Traffic divider witl ballast fill and drainage channel

A track separator element for combining with other like elements to form a track separator for separating areas in which vehicle traffic flows from other areas. The track separator element is formed from a hollow body for accommodating ballasting fluid and has lateral flaps extending from its bottom base portion. The lateral flaps have deformations formed on their top surface for generating noise when a vehicle rides over them. An evacuation nozzle is connected to a hollow tube that allows the ballasting liquid to be easily emptied out of the element.

The present invention relates to a track separator element provided at each 
end with assembly devices in order to be assembled with other elements of 
this type and to form a track separator, the element comprising a hollow 
body which can be filled with ballasting liquid and a base for supporting 
it on the ground. 
Separator elements of this type are known according to different 
embodiments. These separator elements are to be asssembled in order to 
form track separators installed in a temporary manner for a more or less 
long period with if necessary one or several daily displacements of the 
elements all along the length of the separator, for example in order to 
alter the number of traffic lanes in one direction or in the other 
according to traffic at different times of the day. 
Initially, these separators were composed of concrete blocks in trapezoid 
section and ending with an extension. These separators similar to the "New 
Jersey" type separators were replaced in many cases by separator elements 
made of plastics materials which could be filled and which facilitated the 
displacement problems on the sites where they were used or transport to 
the site or the place where they were stored. 
However, all of these different separator elements have a relatively large 
width which obstructs the traffic and is necessary in order that these 
elements have sufficient stability in order to resist certain bias impact 
and to effectively separate the traffic lanes in a very safe manner. 
The drawback with this relatively large width is the encroachment on the 
traffic lane. More precisely, in the majority of cases where these 
separators are used the tracks are not of a normal width and every 
reduction in width, by the encroachment of the separators, reduces 
accordingly the available width which increases the risk of impact with 
the vehicles and which requires the traffic to travel at very reduced 
speeds etc. 
Furthermore, and despite the relatively significant weight of certain 
elements and the very sophisticated means of fastening and connecting the 
elements to each other, they move under the effect of an impact and often 
encroach in a significant and above all dangerous manner upon the adjacent 
track. 
Finally, although the hollow elements which can be filled are easy to 
manipulate when they are empty it is not the same when they are full. In 
order to empty them it is necessary to unscrew a plug but after they have 
been screwed/unscrewed several times without particular precaution being 
taken the threads are damaged and the plugs can no longer be screwed or 
rendered sealed. It is for this reason that the elements are filled and 
emptied via their upper opening; however in order to do this they have to 
be tilted up. 
The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks and proposes to 
provide a track separator element, which can be filled, which is easy to 
install and empty so that it can be moved, of which the resistance to 
displacement in case of impact is improved without the elements having to 
be attached to the ground and if possible by reducing the width which 
obstructs the traffic with respect to that of the elements without 
complicating the production or installation thereof. 
The invention also aims to provide a separator element which, whilst 
allowing the vehicle to go over onto its base, informs motorists that they 
are getting too close to the side of the separator and risk bumping into 
it and which prevents the element from being able to slide at the moment 
when the tire approaches the base or if it does slide that the stresses 
thus induced in the element can be absorbed effectively by the upstream 
element and the downstream element, and finally in order that if a wheel 
approaches the side of the element and rubs against it this element has no 
roughness which can abruptly increase this rubbing effect and cause a 
collision. 
To that effect, the invention concerns a track separator element of the 
above type having the characteristics of the first claim. 
In this way, as the base of the element is laterally provided, on each 
side, with a support band, when the wheel of a vehicle rolls on this band, 
the element is locked in place by the weight of the wheel and of the 
vehicle and cannot move. This is also true when the wheel only begins to 
roll onto the band although the weight of the wheel would not be 
sufficient at this moment to prevent the block from sliding. However as 
the element in question is connected by means of a non-extensible 
articulation to the upstream element and to the downstream element, this 
element cannot move back or deviate from course owing to this connection 
to the other elements. 
The removal of an element is extremely simple because in order to empty it 
it is sufficient to remove the tube of its holding device and to let it 
fall to the ground. The water of the element is discharged by itself. This 
enables the removal procedures of elements of this type to be simplified 
considerably because it is not necessary to tilt up elements of this type 
filled with liquid; Moreover this tilting is difficult to do by hand 
because, on the one hand the element alone is heavy and can contain in the 
order of 300 liters of water an on the other hand the element must first 
be separated from the elements adjacent thereto. The latter necessitates 
means of connection between the elements which can be opened when the 
elements are still in place. It is often difficult to open them because if 
the elements were slightly displaced this displacement is expressed by 
considerable traction stresses exerted between the elements and these 
traction stresses in general block the assembling means: two problems then 
arise: elements which cannot be separated in order to empty them and as a 
result cannot be tilted up as at this moment they are too heavy. It is 
therefore necessary according to the prior art to begin to separate the 
last element from the line, to empty it then to pass to the following 
element and so on. 
On the other hand, according to the invention, the order in which the 
elements are evacuated does not matter and it is even possible to remove 
the intermediary elements by leaving in place the other elements as once 
the elements (s) is (are) empty it is sufficient to remove them 
vertically, which is possible and easy as the elements are not heavy but 
only bulky. This process is further facilitated by handles situated at the 
ends of the elements. 
As moreover, the elements are fitted with lateral protection and continuity 
devices, at the articulation, the roughness which can catch a vehicle too 
close to the element is a practically non-existent risk. 
Finally, the manner in which the elements are emptied is very simple by 
disengaging the tubes; it is not necessary as already indicated to unscrew 
a plug, a lengthy process in itself and furthermore this unscrewing step 
frequently renders the elements unusable because after they have been 
screwed up several times, when the screws have been cross-threaded, 
screwing up and/or sealing are no longer possible. 
Other characteristics of the invention are the object of claims 2 to 9. 
The present invention will be described in a more detailed manner using the 
attached diagrams in which: 
FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of a separator element according to the 
invention, showing in dashed lines the shape and seating on the ground of 
a known separator element. 
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a track separator 
element viewed from the rear according to the orientation of FIG. 3. 
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the separator element of FIG. 2. 
FIG. 4 is a top view of two track separators and illustrates the connection 
between the male and female assembly devices. 
FIG. 5 is a partial side view with a median half section of the separator 
element according to the invention. 
FIG. 6 is a schematic view from below of a part of the element of FIG. 4, 
showing the evacuation tube and the cavity.

According to FIG. 1, the track separator element which has length enabling 
it to be manipulated and depending on the material from which it is made 
(for example in the order of 1.2 m to 1.5 m) has a substantially 
triangular section with a base (1), inclined sides (2, 3), a top (4) and 
connection and/or articulation means at the ends of each element. The 
latter means can take on the most diverse of forms. 
This separator element is provided with lateral bands (5, 6) which extend 
all along the length of the separator in a continuous or discontinuous 
manner by overlapping if necessary in order that the lateral bands of a 
separator cover those of the other in the direction in which the vehicles 
are travelling. 
The lower surface (7, 8) of the lateral bands consists of means increasing 
the adherence of these surfaces on the ground (9). The upper surfaces (10, 
11) of the lateral bands are provided with deformations such as striae, 
bosses and grooves, which generate a sound when a vehicle tire passes over 
these bands. 
The width of the lateral bands (5, 6) is sufficient for a vehicle wheel to 
go over the band and press it sufficiently to the ground in order to block 
the separator element. 
The adherence to the ground of the separator elements according to the 
ivention is increased by the means (7, 8) such as the rough parts, supple 
surfaces, ets. produced under lateral bands (5, 6). 
When a wheel rolls onto one of the bands (5, 6), even if the vehicle or the 
wheel touches the separator element, they cannot push it back as the wheel 
is pressing on the band. In addition, the rolling of the wheel to the 
surface (10, 11) of the band (5, 6) produces a sound depending on the 
speed of the travel and the distribution of the deformations. This sound 
is picked up by drivers who know they are going over the lateral band and 
that they must correct the direction in which they are travelling. 
The outline of a known separator element is represented in short dashes 
with the references M, N, showing the seating on the ground and the 
spatial requirement. 
FIGS. 2 to 6 explain the means of the invention by a particularly 
advantageous embodiment. 
The separator element (20), in the form of a prismatic, hollow chamber, 
which can be filled with a ballasting liquid (water) comprises at each end 
an assembly device 21A, 21B, (FIG. 4). At the base the element is provided 
with lateral bands (22, 23) comprising striae (24, 25) leaving a slightly 
hollow smooth band (26, 27) for receiving a reflecting display sticker. 
According to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the element (20) comprises at its upper part 
an opening with a plug (28) for filling. The interior chamber (29) thereof 
extends into the the lateral bands (22, 23) which are double-walled, so as 
to connect the different zones to the base of the interior chamber (29), 
in particular those produced as a result of the cavity (30) at the base of 
the element (20), and serving to increase the rigidity thereof. This 
cavity allows, in addition, water to trickle through and provides access 
to the emptying means as will be explained herein below. The inner 
reinforcement of the element is completed by connections (31) so that the 
element is not deformed under the effect of hydrostatic pressure. 
According to FIG. 2, at the base, the element comprises a nozzle (32) to 
which an emptying tube (33) is attached. When this tube (33) rests on the 
ground as shown, it enables all the parts of the chamber (29) to be 
emptied through the tube (33). As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle (32) which 
connects the tube (33) to the interior of the element (20) is connected to 
the interior portion of the lateral band (22). As previously explained, 
the interior chamber (29) is in fluid communication with the lateral band 
(22). Therefore, a drainage path for fluid within the interior chamber 
(29) is provided through the lateral band (22), the nozzle (32) and out 
the tube (33). In this manner, all parts of the chamber (29) can be 
emptied through the tube (33). 
On the other hand, in order to conserve the ballasting liquid in the 
element (20) it is sufficient to raise the tube (33) and to hold it in 
this position. For this purpose the side of the element comprises 
laterally a fixing device (FIG. 3) in the form of housing (34) which 
receives the corresponding part of the flexible tube (33) by clipping; the 
tube (33) therefore remains held in this housing (34). 
FIGS. 2 and 3 also show the substantially symmetrical overall shape of the 
element (20), having a triangular section, terminating in the upper part 
in a rectangular box (37) the lateral faces of which have locations (38) 
for the self-reflecting stickers. The sides of the elements are provided 
with stiffening deformations (39) (FIGS. 2, 3) and (39, 39') (FIG. 4). As 
was already mentioned, the cavity (30) is open on the two sides of the 
element (20) in order to form a passage (40) for water. This passage (40) 
is not symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal median plane and this 
cavity is enlarged on the nozzle side (32) in order to facilitate the 
access to the tube (33). Finally, at each end, the element (20) consists 
of a cavity forming a handle (41) and the assembly devices (21A, 21B). 
In FIG. 2, the device (21A) appears recessed to the inside in FIG. 2 and 
raised in FIG. 3, the assembly of two male/female devices (21A, 21B) 
appearing in FIG. 4. 
The male device (21A) is a circular cylinder with a vertical axis XX which 
engages in the female device (21B) which is in concave cylindrical form, 
having the same axis but a complementary section. These sections are 
selected in order to facilitate the engagement and to enable alignment 
errors to be absorbed or more frequently to follow curved lines. 
The device (21A) is bordered on one side by a prismatic extension (51) of 
the body of the element (20) and on the other side by an stop plate (52). 
The other end of the element (20) comprises a female device (21B) bordered 
on each side by an extension and an stop plate in order to cooperate 
respectively with the plate andd the end extension of an element to which 
the present element is attached. 
Thus there is support between the extension and the plate of two elements 
(20) (FIG. 4) at each end of the assembled element. 
In order that the devices (51, 52) cooperate and strengthen each other 
reciprocally, the extension (53) has an recessed surface (53) in which the 
plate (52) can be housed. Each side of the device (21A) is arranged in 
this way. 
This cooperation closes the gap between the body of two elements and 
renders the separator smooth at the assembly points. 
The view from below in FIG. 5 shows the shape of the lateral bands (22, 
23), the connection between the passage (40) and the cavity (30) as well 
as the nozzle (32), the tube (33) and the housing (34) thereof. According 
to this FIG. 6, the cavity (30) ends at each end in a transverse junction 
(54) to which the base (55) of the device (21A) is connected. 
Finally, on the top of the element (FIG. 4) there are housings (60, 61, 62) 
of receiving the supports or fixing means for the signalling or display 
means. The track separator elements, such as those described above are 
preferably made from plastics materials, in particular by means of the 
rotational moulding process since large-sized pieces are involved. 
It should be pointed out that the shape of the element can undergo numerous 
and various modifications making sure however in order that the internal 
partitioning, in particular at the cavity (30), is such that on the one 
hand fillable chambers are situated at a low level in order to lower the 
centre of gravity and to increase the stability of the element above when 
it is windy, and on the other hand to connect different chambers for the 
filling and emptying thereof.