Patent ID: 7001099

Claim:
A parking barrier apparatus for controlling the access of a vehicle past a barrier comprising: a barrier movable between a first barrier position allowing transit of the vehicle past said barrier, a second barrier position to which said barrier is moved by the passage of the vehicle over said barrier, and a third barrier position impeding movement of the vehicle past said barrier, said first barrier position being intermediate said second and third barrier positions; a locking mechanism selectively locking said barrier in said second barrier position and said third barrier position; and a motive assembly having an energy storage device which stores mechanical energy to eventually move said barrier from said second barrier position to said third barrier position when said barrier is unlocked from said second barrier position, said energy storage device including a spring having a first spring end and a second spring end, said spring being energized by the weight of the vehicle moving over said barrier causing said barrier to move from said first barrier position to said second barrier position; a housing for said motive assembly having a base; a rotatable shaft operatively connected to said first spring end, rotation of said shaft moving said barrier; a support movable with respect to said base, said second spring end operatively connected to said support, said support moving toward said shaft as said barrier is moved from said first barrier position to said second barrier position thereby enabling said spring to be energized sufficiently to eventually move said barrier from said second barrier position to said third barrier position.