Patent ID: 8424849

Claim:
A guardrail system comprising: a first rail; a second rail telescopingly arranged with said first rail; a slider mechanism configured to fit over and substantially surround said first rail and said second rail, and shaped to substantially conform with a profile of at least one of said first rail and said second rail, said slider mechanism having an integral attachment portion for attaching the slider mechanism to said first rail, wherein said first rail and said second rail telescopingly slide within said slider mechanism during a side-angled impact to substantially prevent gating of said first and second rails; and an angled bracket attached to at least one of said first rail and said second rail and which abuts against at least one edge of said slider mechanism, wherein said angled bracket is substantially L-shaped and is larger in profile that said slider mechanism for preventing said angled bracket from passing through said slider mechanism, wherein said angled bracket is fastened to a slider bracket, and wherein said angled bracket and said slider bracket are configured for preventing a joint between said first rail and said second rail from separating during an impact.