Patent ID: 8152407

Claim:
A crash barrier system comprising: a hydraulic actuator driven piston having a first end structurally connected to a crash barrier and a second end that is a movable compartment wall between a first variable volume fluid compartment having a first fluid port and an associated first fluid line, and a second variable volume fluid compartment having a second fluid port and an associated second fluid line; a hydraulic fluid reservoir; a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid reservoir and a pressurized fluid delivery line; a hydraulic fluid drain line in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid reservoir; a directional control valve sub-system constructed and arranged in fluid paths between the hydraulic fluid ports of the hydraulic actuator compartments via a first directional control valve port and second directional control valve port, and the pressurized fluid delivery line via a third directional control valve port and the hydraulic fluid drain line via a fourth directional control valve port, a crash emergency barrier rise sub-system in selective fluid communication with the second fluid line via an accumulator line, the crash emergency barrier rise sub-system including an emergency hydraulic fluid line having a recharged state in which hydraulic fluid at a pressure greater than the pressure of hydraulic fluid in the accumulator line, a pneumatic container containing hydraulic fluid and pressurized gas, and an emergency-UP solenoid check valve connected between the emergency hydraulic fluid line and the accumulator line, the emergency-UP solenoid check valve having an open position in which higher pressure hydraulic fluid from the recharged emergency hydraulic fluid line passes to the accumulator line and a closed position in which either recharged hydraulic fluid in the emergency hydraulic fluid line is isolated from the accumulator line, or hydraulic fluid in the accumulator line passes to the emergency hydraulic fluid line to attain the recharged state; and a programmable logic controller in electronic communication with the directional control valve sub-system, the hydraulic pump and the emergency-UP solenoid valve; and an overpressure relief sub-system in fluid communication with the emergency hydraulic fluid line, the overpressure relief sub-system including an external pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the emergency hydraulic fluid line through an external overpressure accumulation line.