U.S. patent application number 10/952955 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-07 for protective crash barrier for locomotives and highway construction vehicles.
Invention is credited to Moses, Linnie L..
Application Number | 20050072331 10/952955 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34396428 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050072331 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moses, Linnie L. |
April 7, 2005 |
Protective crash barrier for locomotives and highway construction
vehicles
Abstract
A crash boot attaches to the front of the locomotive. When
inflated, the boot provides a shock absorber for absorbing the
impact energy produced when the locomotive collides with another
object. By absorbing this energy, the boot protects both the
locomotive and its crew, and the other object such as a vehicle and
its occupants from severe injury or harm. In a highway environment,
a trailer is towed behind a vehicle to a work site. The trailer is
parked with one end facing on-coming traffic. This end of the
trailer has an inflatable boot which is inflated while the crew is
at work. If an on-coming vehicle now collides with the boot, it
absorbs the impact of the collision and lessens the damage
resulting therefrom.
Inventors: |
Moses, Linnie L.; (Potosi,
MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
POLSTER, LIEDER, WOODRUFF & LUCCHESI
12412 POWERSCOURT DRIVE SUITE 200
ST. LOUIS
MO
63131-3615
US
|
Family ID: |
34396428 |
Appl. No.: |
10/952955 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60508190 |
Oct 2, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
105/392.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2021/23324
20130101; B60R 19/20 20130101; B60R 19/00 20130101; B60R 2019/005
20130101; B61D 15/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
105/392.5 |
International
Class: |
B61C 011/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A protective crash barrier for vehicles including railroad
locomotives and trailers used with highway service vehicles
comprising: means attachable to an end of the vehicle which may
either crash into another vehicle or be crashed into by the other
vehicle; an inflatable boot rapidly inflatable when an impact
occurs between the vehicle on which the crash barrier is installed
and the other vehicle, the boot, when inflated, absorbing a
substantial amount of the impact energy created by the two vehicles
striking each other, thereby to lessen the resulting damage to the
vehicles and injury to an occupant of either vehicle; and,
pressurization means for inflating the boot.
2. The protective crash barrier of claim 1 in which the vehicle is
a locomotive and the means attachable to an end of the vehicle
includes a base plate secured to the front end of the
locomotive.
3. The protective crash barrier of claim 2 in which the inflatable
boot is attached to the base plate.
4. The protective crash barrier of claim 3 in which the base plate
extends substantially across the front end of the locomotive.
5. The protective crash barrier of claim 4 in which the base plate
has a notch therein to accommodate a hitch extending forwardly from
the front end of the locomotive for attaching a railroad car to the
locomotive.
6. The protective crash barrier of claim 3 in which the inflatable
boot includes a plurality of separately inflatable boot
sections.
7. The protective crash barrier of claim 6 in which the inflatable
boot includes a first boot section which is inflated to a first
pressure when an impact occurs, a second boot section which is
inflated to a second and higher pressure when an impact occurs, and
a third boot section which is inflated to a pressure higher than
that to which the second boot section is inflated when an impact
occurs.
8. The protective crash barrier of claim 3 in which the
pressurization means produces a suction to draw the inflatable boot
up against the base plate when the barrier is not in use.
9. The protective crash barrier of claim 1 in which the inflatable
boot is of a tear resistant material.
10. The protective crash barrier of claim 1 in which the vehicle is
a trailer towable behind the highway service vehicle and the means
attachable to an end of the trailer includes a base plate secured
to the end of the trailer facing on-coming traffic when the highway
service vehicle is parked on a roadway.
11. The protective crash barrier of claim 10 in which the
inflatable boot is attached to the base plate.
12. The protective crash barrier of claim 11 in which the
inflatable boot is inflated by the pressurization means when the
utility vehicle and trailer are parked, and deflated and stored
when the utility vehicle and trailer are being moved.
13. The protective crash barrier of claim 10 further including a
telescoping section extending from an opposite end of the trailer
to the end of the highway service vehicle to which the trailer is
attached, the telescoping section further acting to absorb the
energy of impact of an on-coming vehicle with the trailer.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based upon Provisional Patent
Application 60/508,190 filed Oct. 2, 2003.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] N/A
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to railroad and highway safety, and
more particularly to a protective device attachable to railway
locomotives and highway vehicles to cushion an impact between these
vehicles and other objects so to lessen any damage occurring
between the vehicles and the objects.
[0004] Railroad locomotives, even when traveling a slow speeds, can
cause catastrophic damage to an object it strikes, rather another
railcar, or something (another vehicle, a person, or other object)
in the right-of-way over which it is traveling. At the same time,
the locomotive can sustain substantial damage as well.
[0005] In highway environments, particular where road crews are
performing work on a roadway, there is also the potential for
substantial injury to workers or vehicles because of crashes caused
by careless or inattentive, or road or weather conditions.
Typically, where workers are working adjacent to the roadway, or on
one lane of the road, the only protection they have are plastic
barriers (usually orange, barrel or cone shaped dividers) which are
placed alongside the stretch of road where the work is being done.
While these afford some protection, it is well documented that they
do not prevent injuries and death to workers, or damage to vehicles
being used at the work site.
[0006] Certain types of crash barriers are known and are in use. In
many locales, where ramps lead from one road to another, sand
filled barrels have been placed. If a vehicle crashes into the
barrels, they absorb the force of the impact and so lessen the
injury to people in the vehicle as well as damage to the vehicle
itself. In passenger cars, air bags, front and side, for both
drivers and passengers are now mandatory. These bags are inflatable
upon impact and again absorb the majority of the forces of impact
so to lessen the damage to people.
[0007] It would helpful in both the railroad and highway
environments to provide a crash barrier that would perform similar
force absorbing functions so to reduce the amount of personal
injury or vehicle damage when an accident occurs involving either
the locomotive or a highway vehicle.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The invention, briefly stated, relates to a boot attached to
the front end of a railroad locomotive or to a trailer towed by a
highway crew work vehicle so to protect either the locomotive or
the vehicle, their respective crews, and another vehicle, person,
or object from injury in the event of a collision between the
two.
[0009] For a locomotive, a crash boot includes a frame attached to
the front of the locomotive. An inflatable boot is secured to the
frame and, when inflated, provides a shock absorber for absorbing
the impact energy produced when the locomotive collides with
another object. For absorbing this energy, the boot protects both
the locomotive and its crew, and the other object (e.g., a vehicle
and its occupants) from severe injury or damage.
[0010] In a highway work setting the trailer is towed behind a
vehicle to a work site. The trailer is then parked with one end
facing on-coming traffic. This end of the trailer includes an
inflatable boot which is inflated while the crew is at work. If an
on-coming vehicle collides with the boot, the boot absorbs the
impact of the collision to lessen the damage resulting therefrom.
Further, the trailer provides a barrier between the work crew and
the vehicle so to protect the work crew as well.
[0011] Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in
part pointed out hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The objects of the invention are achieved as set forth in
the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings which form a
part of the specification.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a railroad locomotive with a
protective crash barrier of the present invention attached;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a first embodiment of the
barrier;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the
barrier;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a simplified representation of a crash barrier
mounted to a highway work vehicle to protect a work crew from
injury; and,
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the barrier.
[0018] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0019] The following detailed description illustrates the invention
by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description
will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the
invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations,
variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what
I presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all
matter contained in the above description or shown in the
accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
[0020] Referring to the drawings, a protective crash barrier for a
railroad locomotive 10 is indicated generally 12 in FIG. 1. The
barrier first includes a base plate 14 formed so to conveniently be
attached to front end of locomotive 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the
base plate is generally rectangular when viewed in elevation, with
rounded corners, and a notch 16 formed along the base of the plate
for the plate to fit about a hitch 18 extending forwardly from the
front of the locomotive. The plate is, for example, eight feet (8')
wide so to extend across the front of the train. The plate can be a
flat plate, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, or the plate can be curved
to fit about the nose end of the locomotive. The plate is attached
to the front end of the locomotive by bolting it to the locomotive,
welding it in place, or by some other convenient form of
attachment.
[0021] Attached to base plate 14 is an inflatable boot 20. The boot
is made of a heavy duty, tear resistant material which can
withstand pressures sufficiently high which, when the boot is
inflated to these pressures, it will not burst or be torn away from
the base plate on which it is mounted. When inflated, the height of
the boot is three-six feet (3-6') and the boot projects
sufficiently far in front of the nose of the locomotive that upon
impact with another object, the boot will absorb the impact energy
created by the impact. By absorbing the energy, the boot lessens
the damage to both the locomotive and the object struck by the
locomotive. This results in considerable cost savings in repair of
the locomotive. Further, and more importantly, if the object struck
is a vehicle or the like, lessening the force of the impact can
prevent serious injury (including death) to occupants of the
vehicle. If boot 20 is torn by the impact, it can be removed and
replaced by a new boot without having to remove base plate 12.
[0022] In FIG. 3, boot 20 is shown to be comprised of three
sections 20a-20c. Each section is inflated to a different pressure
so that section 20a is the most lightly inflated, section 20c the
most highly inflated, and section 20b is inflated to an
intermediate pressure. Now, if the locomotive impacts an object,
the first boot section 20a will absorb all of the impact if the
relative difference in speed between the locomotive and the object
is very small. If the difference is somewhat higher, the impact
will be absorbed by sections 20a and 20b. If the difference speed
is relatively great, then all three-boot sections act to absorb the
impact.
[0023] A pressurization unit 22 mounted on the locomotive is used
to inflate the boot to its operating pressure. When the air bag is
not inflated, it can be drawn into a retracted, folded position
against the base plate. This can be done by hand folding, or by use
of pressurization unit 22 which now produces a suction or vacuum to
draw the boot up against the base plate. A shutter or door (not
shown) is then used to cover the boot so no clearance problem is
presented when hitch 18 is in use.
[0024] While described above for use on a locomotive, those skilled
in the art will appreciate that boot 20 could also be mounted on
over-the-vehicles such as busses and trailer trucks.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the
invention is indicated generally 30 and includes a barrier unit or
trailer 32 which can be attached to the rear end of a highway
department vehicle 34 for towing to a work site. At the site, the
barrier unit is parked on or alongside a roadway R where a highway
crew works to build or repair a road. As shown in FIG. 4, work
crewmembers C may be working on the road or to the side of the
road. Unit 32 includes a tube 36, which may be formed of
telescoping sections 36a-36d. A hitch 38 at one end of the tube
allows unit 32 to be attached to a bumper or frame member 40 of the
vehicle for towing the barrier unit. A cross-member 42 houses an
axle 44 to which wheels 46 or mounted for pulling trailer 32 behind
the vehicle. A base plate 50 is secured to cross-member 42 by
struts 52. As in the previous embodiment, attached to base plate 50
is an inflatable boot 54. Again the boot is made of a heavy duty,
tear resistant material which can withstand pressures sufficiently
high which, when the boot is inflated to these pressures, it will
not burst or be torn away from the base plate. The boot is inflated
to its operating pressure by a pressurization unit 56 mounted on
the vehicle. Typically, trailer 32 is towed behind the vehicle to a
worksite with the boot un-inflated. When the worksite is reached
and the vehicle parked, the boot is pressurized and unit 32 now
acts a barrier between the vehicle and crew, and on-coming traffic.
When vehicle 34 is to be moved to another site, or at the end of a
workday, the pressurization unit is used to deflate boot 54 which
is then stowed on the trailer so the trailer can be readily
towed.
[0026] When parked at a work site, if an on-coming vehicle, for
whatever reason, runs into boot 54, the boot will absorb the energy
of the impact. This greatly reduces the possibility that the
on-coming vehicle will run into one of the crewmembers, or vehicle
34. Further, the telescoping sections of tube 36 acts to absorb
energy created by the impact between the on-coming vehicle and the
barrier unit, so to also prevent serious injury to the crew.
Although not shown, air bags can be installed in each section of
tube 36 to further absorb impact forces.
[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the crash barrier
of the present invention can be implemented in ways other than as
described herein without departing from the invention. For example,
unit 30 can be connected to the rear of an over-the-road truck to
lessen the damage caused when a vehicle strikes the rear of the
truck.
[0028] In view of the above, it will be seen that the several
objects and advantages of the present invention have been achieved
and other advantageous results have been obtained.
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