VEHICLE CONTROL BARRIER

Abstract

A barrier adapted to be set up for temporary traffic control comprises a man-portable unit placed on the ground from which a boom, preferably in the form of a reelable tube, can be withdrawn. The boom extends at an oblique angle to the ground in its “down” position and a motor within the ground-standing unit can raise and lower it between that position and an “up” position at a greater angle to the ground in which traffic can pass.

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle control barriers and in one aspect seeks to provide a form of barrier which can be easily transported and rapidly deployed for use at, for example, temporary security checkpoints or more generally where a need arises for temporary traffic control e.g. at construction sites, events, road accidents and so on.

In one aspect the invention accordingly resides in means for deployment as a vehicle control barrier comprising a man-portable unit adapted to be placed on the ground in use of the barrier; means for defining an elongate barrier member to project upwardly from said unit at an oblique angle to the ground in a barring position; and means to enable raising and lowering of said barrier member between said barring position and a non-barring position at a greater angle to the ground.

The barrier member is preferably extendible and retractable with respect to said unit and may in this respect be of telescopic or even inflatable form, but more preferably is formed as a reelable tube. This is an important feature of the invention, which in another aspect resides in means for deployment as a vehicle control barrier comprising a reelable tube adapted to define an elongate barrier member to project in a barring position when withdrawn from its reel assembly; and means to enable pivoting of said tube, when withdrawn as aforesaid, between barring and non-barring positions.

In yet another aspect the invention resides in means for deployment as a vehicle arresting system comprising means as defined above for deployment as a barrier in the path of oncoming vehicles; means for detecting the impact with said barrier of a vehicle which drives through said barrier; and means for deploying a vehicle arresting device in the path of such vehicle in response to the detection of such impact.

The arresting device in such a system is preferably in the form of a net adapted to be laid flat on the ground with one or more transverse rows of upwardly-directed spikes attached to the net at a leading portion thereof.

These and other features of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle control barrier according to the invention as deployed and in its barring position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a unit from which the barrier of FIG. 1 can be deployed, with its boom fully retracted;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the unit of FIG. 2, with the boom in the course of extension;

FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 3, with the boom more fully extended;

FIG. 5 illustrates the unit of FIG. 2 in the course of transportation;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the interior of the unit of FIG. 2, with a cover plate removed;

FIG. 7 illustrates the deployment of the barrier of FIG. 1 in a system also comprising a vehicle arresting device in readiness to be deployed to arrest a vehicle if the barrier is driven through; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the system of FIG. 8 with the vehicle arresting device deployed following impact with barrier.

FIG. 1 illustrates a portable vehicle control barrier according to the invention in its deployed condition as viewed head on to approaching traffic. It comprises a unit 1 placed on the ground G from which a boom 2 extends upwardly at an oblique angle to lie within the path of approaching traffic. In this Figure the boom 2 is shown with a removable “STOP” sign 3 clipped onto it. The boom 2 is in the form of a reelable tube withdrawn from a reel assembly 4 as will be more particularly described below, and the reel assembly 4 is mounted on the side of a case 5 which houses a battery, motor and other components for operation of the barrier as will also be more particularly described below. The reel assembly 4 can be driven to turn as a whole about an axis X relative to the case 5 through a limited angle in order to raise and lower the barrier represented by boom 2. That is to say to raise the barrier from the condition shown in FIG. 1 and allow vehicles to pass, the assembly 4 is turned anticlockwise (as viewed) to pivot the boom 2 upwards in the sense of the arrow in the Figure until it is substantially vertical to the ground; return rotation of the assembly 4 from that position through an equivalent angle will then return the boom 2 to its illustrated barring position.

FIG. 2 shows the unit 1 with the boom 2 fully retracted and FIGS. 3 and 4 with the boom in subsequent stages of deployment, and the lid 6 of the case 5 opened. The case 5 has an extendable handle 7 and wheels 8 so that the whole unit 1 can be transported (with the boom 2 retracted) by one person as indicated in FIG. 5.

The reel assembly 4 comprises a pair of linked side plates 9 between which is supported a coil of ribbon or tape-like material 10. The material 10 can be drawn off from the coil through a set of roller balls 11 and naturally forms itself into a stable tubular structure in which its opposite side edges curve round towards each other, as shown particularly by FIGS. 3 and 4. These edges may butt together at a longitudinal seam 12 as shown in FIG. 4, or in other embodiments stability may be achieved with the wall of the “tube” forming less than a complete circle as viewed in section, typically extending around 270 to 315 degrees of arc. (Note: the circumferential lines shown on the boom 2 in the Figures represent surface markings to increase its visibility in use and are not intended to depict a segmented structure). This process is reversible in that pushing the tubular structure back towards the reel assembly naturally flattens and rewinds the material into the original coiled form. Such reelable tubes are known per se and examples are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,987, EP0357658 and EP0891248. One form of reelable tube that may be particularly suitable for incorporating in a barrier according to the invention is manufactured by Rolatube Technology Limited and marketed by reference to the term “bi-stable reeled composite technology”, the material such as 10 comprising a thermoplastics matrix with reinforcing fibres to bias the material between its two stable states.

FIG. 6 illustrates principal components within the case 5 beneath a main cover plate 13. They include an electric storage battery 14, motor 15 and gearbox 16 with an output shaft 17 to which the reel assembly 4 is attached for raising and lowering the barrier. The battery 14 is positioned to counterbalance the weight of the deployed boom 2 as far as possible and springs 18 act through levers attached to the shaft 17 to counter the torque from the boom 2 in the “down” position and provide some resistance as it moves towards the fully “up” position, the result being a lower load on the gearbox 16 and smoother operation with less tendency to overshoot when raising and lowering. Limit switches 19 are provided to define the end positions for motor operation when raising and lowering. Control electronics are notionally indicated at 20 in FIG. 6 and various control and test switches 21 and indicators 22 are notionally indicated on the cover plate 13 in FIGS. 2 to 4. Raising and lowering of the barrier can be controlled by an operator at the plate 13 or by means of a remote control link to the unit 1.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated unit can be easily wheeled or carried to any location where it may be required and rapidly deployed by laying the case 5 on the ground and withdrawing the boom 2 from the reel assembly 4. The withdrawal of the boom, and its subsequent rewinding when the barrier is no longer required or is to be moved, can easily be performed by hand, although in other embodiments a form of motorised deployment and retraction of the boom could be provided. The unit 1 needs no special foundations or ground anchorage, which also facilitates its rapid deployment, although additional means may be employed to secure it in place more permanently if desired. The barrier is adaptable to different road widths simply by choosing the overall length of boom 2 to be withdrawn from the reel assembly 4.

It will also be appreciated that, being a relatively lightweight structure, the illustrated barrier is intended principally to act as a visual signal to stop (and an indicator of driver's intent if driven through), and might not physically prevent a vehicle's continued passage if the driver is intent on driving through. Should a vehicle fail to stop with the barrier in the “down” position the whole unit might be swept aside (at least when in a freestanding mode), thereby avoiding major damage to the structure. The boom 2 could also be configured to taper towards its free end and thereby increase its flexibility to reduce the risk of damage in the event of impact from a vehicle.

However, it is also envisaged to employ a barrier of this kind as the “front end” of a system to positively arrest any vehicle which fails to stop when required. In this respect the unit 1 may also include one or more accelerometers to sense the impact of a vehicle which drives through the barrier when in the “down” position, a signal from such device then being used to deploy a vehicle arresting device across the roadway behind the barrier. Such a vehicle arrester may in particular be a device of the kind marketed by the present applicant under the registered trade mark “X-Net” and as described in WO2004/072382. This comprises a net intended to be laid flat on the ground in the path of an oncoming vehicle and having rows of upwardly-directed barbed spikes attached to the net along its leading edge. When a vehicle runs over the device the spikes lodge in its front tyres and the net is caused to wrap around the front wheels, being pulled tight under the vehicle so that the tension in the net prevents further rotation of the wheels and the vehicle is brought to a stop.

A system of this kind is depicted in FIG. 7. In this example a portable barrier A as described above comprising the boom 2 extending from unit 1 is set up at a checkpoint on a roadway B. The barrier A is located some distance in front of a “choke” point through which vehicles must pass to continue their journey or reach a restricted area or building for example, and which is defined by obstructions notionally indicated at 23 in the Figure on either side of the roadway B. An “X-Net” vehicle arrester C is located in a folded condition to one side of the roadway at the “choke” point between obstructions 23, in readiness to be deployed in case of need. A winch 24 is anchored to the ground at a suitable location on the opposite side of the roadway to the device C and is connected thereto by cables 25 and 26 which pass around pulleys 27 and 28 (also anchored to the ground) and across the roadway to the folded vehicle arrester. The cables 25,26 lie on the ground and do not themselves present an impediment to the passage of authorised vehicles through the “choke” point when permitted by raising of the barrier A.

In the event that a vehicle fails to stop at the checkpoint and drives through the barrier A, however, as indicated by the swept-aside barrier in FIG. 8, a shock sensor within the unit 1 sends a signal to the winch 24 over a wired or wireless link notionally indicated at 30. In response the winch rapidly reels in the cables 25,26 and deploys the “X-Net” device C across the roadway as also seen in FIG. 8, before the vehicle (itself not shown) can reach the “choke” point. Further progress of the vehicle will then be halted by the device C as more particularly described in WO2004/072382. “Weak links” with a specified breaking strain will be included at the connections between the cables 25,26 and arrester C to enable the latter to detach from the deployment system under the action of wrapping around the wheels of the vehicle and making the arrest.

Claims

1. A vehicle control barrier comprising a man-portable unit adapted to be placed on the ground in use of the barrier; an elongate barrier member adapted to project upwardly from said unit at an oblique angle to the ground in a barring position; and said barrier member being arranged in use to be raised and lowered between said barring position and a non-barring position at a greater angle to the ground.

2. A barrier according to claim 1 wherein said barrier member is extendible from and retractable into said unit.

3. A barrier according to claim 2 wherein said barrier member is in the form of a reelable tube.

4. A barrier according to claim 3 wherein said barrier member is arranged to be raised and lowered by pivoting with respect to said unit a reel assembly from which said tube is withdrawn.

5. A barrier according to claim 1 wherein said unit is equipped with wheels and a handle to facilitate its transportation by one person.

6. A vehicle control barrier comprising a reelable tube adapted to define an elongate barrier member to project in a barring position when withdrawn from its reel assembly; and said tube being arranged to be pivoted, when withdrawn as aforesaid, between barring and non-barring positions.

7. A barrier according to claim 6 wherein said reelable tube is comprised in a man-portable unit adapted to be placed on the ground in use of the barrier.

8. A barrier according to claim 7 wherein said unit is equipped with wheels and a handle to facilitate its transportation by one person.

9. (canceled)

10. A vehicle arresting system comprising a barrier according to claim 1 deployed in the path of oncoming vehicles; a detector for detecting the impact with said barrier of a vehicle which drives through said barrier; and a vehicle arresting device adapted to be deployed in the path of such vehicle in response to the detection of such impact.

11. A system according to claim 10 comprising a vehicle arresting device in the form of a net adapted to be laid flat on the ground with one or more transverse rows of upwardly-directed spikes attached to the net at a leading portion thereof.

12. A system according to claim 11 comprising a winch adapted to pull said vehicle arresting device across the path of a vehicle in response to the detection of impact with said barrier.

13. (canceled)

14. A vehicle arresting system comprising a barrier according to claim 6 deployed in the path of oncoming vehicles; a detector for detecting the impact with said barrier of a vehicle which drives through said barrier; and a vehicle arresting device adapted to be deployed in the path of such vehicle in response to the detection of such impact.

15. A system according to claim 14 comprising a vehicle arresting device in the form of a net adapted to be laid flat on the ground with one or more transverse rows of upwardly-directed spikes attached to the net at a leading portion thereof.

16. A system according to claim 15 comprising a winch adapted to pull said vehicle arresting device across the path of a vehicle in response to the detection of impact with said barrier.

17. A barrier according to claim 4 comprising a motor within said unit for pivoting said reel assembly.

18. A barrier according to claim 7 comprising a motor within said unit for pivoting said reel assembly.