Claims:
Although but two embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and having thus described my invention what I claim is
1. A flexible traffic barrier comprising a yoke, a hand grip on said yoke, a reel journeled in said yoke, an elongated strip of flexible cloth-like material having highly visible contrasting markings thereon attached at one of its ends to said reel and wound thereon, a spring urged latch on said yoke adjacent said reel, said latch positioned for registry with an aperture in said reel, an apertured fitting on the free end of the strip of flexible material arranged to attach said free end to an object so as to maintain the strip of flexible material in stretched on edge position relative to said reel when said spring urged latch is engaged in said aperture in said reel and a crank on said reel for rotating the same in rewinding said elongated strip of cloth-like material thereon, said spring urged latch being movable from a first position engaging said aperture in said reel to a second position disengaging said aperture in said reel.
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flexible traffic barrier for portable use in forming a barricade across a street or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior structures of this type have utilized rigid barricade structures including those of the conventional "saw horse" shape and shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,997,978. Still others include rigid members, the ends of which are pivoted to one another and attached to a vertical support as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,387. No prior art is known wherein the barricade is formed as a flexible, elongated section of material which may be conveniently carried on a reel and extended a desired distance to form a temporary barricade such as disclosed in this application.
This invention provides a reel and a vertical support or a hand support for an elongated section of vertical material which may be suitably marked as a traffic barrier and of small size and lightweight making it readily portable in police vehicles and other emergency vehicles including fire engines, ambulances, and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A flexible traffic barrier includes a portable, vertical stand mounting a reel having an elongated section of flexible material thereon which can be unrolled to form a temporary traffic barrier. An alternate form mounts the reel of flexible material on a hand held yoke.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the flexible traffic barrier and support means therefor,
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device seen in FIG. 1 with portions thereof opened,
FIG. 3 is an elevation of the flexible traffic barrier with the elongated section of flexible material extended therefrom, and
FIG. 4 is a modification illustrating a hand held yoke supporting the section of flexible material which forms the traffic barrier.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the form of the invention disclosed herein the flexible traffic barrier comprises an elongated section of cloth-like material which may be vinyl film and as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings and indicated by the numeral 10. The flexible material may be suitably marked as with diagonal stripes 11 and these may be reflectorized as will occur to those skilled in the art.
By referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the strip of flexible material 10 is attached at one of its ends 12 to a reel 13 which is journeled on the upper end of a vertical support 14 which in turn is preferably telescopically engaged in a second vertical support 15 which in turn is mounted on a circular base 16.
By referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that a rectangular member 17 is secured to the vertical support support 14 so as to support the reel 13 thereon and a vertical shaft 18 extends upwardly from the rectangular member 17 and forms a hinge pin supporting a pair of similarly formed oppositely disposed hollow closure members 19 and 20. In FIG. 3 of the drawings these are shown in open position and they are similarly shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
In FIG. 1 of the drawings, the hollow closure members 19 and 20 are shown closed about the reel 13 with the strip of flexible material 10 thereon. A light fixture 21 may be mounted on one of the hollow closure members 19 and 20 and when used will provide a battery powered, flashing light to indicate the presence of the flexible traffic barrier and more particularly its vertical support.
By referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the reel 13 is provided with a handle 22 so that the strip of flexible material can be rewound thereon and that the outermost end 23 of the strip of flexible material 10 is provided with a fitting defining an aperture 24 which may be hooked over a pin or a nail or any other object to which the end of the flexible traffic barrier may be temporarily secured. So that it can be held in vertical barrier position, a spring urged latch 25 is mounted on the vertical support 14 beneath the rectangular member 17 and arranged to be movable vertically through an opening therein and into one or more depressions in the lower surface of the reel 13. Thus in use the flexible traffic barrier may be removed from a patrol car or other vehicle positioned at one side of a roadway, the hollow housings 19 and 20 open and the flexible material 10 unreeled and stretched across the area in which the temporary traffic barricade is desired. It may then be hooked to some convenient article such as a nail in a tree or a hook on a telephone pole, or the like, or an automobile door handle and the reel tightened until the latch 25 holds the reel in a position stretching the flexible material 10 and holding it in desired horizontal position to form a traffic barrier.
Those skilled in the art will observe that the same invention is equally useable without the vertical stand as seen in FIGS. 1,2 and 3 of the drawings, and be referring to FIG. 4 it will be seen that an elongated section of flexible material 26 is wound on a reel 27 which in turn is journeled on a shaft 28 positioned through a hand held yoke 29 which is provided with a hand grip 30. A disc 31 on the shaft 28 is provided with a crank handle 32 so that the reel 27 may be turned thereby to wind up the strip of flexible material 26. The outer end of the strip of flexible material 26 is provided with an apertured end fitting 33 like that heretofore described.
It will thus be seen that in either form disclosed herein, the flexible traffic barrier forms a simple, lightweight, inexpensive, readily useable traffic barrier which may be quickly and easily installed at any desired location in which a traffic barrier is needed where it will operate efficiently for the purpose and when no longer needed it is simply wound up and removed.