle wheels to reduce substantially the vehicle speed. Fig. 11 shows a cross-section of a tire-attaching device 90 designed to remove at least part of the vehicle tire 31 from its wheel rim. This device 90 can be designed to be remotely deployed, for example by a remote control (not shown), or manually/mechanically deployed. The tire attaching device 90 includes a hollow cartridge 92 comprising a hollow spike 94 at its top designed to penetrate the vehicle tire 31. The cartridge 92 fits into a cartridge housing 96 comprising an upper housing 98 and a lower housing 100, which have corresponding screw threads 102 and 104, respectively, to allow them to be screwed to each other. The lower housing 100 is typically attached to a base 106 which could be a part of a road surface engaging structure (not shown in Fig. 8) such as a known structure already in use. The tire attaching device 90 may be angled to ensure the best tire penetration as a result of its attachment to the base 106 or by other means, such as the geometry of the lower housing 100. The cartridge 92 also comprises a volatile/explosive or pyrotechnic material 108 at the bottom portion of the cartridge which, for example, can be activated in a manner analogous to that of a vehicle air-bag during a collision. For this purpose, the device includes a firing pin 110 adjacent the pyrotechnic material 108. For the sake of safety, the device preferably comprises a safety catch 112 to prevent unwanted prior activation of the pyrotechnic material 108 of the device. This catch 112 is removed at the time of deployment. The cartridge 92 is situated and held between an upper spring 114 and a lower spring 116. The lower spring 116 allows the cartridge to be pushed down to a level whereby the firing pin 110 actuates the pyrotechnic material 108 at a predetermined pressure appropriate to that produced by a vehicle passing thereon. Alternatively, the pyrotechnic material 108 can be actuated by a remote control. When a vehicle to be arrested rides onto the tire attaching device 90, the sharp hollow spike 94 penetrates the vehicle tire 31 and pressure on the cartridge 92 causes the firing pin 110 activate the pyrotechnic material 104. The material

104 escapes through the top opening of the spike 94 and enters the tire 31 which causes the tire to be blasted off its wheel rim, thus arresting the vehicle. To assemble a new tire attaching device 90, a new cartridge may simply be screwed into the place of the expended cartridge. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown by the exemplary embodiments described hereinabove. Thus, the "stick-in-the-wheel" concept of Figs. 1 to 3 may be realized in the way shown in Figs. 12A-12D. Referring to Figs. 12A-12D, a device 110 for arresting a land-vehicle having rubber tires may comprise sheet-like strips or stickers 112 designed to be arranged side by side on the road surface 37. The stickers 112 may be more or less dimensioned corresponding to the tire size of the expected vehicle to be arrested, or alternatively may be narrower than the tires whereby a number of stickers 112 will engage the tires. The stickers 112 are typically elongated and oriented generally parallel to the road surface 37 or to the expected direction of the vehicle. The stickers 112 have a top side 114 and a bottom side 116. On the top side 114 there is a tire engaging member in the form of a sticky material 118 and/or a plurality of barbs (spikes) 14 which stick out therefrom. The sticky material or barbs 118, 14 are designed to engage with a rubber tire 31 of the vehicle when the vehicle rolls over it. Thus, when the tires 31 (the leading, typically front tires) of the vehicle roll upon the stickers 112, corresponding stickers wrap around those tires, as shown in Fig. 12D, until a rod similar to the rod 16 of Fig. 1A is engaged. However, the wrapped stickers 112 may be effective even without an associated rod, if the bottom side 116 of the sticker 112 is made smooth and slippery, having a very low coefficient of friction. For example, the sticker may have a flexible steel net embedded or attached to its bottom side 116. When the stickers 112 wrap around the tires 31, the bottom side 116 thereby essentially becomes the road engaging surface of the corresponding tires 31. Due to their low coefficient of friction, the bottom side 116 either spins on the road surface 37 such that the vehicle cannot progress or the slipperiness causes loss of control whereby the driver of the vehicle is forced to stop.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device for arresting the progress of a vehicle having wheels with rubber tires, the device being deployable on a road surface and comprising: (a) at least one tire attaching member, (b) at least one elongated flexible member disposed along the direction of said progress and adapted to wrap around said tires, said at least one tire attaching member being fixed to the proximal end of said at least one elongated flexible member with respect to the vehicle's motion, and c) an arresting means attached to said elongated flexible member and adapted to interfere with the vehicle motion, whereby, upon passage of said vehicle over said device, said tire attaching member attaches said flexible member to at least one of said vehicle tires so that said flexible member wraps around said tire, and said arresting means interferes with the motion of the vehicle so as to arrest it.

2. The device according to Claim 1, wherein said tire attaching member is a barb or spike adapted to pierce said tire and to resist being pulled out.

3. The device according to Claim 1, wherein said elongated flexible member is a generally flat strip of durable material.

4. The device according to Claim 1, wherein said elongated flexible member comprises a cable or chain.

5. The device according to Claim 1, wherein said device is foldable and portable.

6. The device according to Claim 2 or 3, having a plurality of elongated flexible members, wherein said arresting means is a rod disposed transversely to said flexible members and attached to the distal end of each flexible member with respect to said vehicle's motion.

7. The device according to Claim 6, wherein said rod is deformable and capable of absorbing mechanical energy.

8. The device according to Claim 6, wherein said rod is a hollow pipe.

9. The device according to Claim 6, wherein said rod is composed of a plurality of tubular elements, each one adapted for fixing one of said flexible members thereto, a cable passing through each tubular element, and two end fittings fixed to said cable so as to hold said tubular elements together.

10. The device according to Claim 9, wherein at least one of said two end fittings is fixed releasably to said cable so as to enable replacement of said tubular elements and said elongated elements, and\or adjustment of the width of said device.

11. The device according to Claim 4, wherein said tire attaching member is an anchoring spike adapted to pierce said tire and to resist being pulled out so that strong pulling force would tear and/or strip the tire at least partially off its wheel rim.

12. The device according to Claim 11 wherein said arresting means is a rigid member disposed transversely to said cable or chain and attached to the distal end of each cable or chain with respect to said vehicle's motion.

13. The device according to Claim 12 wherein said rigid member is a rod or beam.

14. The device according to Claim 12 wherein said rigid member is a flat housing accommodating said cables or chains and said anchoring spikes, and having a sloping surface at its proximal and distal ends facilitating passing of said vehicle tires.

15. The device according to Claim 14 further comprising a movable cover allowing hiding said anchoring spikes so as to let a vehicle pass over said device without being arrested.

16. The device according to Claim 11, wherein said anchoring spike has at least one movable folded part which is adapted to unfold inside said tire after piercing it.

17. The device according to Claim 16, wherein said movable part is spring- loaded and held in folded position by a catch releasable by interaction with the pierced tire.

18. The device according to Claim 3, wherein said attaching member is a layer of sticky material applied to the upper surface of said strip.

19. The device according to Claim 3 wherein said arresting means is a slippery layer at the bottom surface of said strip. 5

20. The device according to Claim 19, wherein said slippery layer is a smooth and flexible steel net.

21. A device for arresting the progress of a vehicle having wheels with rubber tires, the device being deployable on a road surface and comprising a) a plurality of freely rotating cylinder or ball-shaped members; b) supporting means

10 adapted to hold said freely rotating members with axes of rotation substantially perpendicular to said vehicle motion and at predetermined distance from one another, said freely-rotating members being adapted to engage at least one of the vehicle tires and prevent its contact with the road surface, thereby arresting the vehicle.

15 22. The device according to Claim 21, wherein said plurality of freely rotating members comprise a series of adjacent rotary members of substantially equal diameter and a member of larger diameter disposed distally of said series.

23. The device according to Claim 22, further comprising a friction plate disposed distally of said series and carrying said member of larger diameter, said 0 plate being adapted to absorb at least part of the momentum of the arrested vehicle and/or to dissipate the associated mechanical energy by friction with the road surface.

24. The device according to Claim 22, further comprising two freely rotating members of medium diameter, one disposed proximal of said series and the other 5 disposed between said series and said member of larger diameter.

25. The device according to Claim 24, wherein said larger diameter is about 25-40% of the vehicle tire diameter, said medium diameter is about 10-15% of the vehicle tire diameter and the diameter of the members in said series is about 5% of the vehicle tire diameter.

26. The device according to Claim 21, wherein said plurality of freely rotating members are of substantially equal diameter and said supporting means is a low bridge-like construction with ascending-descending slopes at the distal and proximal ends thereof adapted to accommodate the vehicle with all its tires 5 contacting only said rotating members.

27. The device according to Claim 26, comprising a plurality of supports disposed between said freely rotating members and adapted for lifting and lowering so that, when lifted, said supports may carry the vehicle tires and allow the vehicle to travel along and leave said device.

10 28. The device according to Claim 27, wherein said supports are mounted on one or more substantially horizontal plates disposed under said rotating members.

29. The device according to Claim 27, comprising one or more jacks adapted for lifting said supports.

30. The device according to Claim 29 wherein said one or more jacks are 15 one or more of the following: powered mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic.

31. The device according to Claim 26 further comprising a means for towing said vehicle to or from said bridge-like construction.

32. The device according to Claim 26 in a remotely controlled roadblock arrangement comprising one or more of the following: signposts, road humps, 0 deployable road spikes, traffic lights, video cameras, voice communication means, lighting and personal identification means.

33. The device according to Claim 32, wherein at least one of said video cameras is disposed in said device so as to transmit picture of the vehicle underside. 5

34. A device for arresting the progress of a vehicle having wheels with rubber tires, the device being deployable on a road surface and comprising a) at least one tire piercing member disposed so as to meet said tire under angle suitable for piercing, and (b) means adapted to tear and strip said tires off their wheel rim after the piercing.

35. The device according to Claim 34 comprising a plurality of said tire piercing members disposed in a rigid flat housing, said housing being open from above and accessible by said vehicle tires at least from the proximal end of said housing.

36. The device according to Claim 35 wherein said housing comprises at least two parts each containing a part of said tire piercing members, said housing parts being stackable so as to hide said tire piercing members.

37. The device according to Claim 36 wherein said parts of the housing are pivotally connected.

38. The device according to Claim 35 wherein said housing is adapted for moving and transporting.

39. The device according to Claim 35 further comprising a movable cover allowing hiding said tire piercing members so as to let a vehicle pass over said device without being arrested.

40. The device according to Claim 35 wherein said piercing members are anchoring spikes or blades.

41. The device according to Claim 40, wherein said anchoring spikes or blades have at least one movable folded part which is adapted to unfold inside said tire after piercing it.

42. The device according to Claim 41, wherein said movable part is spring- loaded and held in folded position by a catch releasable by interaction with the pierced tire.

43. The device according to Claim 35 wherein said piercing members are attached to said housing by flexible cables or chains allowing wrapping around said tires after the piercing.

44. The device according to Claim 35 further comprising mounting means for attaching said piercing members thereto under said suitable angle.

45. The device according to Claim 34 comprising one tire piercing member having a means for releasing pressurized gases into said tire after piercing it so that the tire is at least partially blown off its wheel rim.

46. The device according to Claim 45 wherein said piercing member has a hollow piercing spike and said means include a hollow cartridge in fluid communication with said spike, containing volatile, reactive or explosive material capable of producing said pressurized gases upon activation, i 47. The device according to Claim 46 wherein said cartridge is adapted for activation of said material by pressure applied to said cartridge by said vehicle tire. 48. The device according to Claim 46 comprising means for remote activation of said material by an operator.