NZ778330A - A wire rope barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

Described herein is a wire rope barrier that uses a cable hanger or hangers that act to retain a cable against a post yet release the cable from the post in a tuneable and controllable manner when the barrier is subjected to an impact force and displacement such as from a vehicle collision. The hanger comprises a U-shaped cable holding portion formed from two parallel spaced apart U-shaped engagement portions and two legs, where the legs have a different axis of rotation relative to the post on which the legs are hooked, the result being that the hanger in an impact releases the post from the cable at a predetermined loading and in a controllable and repeatable manner. The cable is seated within both of the U-shaped engagement portions, the portions defining openings. In one embodiment described, the hanger legs may extend from a cable holding portion, the legs attaching to opposing sides of the post. In a further embodiment, when a predetermined impact force is imposed on the barrier, at least one hanger releases a retained cable when the at least one leg or a part thereof deforms allowing the cable holding portion to in turn release the cable. The invention relates to a hanger formed from an elongate rod, the hanger comprising two parallel U-shaped cradle portions each including first and second sides where the first sides are connected to each other by a cross bar perpendicular to the cradle portions. The hanger also comprises two legs extending from the second sides, where the distal ends of the two legs are spaced apart from each other and are oriented in different directions to each other. The above described barrier may provide a variety of advantages, some examples including achieving the basic requirements of redirecting vehicles and minimising the risk of causing a further hazard by redirection towards other hazards; and the design described minimises the number of parts necessary – in some embodiments the design might only require the cables, posts and hangers. This therefore reduces expense, complexity, transport costs and makes installation simple and fast.

Claims (6)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A hanger formed from an elongate rod, the hanger comprising: (a) a cable holding portion including two parallel spaced apart U-shaped cradle portions having the same orientation to each other and together defining a longitudinal cable axis, the two parallel U-shaped cradle portions each including first and second sides, the first sides of the U-shaped cradle portions being connected to each other by a cross bar aligned substantially perpendicular to the U-shaped cradle portions; two legs, each leg extending from the second side of a respective U-shaped cradle portion and connected to the other leg via the cross bar and U-shaped cradle portions, and wherein distal ends of the two legs are spaced apart from each other and are oriented in different directions to each other.

2. The hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two hanger legs are of varying length.

3. The hanger as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the distal end of a first one of the legs extends along a first axis and the distal end of a second one of the legs extends along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

4. The hanger as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the distal end of one of the two legs is shaped to be aligned in a direction parallel and offset relative to the longitudinal cable axis.

5. The hanger as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the distal end of one of the two legs is shaped as an inverted U-shaped hook, and the U-shaped hook being perpendicular and offset relative to the longitudinal cable axis .

6. The hanger as claimed in any one of claims 1 -5, wherein the hanger is formed from a single elongated length of wire that is bent into shape.