Guard rail mounting block and guard rail system incorporating the same

• US 20080265231A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KESS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: KESS Incorporated
• Inventors: King, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,832,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 256/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 15/0438 Spacers between rails and posts, e.g. energy-absorbing means E01F15/0415 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved guard rail system spacer block having a front face, a rear face and an outer circumferential undulating surface surrounding a plurality of individual spaced apart cavities that extend from one of such faces to the other. Lugs project from the rear face to support the block on a post of a roadway guard rail system and align it with the post during installation of the system and a lug projects from the front face to temporarily support a guard rail strip during installation of the guard rail system.

Claims

1. A spacer block for a roadway guard rail system, said block having a front face, a rear face and an outer circumferential undulating surface surrounding a plurality of individual spaced apart cavities that extend from one of said faces to the other and including lugs projecting from said rear face to support the block on a post of a roadway guard rail system and align it with the post during installation of the system and a lug projecting from the front face to temporarily support a guard rail strip during installation of the guard rail system.

2. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 1 including a generally cylindrical section at each of opposite ends of the block, said cylindrical sections extending from one to the other of said front and rear faces.

3. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 2 wherein said cylindrical sections are interconnected by a pair of spaced apart leg portions and including a web interconnecting said leg portions intermediate the length thereof

4. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 3 including a pair of cavities disposed between said leg portions, said pair of cavities extending from one to the other of said front and rear faces and wherein said pair of cavities are separated from the other by said web.

5. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 4 including a cylindrical enlargement in each of respective ones of said leg portions, said cylindrical enlargements extending from one to the other of said front and rear faces with each providing a through hole for a bolt use to fasten the guard rail to a post.

6. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 5 including a plate covering said front face having a plurality of holes there though p providing air passageways for respective ones of said cavities.

7. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 6 wherein said plate is a separate element.

8. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 6 wherein said plate is an integral part of the block.

9. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 1 wherein said block is formed from a mixture of a plastics material and particles of rubber.

10. The guard rail spacer block as defined in claim 1 having walls of predetermined thickness and wherein said walls have a central core portion that is more porous than the remainder of the wall.

11. In a roadway guard rail system that includes a series of posts anchored in the ground and projecting upwardly therefrom in selected spaced apart relation, a guard rail comprising strips of suitable material secured to respective ones of the posts by suitable means an improved spacer block disposed between the guard rail and each of respective ones of said posts, said improved block having a front face, a rear face and an outer circumferential undulating surface surrounding a plurality of individual spaced apart cavities that extend from one of said faces to the other and including lugs projecting from said rear face to support the block on a post of the roadway guard rail system and align it with the post during installation of the system and a lug projecting from the front face to temporarily support the guard rail strip during installation of the guard rail system.