U.S. patent application number 14/276865 was filed with the patent office on 2014-11-13 for jersey barrier improvements.
The applicant listed for this patent is Scott A. Hoffman. Invention is credited to Scott A. Hoffman.
Application Number | 20140334875 14/276865 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51864885 |
Filed Date | 2014-11-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140334875 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hoffman; Scott A. |
November 13, 2014 |
Jersey Barrier Improvements
Abstract
A barrier cap permanently connected atop an existing Jersey
barrier for raising the vertical height of said existing Jersey
barrier at least about ten inches. The cap comprises: a
substantially flat base for resting at least partially on said
existing Jersey barrier; a pair of opposed sidewalls extending
upwardly from its flat base; a top surface extending between the
opposed sidewalls; and means for permanently connecting the barrier
cap to the existing Jersey barrier. Preferred mounting means
include: a plurality of elongated bolts extending from the top
surface of the concrete adapter into the top surface of the Jersey
barrier; or a plurality of vertically extending slats for bolting
to an upper sidewall of the Jersey barrier.
Inventors: |
Hoffman; Scott A.;
(Pottstown, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hoffman; Scott A. |
Pottstown |
PA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51864885 |
Appl. No.: |
14/276865 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61822537 |
May 13, 2013 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
404/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01F 15/083
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
404/6 |
International
Class: |
E01F 13/00 20060101
E01F013/00 |
Claims
1. A barrier cap permanently connected atop an existing Jersey
barrier for raising the vertical height of said existing Jersey
barrier at least about ten inches, said barrier cap comprising: a
substantially flat base for resting at least partially on a top
surface of said existing Jersey barrier; a pair of opposed
sidewalls extending upwardly from the flat base; a top surface
extending between the opposed sidewalls; and means for permanently
connecting the barrier cap to the existing Jersey barrier.
2. The barrier cap of claim 1 wherein the opposed sidewalls bevel
towards each other from bottom to top.
3. The barrier cap of claim 1, which further includes a downward
projecting extension for each sidewall, said downward projection
designed to rest along an upper sidewall of the existing Jersey
barrier.
4. The barrier cap of claim 3, which has an arrowhead-like
cross-sectional shape.
5. The barrier cap of claim 2, which has a trapezoidal
cross-sectional shape.
6. The barrier cap of claim 1 wherein said permanent connectors to
the existing Jersey barrier are substantially hidden from view.
7. The barrier cap of claim 6 wherein said permanent connectors
include a plurality of elongated bolts extending from the top
surface of the barrier cap into the top surface of the existing
Jersey barrier.
8. The barrier cap of claim 1 wherein said permanent connectors
include a plurality of vertically extending slats for bolting to an
upper sidewall of the existing Jersey barrier.
9. The barrier cap of claim 1 wherein each sidewall includes a
raised or recessed pattern.
10. The barrier cap of claim 9, wherein the raised or recessed
pattern is provided in more than one color.
11. The barrier cap of claim 1, which further includes a plurality
of reflector elements.
12. The barrier cap of claim 1, which is made from concrete.
13. The barrier cap of claim 1, which raises the vertical height of
the existing Jersey barrier by about 12 to 15 inches.
14. A concrete adapter for extending the top surface of a Jersey
barrier up to about 15 inches, said concrete adapter comprising: a
flat base component for resting on the top surface of said Jersey
barrier; a pair of opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the
flat base; a top surface extending between the opposed sidewalls;
and means for permanently affixing the concrete adapter to said
Jersey barrier.
15. The concrete adapter of claim 14 wherein the opposed sidewalls
bevel towards each other from bottom to top.
16. The concrete adapter of claim 14, which has a trapezoidal
cross-sectional shape.
17. The concrete adapter of claim 14 wherein said permanent
affixing means is selected from the group consisting of: a
plurality of elongated bolts extending from the top surface of the
concrete adapter into the top surface of the Jersey barrier; and a
plurality of vertically extending slats for bolting to an upper
sidewall of the Jersey barrier.
18. The concrete adapter of claim 14 wherein each sidewall includes
a raised or recessed pattern.
19. The concrete adapter of claim 18, wherein the raised or
recessed pattern is provided in more than one color.
20. The concrete adapter of claim 14, which further includes a
plurality of reflector elements.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a perfection of Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/822,537, filed May 13, 2013, the disclosure
of which is incorporated herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to the field of highway barriers.
Particularly, it relates to center median barriers especially those
made from prefabricated concrete. Such devices are commonly known
as "Jersey barriers".
[0004] A Jersey barrier (or sometimes called Jersey wall) is a
modular divider used to separate lanes of traffic, either vehicles
from one another, or vehicles from pedestrians and/or cyclists. The
shape of such barriers was designed to minimize damage to a car,
truck or other vehicle that makes incidental contact with it while
preventing lane crossovers and avoiding head-on collisions. Jersey
barriers are also used to reroute vehicular traffic and/or protect
pedestrians during road construction. More recently, they have
served as temporary or semi-permanent protection against land born
attacks from suicide car bombers.
[0005] According to Wikipedia, the Jersey barrier was developed at
the Stevens Institute of Technology in 1950's but introduced in its
most current form in 1959. Per the auspices of the New Jersey State
Highway Department, such barriers were meant to divide multiple
lanes of a highway, particularly the flow of traffic in a first
direction, from the opposite flow of traffic in the other
(oncoming) direction. A typical Jersey barrier stands 32 inches (81
cm) tall and is made of steel-reinforced poured concrete. Some
barriers are purposefully constructed with embedded steel
protruding from each end. Those protrusions allow adjoining
barriers to be linked to one another as part of a more permanent
emplacement.
[0006] The widespread use of such barriers on roads has led to
wider applications including: use as a generic, portable barrier
during construction projects and/or for temporary traffic
re-routing as part of a stopgap carpool or "rush hour"
bridge/highway lane reversal.
[0007] The original Jersey barrier profile was intended to minimize
vehicular damage through incidental contact. In "shallow" angle
hits, car fender/sheet metal damage should be reduced as the
vehicle's tires are meant to ride up the lower sloped faces of such
barriers before falling back onto the lane/road surface. Such
barriers should minimize the chances of a head-on crash by
gradually lifting the vehicle that contacts same and pivoting it
away from oncoming traffic in the opposite direction.
[0008] In 1968, the Ontario, Canada Department of Highways
introduced a taller variation of barrier standing 42 inches (107
cm), or about 10 inches (25 cm) higher than the common U.S. barrier
size. Thereafter, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority developed and
tested a similar, more heavily reinforced design. It has been
credited with effectively containing and redirecting larger
vehicles, including semi-trailer (tractor-trailer) trucks. While
the benefits of a taller highway barrier may be known, there has
not been a cost-effective impermeable means for modifying existing
(shorter) barriers to make them "safer" let alone in an
aesthetically pleasing manner.
[0009] 2. Relevant Art
[0010] One of the first known barrier improvements was patented by
Camomilla et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,706. It included a double
dampening effect that used ductile anchor components, including
rigidly connected steel plates at the barrier base.
[0011] A different construction of barrier style was the subject of
Ceccarelli U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,237. It employed a plurality of
tubular modules extending upwardly from a ground connect.
[0012] Yet another set of interconnecting modular elements was the
subject of Serafin U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,204.
[0013] There have also been proposals for making a continuous
screen barrier using interconnecting panels. See, Borgnini U.S.
Pat. No. 5,149,061. Continuous uprights on Jersey barrier was the
focus of European Patent Application Serial No. 1,619,311. And in
McNally et al., U.S. Published Application No. 20050135878, Jersey
barriers were fitted with temporary, "bolt on" risers. Lastly, in
White et al. U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,880, it was proposed to make more
attack resistant (especially bulletproof) protectors using add-ons
to Jersey style barrier frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved
cap or add-on for raising the protectable height/protection range
of an existing (i.e. previously installed) roadway Jersey barrier.
It is critical that any such "adapter" be cost effective, quick to
install, not labor intensive and yet have greater structural
significance that known temporarily erected panels or those string
of continuous vertical slats sometimes situated atop super
highway/turnpike dividers for reducing opposing traffic headlight
glare.
[0015] The heavy, permanent cap toppers of this invention are
preferably made from concrete but with proper weighting could be
made from fiberglass, composites, rubber and/or recycled plastic
materials in the alternative. Regardless of material, they will
surely provide the advantages of the integrally formed, higher
barriers mentioned above, such as significant opposing headlight
glare reduction. In addition, it is less likely that a whole
vehicle or major parts of same (such as a tire, side mirror, etc.)
will rise up and fully cross over these extra-high, purposefully
raised center barriers for then crossing over and into unsuspecting
traffic traveling the other way on the opposite side of such
barriers. Upon impacting such barrier extensions, the cars and/or
their major components will more likely stay on the same side of
traffic flow where later following vehicles may have a greater
chance of swerving to avoid impact.
[0016] These barrier add-on's are also structurally more
sound/substantial than the flat panel and/or flimsy multi-slat
barrier additions being used in some locations. The latter known
varieties can also be more prone to "sailing" because of their
vulnerability to high winds and greater possibility of individual
slat separations from the top of existing highway barriers.
[0017] This invention also provides means for
communities/municipalities to impart some degree of creative
"flair" to the central barriers on those sections of
highways/thruways extending through their respective communities.
It enables the addition of particular raised cap configurations to
their existing Jersey barriers, said cap additions having special
patterns and/or colors or possibly distinctive reflector means
added in spaced distances.
SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Further features, objectives and advantages of this
invention will become clearer with the following detailed
description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of Jersey
barrier cap according to this invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the cap from FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines A-A of FIG.
2;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the same first embodiment as in
FIGS. 1-3;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of
barrier addition;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the barrier addition from
FIG. 5;
[0025] FIG. 7 is a left side plan view of the barrier addition from
FIG. 6;
[0026] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the barrier addition from FIGS.
5-7;
[0027] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate second
embodiment showing different attachment means;
[0028] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of
barrier cap according to this invention; and
[0029] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a plurality of the
FIG. 10 type caps installed over several existing Jersey highway
barriers aligned in series.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Jersey barriers have become an acceptable method for
preventing traffic from penetrating the barrier and crossing the
highway median into oncoming traffic where such barriers are
installed. Each individual barrier has a widened base, sides with
two sloping sections, and a flattened top surface. Usually made
from concrete, the Jersey barrier is heavy and durable, yet
possesses the proper shape and mass to deflect most small vehicles
back into the lane from whence they came. They require little or no
periodic maintenance. And even in today's shorter heights, standard
barriers provide some security by deterring pedestrian traffic from
wanting to straddle or otherwise cross over a whole series of such
dividers.
[0031] Known Jersey barriers are relatively easy to move or
install. Common barrier designs include two rectangular notches at
the bottom (through the short axis). Those notches allow individual
barriers to be raised by a forklift or pronged front-end loader.
Barriers intended for short-term placement, especially in military
and security uses, might include one or more steel rebar loops at
or near their top surface for rapid hook-and-cable lifting.
[0032] Lately, there have been Jersey barrier additions designed to
reduce, minimize or eliminate the blinding effects of opposing
traffic headlights. One solution was to provide multiple slat-like
extensions, each individually affixed, to the top surface of each
Jersey barrier so that the lights of oncoming traffic are not
readily visible. Such "blinders" actually allow opposing traffic to
be seen in the distance AND when immediately adjacent the car
opposite the barrier from the nearly 90 degree angle for each
slat/blind. That has to be at or near perpendicular since it must
block the headlight penetration from BOTH sides of the highway
divider. A solid sheet might accomplish the same result, but it
would be more difficult to attach, maintain AND render itself more
vulnerable to damage as elongated plastic sheet separators would
have a greater tendency to sail and dislodge in stronger wind
gusts.
[0033] With the nominal physical divide from one or more plastic
extensions, there is little to no additional protection afforded by
a series of angled slats. Should a heavier vehicle, trailer, bus or
the like plop over and onto such extensions in an accident, they
will crack and/or crumble.
[0034] This invention seeks to modify the standard Jersey barrier
by providing a quick and easy installation of a supplemental
physical (permanently installed) vertical addition that will
increase the difficulty (i.e. eliminate the likelihood) of
pedestrians scaling, straddling and/or climbing over same. The
invention also affords protection against the intimidating
headlights of opposing traffic . . . regardless of angling. And a
raised barrier via the extension varieties depicted herein will
keep break off components, if not whole vehicles, from crossing
over and "surprising" traffic flowing past in the opposite
direction. It does so with no fear of "sailing" or otherwise
blowing away. These caps are sufficiently weighty to stay onto the
underlying barrier bottoms over which they will be installed and/or
permanently mounted.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a first
embodiment of barrier cap/adapter, generally 10, in various views.
Particularly, cap 10 comprises a flat base 12, from which upwardly
extends a pair of opposed sidewalls 14 and 16, the latter two
tapering upwardly and inwardly to a top surface 18. The essence of
this invention is to provide a permanent adapter that raises the
vertical (useful) height of an existing Jersey highway barrier
(JB), a representative example of which is also seen in FIG. 1.
Particularly, that standard sized/shaped barrier JB includes a flat
base J12, beveled sidewalls J14 and J16 with its top surface J18
extending therebetween.
[0036] In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, there is a
supplemental support system that not only requires the cap's flat
base 12 to rest atop Jersey top surface J18 but to further have
side supporting, downward leg extensions, 24 and 26 respectively,
for straddling the existing Jersey barrier's body construction and
resting alongside (or "hugging") the upper sidewalls J14 and J16 to
that existing barrier. With the foregoing leg extensions, this
variety of cap according to the invention exhibits more of a
bullet, tooth, or most like, an arrowhead-shape in cross-section.
See particularly, FIGS. 1 and 3.
[0037] For the preferred mounting means of this first embodiment,
there are a plurality of holes H extending from the top surface 18
and downwardly towards the top surface J18 of the existing barrier.
These holes H may be pre-formed into the respective caps during
initial manufacture, or drilled into and through the bodies of
same, after the fact. Each hole H is intended to have a bolt B
positioned therein and downwardly into top surface J18 for
permanently affixing cap 10 to Jersey Barrier JB.
[0038] FIGS. 5 through 8 show a second variation/embodiment of cap
110, also having its own base 112, sidewalls 114, 116 and top
surface 118. Since this variation has no downward extensions to its
opposed sidewalls, the overall configuration is more trapezoidal in
cross-section as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7. With no additional
side support, the preferred permanent connection means for THIS
variation includes a plurality of vertically-extending slats 120,
each slat having a plurality of holes H through which bolts B are
installed for affixing cap 110 to its own Jersey Barrier JB.
[0039] The third variation of cap 210 in FIG. 9 shows a
larger/wider configuration of slat 220 with a larger bolt
configuration B, but only one top bolt and one bottom bolt
permanently affixing cap 210 to Jersey Barrier JB.
[0040] The sidewalls to these cap/adapters can be specially
customized to provide aesthetics and distinctiveness for a given
town's highway separator system. The "fancy" sidewalls to the
cap/adapter 310 of FIG. 10, for instance, includes a plurality of
raised surfaces 330, spaced apart from one another. For greater
distinctiveness, these raised surfaces can be made from multiple
colors of concrete materials. Alternately, several of these raised
surfaces can be provided with reflective tape or paint R. In the
last described variation, FIG. 11, the raised surfaces of
cap/adapter 410 are replaced with spaced recesses 430.
[0041] The accompanying FIGURES depict two representative mounting
types, drilled and/or staked from above as per FIGS. 1-4 or
attached through a plurality of commonly mounted connector/adapters
(per FIGS. 5-8). In some instances, these connectors may be
purposefully covered or otherwise hidden from view (and from the
temptation of possible tampering by vandals). See, especially FIG.
9.
[0042] Ultimately, the present invention will enable certain
customizations of barrier "art" so that all barrier tops for a
given community may be fitted with common decorative (in color,
texture and/or pattern) inserts or raised regions. See, for
example, the multiple square sequencing of FIGS. 10 and 11. In
place of, OR in addition to such patterns, it is possible to
situate headlight reflectors (in strips, brackets or the like) to
the common areas of each pattern, or somewhat raised between
patterns, for providing the Jersey barrier caps of this invention
the added benefit of nighttime reflectivity.
[0043] Each barrier cap may be further provided with suitable
interconnecting means for supplementing the connection(s) made
between underlying, adjacent Jersey barrier bottoms. Like the
directional headlight reflectors described above, these
interconnects are not shown/seen in any of the accompanying
drawings, however.
[0044] No doubt, still other modifications, improvements and/or
acceptable variations to the barrier caps described in this
specification will arise. They should all be covered by the
appended utility claims.
* * * * *