US2979307A - Highway guard rail and post therefor - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 1961 A. F. CRONE HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL AND POST THEREFOR Filed Feb. 10, 1958 I VENTPR.

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HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL POST THEREFOR Alfred F. Crone, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Acme This invention relates to highway guard rail construction and more particularly to posts for use in connection with the supporting of a guard rail.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a guard rail post of strong and eificient construction and Which has a web arranged in a plane extending in the direction in which a vehicle would move if striking the guard rail.

A further object is to provide a guard rail post which is reversible so that either end thereof can be anchored in the ground at either side of a trafiic lane with the result that the diagonal web of the post will be arranged to offer the maximum resistance to impact by vehicles against a guard rail.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a highway guard rail and the upper part of the supporting post therefor embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a post.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of a guard rail and post showing the same with the post arranged with one end thereof up.

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary view of a guard rail showing a post with the other end up.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of a post with a pair of guard rails for use on a highway in which the two parts of a divided highway are in close proximity to each other.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a guard rail, and a post of modified construction.

My improved highway guard rail post is of unitary construction which may be either made from a flat strip of metal bent into the desired form or it may be rolled. The post includes a pair of flanges 8 and 9 arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. These flanges are connected by means of a diagonal extending web 10 which connects opposite edges of the flanges 8 and 9, preferably the junctures between the diagonally extending web and the two flanges are curved as shown in 11 and 12.

The two flanges of the post are provided with suitable means for connecting with a guard rail, such for example as the guard rail or beam- 15 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to 5. These connections may be of any suitable or desired type, those shown in the construction illustrated being in the form of holes 16 and 17 arranged adjacent to the opposite ends of the post. The securing of the guard rail to the post may be effected by means of bolts 18 each passing through holes in the guard rail and in the post.

It will be noted that the post as described may be used to best advantage with the diagonal web 10 arranged in a plane extending toward the direction of travel of automobiles on the adjacent highway or traflic lane. For example in Fig. 3 the diagonal 10 is arranged in a plane extending toward the left so that when vehicles leaving the pavement and striking the guard rail will approach the same approximately in the direction in which the web extends. Thus if vehicles traveling in the direction nited States at ntO' p 2,979,307 Patented Apr. 11,1961

approximately in the direction of the arrow 21, Fig. 3.

Consequently the impact of a vehicle against a guard rail will be resisted to the maximum extent by means of the web 10 because of the fact that the force exerted by the vehicle on the guard rail and the post is approximately parallel to the plane of the web 10. If the guard rail is located at the side of the highway as shown in Fig. 4, on which vehicles travel in the direction indicated by the arrow 22, then if they accidentally leave the pavement they will impinge on the guard rail approximately in the direction indicated by the arrow 23 so that again the force exerted by the vehicle on the guard rail will be approximately in the plane of the diagonal web 10.

Since the web 10 extends in the opposite direction in Figs. 3 and 4, this can be accomplished by inverting the post. When one end of the post is in the ground, the web 10 will be arranged to extend in one direction and when the post is inverted so that the other end thereof extends into the ground then the web 10 will extend in the opposite direction and by providing fastening means such as the bolt holes in both ends of the post, the post may be used with either end up.

If the two lanes of travel of a highway are fairly close together guard rails 25 and 26 may be secured to opposite flanges of the post as shown in Fig. 5. Consequently when traflic along one lane moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 30, then vehicles accidentally leaving the lane will impinge against the guard rail 25 indicated by the arrow 31. Vehicles traveling on the other lane in the general direction indicated by the arrow 32, if leaving the lane and impinging against the guard rail 26 will move approximately as indicated by the arrow 36. i

In addition to the resistance oilered by the diagonal webs of the posts, this resistance is greatly augmented by the integral connection of the same with the flanges 8 and 9. For example in the construction shown in Fig. 3, the impact of a vehicle in the direction indicated by the arrow 21 will be resisted in part by the flange 9. Obviously the proportion or share of resistance offered by the flange and the web will depend upon the angle at which the impact takes place, or the angle of the arrow 21 with the guard rail. Under all impact conditions the two flanges also serve to resist buckling or bending of the diagonal web.

It may at times be desirable to employ longer bolts to secure the guard rail or beam to both flanges of the post. This can readily be done as indicated in Fig. 6, by providing a hole of approximately elliptical shape in the web 10, this hole being of sufiicient size to permit a bolt 25 to pass through the same and also through the two bolt holes in the flanges. By means of this construction the guard rail will be supported by both of the flanges of the post and also to some extent by the diagonal web.

My improved highway guard rail post consequently has a number of advantages over posts heretofore employed for this purpose. In the first place the cross-section of the post is such that the metal is so disposed that it oflers the maximum resistance to bending or breaking with the minimum amount of metal. Economy in manufacture results from the fact that only one type of post serves for both sides of a highway and this is also a convenience to road construction contractors who are not required to carry two different types of posts in stock. 7

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art, within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

securing a guard rail to either end thereof, said post when 10 secured with one end thereof in the ground has said diagonal web arranged with the flat faces thereof inclined toward the direction of travel of vehicles along the adjacent 4 side of the highway, said post being invertible and when secured with the other end thereof in the ground having said fiat faces of said diagonal web inclined in the opposite direction and toward the direction of travel of vehi- 5 cles on the other side of the highway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 704,035 Henry July 8, 1902 1,849,167 Bente Mar. 15, 1932 2,025,014 Brickman et a1. Dec. 17, 1935 2,047,436 Shepherd July 14, 1936

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