US3389677A

US3389677A - Traffic control device

Info

Publication number: US3389677A
Application number: US602374A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leo J Dunne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-12-16
Filing date: 1966-12-16
Publication date: 1968-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1985-06-25

Description

June 25, 1968 j DUNNE 3,389,677

TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1966 I NVEN TOR.

i Je

E 24 BY LIEO J. DUI'V ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,389,677 TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE Leo J. Dunne, 15368 Lindsay, Detroit, Mich. 48227 Filed Dec. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 602,374 6 Claims. (Cl. 116-114) This invention relates to a traffic control apparatus, and more particularly to a traffic control apparatus adapted to indicate to the driver of a vehicle that he is exceeding the speed limit on a straight roadway or a dangerous curve, or that he is entering a freeway or the like in an exit lane instead of an entrance lane.

An important problem faced by the traflic and safety departments of states, cities and other municipalities is how to reduce the number of fatal accidents on the roadways in their respective jurisdictions. The number of vehicles in use on the public highways has increased each year, and the number of lives lost in automobile traflic accidents has also increased with the resultant additional traflic. Traflic studies have shown that a great number of traffic deaths are caused by excessive speed. Many safety devices have been incorporated in automobiles in an effort to reduce fatal injuries incurred in traflic accidents. However, other than providing speed controls on automobiles there is only one practical method to reduce the number of traffic deaths caused by excessive speed and that is to provide a means for controlling the driving habits of vehicle operators, whereby they will drive their vehicles within the safe speed limits prescribed by the traffic control authorities. Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it is an important object of the invention to provide a novel traflic control apparatus which will solve the problem of controlling the operators of vehicles so as to reduce trafiic accidents and deaths caused by excessive speeds.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel traflic control apparatus which will remind operators of vehicles that they are exceeding the posted speed limit, and wherein the reminder is given in a positive manner.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel traffic control apparatus which is simple and compact in construction, economical to manufacture, efficient and indiscriminate in ope-ration, foolproof, substantially maintenance-free, and which will function in all types of weather in the daytime or nighttime.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel trafiic control apparatus which is designed to limit the top speed of vehicles on public roadways by creating a low barrier across a roadway through the action of a rolling vehicle tire that inflates a flexible barrier means which causes the barrier to be formed across a roadway, whereby when a vehicle hits the barrier a jolt is incurred by the vehicle if it is exceeding a set speed limit.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a novel trafiic control apparatus for indicating excess speed and incorrect traffic flow of vehicles over a roadway which comprises, a plurality of closed, elongated flexible air tubes; said plurality of air tubes being disposed parallel to the direction of flow of vehicular traffic over the roadway, and in a side-by-side relationship across the roadway; a plurality of closed, inflatable tubular barrier members disposed at one end of said plurality of elongated air tubes, at right angles to the length of the first mentioned air tubes, and in alignment across the roadway; said plurality of tubular barrier members being in communication with at least one of said elongated air tubes; and, the other end of said plurality of elongated air tubes being disposed toward the approaching vehicular traffic on a roadway, whereby all traffic passing over a roadway must pass over the traflic control apparatus, and when the tires of a vehicle roll lengthwise over some of "ice the elongated tubes, the air in said last mentioned elongated tubes will be forced forwardly into the tubular barrier members communicating with the last mentioned elongated tubes and said last named barrier members will be inflated and provide a momentary barrier across the roadway in the path of the tires of said vehicle and provide a jolt to the vehicle as it passes thereover.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims, and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a strip of roadway provided with a traflic control apparatus made in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational section view f the roadway illustrated in FIG. 1, showing an enlarged cross section view of the speed control apparatus with the front p'heels of a vehicle on the front end of said apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational section view of the traffic control apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, taken along the line 33 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken, elevational section view of the traflic control structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken along the line 4-4 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 generally indicates a roadway which is bounded by the curbs 11 and '12. The numeral 13 indicates the usual painted centerline strip of the roadway. The numeral 14 indicates the roadway lane for traflic proceeding to the left of the roadway, as viewed in FIG. 1, and the numeral 15 indicates the other roadway lane for traflic proceeding to the right. The

numerals

16 and 17 generally indicate a pair of trafiic control apparatuses made in accordance with the principles of the present invention and which are disposed in operative positions across the

roadway lanes

14 and 15, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the traflic'control apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of closed, elongated, flexible air tubes 18 which are made from any suitable material as for example, a flexible plastic material or a rubber material. The air tubes 18 are illustrated as being circular in cross section, but it will be understood that they may be of any desired cross section, as for example, square or rectangular. The front ends 19 of the tubes 18 are each closed. As best seen in FIG. 1, the elongated air tubes 18 are disposed on the roadway It) in a direction parallel to the flow of vehicular traffic over the roadway, and in a side-by-side relationship across the roadway 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end 20 of each of the elongated air tubes 18 is connected by any suitable means to an inflatable tubular barrier member 22. The rear end of each tube 18 communicates through an opening 21 with the interior 23 of the adjacent inflatable barrier member 22. As shown in FIG. 1, two of the elongated air tubes 18 communicate with a single inflatable barrier member 22. It will be understood that the number of air tubes 18 communicating with each barrier member 22 can be one or more, as desired. It will also be understood, that the barrier members 22 are connected together to form a continuous barrier across the roadway lanes, as 14 and 15 in FIG. 1. The barrier members 22 may be made from any suitable flexible material, as for example, a plastic material, a rubber material, and the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, an inflatable reservoir 24 is disposed beneath the front end of each of the elongated air tubes 18 to relieve air pressure in each of the tubes 18. The reservoirs 24 are illustrated as being formed as inflatable sacks. Each reservoir 24 may be made from the same material used for forming the tubes 18 and the barrier members 22.

As shown in FIG. 4, the reservoirs 24 are preferably disposed in a suitable chamber 25 formed below the sur face of the roadway lane 14 in the transverse direction.

An individual reservoir 24 is connected to each of the elongated air tubes 18 by an individual tube 26 which is fixed to the reservoir 24 and the tube 18. The tubes 26 extend through suitable apertures in a cover plate 27 which is disposed under the air tubes 18 and extends transversely of the roadway lane 14 in a position to enclose the reservoir chamber 25. It will be understood, that the plate 27 is made preferably from steel, or other suitable material, to provide the necessary strength to support vehicles passing thereover. The cross section area of the passage provided by the tube 26 may be of any suitable size, since this passage does not provide any flow control function, but merely serves to relieve the air pressure in the closed tubes 18.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, each of the tubular barrier members 22 is provided with an inflatable reservoir 28 disposed therebeneath in a suitable chamber 29 in the roadway 14. Each reservoir 28 is connected by a suitable tube 30 to its respective barrier member 22. Each tube 30 passes through a suitable aperture in a plate 31 that forms a cover over the chamber 29. The plate 31 is made from steel or other suitable material of a strength sufficient to support traffic passing thereover. Each tube 30 is provided with a passage therethrough having a predetermined size or flow capacity for controlling the passage of air under pressure from a barrier member 22 to its reservoir means 28 for relieving the air pressure in each of the barrier members 22 when air is forced into the same because of a vehicle wheel rolling over the communicating elongated air tubes 18. The reservoir means 28 is illustrated as being formed as an inflatable sack which may be made from the same material from Which the tubes 18 and the barrier members 22 are formed.

FIG. 1 illustrates the two

traffic control apparatuses

16 and 17 formed in offset side-by-side disposition to provide a trafiic control means for both of the

lanes

14 and 15 at the same point on the roadway 10. The corresponding parts of the

trafiic control apparatuses

16 and 17 have been marked with the same reference numerals since they are identical. The front ends of the air tubes 18a of the two

traffic control devices

16 and 17 that are disposed on the centerline strip 13 have been moved forwardly to permit the two barrier members 22a to be disposed in alignment with each other. It will be understood, that a single or separate trafiic control apparatus as 16 or 17 may be employed in positions other than as shown in FIG. 1.

In operation, the air in the closed system trafiic control apparatuses would be preferably under a pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure. When a vehicle as illustrated in FIG. 2 rolls onto the front end of some of the elongated tubes 18, the wheels of the vehicle moving over the tubes 18 squeeze or force the air in these tubes in a forward direction into the larger, inflatable barrier members 22. The barrier members 22 which are in direct line with the moving wheels of the vehicle are inflated to a predetermined size as indicated by the dotted line 32 in FIG. 2. The barrier produced by the inflated barrier members 22 exists or is raised momentarily since each barrier member 22 is connected to a separate reservoir means 28 through a bleed-01f passage 30, and the bleed-off action commences when the build-up of air pressure in the barrier member 22 commences. The rate of bleedoff of the air pressure in each barrier member 22 is set according to the speed limit posted on the roadway 10. If the vehicle exceeds the speed limit, the barrier members 22 do not have a chance, or suificient time to bleedolf into the reservoirs 28 before the front wheels of the vehicle hits the momentarily created barrier. If the vehicle is moving within the posted speed limit, the barrier 5 members 22 bleed-off a sufiicient amount of air into their reservoirs 28 so that the vehicle will roll over the deflated barrier members 22 without incident.

It will be understood that the length of the air tubes 18, the internal diameters and air volume capacities would be selected in accordance with the capacities of the barrier members 22 and the

reservoirs

24 and 28, the flow capacity of the passages 30, and the time interval range required for a particular speed range over which the traflic control device may be employed. It will also be understood, that the flow capacity of the passages 30 may be varied to change the speed limit control for each traflic control apparatus without changing the other physical limitations of the particular apparatus.

The traffic control apparatuses of the present invention may be used on side streets in residential neighborhoods where many children have been injured by drivers operating their vehicles over the safe speed limits for such side streets. The traflic control device will provide a sense of relief to the parents of children in the neighborhood where it is used since they know the drivers passing over such streets will be made aware of their high speed it they travel over the safe speed limit.

The traffic control apparatus of the present invention may also be used in other locations, as for example, on freeway ramps to signal wrong way traflic on the ramps, on dangerous curves on freeways, and the like. A warning sign posted along a roadway announcing the use of the traffic control apparatus of the present invention would be effective in slowing down traflic violators, since they would be aware that they would hit the barrier created by the traflic control apparatus if they violate the posted speed limit.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A traffic control apparatus for indicating excessive speed of vehicles over a roadway, comprising:

(a) a plurality of closed, elongated, flexible air tubes;

(b) said plurality of air tubes being disposed parallel to the direction of flow of vehicular traflic over said roadway, and in a side-by-side relationship across said roadway;

(c) a plurality of closed, inflatable post-like tubular barrier members disposed at one end of said plurality of elongated air tubes, at right angles to the length of said tubes, and in alignment transverse of said roadway;

(d) each of said plurality of tubular barrier members being in fluid communication with at least one of said elongated air tubes; and,

(e) the other end of said plurality of elongated air tubes being disposed toward the approaching vehicular trafiic on said roadway, whereby the wheels of said vehicular traffic pass lengthwise over some of said elongated tubes causing the air in said tubes to be forced forwardly into respective tubular barrier members inflating said members to provide a momentary flexible barrier across said roadway in the path of said Wheels.

2. A traflic control apparatus as defined in claim 1,

including:

(a) reservoir means in fluid communication with each of said inflatable barrier members for relieving the air pressure in said barrier members.

3. A traflic control apparatus as defined in claim 1,

including:

(a) reservoir means for each of said inflatable barrier members;

(b) passage means connecting each barrier member to its respective reservoir means; and,

(c) each passage means being provided with a pre- 3 determined flow capacity for controlling the passage of air under pressure from a barrier member to its reservoir means.

4. A traffic control apparatus as defined in claim 3,

including:

(a) a reservoir means in fluid communication with each of said plurality of elongated air tubes at said other end of each air tube.

5. A trafiic control apparatus as defined in claim 4,

wherein:

(a) said elongated air tubes are connected together.

6. A trafiic control apparatus as defined in claim 4,

wherein:

(a) said tubular barrier members are connected together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,527,107 2/ 1925 Allen 2383 1,532,633 4/1925 Noble et al. 238--3 1,543,539 6/1925 Wrightson 238-3 1,649,877 11/1927 Walston 49273 1,660,559 2/1928 Hodgkinson 238-3 1,671,303 5/1928 McClure 238--3 2,457,512 12/ 1948 Wheeler 94-1 LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A TRAFFIC CONTROL APPARATUS FOR INDICATING EXCESSIVE SPEED OF VEHICLES OVER A ROADWAY, COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF CLOSED, ELONGATED, FLEXIBLE AIR TUBES; (B) SAID PLURALITY OF AIR TUBES BEING DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC OVER SAID ROADWAY, AND IN A SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP ACROSS SAID ROADWAY; (C) A PLURALITY OF CLOSED, INFLATABLE POST-LIKE TUBULAR BARRIER MEMBERS DISPOSED AT ONE END OF SAID PLURALITY OF ELONGATED AIR TUBES, AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBES, AND IN ALIGNMENT TRANSVERSE OF SAID ROADWAY; (D) EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF TUBULAR BARRIER MEMBERS BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ELONGATED AIR TUBES; AND, (E) THE OTHER END OF SAID PLURALITY OF ELONGATED AIR TUBES BEING DISPOSED TOWARD THE APPROACHING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON SAID ROADWAY, WHEREBY THE WHEELS OF SAID VEHICULAR TRAFFIC PASS LENGTHWISE OVER SOME OF SAID ELONGATED TUBES CAUSING THE AIR IN SAID TUBES TO BE FORCED FORWARDLY INTO RESPECTIVE TUBULAR BARRIER MEMBERS INFLATING SAID MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A MOMENTARY FLEXIBLE BARRIER ACROSS SAID ROADWAY IN THE PATH OF SAID WHEELS.