New Britain herald., 1922-03-14
INvENTS GUARD TO PROTECT MOTORISTS
LaVSol'S Idea May Prevent Cars
 Going On Roads

honor 70 be the first inventor in the country to take up the important question of safety on the highways from the point of view Of the pro lection of the state roads from acci- dents arising from machines and oth- CT traffic falling over embankments in roadways where there is q sharp declivity on one side or the other. Many as these declivities are on tlfe state roads of Connecticut, where the roadway rounds the side Of hill or mountain, they amount to but little in comparison with the number of sim liar conditions. found in states where more hily or mountainous surround | ings prevail,
 Connected with the West Haven police and being further, mechanic Of tried ability, John A. Lawson, of | West Haven, is well versed in both the source of accidents of this nature and the best methods to combat them.
 Dangers To Drivers All automobilists are familiar with the long lines of white painted picket | l throughout this and other states, and | while the paint as general rule, well kept in this state, shows up well at night and affords a fair warning, | yet in foggy weather or at dawn or | twilight, such fences are of little if any use, and Mr. Lawson's invention affords not only the warning offered by the fence, if seen, but also-which is far more essential affords the greatest possible protection to drivers of cars who come suddenly on a curve in the road with a deep fall on the l outside of the curve. In these days when heavily built state roads skirt the edges Of hills and mountains and cross valleys, in order to keep a maxi mum of level going, many a mile of roadway with a death trap on one side or the other is negotiated daily by those whose business keeps them on the road sometimes for hours to- gether
 The Lawson idea is to erect on such sections of the roadway as calls for it, steel fence some five feet in height and held in position by braces
  der the roadway, the whole calculated to stand the pressure of several tons and affording ample protection for any car which might inadvertently overlook a sudden bend in the road with an embankment on the side, or which might suddenly suffer an af- lection of the steering gear, or which might find itself suddenly threatened with a fall as the result of collision. Reports of automobile accidents the country over are full of fatalities arising from just these conditions where roadways are unprotected.
 It is impossible to go through the Road Guard" and about the worst which could happen to machine whose driver overlooked the condi- tons described. would be little possible damage to front lenders and lamps.
 To Confer With Bennett
 Mir. Lawson is planning a confer ence with Highway Commissioner Charles l.. Bennett, with a view to the adoption of the device on the highways of Connecticut and he is al- so in communication with the Beth lehem Steel company and similar cor porations having in mind arrange nents for the manufacture of the Road Guard" on a large scale. A very careful search throughout the patent department in Washington, during a recent visit by Mir. Lawson accompanied by his attorneys, proved l brought before the department by any other inventor, proving that the idea is unique. While in Washington, the visitor visited Congressman John O. Tilson, of Connecticut, who expressed himself as favorably impressed with the proposed road protection No Braces Needed
 A feature of the arrangement lies in the fact that the device, when erected, presents nothing but a smooth steel front to the automobile, no braces are on the inside of the steel fence, all braces being on the outside and attached to buried an- chor pieces, deeply imbedded.
 Not only on sections of the road way as described will the device be of great safety value, but it is pro- posed to erect such steel fences, with an outward curve at the approach to small bridges over creeks and minor streams so that the oncoming car may be actually "steered" into the safe confines of the road when such an obstacle is arrived at suddenly at high rate of speed on an unknown road.
 MT. Lawson has taken every neces- sary precauton to protect his inven- ton and the usual patent papers are pending In the meantime he is us- ing every. effort to develop the almost unlimited field which the entire coun- try offers for the device
 Former Local Man
 Mir Lawson formerly lived in this oif of ,i,,o tl,