U.S. patent application number 10/976201 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-04 for cnc impact load deflector sleeve and removable collar for cable and post protection.
Invention is credited to Nien-Yin Chang, Charles Russel Cox.
Application Number | 20060091371 10/976201 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36260764 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060091371 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cox; Charles Russel ; et
al. |
May 4, 2006 |
CNC impact load deflector sleeve and removable collar for cable and
post protection
Abstract
This patent application is submitted for a CNC/ILDS sleeve and
RC removable collar designed to provide a means of protecting fence
cables and posts. Without such protection a conventional rock fall
protection fence frequently fails upon impact from large falling
rocks spinning at a high angular velocity and with an immense
momentum, as demonstrated in many rock fall-induced fence failures.
CNC/ILDS sleeves embrace a cable or post to deflect falling rocks
spinning at a high angular velocity and associated impact forces
and, thereby, protect them by avoiding detrimental blows from the
falling rocks. The RC (removable collar) is used when two
different-size CNC/ILDS sleeves are used. This is to avoid a
smaller sleeve from slipping into a larger one and to assure the
protection that CNC/ILDS sleeve is designed for. Additionally, the
RC collar also enhances the constructability and eases the
maintenance of a rock fall mitigation fence system. In summary, the
CNC/ILDS sleeve together with the RC removable collar embraces the
fence cable and post, provides a means of their protection, and
enhances the safety of traveling motorists.
Inventors: |
Cox; Charles Russel;
(Lakewood, CO) ; Chang; Nien-Yin; (Centennial,
CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles Rassel Cox
1260 Moore Street
Lakewood
CO
80215
US
|
Family ID: |
36260764 |
Appl. No.: |
10/976201 |
Filed: |
October 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
256/13.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01F 7/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
256/013.1 |
International
Class: |
E01F 15/00 20060101
E01F015/00 |
Claims
1-5. (canceled)
6. A guard device for protecting an object from damage by falling
rocks or the like, the guard device comprising: at least one impact
load deflector sleeve rotatably positionable about the object.
7. The guard device of claim 6 and further comprising: a plurality
of impact load deflector sleeves; and a removable collar positioned
between each of the impact load deflector sleeves.
8. The guard device of claim 6 wherein at least two of the impact
load deflector sleeves have a different diameter.
9. The guard device of claim 7 wherein the removable collar has a
first collar portion and a second collar portion, the first collar
portion being hingedly connected to the second collar portion.
10. The guard device of claim 9 wherein each of the first collar
portion and the second collar portion has a hinged side and an
opening side, and further comprising: a locking mechanism for
securing the opening side of the first collar portion to the
opening side of the second collar portion.
11. The guard device of claim 6 wherein each impact load deflector
sleeve is substantially tubular having a diameter greater than the
diameter of the object.
12. The guard device of claim 6 wherein the object is selected from
the group consisting of a cable and a post.
13. A method for protecting an object from damage by failing rocks
or the like, the method comprising: rotatably positioning at least
one impact load deflector sleeve about the object; impacting the
impact load deflector sleeve with a falling rock; and deflecting
the falling rock by rotating the load deflector sleeve.
14. The method of claim 13 and further comprising: providing a
plurality of impact load deflector sleeves; and positioning a
removable collar positioned each of the impact load deflector
sleeves.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the removable collar has a first
collar portion and a second collar portion, and further comprising:
hingedly connecting the first collar portion to the second collar
portion.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the first collar portion
and the second collar portion has a hinged side and an opening
side, and further comprising: securing the opening side of the
first collar portion to the opening side of the second collar
portion with a locking mechanism.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein each impact load deflector
sleeve is substantially tubular having a diameter greater than the
diameter of the object.
18. The method of claim 13 wherein the object is selected from the
group consisting of a cable and a post.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention provides the protection for cables and posts
(or columns) against the dynamic loads from rolling stones,
vehicular impact, ice impact or other forms of transient loads. For
instance, a rock fall mitigation fence (RFMF) is an ideal situation
for the installation of CNC IMPACT LOAD DEFLECTOR SLEEVES
(CNC/ILDS) and ROMOVABLE COLLAR (RC). The CNC/ILDS sleeves and RC
collar can be installed on the cable holding the fence post, which,
in turn, stretches rock fall drape net. The drape net, fence post,
and cable constitute the rock fall mitigation fence system
(RFMFS).
[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0004] A rock fall mitigation fence (RFMF) is frequently used to
protect the traveling vehicles against potential hazards of falling
rocks. The fence system is composed of the fence cable, fence
posts, and rock fall drape net resting on the cable, which, in
turn, is stretched and supported on the fence posts and cable
anchors. The fence posts are embedded in rock and the cable is
connected to the ground anchor embedded in rock. The RFMFS
functions as a flexible fence system for retaining falling rocks by
dissipating their dynamic energy during the back and forth swing
upon rock impact. The mass of falling rocks varies a great deal. It
can range from a few hundred pounds to many tons.
[0005] When falling from the hill/mountain top or slope, a falling
rock gains momentum as it rolls down the slope. When it comes in
contact with a RFMFS, the rock rotates at an extremely high angular
velocity, can sever fence-supporting cables, and knocks out or
severely bends fence posts, cuts anything it touches. The failure
of the RFMFS allows the falling rocks to land on the highway or, in
some cases, on top of a moving vehicle, as demonstrated in the rock
fall in Georgetown, Colo. on Apr. 8, 2004.
[0006] To date the only mechanism for the failure prevention of the
RFMFS is to use stronger nets, cables and posts. The literature
search including the search on the US Patent and Trademark web site
and the communication with fence installers did not reveal any
other fence cable or post protection apparatuses as the CNC Impact
Load Deflector Sleeve (CNC//ILDS) and Removable Collar (RC)
submitted in this invention that deflect the moving rocks and
impact force, and, thereby, reduce the chance of cable and post
failures.
[0007] Accordingly there exists a need for a mechanism for
deflecting falling rocks and impact force, reducing the chance of
fence failure and enhancing the safety of the traveling public.
SUMMARY
[0008] The present invention, CNC IMPACT LOAD DEFLECTOR SLEEVE
(CNC/ILDS), and Removable Collars (RC), reduces the impact load
effect on both cables and fence posts by deflecting the falling
rocks upon contact. FIGS. 1.a and b show the plan and side views of
a CNC/ILDS and a RC. FIG. 2 shows a CNC/ILDS and a RC installed on
a cable. The CNC/ILDS sleeve is a cylinder made of an appropriate
material (usually steel) and has an appropriate diameter, length,
and thickness for embracing a cable or post with a clearance for
near frictionless rotation. The thickness and material type should
be selected to provide sufficient strength to prevent the puncture
by the rolling rocks. Upon contacting any high-speed rolling rock,
the CNC/ILDS rotates nearly frictionless about the cable and,
thereby, avoid cable cut. The sleeve and collar can be made of any
materials deemed corrosion resistant, and sufficiently strong
against the destructive force of rolling stones, wind, vehicular
impact, or any other forms of impact force.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0009] FIG. 1.a and b show the plain and side views of a CNC/ILDS
and a collar.
[0010] FIG. 2 CNC/ILDS sleeve and removable collars installed to
protect the cable in an event of rolling stone impact.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] FIG. 1.a illustrates the plan and side views of a CNC/ILDS
sleeve. It is a cylindrical tube of any appropriate material made
to loosely embrace a cable or a post to allow its near frictionless
rotation about the cable or post. This mechanism allows a CNC/ILDS
sleeve to deflect a rolling rock upon contact and, thereby, reduce
the failure potential of the fence cable. FIG. 1.b illustrates the
RC collar that can be easily installed and removed from a cable for
easy construction and repair. The collar is positioned between two
different-size CNC/ILDS sleeves to prevent a smaller sleeve from
slipping into a larger one. FIG. 2 shows a cable with CNC/ILDS
sleeves and a RC collar between two sleeves.
Installation of CNC/ILDS
[0012] To mitigate the failure potential of a RFMFS, CNC/ILDS
sleeves can be installed along the whole length of the cable and/or
the post. The functionality of the CNC/ILDS is explained as
follows: [0013] A CNC/ILDS can rotate nearly freely around the
cable and post that they are protecting. [0014] Upon contacting a
sleeve, the impact force from a rolling rock or any other impact
sources, causes the sleeve to rotate. [0015] The action of sleeve
rotation deflects the impact force and rock. [0016] The deflection
of the impact force reduces the damage potential of the cable and
post.
[0017] RC collars are installed between two CNC/ILDS sleeves at the
lowest pint of the cable, a larger sleeve for protecting the
connection just above the ground anchor and the smaller one for
protecting the cable right above the cable connection the larger
sleeve to prevent the smaller sleeve from slipping into the larger
one. The fence system has to be structurally designed. Many
instances of fence failures showed that the falling rocks severed
the cables, and uprooted or severely bent the fence post. The
failure of a RFMFS imposes a safety risk of traveling motorists
from falling rocks as demonstrated in the recent rock fall event
along Interstate Highway I70 near Georgetown, Colo. on Apr. 8,
2004. To reduce the risk of failure of a RFMFS, the fence cable
needs to be protected from the cut by the large falling rock and
the CNC/ILDS sleeve in this invention provides such protection. In
an event of need for sleeve replacement, the RC collar enhances the
constructability because it can be easily opened and removed, the
large sleeve slips over the small sleeve and cable unbolted to
allow sleeve removal and repair.
* * * * *