Patent ID: 9611601
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: E01F

Claim:
1. A crash absorbing guardrail panel assembly comprising: an elongated first rail panel having a first rail panel front portion and a first rail panel rear portion; an elongated second rail panel having a second rail panel front portion and a second rail panel rear portion, said first rail panel rear portion and said second rail panel front portion being in side by side overlapping relationship; an end terminal operatively associated with said first rail panel and responsive to vehicle frontal impact on the end terminal to move said first rail panel rearwardly lengthwise along said second rail panel, said second rail panel including upper and lower edge portions having edges; and a braking structure attached to said first rail panel and movable therewith engaging at least one of said upper and lower edge portions of said second rail panel to apply frictional forces thereto resisting rearward lengthwise movement of said front rail panel relative to said second rail panel to dissipate kinetic energy of the first rail panel sliding along the second rail panel and absorb impact forces, said braking structure attached to said first rail panel in engagement with the edges of both of said upper and lower edge portions of said second rail panel, and said first rail panel including upper and lower edge portions and said braking structure including two sliders attached to said first rail panel, one of said sliders attached to the upper edge portion of said first rail panel and the other of said sliders attached to the lower edge portion of said first rail panel, said sliders including housings welded or otherwise fixedly attached to the upper and lower edge portions of said first rail panel and defining elongated slots receiving the upper and lower edge portions of said second rail panel, said sliders additionally including brake pads positioned in said elongated slots engageable with the edges of the upper and lower edge portions of said second rail panel.