US2057708A - Roadway - Google Patents

Description

W. M. CAYE Oct; 20, 1936.

ROADWAY Filed Feb. 23, 1935 Q mu m m Z Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in roadways or highways and has particular reference to improvements in the turns or curves of said highways.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved form of highway curve which shall have a greater element of safety than the curves heretofore developed, which will insure the traiiic following the proper lanes of travel on the curve, and which will permit a greater bank of the curve without increasing the elevation of the outer side of the curve.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention I have illustrated certain embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view, more or less diagrammatic, of. a highway curve embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a modification of the section shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a modified form of curve, the sections 3 and 4 being as applicable to this figure as they are to Fig. 1; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are sections similar to Fig. 3 showing modifications of the structure.

In the structure illustrated I have shown a right angle curve, although it will be understood that my invention is applicable to any character of turn, and in Fig. 1 it will be noted that the highway I merges into the curve 2 which is provided with an inner traffic lane 3 and an outer trafiic lane 4, the curves of these lanes being concentric. In addition to the two lanes 3 and 4 I provide an intermediate or mid-strip 5 which may, as shown in Fig. 1, be concentric with the curve of the lanes 3 and 4. In Fig. 1 to accomplish this result the highway may be widened as at 6 on the inner arc of the curve, or may be widened as at I on the outer arc of the curve to provide trafiic lanes each equal to one-half the normal width of the highway.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bank of the inner lane 3 extends from the inner arc of the curve upwardly towards the inner arc of the mid-strip. The midstrip 5 is then flattened and the bank of the outer lane 4 then extends upwardly and outwardly from the outer edge of the mid-strip to the outer arc of the curve. The mid-strip may, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, be reversely banked if desired or, as shown at Ben, may be horizontal as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 or if desired may as at 5?), be banked as the lanes 3 and 4, the bank, however, being lowered.

As shown in Fig. 4, if desired the banks of the lanes 3 and 4 may be concaved as shown at 3a and 4a, the mid-strip 5 conforming to the portions 5, 5a or 51) of Fig. 3.

It is obvious, of course, that the banks of the lanes 3 and 4 may be modified, that is, if desired the bank 3 may be less or greater than the bank 4.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of my invention, wherein the mid-strip B is not truly concentric with the curve of the inner and outer lanes. In this construction the midstrip merges at its points in the straight-away of the highway.

As the result of the provision of the mid-strip in the curve, traffic will automaticaly follow the correct line of trafiic around the curve instead of that passing around the outside of the curve bearing in or hugging the inner curve or that passing on the inner curve veering out into the outer curve.

Furthermore, it will be observed that the outer lane may be built at a considerably lower elevation than that at which it would otherwise have to be built if the entire curve was a continuous bank. This, of course, means that there would not be the tendency to have such a high shoulder on the outer curve which frequently proves dangerous and that at the same time the bank of both the inner and outer curve may be materially increased without increasing the height or elevation of the outer lane over that now provided in ordinary commercial practice.

It is, of course, obvious that the ends of the lane 5 would be warped into the straight-aways in the proper manner to prevent bumps or unnecessary shoulders at the approach.

While I have shown and described a highway wherein only two trafiic lanes are provided, it is understood that the number of lanes may be multiplied in accordance with the amount of traffic.

I claim as my invention:

1. A trafiic highway including a curve comprising a plurality of substantially parallel traffic lanes each banked towards the outer arc of the curve and an intermediate trafiic carrying strip between said lanes, the angle of inclination of said strip being less than the angle of inclination of the banked traific lanes.

2. A trafiic highway including a curve comprising a plurality of substantially parallel traffic lanes each banked towards the outer arc of the curve, and an intermediate strip between said lanes, said strip being reversely banked.

3. A traflic highway including a curve comprissucceeding lane by a traific carrying portion hav: ing an inclination less than the angle of inclina tion' of the lanes.

5. A trafiic highway including a curve comprising a plurality of substantially parallel traffic lanes each banked toward the outer arc" of f the curve and connected by an intermediate traffic carrying portion having an angle of inclination diiierent from that of theitraific lanes and merg- 'ing into said lanes at an angle sufiiciently small so as tov offer no obstruction to the passage of traffic onto'said strip from one lane-or the other.

6. A traffic highway including a curve comprismg an inner lane banked toward the outer arc 'trafii'c onto said intermediate strip.

of the curve, a connecting portion merging into said inner lane and disposed at an angle of inclination less than that of the inner lane, and an outer lane banked toward the outer substantially parallel curve and merging into said connecting portion, the angle formed between said connection portion and the traflic lanes being sufliciently small to permit a vehicle wheel to pass thereon from either lane unobstructed.

7. A trafiic highway including a curve comprising a plurality of traffic lanes eachbanked toward the outer arc of the curve and connected by an intermediate traffic bearing portion havingan angle of inclination different from that of the traffic lanes and merging into said lanes at an obtuse angle. I

8. A 'traffic highway including a curve compris- 5 ing a plurality of traffic lanes each banked toward the outer arc of the curve and connected by an intermediate trafiic portion having an angle of inclination different from that otthe' traffic lanes and merging into saidlanes at an angle sufficiently small to'offer noHobstruction tolthe passage .or

' wooLsrrr

Images