Flood-actuated roadblock barrier gate

Abstract

Two barrier gates pivot over a flooded road one for each side of the road where the stream or river would flood the road. Floodwater contact plates or paddles on the barrier gate bottoms move the barrier gate from the force of the floodwater to block traffic from crossing the flooded road from both directions. A heavy spring on each barrier gate normally keeps the barrier gate off the road and allows the barrier gate to pivot from obstructing the traffic back to its original non-blocking position once flood water recedes.

1 . A flood warning road barrier device comprising:
 a least one road barrier gate mounted on a pivot post on an upstream side of a roadway having a water passage running beneath the roadway, the at least one road barrier gate comprising a rigid barrier structure for blocking traffic from one direction on the roadway and a bottom solid water receiving paddle extending vertically below the rigid barrier structure with a bottom of the water receiving paddle above and adjacent to a level of the roadway, a tension member attached between the rigid barrier structure and the pivot post to retain the rigid barrier structure normally in a first position parallel to the roadway spaced apart from at least one travel lane on the roadway so that when a water level in the water passage exceeds the level of the roadway to cause flooding of the roadway the moving water flows over the surface of the road and hits the water receiving paddle to cause the rigid barrier structure to pivot horizontally about the pivot post and swing over the at least one travel lane to a second position perpendicular to the roadway to block vehicles from traveling over the flooded roadway, the at least one road barrier gate moved by the force of river or stream floodwater flowing over the surface of the road, a means for stopping the rigid barrier structure in the second position substantially perpendicular to the roadway to block the at least one travel lane, and after the water level recedes from the surface of the roadway the tension member causing the rigid barrier structure to swing back to the first position parallel to the roadway to allow vehicles to travel on the roadway.   
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one road barrier gate comprises a pair of road barrier gates each mounted on a pivot post on an upstream side of a two-way roadway having a water passage running beneath the roadway, each of the road barrier gates normally in a first position parallel the roadway spaced apart &om the travel lanes, the pivot posts spaced apart so that each of the road barrier gates swings to a second position on one side of the flooded roadway perpendicular to the roadway blocking vehicles from traveling from the one side of the flooded roadway so that the pair of road barrier gates together block vehicles from traveling over the flooded roadway from both sides of the flooded roadway. 
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the rigid barrier structure is longer than the width of the travel lanes of the roadway and the means for stopping the rigid barrier structure in a second position comprises a barrier structure stop on the opposite side of the roadway from the pivot post, the barrier structure stop comprises a rigid structure contacting the rigid barrier structure. 
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  further comprising a magnetic attraction means for assisting in retaining the rigid barrier structure in contact the barrier structure until the flood waters recede and the tension means swings the barrier structure back to the first position. 
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising at least one light on the at least one barrier gate for signaling traffic at night and a means for activating the at least one light when the barrier structure contacts the means for stopping the barrier structure. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the at least one light comprises at least one battery powered flashing light and the means for activating the at least one battery powered flashing light comprises a pair of contacts closing an electric circuit between at least one battery and the at least one flashing light. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the barrier gate further comprises a plurality of reflectors visible to traffic at night. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a barrier structure extension for blocking passage of non-vehicular traffic.