US3028148A - Highway railing - Google Patents

Description

R. W. CRANNELL HIGHWAY RAILING April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1958 INVENTOR. /Q/CHA /20 W. CRAN/veu.

A TTONEY.

R. W. CRANNELL HIGHWAY RAILING April 3, 1962 2'sheets-sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2'?, 1958 INVENTOR A TTO/VEX /Q/cf/p W C/QA NA/ELL United States Patent Office 3,028,148 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,028,148 HIGHWAY RAILING Richard W. Crannell, Easton, Pa., assignor to Lehigh Inc., Easton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 718,093 11 Claims. (Cl. 256-13.1)

transverse obstructions which could engage an object sliding along such surfaces.

Another object is to provide railing including simple and effective means for positioning and holding such rails.

Still another object is to provide suitable supporting and mounting posts for such rails and for carrying the holding means therefor.

A further object is to provide for the effective mounting of rails on posts without any obtrusive fastening means.

A more specific object is to provide such rails capable of being expanded to lock them in place in a receiving groove in a mounting post in combination with means receivable by the post for effecting such an expansion.

Further and more detailed objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of theinvention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a railing installation in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation partly broken away of fragments of rail in accordance with the invention showing the manner of joining them together.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of an intermediate post in accordance with the invention showing fragments of two rails mounted thereon.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the post and rail fragments of FIG. 5 with a portion of the post broken away and shown in section to-illustrate the holding means for the rails.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional perspective view of a part of a post including the receiving channel for a rail with a portion of a rail therein and held in place Y by the holding means of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. 6 showing the presently preferred form of holding means.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the preferred holding means per se; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view thereof.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 668,134, filed lune 26, 1957, for Highway Railing, now abandoned.

The railing of the invention can generally be considered to be made up of rail sections, end posts and intermediate posts for supporting such rail sections. The rail sections are normally furnished with channel sections welded in one end of each in order to enable the joining of the sections together to make up the desired length of rail.

In the accompanying drawing, a railing installation in accordance with the invention is shown as being mounted on a continuous concrete footing, such as wouldv normally be found on the parapet wall of a highway bridge. This showing, however, is merely for illustrative purposes, since the railing of the invention is applicable to any position on a highway where railing is desi-red.

The railing as shown in the accompanying drawing also includes a pair of parallel horizontal rails. This showing is likewise for illustrative and not limiting purposes, since the rail and provision for mounting the same could be single, be double, as shown in the accompanying drawing, or be further multiplied if desired.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the railing shown is made up of horizontal rails, generally indicated at 1, and 2, end posts 3 and 4, and intermediate posts 5 and 6. Splice joints between rail sections are illustrated by the lines 7, 8 and 9.

The end posts 3 and 4 would normally be identical, save that they are reversed from right to left hand and they would normally be formed with suitable receiving sockets 10 and L1 for the reception of the ends of the rails 1 and 2. This can be simply done in a number of ways. It forms no particular feature of the instant invention so that there is no necessity of detailing it any further. It need merely be appreciated that these end posts are sufficiently rugged and suitably formed and mounted to withstand traffic shocks and hold the end of the rails securely in place. Another feature to be appreciated is that, depending on the direction in which the railing is being laid, the end post at the commencement end will first be located and the beginning ends of the rails will be seated therein. Then as the desired end of the railing is reached, the end post at the opposite end will be positioned with the projecting ends of the rail members seated in its sockets as the finishing step.

Considering now the construction of the rail itself, the rails 1 and 2 are generally identical, other than the position of their splice joints and any additional rails employed in a railing installation would be similarly identical so that the description of the rail 1 about to be given is applicable to all of them. i

Referring then to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the rail 1 is rolled out of sheet metal with steel being presently preferred. The rail is of box type in cross section having a front i12, sides-13 and 14 and a rear portion made up of flanges 15 and 16 terminating in spaced edge faces 17 and 18 to leave an open slot 19 all the way along the length of the roll. Such rail members can be readily rolled from sheet steel in substantial lengths, such as 12. and 16 feet.

Each length of rail is preferably provided with a short channel section seating within it at one end thereof and welded thereto in order to enable the formation of a splice joint. This channel section, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is secured partly in one of the rail sections and has another part extending outwardly for reception in the end of the next rail section. The channel section has sides 20 and 21 lying within and against the sides 13 and 14 of the rail and an end 22 lying within and along the front i12 thereof. It is welded at 23 to the end of the one rail section, or is otherwise suitably secured thereto. Thus the next rail section can be slid over the protruding end and, save for any weld material present, can be abutted against the end of the one rail section. Though a small gap is shown at the joint 7 in FIG. 3, its width is exaggerated here for the purpose of showing the weld. The essential thing is that there is nothing protruding out beyond the face surface 24 of the front 12 of the rail in a manner to catch anything sliding along it to interrupt the sliding action, possibly turning it int-o a spinning one.

It is further to be noted that the slot 19 is substan` tially continuous from one rail section to the next one joined thereto. The rear portion of the rail is capable of being spread by a suitable member introduced into the slot 9, whether that member be positioned along the rail alone, or where adjacentv rail sections are brought together with a channel section therein for the making of a joint.

An intermediate post for-supporting and retaining the rails and the manner in which it does so is best shown in FGS. 5 and 6. Two identical intermediate posts 5 and 6 are shown in FIGS. il and 2, but it is, of course, to be understood that a suitable number of them suitably spaced would be employed, depending on total length of the railing needed. All these posts being identical, only one of them need be described in detail. For this purpose,post 5, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, has been selected.

The intermediate posts are maleable iron cmtings having a center web '25 with base members 26 extending out from. either side of the bottom thereof. These base members receive suitable hold down bolts 27 so that the posts can be suitably bolted down onto `a concrete'footing, a steel bridge member, or such other suitable base as is provided. The web 25 is suitably bordered by a laterally extending .iiange 28 which is interrupted at the positions where the rails are secured tothe posts. These positions for the two rail construction here illustrated are vertically spaced at.29 and'30.

Again, save for their locations on the post, the rail retaining constructionsare identical. Thus only the upper one, 30, as shown in FIG. 6, and in enlarged `detail in FIG. 7,.needs to be described.

in the first place, a pocket is formed into the post from theoutwardly facingside thereof. This pocket preferably extends as a transverse slot having the width of the flange 28 and having bottom and top sides 31 and 3-2 extending well into the post. The base of the slot is largely open between inwardly extending shoulders 33 and 34, and the depth of the slot from its outer end 3S tothe shoulders 33 and-34 yis sufficiently. less .than the length ofthe sides 13 and'14 of the rail, 1, to enable that railrto extend-well out ofathe slot Vso that its front 12 with engaging face-24is positioned wel-l out from the post.

A chamber 36 extends rearwardly from the shoulders 33 and 34 to a restricted bore 37 in back of which an enlargedopening 38 extends to and opens outwardly at the back-of the post.

This receiving and retaining provision incorporated in thepost as just described serves for the mounting of part ofthe securing'means for securingvthe rail in place in the pocket provided therefor. The principal part of the securing means is an elongated wedge member 4t) joined at its smaller end 41' by a web 41a to a threaded socket member' 42. This wedge member is so formed and di mensioned that the smaller end -il thereof as well as the web 41a can be slidably seated in the slot 19 in the rail from one end thereof. The wedge member can thus be slid along that slot until it reaches the position of the supporting post to which the rail is to be secured. The rail is then seated in the pocket 39 in the post with the socket member 42; positioned in the chamber 36 in back of that pocket. This having been done, a suitable bolt 43 is inserted through the bore 37 with its threaded end engaged with the threads in the member 42. This vbolt, preferably of the Allen head type, is then tightened up by the application of the appropriate wrench through the opening 38 into Vthe socket in the bolt head. Inasmuch as either the head of the bolt 43 or a suitable washer 44 carried by the bolt will come into engagement with the' shoulder 45y at the outer end of the bore 37 tightening of the bolt 43 will pull the socket member 42 to the right as viewed in FIG. `6. This will cause the wedge member 40 to be pulled to the right as viewed in FlG. 6'. Since the wedge member 40 is seated in the slot 19` but widens out into an end substantially wider than the slot 19, the following action will transpire.

First the wedge will pull the rail Il all the way into itspocket 30. This will be followed by the spreading of the rearxportionofthe rail section so that .the rear parts of the sides 13 and lidi will tightly engage the inner surfaces of the pockets sides 31 and 32 and hold the rail tightly in place in the pocket.

ln the preferred form of post and holding means shown in FGS. 8-10, the post 5G is generally the same as the post S previously described. The post SiiI is pro-vided with a rail receiving pocket generally indicated at 51 and, like the pockets of FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, extends as a transverse slot across the width of the post flange. The pocket Sl has an upper wall member 52, a lower wall member 53 and a base member 54 which provides a base surface 55 interrupted by the opening S6.

The pocket wall member 52 provides an upper surface 57 for the pocket while the wall member 53 provides va lower surface 58 therefor. It is to be noted that these surfaces 57 and 53 diverge slightly vin .their outward extent. The spacing of the respective side walls 13` and 14 of the box like rail member lifrom the walls'57 and 58' at the inner end of those Wallsis small but increases as the=walls 57v and 58 diverge. This'facilitates assembly of the rails with the supporting posts and also enhances the self adjustment of one Iwith respect to the other.

yThe securing member for holding therrail in place in the postpoeket here is somewhat simplified over the form of FIGS. '6 and 7. A vsimple .bolt like' member having a cylindrical shank 60 is threaded .at -itsinner end 61 for the reception of a nut 62 and washer 63. At its outer end the shank 60 of the bolt member is reduced down to a diametrical web portion 64 of rectangular cross section which extends out fora shortdistance and then ares outwardly intora Wedge portion 65 whose smaller end 66 joinsupA with the web port-ion 64.

The shank 60 fof the securing member is received in the opening, or bore 56, with the wedge portion seated in the slot 19 of the rail. The rear surface of the post is provided with anienlarged opening 67 to receive the nut 62 and washer 63. The washer 63 engages the shoulder 68-bordering the opening 56. Thus one merely needs tighten the nut 62 to pull the wedge 65 to the left as viewed in FIG. 8 so as to draw .the rail 1 into the pocket 51 and then spread the side walls 13 and 14 to hold the rail tightly in place in the pocket. In other respects the manipulation of these members is as previously described.

As already indicated, the rail retaining constructions just described are identical for each and every position where a rail is held to an intermediate post in the forming of the railing. This is truethough the angularity of the mounting of parallel rails may vary from one to another when the posts are formed to retain a greater number of rails Vthanthe two here shown. Obviously, the spreading of the rear of the rail by suitable wedging means as here shown provides a strong effective locking of the rail to the post. Since each raily is locked to each intermediate post in such manner, each looking helps to reinforce the other against disruption in the event of a vehicle coming into contact with the railing.

Though particular wedge and tightening constructions have been shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the foregoing and though these are the initially preferred instrumentalities for this purpose, it is of course to be understood that any suitable spreading means could be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Furthermore, any means employed for holding the rail in the pockets on the posts and any post formation for supporting the rail must be such as to lie well back of the front yface of the rail so as not to interrupt the smooth contour surface along the rail front and from one section of the rail to the next. By presenting this smooth continuous surface, the railing of the invention not only serves to guard against vehicles running ot the road, bridge, overpass, or wherever else the railing is used, but it also saves vehicles colliding with the railing from being spun back into the highway where they would be likely to collide with other vehicles coming along. Thus the highway railing of the invention makes a substantial step forward in safety on the highway, but it does so -by a simple economical construction which can be quickly erected.

As to the rails themselves, though a rail formation which is box-like in cross section with a central siot 19 in its rear portion is the only embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, it is of course to be understood that other rail formations could be employed while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is appreciated that other modilications and variations of the construction of the invention as described and illustrated will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, once the instant embodiment of the invention has been disclosed to them. Such changes may well be made, however, and dierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it being clearly intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In highway railing construction, a rail formed with a front portion presenting a smooth substantially continuous face surface devoid of any protruding fastening means, a supporting post for said rail, said supporting post being formed with a transverse slot therein, said rail having a mounting portion seated in said slot and a portion extending outwardly therefrom to provide said smooth surface, and means carried by said post extending into said slot and expanding said mounting portion into engagement with the side walls o-f said slot for holding said mounting portion in said slot.

2. ln highway railing construction, a rail including a front portion presenting a smooth continuous face surface devoid of any protruding fastening means and rearwardly extending mounting portions, a supporting post for said rail, means formed on said post for receiving said rearwardly extending mounting portions within said post with said face surface exposed in front of said post in spaced relation with respect thereto, means carried by said post and engaging said mounting portions for holding said mounting portions in place on said post said mounting portions being spaced apart and said holding means includes means to spread said mounting portions to engage the same with said receiving means.

3. Highway railing construction according to claim 2 in which said rearwardly extending mounting portions terminate in inturned opposed anges having spaced opposed end faces and wherein said holding means includes a wedge member mounted between said end faces.

4. In highway railing construction, an elongated rai-l formed of sheet metal and being of hollow box formation in cross sect-ion, one end of said box formation forming the outer side of said rail and presenting a smooth continuous outer face, the opposite end of said formation forming the inner side of said rail being interrupted in the form of a slot extending throughout the length of the rail, a post Vfor supporting said rail and formed with a recess therein to closely receive said rail, said recess being of less depth than the depth of said rail from said outer side to said inner side of the sides of said box formation and means carried by said post and engaging said rail to hold said rail in place in said recess said means including a member extending into said slot and forcing side walls of said box formation outwardly to engage the opposed surfaces of said recess.

5. Highway railing construction as in claim 4 in which said member is in the form of a wedge and said holding means includes means for moving said wedge member transversely of said slot to spread said side walls of said box formation.

6. Highway railing construction as in claim 5 in which said wedge is carried on one end of a stud extending from the smaller end of said wedge and the other end of said stud is threaded, said threaded end carrying a nut and washer for engagement with said post.

7. Highway railing construction as in claim 6 in which said post is formed with passage therein communicating with said recess at one end and said post is formed with an enlarged chamber communicating with said passage at the other end thereof, the body of said stud being seated in said passage and said nut and washer being seated in said enlarged chamber.

8. Highway railing construction as in claim 5 in which the smaller end of said wedge is provided with threaded socket means and a bolt is mounted in said post having the threaded end thereof in engagement with said socket means for drawing said wedge into said slot.

9. A post for mounting a highway rail which includes a base portion and a portion extending upwardly therefrom, said upwardly extending portion 4being formed with a transverse channel extending thereinto from one face thereof and said post being formed with a bore extending thereinto from the opposite face thereof and in alignment with said channel and said post being formed with restricted passage means therein of smaller diameter than said bore connecting the base of said channel with said bore.

10. In highway railing construction, an elongated rail member formed of sheet metal and into the form of a hollow box in cross section, the wall of said box at the inner side of said rail being in the form of ange pprtions terminating in spaced relation to form an elongated `slot extending throughout the length of the rail, and a securing member adapted to spread said slotted side of said rail in order to secure the same in place in a mounting recess formed in a rail mounting member, said securing member including a wedge having its smaller end slidably receivable in said slot when the same is in unexpanded condition, a web extending from said smaller end and of no greater width than the width of the smaller end of said wedge and a cylindrical member having a diameter greater than the width of said unexpanded slot centrally secured to said web at the side thereof opposite to said wedge, said cylindrical member having the end thereof opposite said web formed with screw threads, whereby said securing member can be slid into said rail at one end thereof and moved along said slot to the securing position desired and said wedge can be drawn into said slot to expand the inner side wall of said box.

11. A post as in claim 9, said channel being inclined upwardly from the base thereof to said one face and said channel having the side walls thereof diverging at a small angle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 399,021 Dailey Mar. 5, 1889 2,128,294 Gage Aug. 30, 1938 2,136,415 Cornell Nov. 15, 1938 2,176,530 Greulich Oct. 17, 19-39 2,403,330 Benton July 2, 1946 2,403,541 Molat July 9, 1946

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