GB2188662A

GB2188662A - Barrier members for temporary roadway or pavement barrier systems

Info

Publication number: GB2188662A
Application number: GB08608035A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Lees
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Priority date: 1986-04-02
Filing date: 1986-04-02
Publication date: 1987-10-07
Also published as: GB8608035D0; GB2188662B

Abstract

An elongate barrier to a temporary roadway or pavement free-standing barrier system comprises a multiplicity of short cylindrical elements (25) strung together in side-by-side vertical formation in plank form by one tether (21) through the upper ends of the cylindrical elements and a second tether (22) through the lower ends of the elements. The upper tether (21) has extended ends which are formed with heads (23) to engage in apertures in the upper ends of a pair of posts (17) from which the barrier is suspended. The ends of the lower tether 21 are knotted to secure the lower ends of the cylindrical elements together. Each cylindrical element has a retro-reflective outer surface for reflecting light incident at a point on the tubular element back along the same path to enhance the visibility of the plank at night-time when viewed in the lights of a passing vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to barrier members for temporary roadway or pavement barrier systems This invention relates to barriers for temporary roadway or pavement barrier systems.

U.K. Patent Specification Nos. 1531724 & BR< 1531725 describe temporary roadway or pavement barrier systems in which spaced free standing posts have horizontally extending barrier planks suspended between them. The planks have highly reflective surfaces of alternately coloured patches or areas (e.g., red and white) along the planks to enhance the visibility of the planks to incident light at night time.

Nevertheless, the planks do not have a high degree of visibility particularly when illuminated, for example, by the light beams from a motor vehicle at an oblique angle to the barrier.

The invention provides an elongate barrier to a temporary roadway or pavement freestanding barrier system, the barrier being of elongate form and having means to support the barrier on a pair of spaced spart freestanding posts, the barrier comprising a multiplicity of cylindrical elements strung together side-by-side on a tether attachable at the end thereof to the support posts, each cylindrical element having a retro-reflective outer surface for reflecting light incident at a point on the tubular element back along the same path to enhance the visibility of the plank at night time when viewed from the location of a source of light incident on the barrier such as a motor vehicle.

Preferably the tether connects the cylindrical elements adjacent one end thereof to hold the elements together. A further tether may connect the cylindrical elements adjacent the opposite ends thereof.

In any of the above arrangements the cylindrical elements may have diametrically extending holes adjacent one or both ends thereof through which the tether or tethers extend.

Also in any of the above arrangements the cylindrical elements may be hollow tubular elements.

The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a roadway showing a temporary barrier system installed around the site of a roadworks; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the barrier system including an elongate barrier member.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a roadway indicated generally at 10 and comprising a carriageway 11 bounded by pavement or embankment indicated at 12. The centre line of the roadway is indicated at 13. A roadworks site is formed in the carriageway 11 at 15 adjacent the pavement and is partly encircled by a barrier system indicated at 16. The barrier system comprises freestanding upright posts 17 disposed around the perimeter of the roadworks site and barrier members 18 are slung between the posts at the ends of the site and further barrier members 18 are slung between the posts along the side of the site extending along the carriageway.

The barrier members 18 will now be described in greater detail with reference to Fig.

2 of the drawings. Each barrier member comprises a multiplicity of hollow tubular elements 19 each having a pair of diametrically opposed apertures 20 adjacent both ends thereof. The tubular elements 19 are threaded onto two rope tethers 21, 22 which extend through the apertures 20 in the tubular elements to hold the tubular elements side-by-side in an elongate form. One of the rope tethers 21 has extended ends on which heads 23 are fused which engage in slots formed in the posts 17 adjacent the upper ends thereof to suspend the barrier on the posts with the tubular elements hanging downwardly. The resulting tension in the tether 21 holds the tubular elements at their upper end in face-to-face contact.The ends of the lower tether 22 have heads 24 secured thereto where they emerge from the end tubular elements 19, the heads 24 being positioned to hold the lower ends of the tubular element firmly together.

The tubular elements have retro-reflective outer surfaces 25 which serve to reflect back incident light at any point on the surface of a tubular element back along the same path.

Thus, light from a motor vehicle falling on the tubular elements of the barrier will be reflected back towards the motor vehicle by the surfaces of the tubular element making the tubular elements and therefore the barrier made up of the elements highly visible at night time.

The arrangement is particularly advantageous over conventional barrier elements in respect of light which is not incident normal or nearly normal to the barrier. In the case of a conventional barrier element, light incident from an oblique angle on the barrier has little or no part of the light beam reflected back along the path of incidence of the light and so the barrier has only relatively poor visibility when viewed along the path of incidence of the light such as from a motor vehicle with its lights directed at the barrier. As indicated above, the barrier member according to the present invention has retro-reflective surfaces which reflect back light along the path of incidence and so the visibility of the barrier when illuminated by light from a source such as motor vehicle headlamps is greatly enhanced. The fact that the barrier member is made up of a multiplicity of tubular elements is further advantageous in that the curved surfaces of the tubular elements ensure that light is retro reflective over a wide range of incident angles on the barrier member from almost parallel to the barrier member to normal to the barrier member.

Claims

1. An elongate barrier to a temporary roadway or pavement freestanding barrier system, the barrier being of elongate form and having means to support the barrier on a pair of spaced apart freestanding posts, the barrier comprising a multiplicity of cylindrical elements strung together side-by-side on a tether attachable at the end thereof to the support posts, each cylindrical element having a retroreflective outer surface for relfecting light incident at a point on the tubular element back along the same path to enhance the visibility of the plank at night time when viewed from the location of a source of light incident on the barrier such as a motor vehicle.

2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein a tether connects the cylindrical elements adjacent one end thereof to hold the elements together.

3. A barrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein a further tether connects the cylindrical elements adjacent the opposite ends thereof

4. A barrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the cylindrical elements have diametrically extending holes adjacent one or both ends thereof through which the tether or tethers extend.

5. A barrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the cylindrical elements are hollow tubular elements.

6. An elongate barrier for a temporary roadway or pavement barrier system substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.