Protective crash barrier for locomotives and highway construction vehicles

Abstract

A crash boot attaches to the front of the locomotive. When inflated, the boot provides a shock absorber for absorbing the impact energy produced when the locomotive collides with another object. By absorbing this energy, the boot protects both the locomotive and its crew, and the other object such as a vehicle and its occupants from severe injury or harm. In a highway environment, a trailer is towed behind a vehicle to a work site. The trailer is parked with one end facing on-coming traffic. This end of the trailer has an inflatable boot which is inflated while the crew is at work. If an on-coming vehicle now collides with the boot, it absorbs the impact of the collision and lessens the damage resulting therefrom.

1 . A protective crash barrier for vehicles including railroad locomotives and trailers used with highway service vehicles comprising: 
 means attachable to an end of the vehicle which may either crash into another vehicle or be crashed into by the other vehicle;    an inflatable boot rapidly inflatable when an impact occurs between the vehicle on which the crash barrier is installed and the other vehicle, the boot, when inflated, absorbing a substantial amount of the impact energy created by the two vehicles striking each other, thereby to lessen the resulting damage to the vehicles and injury to an occupant of either vehicle; and,    pressurization means for inflating the boot.    
   
   
       2 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 1  in which the vehicle is a locomotive and the means attachable to an end of the vehicle includes a base plate secured to the front end of the locomotive.  
   
   
       3 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 2  in which the inflatable boot is attached to the base plate.  
   
   
       4 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 3  in which the base plate extends substantially across the front end of the locomotive.  
   
   
       5 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 4  in which the base plate has a notch therein to accommodate a hitch extending forwardly from the front end of the locomotive for attaching a railroad car to the locomotive.  
   
   
       6 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 3  in which the inflatable boot includes a plurality of separately inflatable boot sections.  
   
   
       7 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 6  in which the inflatable boot includes a first boot section which is inflated to a first pressure when an impact occurs, a second boot section which is inflated to a second and higher pressure when an impact occurs, and a third boot section which is inflated to a pressure higher than that to which the second boot section is inflated when an impact occurs.  
   
   
       8 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 3  in which the pressurization means produces a suction to draw the inflatable boot up against the base plate when the barrier is not in use.  
   
   
       9 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 1  in which the inflatable boot is of a tear resistant material.  
   
   
       10 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 1  in which the vehicle is a trailer towable behind the highway service vehicle and the means attachable to an end of the trailer includes a base plate secured to the end of the trailer facing on-coming traffic when the highway service vehicle is parked on a roadway.  
   
   
       11 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 10  in which the inflatable boot is attached to the base plate.  
   
   
       12 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 11  in which the inflatable boot is inflated by the pressurization means when the utility vehicle and trailer are parked, and deflated and stored when the utility vehicle and trailer are being moved.  
   
   
       13 . The protective crash barrier of  claim 10  further including a telescoping section extending from an opposite end of the trailer to the end of the highway service vehicle to which the trailer is attached, the telescoping section further acting to absorb the energy of impact of an on-coming vehicle with the trailer.