Injection-molded block-out spacer

• US 6,179,273 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: World Investments, LLC
• Original Assignee: Highway Plastics, LLC
• Inventors: Rutherford, James, Edmunds, Edward III
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cottingham, John R.
• Application Number:
  US09/267,374
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 256/131, 256/1, 256/65, 256/66, 256/19, 404/6, 404/7, 404/8, 404/9, 248/345.1
• 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

A spacer is shown for spacing a post from a rail used alongside a road. The spacer is formed from an injection-molded plastic honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure has a number of substantially parallel, internal webs, with the internal webs extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the post and the rail. The spacer can be formed with a post-interfacing side of the spacer having a stepped configuration that allows the spacer to engage with a variety of different shaped posts. Each of the substantially parallel internal webs of the spacer is provided with the stepped configuration at the post-interfacing end of each of the webs. A width of the bottom surface of the stepped surface is selected for engagement with a standard width flange on an I-beam type post. A width of an intermediate ledge surface on the stepped surface is selected for engagement with standard wooden square posts. The stepped surface is also provided with chamfered surfaces that fall along a locus of points having a radius approximately equal to the outer radius of a standard round wooden post. The spacer also has an internal partition extending between the post-interfacing side and the rail-interfacing side of the spacer and defining an opening through which a connector can be passed. The internal partition can be offset relative to a central longitudinal axis of the spacer so that a connector passing through the opening will not interfere with the central web of an I-beam type spacer.

Claims

1. A road barrier, comprising:

a substantially vertical post;

a substantially horizontal rail;

a connecting element between said post and said rail, said connecting element being injection-molded plastic and including opposite side walls and a first internal web extending between said side walls and substantially parallel to a line between said post and said rail; and

a plurality of internal webs extending parallel to said first internal web, said internal webs extending between a post-interfacing side of said connecting element and a rail-interfacing side of said connecting element and said internal webs each being formed with a stepped surface on said post-interfacing side.

2. The road barrier according to claim 1, wherein an elongated hole is defined through said connecting element between said post-interfacing side and said rail-interfacing side to allow passage of a connector extending from said post to said rail.

3. The road barrier according to claim 2, wherein said post-interfacing side includes a stepped surface.

4. The road barrier according to claim 3, wherein said stepped surface includes a bottom surface having two ends separated by a first width;

an intermediate ledge surface spaced above said bottom surface and extending outwardly beyond both ends of said bottom surface to a second width greater than said first width; and

a top surface spaced above said intermediate ledge surface.

5. The road barrier according to claim 4, wherein inside corners of said intermediate ledge surface and said top surface, and a point on said bottom surface fall on a locus of points having a radius substantially equal to an outer radius of said post.

6. The road barrier according to claim 1, wherein said stepped surfaces of said internal webs each include a recessed bottom surface having a first width at a first depth below a top surface of said post-interfacing side, and ledge surfaces extending to a second width greater than said first width on both sides of said bottom surface and at a second depth below said top surface that is less than said first depth.

7. The road barrier according to claim 6, wherein inside corners of said ledge surfaces on each stepped surface and inside corners of said top surface on each stepped surface fall on a locus of points having a radius approximately equal to an outer radius of the post.

8. The road barrier according to claim 6, wherein said post has an I-beam configuration and a flange of said post fits in the recessed bottom surface.

9. The road barrier according to claim 6, wherein said post is a parallelepiped and an outer surface of said post fits on said ledge surfaces and has a width approximately equal to said second width.

10. A road barrier, comprising:

a substantially vertical post;

a substantially horizontal rail; and

a spacer for spacing the post from the rail used alongside a road, said spacer comprising;

an injection-molded plastic honeycomb having opposite sidewalls and a plurality of substantially parallel, internal webs, said internal webs extending between said sidewalls and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the post and the rail and said internal webs each being formed with a stepped surface on a post-interfacing side of said spacer.

11. The spacer according to claim 10, wherein the post-interfacing side of said spacer is shaped for engagement with the post and an opposite rail-interfacing side of said spacer is shaped for engagement with the rail, at least one of said internal webs is connected to an internal partition extending from said post-interfacing side to said rail-interfacing side, said internal partition defining an elongated hole through said spacer for passage of a connector extending between the post and the rail.

12. The spacer according to claim 11, wherein said post-interfacing side includes a stepped surface.

13. The spacer according to claim 12, wherein a central axis of said elongated hole is offset relative to a central axis of said spacer.

14. The spacer according to claim 13, wherein said stepped surface includes a bottom surface having two ends separated by a first width, an intermediate ledge surface spaced above said bottom surface and extending outwardly beyond both ends of said bottom surface to a second width greater than said first width, and a top surface spaced above said intermediate ledge surface.

15. The spacer according to claim 14, wherein said intermediate ledge surface and said top surface are chamfered at inside corners to form a contoured, post-seating surface with said chamfered inside corners lying on a radius approximately equal to the outer radius of the post.