Patent Publication Number: US-11639587-B2

Title: Friction-increasing element for attachment to a roadblock, and roadblock provided with at least one such friction-increasing element

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to The Netherlands Patent Application No. 2022924 filed Apr. 11, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a friction-increasing element for attachment to a roadblock and to a roadblock provided with a least one such friction-increasing element. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Roadblocks are temporary installations set up to control or block traffic, e.g. during roadworks, temporary road closure and as a security precaution, as Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). The usage demands of such roadblocks are various. Preferably a roadblock is easy to install and remove, as well as easy to transport and store. These demands may for instance be provided by an elongated element substantially shaped as a traffic barrier, which traffic barrier may—or may not—be firmly connected to the ground or surface. A further elementary requirement of a roadblock is that it provides an essential blocking functionality as it has to be able to handle the forces exerted on the roadblock exerted by a vehicle that collides with the roadblock. The blocking functionality may be provided by the combination of various technical features like the shape of the roadblock, the weight (mass) of the roadblock, the connection(s) of the roadblock with the surface and/or one or more roadblock support(s). And even when one or more of the possible mounting assemblies break, disconnect from the roadblock and/or when the mounting assemblies detach from their position due to a considerable force being exerted on the roadblock as a result of the impact of a vehicle onto the roadblock, the roadblock still is required to fulfil a blocking function. 
     An actual development is that there is an enhanced attention for the blocking functionality of roadblocks as a result of an increased awareness in the protection of public spaces. This increased awareness is, among others, a result of several recent terrorist attacks, wherein vehicles (cars and trucks) were used. The request is thus to further enhance the blocking capabilities of—both existing and new—roadblocks. The problem is thus to provide a simple solution to enhance the blocking capabilities of roadblocks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This problem is solved with a friction-increasing element for attachment to a roadblock, comprising a friction-increasing element body for attachment to the roadblock, and at least one tapered contact edge, which tapered contact edge is carried by the friction-increasing element body such that the tapered contact edge is facing away from the friction-increasing element body. A “tapered contact edge” within the context of the present invention is referring to an edge (or ridge) that may end in one or more teeth or in any other kind of edge with one or more protruding parts. The one or more peaks or tops of such a toothed edge may or may not be sharp. The advantage of the friction-increasing element according to the present invention is that when a roadblock to which the friction-increasing element may be attached tilts, or is toppled, due to a substantial impact to the roadblock the tapered contact edge of the friction-increasing element may contact the ground (or surface) the roadblock stood on until the moment of impact. Due to the contact of the tapered contact edge the friction between the frictional resistance between the road barrier and the ground increases due to which the further displacement (shift) of the barrier over the ground is inhibited or prevented. The cause of this is the local high pressure on the location(s) where the protruding tooth (teeth) engage on the ground/floor. The tooth or teeth so to say may “bite” into the ground. A further advantageous characteristic of the friction-increasing element according the present invention is that new roadblocks may be provided with one or more of them but also roadblocks that are already in use may easy be adapted by attaching one or more friction-increasing elements. The friction-increasing element according the invention may also be easy, and thus cheap, to produce, requires no specific maintenance and is reliable in use. 
     In an embodiment the friction-increasing element body and the at least one tapered contact edge may lie in a single plane. Such a friction-increasing element is simple to produce from a flat piece of starting material. Furthermore the friction-increasing element body and the at least one tapered contact edge may be made from a single plate part and as starting material steel may be chosen. In practice steel sheet material is easy to obtain at reasonable prices. Also during the production of prior art traffic barriers and roadblocks often use is made of steel plate material so the production of a steel plate produced friction-increasing element will normally fit the production facilities of traffic barrier and roadblock producers without the demand for substantive changes of adaptation. 
     In another embodiment the friction-increasing element body may carry at least two tapered contact edges, the at least two tapered contact edges being located on opposite sides of the friction-increasing element body. Such a friction increasing-element may provide an enhanced frictional resistance between a road barrier and the ground in two directions after tilting or toppling of the friction increasing-element. Normally a road barrier has a longitudinal shape and there are in practise only two directions for tilting (forward and back). With two tapered contact edges friction increasing-element may provide its advantages independent of the direction of tilting. 
     The tapered contact edge may be teethed, wherein an edge with a single tooth is an option, but the edge may also have two or more teeth. Dependent on the user characteristics (e.g. the type of ground/surface the roadblock is normally used) a different shape of tapered contact edge may be preferred. In this respect there may also be chosen for a tapered contact edge made out of a plate material of which the plate thickness narrows towards the tapered contact edge. 
     There are several options to combine the friction-increasing element with a roadblock. An option is to provide the friction-increasing element body with at least one couple member for connecting the friction-increasing element to a roadblock. A form-fitting coupling between the friction-increasing element and the roadblock may lead to a solid and sturdy connection between the barrier and the friction-increasing element but also standardised loose connections means may be used for coupling. A further feature for simple coupling may be to provide the friction-increasing element body with at least one couple opening for connecting the friction-increasing element to a roadblock. 
     The friction-increasing element body may also be provided with at least one, but preferably at least two, lifting openings. As the friction-increasing element has to be solidly attached to the roadblock this solid coupling may also be used for the controlled displacement of the roadblock. So the lifting openings enable to attach a manipulator (e.g. a crane) to the friction-increasing element, with which manipulator the roadblock may be installed and/or removed. 
     The present invention also provides a roadblock provided with a least one friction-increasing element as disclosed above, the roadblock comprising an elongated casing, having two opposing longitudinal side walls and an, the two side walls joining, upper wall; and at least one casing support structure located in the elongate casing and connecting to both the side walls; wherein the friction-increasing element body of a friction-increasing element is attached to the upper wall of the roadblock such that at least one tapered contact edge of the friction-increasing element is protruding from a longitudinal side wall of the roadblock. If such roadblock tilts or topples the contact edge of the friction-increasing element protruding from the longitudinal wall may come in contact with the ground to provide its function. In case two opposite tapered contact edges of the at least one friction-increasing element are protruding from the two opposing longitudinal side walls of the roadblock the additional functionality of enhance frictional resistance to displacement (shift) of the barrier over the ground may be provided independent on the direction of tilting/toppling of the roadblock (thus both: tilting forward or back). 
     For a solid assembly of a friction-increasing element and a roadblock the friction-increasing element may be attached to the upper wall of the roadblock at a location that is supported by the casing support structure. The forces imposed onto the friction-increasing element may—at the brief moments of its use—be very substantial and thus a solid coupling of the friction-increasing element, in which the forces exerted onto the friction-increasing element may be passed through to the casing support structure, is elementary. 
     To further enhance the effect sought for the roadblock according the present invention it may also be provided with at least two friction-increasing elements, which friction-increasing elements are preferably spaced apart attached to the upper wall of the roadblock. Not only will plural friction-increasing elements enhance the effect of increasing the frictional resistance between the road barrier and the ground but also the distribution of the forces exerted on the roadblock will be more evenly distributed than when only a single friction-enhancing element is part of the roadblock. 
     The at least one friction-increasing element may be an integral part of the roadblock and as such included during the production of the roadblock. As an alternative the friction-increasing element may also be attached to a “standard roadblock” later in the production process or even later in the lifecycle of a roadblock. For instance the at least one friction-increasing element may be permanently coupled to the upper wall of the roadblock, e.g. by welding the friction-increasing element body onto the upper wall of the roadblock. An advantage of such attachment method is that roadblocks already in use may simply be converted. A further alternative is that at least one friction-increasing element is releasably coupled to the upper wall of the roadblock, e.g. by bolting the friction-increasing element body onto the upper wall of the roadblock. The advantage of releasable coupling the friction-increasing element body and the roadblock is that a friction-increasing element may also easily be removed and/or exchanged for another friction-increasing element. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures, herein shows: 
         FIG.  1    a perspective view of a friction-increasing element according the present invention that is attached to a roadblock; 
         FIG.  2    a perspective view of a roadblock according the present invention with four friction-increasing elements attached; 
         FIG.  3    a schematic side view of a roadblock with friction-increasing element in a toppled/tilted position wherein the roadblock is tilted and the friction-increasing element makes contact with the ground; and 
         FIGS.  4 A- 4 C  schematic top views of three alternative embodiments of friction-increasing elements according the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG.  1    shows a friction-increasing element  1  with a central friction-increasing element body  2  wherein four openings  3  are provided for the passage of fixing bolts  4  to attach the friction-increasing element  1  to an upper wall  5  of a roadblock  6 . Also visible are two lifting openings  7  for attachment of a lifting hook (not shown here). On two opposite sides of the friction-increasing element body  2  there are two contact edges  8  (tapered contact edges) with protruding teeth  9 . The friction-increasing element  1  is so dimensioned that the teeth  9  of two contact edges  8  protrude from side walls  10  of the roadblock  6 . 
       FIG.  2    shows a perspective side view on the roadblock  6  carrying four spaced apart friction-increasing elements  1 . The friction-increasing elements  1  are attached to the roadblock  6  above the location where casing support structures are located in the elongate casing  11 , from these casing support structures only parts  12  that protrude from a side wall of the elongate casing  11  are visible in this figure. Also shown are the bottom plates  13  and the anchors  14  for anchoring the roadblock  6  to the ground. 
       FIG.  3    shows a schematic view of a roadblock  6  that is toppled over, e.g. due to a substantial impact. The bottom plates  13  are in the depicted position loose from the ground  15  and the anchors  14  are broken and/or pulled out of the ground  15 . The toppling of the roadblock  6  results in the tapered contact edge  8  of the friction-increasing element  1  that protrudes from the sides of the roadblock  6  to contact the ground  15  and makes the toppled roadblock  15  harder to move (shift) over the ground  15  due to the teeth of the contact edge  8  of the friction-increasing element  1  engaging onto the ground  15 . 
       FIG.  4 A  shows in schematic top view a friction-increasing element  20  according the present invention with a friction-increasing element body  21  for attachment to a roadblock and a single tapered contact edge  22  provided with two protruding teeth  23 . In  FIG.  4 B  a further alternative embodiment of a friction-increasing element  25  according the present invention is shown with a friction-increasing element body  21  for attachment to a roadblock and two opposed tapered contact edges  26 , both provided with a single protruding tooth  27 .  FIG.  4 C  shows a third alternative embodiment of a friction-increasing element  30  according the present invention, now with a single tapered contact edge  31  provided with two rounded protruding teeth  32 .