Security and defense barrier

• US 4,705,426 A
• Filed: 12/19/1985
• Issued: 11/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernabe A. Perea
• Original Assignee: Bernabe A. Perea
• Inventors: Perea, Bernabe A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leppink, James A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US06/810,500
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 404/6, 404/11, 49/33, 49/49, 49/131, 49/133, 256/1
• US Class Current: 404/6
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/08 by swinging into closed position about a transverse axis situated in the road surface, e.g. tiltable sections of the road surface, tiltable parking posts
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/123 depressible or retractable below the traffic surface, e.g. one-way spike barriers, power-controlled prong barriers

Abstract

A security and defense barrier which comprises a vault buried within and transverse to the roadway. The vault has within a latched plurality of barrier arms that may be raised by any powered means, or manually, and the raised barrier arms being positioned within the vault so that impact forces are transmitted directly to the vault, and to a foundation, and little or no load is supported by a pivoting mechanism. Being very strong, the barrier can be made capable of stopping a speeding vehicle. The raised barrier arms have a hook on the end so that a speeding vehicle attacking the barrier will be snagged, and prevented from inadvertently or intentionally vaulting the barrier.

Claims

1. A security and defense barrier comprising:

(a) a vault which is buried in a roadway, said vault including a top, a bottom, an approach end, and a shoulder end, in the bottom of the vault there being a step, the vertical surface of the step being designated a rise;

(b) a foundation which is under the approach end of the vault and disposed transverse to the roadway, the rise abutting against the foundation to prevent the barrier from moving during operation of the barrier;

(c) a plurality of beams spaced apart parallel to each other between shoulder end and the approach end, said beams being able to support normal vehicular traffic thereacross;

(d) a plurality of non-impact bearing pivot supports mounted on the bottom and inside of the vault transverse to the roadway;

(e) a pivot rod which rotatably extends through the plurality of pivot supports;

(f) a selected plurality of pivot arms, each said pivot arm having a first end and a second end, said pivot arms being rigidly affixed at said first ends to said pivot rod;

(g) a like selected plurality of barrier arms rigidly attached to said secone ends of the pivot arms, the longitudinal axis of each barrier arms being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each corresponding pivot arm, each said barrier arm having a top vehicular traffic supporting surface, a dual purpose hook end for latching and vehicular snagging, and a butt end, said barrier arms being seated in the spaces between the beams when the barrier arms are in a down position, the top surfaces of the barrier arms and the beams forming a substantially even surface, said hook ends being shaped to provide two sharp angles, each hook on the hook end facing downward and inward when the barrier arm is in a down position, the hook ends being shaped to snag, hold, or tear a vehicle, when provided, which may impact the barrier arms, and, when the pivot rods are rotated, the barrier arms are raised;

(h) counterweight and shock absorbing pad means for balancing somewhat and assisting in raising the barrier arms, said counterweight and shock absorbing pad means being attached to the barrier arms underneath their butt ends to abut against the rise when the barrier arms are raised to their fully raised position with the top surfaces of the barrier arms bracing against the shoulder end, said means thereby assisting in vehicular impact absorption;

(i) a plurality of latches mounted on the bottom of the vault adjacent to the approach end, said latches engaging and latching the hook ends; and

(j) means for unlatching the latches from the hook ends to release and allow the barrier arms to rise;

wherein during operation of the barrier, the barrier arms are initially locked into a down position which is parallel to the beams by the latches which are engaged with the hook ends of the barrier arms, when the vehicle to be stopped approaches the approach end, the spring latches release the barrier arms, the counterweight and shock absorbing pad means at the butt ends of the barrier arms assist the barrier arms to rotate on the pivot arms about the pivot supports and the hook ends of the barrier arms to be raised, the barrier arms being held in their upright position when the counterweight and shock absorbing pad means on the butt end contact the rise and the top surfaces contact the shoulder end, thereby positioning the barrier arms for stopping and damaging the vehicle.

2. A security and defense barrier in accordance with claim 1 wherein the exterior surfaces of said hook ends on each barrier arm are designed such that the top of the barrier arm and the end of the barrier arm form an angle of less than 90°

, and the hook end of the barrier arm and the bottom surface of the hook form an angle of greater than 90°

.

3. A security and defense barrier in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a pad which is affixed to the rise such that when the barrier arms are raised, the counterweight and shock absorbing means contact the pad, thereby improving the wearability of said means and rise.

4. A security and defense barrier in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a sheath on the shoulder end for improved wearability.

5. A security and defense barrier in accordance with claim 1 wherein the vault bottom is sloped from the approach end to the shoulder end, and wherein the bottom of the vault adjacent to the shoulder end slopes outward towards the edge of the roadway and away from the barrier.