Patent ID: 7147088

Claim:
A single-side crash cushion system for attachment at a first end section to a plurality of guardrail posts and at a second end section to a fixed-object hazard, said system comprising: an impact head; and a multistage energy absorption mechanism attached to said impact head, said multistage energy absorption mechanism comprising: a first stage box-beam rail energy absorber attached at a first end to said impact head; a downstream, second stage box-beam rail energy absorber spliced at a first upstream end to said first stage box-beam rail energy absorber, said first and second stage box-beam rail absorbers being said first end section for attachment to said plurality of guardrail posts; a downstream, third stage box-beam rail energy absorber comprising: a first box-beam rail section attached to and extending generally parallel to and along one side of a blockout tube, said first box-beam rail section spliced at a first end to a second downstream end of said second stage box-beam rail energy absorber, said blockout tube attached at an upstream end to at least one of said plurality of guardrail posts and attached at a downstream end to said first box-beam rail section between said fixed-object hazard and said first box-beam section, said third stage box-beam rail energy absorber being said second end section for attachment to said fixed-object hazard.