NL192928C - Movable device for limiting carriageways. - Google Patents

Description

1 192928

Movable device for limiting carriageways

The invention relates to a device for limiting carriageways, comprising at least one elongate limiting element and accommodated therein and displaceable movable means connected to rollers over the ground.

Such a device is known from German patent application 3,639,745, wherein the displacing means are formed by rollers. The axes of rotation of the rollers are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the limiting element, so that the entire device for moving in the transverse direction of the carriageway must first be moved back a great distance in the longitudinal direction of the carriageway and then back over the same piece. Feet are provided to secure the known device on the roadway.

The limiting devices are often used for separating lanes with opposite driving directions, for example when one or more lanes are closed by roadworks or when during rush hours the largest number of lanes must be assigned to the busiest driving direction. In the morning and evening rush hours, these driving directions will be different, which will require a shift of the lane separation. However, this known device is therefore less suitable for frequent displacement.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for limiting carriageways that is easy to move and suitable for both temporary installation and frequent displacement.

This is achieved by the invention in that the displacement device of the displacing means is substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the limiting element and that the displacing means are movable by means of a lifting device between an inactive position inside and an active position outside the circumference of the limiting element.

With the displacing means in the active position it is possible to displace the device transversely to the direction of travel in a simple manner. In the inoperative position of the displacement means 25, undesired displacements are prevented. This is especially important in collision. The elements will not budge when hit by a road vehicle. In the inactive position, on the one hand, a large contact surface of the walls of the limiting element with the road surface has been created, and on the other hand, due to the weight of the retracted displacing means, a greater contact force of the elements on the road surface is also achieved, so that a better securing is provided.

An endless treadmill is preferably wrapped around the rollers, so that a large contact surface with the road surface and thus a faster and slip-free movement is possible. The movement on non-flat surfaces is also going well. Moreover, in this way the pressure exerted by the element on the road surface is minimal, whereby wear of the road surface is prevented.

The limiting element preferably comprises a space for receiving ballast material therein, whereby the security against transverse displacement in collision is additionally increased. Concrete, water or sand can be used as ballast. In temporary applications, a non-solid ballast material is preferably used, which material is removed before the transport of the device, so that the transport weight of the device is as small as possible.

Generally, in practice, several limiting elements will be linked together.

For this purpose, a limiting element is provided on its front sides with hinged coupling elements in order to also be able to put the device in a bend. The coupling element is preferably pivotable about a horizontal axis, so that the device can easily be moved over the road surface even in the case of a road surface which is not in the horizontal plane, and that it can be properly secured on the road surface.

The boundary elements themselves can be manufactured in various shapes and sizes. So-called dummy elements can be included between a number of displaceable limiting elements and are not connected to displacing means. The displacement means are preferably located at both ends of a limiting element. However, it is also conceivable to connect displacement means at only one end, in which in an array of boundary elements an end with displacement means and an end without displacement means are always directed towards each other. In another embodiment, the displacement means are included in small boundary elements, which are always connected to two so-called dummy elements.

It is noted that from US patent 3,391,620 a limiting device to be moved transversely to the direction of travel is known in principle. However, this device makes use of a complicated transverse displacement device permanently mounted on the road surface.

Further details and details will become apparent from drawings, in which: figure 1a shows a periodic application of a device according to the invention; 55

Claims (4)

192928 Figure 1b shows a temporary application of a device according to the invention; figure 2 is a partly broken away perspective view of a telescopically extendable limiting element with the displacing means in the inoperative position; figure 3 is a partly broken away perspective view of a part of a limiting element with the displacing means in the active position; figure 4 is a perspective view of a limiting element with displacing means at both ends; figure 5 is a perspective view of pivotable coupling means between two limiting elements; Figure 6 is a perspective view of two small limiting elements with displacing means therein, which are connected to each other by an extendable limiting element without displacing means; and figure 7 is a partly broken away perspective view of two limiting elements connected to each other by coupling elements pivotable about horizontal axes, which are provided with a space for receiving ballast material. Corresponding reference numbers refer to corresponding parts. Figure 1a shows an example of a periodic application of a device according to the invention. Two lanes 1 and 2, each with two lanes 3 and 4, respectively. 5 and 6 and opposite directions of travel 20, 7 and 8 are separated from each other by a series of boundary elements 9. When traffic in direction 7 is predominant, the boundary elements 9 are in the dotted position. When direction 8 is the busiest direction of travel, the continuous boundary 9 is used. In figure 1b there is a roadblock 10 on lane 2. Traffic is diverted over lane 1 and the associated hard shoulder 11. Depending on the amount of traffic, lane 3 is used for traffic in direction 25 7, which corresponds to the dotted position of the limiting elements 9, or for traffic in the direction 8, represented by the extended position of the limiting elements 9. Figure 2 shows a partly broken away perspective view of a limiting element 9, in which displacement means 12 are included. The element 9 is telescopically extendable along an inner profile 13. The moving means 12 comprise rollers 14 around which an endless treadmill 15 is wrapped. The rollers 14 are driven by a motor 17 via a drive element 16. Under a sealing plate 20 there are operating means 19 for air and electricity supply. Bellows cylinders 20a are in the non-inflated rest position, whereby the rollers 14 are in the inoperative position, that is to say they are fully contained in the limiting element 9. Figure 3 shows inflated bellows cylinders 20b, whereby the rollers 14 are partly under the limiting Protruding element 9 for displacement thereof. Figure 4 shows an extendable limiting element 9 with displacing means 12 incorporated in both ends. Figure 5 shows coupling elements 21, which are hingedly connected to each other. In figure 6 two small limiting elements 22 with displacing means (not shown) are shown, 40 between which a so-called dummy element 23 without displacing means is attached. The coupling elements 21 are pivotable in the horizontal plane, while the coupling elements 25 are pivotable in the vertical plane. The dummy element 23 is extendable along an inner profile 24. Figure 7 comprises two boundary elements 9, in which a space 26 for ballast material 27, such as for instance sand, is included. At the bottom is an outlet 28 for removing the ballast material 27 45 from the space 26. The limiting elements 9 are connected to each other by means of coupling elements pivotable about horizontal axes. 50 Device for limiting carriageways, comprising at least one elongated limiting element and displacing means incorporated therein and connected exclusively thereto with rollers movable on the ground, characterized in that the displacing device of the displacing means is substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the limiting element and in that the displacing means are movable by means of a lifting device between an inactive position inside and an active position outside the periphery of the limiting element. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that an endless belt is wrapped around the rollers. 3 192928 Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the limiting element comprises a space for receiving ballast material therein. 4. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the limiting elements on the front sides thereof are provided with hingeable coupling elements, characterized in that the coupling element is pivotable about a horizontal axis. Hereby 3 sheets drawing