US1968294A

US1968294A - Guard rail

Info

Publication number: US1968294A
Application number: US696565A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis O Heltzel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-11-03
Filing date: 1933-11-03
Publication date: 1934-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 1951-07-31

Description

Patented `uly 31, 1934 UNITE-D STATES 'PAT-Enr oFFics 1,968,294 GUARD nlm.

Francie o. Hensel, Youngstown, ohio r'Applioouom November s, 193s, serial No. 696,565 11 claims. (ci. 25e-13.1) i

'The invention relates to guard rails for use along roads or highways and more particularly to a guard rail comprising sheet metal strips or panels mounted upon supporting posts by means of springs. v

An object of the improvement is to provide a guard rail of this character in which the sheet metal strips or panels are connected end to end to each other and to the spring members in such a manner that the panels are held under tension at all times, means being provided at the connections for compensating for expansion and contraction of the panels.

Another object of the improvement is to provide springs of the bellows'or accordion type for e attaching the sheet metal strips or panels to the supporting posts.

A further object of the improvement is to provide a rigid and substantial end anchorage for the improved guard rail. 1

The above objects, together with others which be hereinafter pointed out or which will be ,fobvious from the drawing and the following description, may be attained in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of one end portion of the improved guard rail embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portion of the guard rail shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one supporting post and spring member showing the adjoining end portions of two sheet metal strips or panels;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation with parts broken away of the portion-of the guard rail shown in Fig. 3: i

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5, Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail plan view of the end anchorage;

Fig. 'I is a .front elevation of a portion of the end anchorage;

Figs. 8 and 9 are vlews similar to Fig. 3 showlng modied'forms of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the spring shown in Fig. 3 showing the manner in which the same compensates for expansion and contraction of the panels.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved guard rail is adapted to be sup-- ported along the edge of the road or highway by means of supporting posts of any usual and well known design preferably spaced 16 feet apart from center to center as in usual practice. Al-

though the supporting posts may be of any shape or construction, square wooden posts are shown in the drawing' for the purpose of illustration, being indicated generally by the numeral 10.

The spring members, of the form indicated at e0 11, are preferably of the construction best shown in Figs. 3 and 10, and may be formed of 1% spring steel, preferably substantially one foot in width or height. The central or rear portion of the spring member, adapted to be located toward the 55' supporting post, is preferably slightly bowed or curved rearward or toward the post as at 12, a bowed or curved strip 13, preferably of the same material as the spring 11, being located between the same and the post 10 to which the spring 70 member is connected asby the bolt 14, a slightly curved washer 15 being preferably located between the head of the bolt and the inside of the spring member, the rear end of the bolt extend# ing through the outer or rear side of the post and being provided with the usual nut 16 and washer 17.

In order to properly center each spring member upon the post and to compensate -ior any slight variation in the spacing of the posts, a longitudinally disposed slot 18 may be formed in each spring member to receive the bolt 14.

Each spring member 11 is of the bellows or accordion type, each corrugated side portion extending inwardly at an angle as at 19, then outwardly at substantially the same angle as at 20 and inwardly again at substantially the same angle as at 21 to a point near the center of the spring and then Youtward in a plane substantially horizontal to the front face of the post 10 as at 22. The radius of each of the curves 23, 24, 2 5 and 26 is preferably the same, being in practice substantially a one-half inch radius so as to permit the spring to contract and expand in much the same manner as a bellows or accordion.

The outer end of each leg 22 of the spring is formed into a substantially circular curved portion 27 preferably of a somewhat larger radius than the

curves

23, 24, 25 and 26, the inwardly' offset terminal ends of the spring being located 100 toward each other, parallel to the legs 22 and terminating near the center line of the spring, as indicated at 28.

The sheet metal strips or panels of the guard rail are preferably formed of 12, 14 or 16 gauge 105 steel substantially 12" in width and 16' in length, as indicated generally at 29. The ends of each panel are bent upon themselves forming the parallel terminal flange portions 30 upon' the rear sides of the panels.

an outer tie plate 33 is placed over the outer end portions of the adjacent panels 29, a bolt 34- being located through both thicknesses of each panel through the inner and outer tie plates and through the

iianges

22 and 28 of the spring member 11, a nut being tightened upon the rear end portion of each bolt to clamp the parts tightly together, as shown in Figs. 3 and 10.

The tie plates 33 are preferably of spring steel and provided at their ends with the curved spring 29 and force the same around the curved portions 27 of the spring 11 when the panels are expanded. Upon contraction of thepa'nels ,29,

these curved spring portions 36 of the outer tie plate are sprung outward as shown in Fig. 10, permitting the panel to straighten out, as indicated at 37, compensating for the contraction thereof.

An end panel 29a, preferably of less length than the panels 29, is preferably provided at each end of the guard rail and for the purpose of providing an end anchorage, two plates preferably of 7 gauge steel, as indicated generally at 38, are connected to the end of the panel 29a as by rivets' 39. The outer ends ofthe plates 38 are offset and spaced apart as at to receive the adjacent ends of the eye-bolts 41 which are attached tothe plates as by rivets, bolts or pins 42 having cotter pins 43 located through their end portions to retain the eye-bolts.

The opposite ends of the eye-bolts 41'are located through suitable openings in the anchor post 44, being located therethrough at substantially the angle best shown in Fig.,6, an angular washer and lock nuts 46 being provided for placing the desired tension`upon the panels. A 12 gauge metal plate 47 may be provided around the outer and rear sides of 'the anchor post 44, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

- In the form of the spring shown in Fig. 8 all of the parts with the exception of the spring itself, indicated at 11a, are of the same construction and indicated by the same numerals as in Figs. 3, 4,V 5, and 10. In this form of the invention, the spring may be formed ofthe same material as above described and the central or rear portion thereof, adapted to be located toward the ,supporting post, is slightly bowed or curved rearward as above described, as indicated at 12a and is attached to the post in the manner described. This spring. is also of the bellows or accordion type but the angular portions or legs thereof are of less length than as shown in Fig. 3 and areV indicated at 19a, 20a, 21a and 22a with the bends or

curves

23a, 24a, 25a and 26a all of the same radius.

The outer end of eachLleg 22a` is formed into a substantially circular curved portion 27a preferably of somewhat larger radius than the curves 710 l23a to 26a inclusive, the terminal ends ofAthe spring being located toward each other, parallel to the panels 29 and tothe djacent face of the post 10 and terminating ne r the center lineof lthe spring, as indicated at 28a. p

x lThe inner and

outer tie plates

32 and 33 reportions 36 arranged to contact with the panels spectively are the saine as above described and the .panels 29 are connected to the spring by means of the bolts 34 as above described, excepting that these bolts do not pass through any portion of the spring excepting the terminal legs 28a thereof.

In Fig. 9 is shown another modified form of the spring indicated generally at 11b in which the rear central curved portion 12b is the same as above described and the substantially circular curved portions 27h and terminal legs 28h are as shown and described in reference to Fig. 8, the spring being attached to the post 10 in the man ner above described and having two angular portions or legs 19h and 20brlocated between theY curved portions 23h and 27h and extending inward toward Lthe center of the spring to Vsubstantially the same distance as the

legs

19 and 20 of Fig. 3 and being joined at this point by the curved portions 24h. The panels 29 are connected to theA spring 11b in the manner illustrated and described with reference to Fig. 8.

If desired, the terminal leg of the spring, in each form of the invention, may be bent back upon itself, as shown at 28' in Fig. 10. This pro- 100 f vides for a greater distance between the body portion of each panel 29 and the turned-back terminal flange l30 thereof, thus permitting the fold or bendf to be in the form of a substantial curve as shown at 30', obviating the/possibility of break- 105 ing of the high carbon spring steel" at this point. Although it is understood that sheet metal guard rails have been designed and used to a limited extent, all such guard rails are provided with substantially cylindric spring members for con- 113 necting them to the supporting posts and suchV guard rails as are now in use do not include means for eiectively securing the sheet metal panels to the spring and at the same time providing for expansion and contraction of the panels. Such 115 substantially cylindric springs are easily bent and distorted by impact of vehicles against theguard rail, thus losing their effectiveness, while the bellows or accordion type of spring forming a part of applicants improved guard rail, while built so that it will contract or fold under impact or pressure, immediately springs back to its original position.

I claim:

1. A road guard including a series of spaced y l supports, accordion type spring metal connectors xed to one face of the supports and having corl'rugated side portions, and a guard rail stretched lapped over the end portions of the spring connectrzs, and tie plates bolted to adjacent ends of f the sheet metal strips and connectors.

4. A road guard including a series `of spaced 145.

supports, spring metal connectors xed to one face ofthe supports, a series of sheet metal strips having their ends bent back upon themselves and lapped over the end portions of the spring connectors, and inner and outer tie plates bolted to adjacent ends of the sheet metal strips and connectors.

5. A road guard including a series of spaced supports, spring metal connectors fixed to one face of the supports, a series of sheet metal strips having their ends bent back upon themselves and lapped over the end portions of the spring connectors, tie plates bolted to adjacent ends of the sheet ,metal strips and connectors, and means upon the connectors and tie plates for compensating for expansion and contraction of the sheet metal strips.

6. A road guard including a series of spaced supports, bellows type spring metal connectors xed to one face of the supports, the outer face of each connector including a pair oi substantially round curved portions terminating in inwardly offset terminal legs disposed toward each other, a

` series of sheet metal strips having their end portions in contact with said terminal legs, and tie plates bolted to said terminal legs and the adjacent end portions of the sheet metal strips and having their ends in contact with the sheet metal strips adjacent to saidvsubstantially round curved portions of the connectors.

'7. A road guard including a series of spaced supports, bellows type spring metal connectors flxed to one face of the supports, the outer face of each connector including a pair of substantially round curved portions terminating in inwardly offset terminal legs disposed toward each other, a series of sheet metal strips having their end portions in contact with said terminal legs, and tie plates bolted to said terminal legs and the adjacent end portions of the sheet metal strips and having curved ends in contact with the sheet metal strips adjacent to said substantially round curved portions of the connectors.

8. A road guard including a series of spaced supports, spring metal connectors xed to one face of the supports, the outer portion of each connector including a pair of legs parallel to the outer face of the adjacent support, and a pair of substantially round curved portions terminating' in inwardly offset terminal legs disposed toward each other, a series of sheet metal strips having their end portions in contact with said terminal legs, and tie plates bolted to said parallel legs and terminal legs and the adjacent end portions of the sheet metal strips and having their ends in contact with the sheet metal strips adjacent to said substantially "round curved portions of the connectors.

9. A road guard including a series of spaced supports, spring metal connectors fixed to one face of the supports, the outer portion of each connector including a pair of legs parallel to the outer face of the adjacent support, and a pair of substantially round curved portions terminating in inwardly oset terminal legs disposed toward each other, a series of sheet metal strips having their end portions in contact with said terminal legs, and tie plates bolted to said parallel legs and terminal legs and the adjacent end portions of the sheet metal strips and having curved ends in contact with the sheet metal strips adjacent to said substantially round curved portions of the connectors.

10. A road guard including a series of spaced I supports, spring metal connectors fixed to one face of the supports, the outer face of each connector terminating in terminal legs disposed toward each other and having their ends bent back upon themselves, a series of sheet metal strips having their ends bent back andlocated around said terminal legs, and tie plates bolted to said terminal legs and the bent-back ends thereof and to said metal strips and the bent-back ends thereof. y

11. A road guard including a series of spaced supports, spring metal connectors xed to one face of the supports, inwardly offset terminal legs disposed toward each other and carried by each connector, a series of sheet metal strips having their end portions bent back upon themselves and lapped over said terminal legs, and tie plates, bolted to adjacent ends of the sheet metal strips and to the connectors.

FRANCIS O. HELTZEL.