High tension cable barrier for roadways

Abstract

A barrier fence for use along the side of a roadway to contain a vehicle that travels off of the roadway into the barrier fence. The fence includes horizontal fence members which are typically cables supported by a plurality of posts supported vertically by the ground. The horizontal fence members are held to the posts with hooks that extend from slots defined by the posts. The horizontal fence members are placed in tension in normal use. Each post has a wide, flat, contact surface across the front of the post for the horizontal fence member to contact on either side of the slot that receives the hook that holds the horizontal fence member. The fence provides posts with flat front surfaces substantially wider than the width of the slot to increase the length of engagement between the post surface and the horizontal fence member.

1 . A barrier fence for a roadway; the barrier fence comprising:
 a plurality of posts arranged in the ground along an edge of a roadway having a roadway surface;   a plurality of vertically-spaced, fence members attached to the posts;   each of the posts having a wall that defines a flat outer surface with the wall having the flat outer surface defining a slot associated with each of the fence members;   each slot having a horizontal width;   each fence member being connected to each post with a hook disposed in the slot associated with the fence member;   each fence member engaging the flat outer surface of the wall on each side of the slot at a combined contact surface; and   the length of each combined contact surface being six to eight times the horizontal width of the slot.   
     
     
         2 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , wherein the wall that defines the flat outer surface also defining a flat inner surface. 
     
     
         3 . The barrier fence of  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the hooks includes a first and second hook ends; the hook ends having lengths; each of the hook ends being disposed inside the post in engagement with the inner surface of the wall that defines the flat outer surface along the lengths of the hooks. 
     
     
         4 . The barrier fence of  claim 3 , wherein the hook ends are straight. 
     
     
         5 . The barrier fence of  claim 4 , wherein the hook is round in cross section. 
     
     
         6 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , further comprising a plug disposed in the slot above the hook. 
     
     
         7 . The barrier fence of  claim 6 , wherein the plug includes a locking finger that engages the post. 
     
     
         8 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , wherein the posts are positioned outside a supporting reserve of the roadway. 
     
     
         9 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , wherein each post has a roadway-facing wall; the roadway-facing wall extends at least about 1198 millimeters into the ground. 
     
     
         10 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , wherein there are more than two horizontal fence members. 
     
     
         11 . The barrier fence of  claim 10 , wherein an uppermost fence member is 900 millimeters above the roadway surface. 
     
     
         12 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal members are steel cables. 
     
     
         13 . The barrier fence of  claim 1 , wherein the ground receiving the post has an inclination down away from the roadway that is larger or equal to 6H:1V. 
     
     
         14 . The barrier fence of  claim 13 , wherein the post is spaced from an outer portion of the supporting reserve by at most 400 millimeters when the inclination is 4H:1V, by at most 300 millimeters when the inclination is 3H:1V, by at least 200 millimeters when the inclination is 2H:1V, and by at most 100 millimeters when the inclination is 1H:1V. 
     
     
         15 . A barrier fence for a roadway; the barrier fence comprising:
 a plurality of posts arranged in the ground along an edge of a roadway having a roadway surface;   a plurality of vertically-spaced, fence members attached to the posts;   each of the posts having a roadway-facing front wall that defines a flat outer surface;   the roadway-facing front wall defining a slot associated with each of the fence members; each slot having a horizontal width; one of the slots being an uppermost slot;   the roadway-facing front wall also defining a flat inner surface;   each fence member being connected to each post with a hook disposed in the slot associated with the fence member;   a plurality of the hooks including first and second hook ends; the hook ends having lengths; each of the hook ends being disposed inside the post in engagement with the flat inner surface of the roadway-facing wall; the hook ends disposed flat against the flat inner surface such that the entire length of each hook end is in engagement with the flat inner surface;   each fence member engaging the flat outer surface of the roadway-facing wall on each side of the slot at a combined contact surface;   the length of each combined contact surface being six to eight times the horizontal width of the slot; and   a plug disposed in the slot above the hook.   
     
     
         16 . The barrier fence of  claim 15 , wherein the roadway-facing front wall of each post extends at least about 1198 millimeters into the ground. 
     
     
         17 . The barrier fence of  claim 16 , wherein an uppermost fence member is 900 millimeters above the roadway surface. 
     
     
         18 . The barrier fence of  claim 17 , wherein each post is 2256 millimeters long. 
     
     
         19 . The barrier fence of  claim 15 , wherein a plurality of the posts carry a cap; the caps including an integrated plug disposed the uppermost slot. 
     
     
         20 . The barrier fence of  claim 15 , wherein the horizontal width of each slot is 7 millimeters and each hook having a body that has a 6 millimeters diameter cross section. 
     
     
         21 . A barrier fence for a roadway; the barrier fence comprising:
 a plurality of posts arranged in ground disposed outwardly of a supporting reserve that borders a roadway surface; the ground sloping down and away from the supporting reserve;   a plurality of spaced, fence members attached to the posts;   each of the posts having a front wall that defines a flat roadway-facing outer surface with the front wall having defining a slot associated with each of the fence members;   each fence member being connected to each post with a hook disposed in the slot associated with the fence member;   each post also having a generally rectangular cross section with a pair of sidewalls and a rear wall; and   about 1198 millimeters of the front wall being disposed under the ground.   
     
     
         22 . The barrier fence of  claim 21 , wherein each slot has a horizontal width; each fence member engaging the flat outer surface of the front wall on each side of the slot at a combined contact surface; and the length of each combined contact surface being six to eight times the horizontal width of the slot. 
     
     
         23 . The barrier fence of  claim 22 , wherein the rear wall defines a continuous slot. 
     
     
         24 . The barrier fence of  claim 21 , wherein the post has a width of about 64 millimeters, a depth of about 83 millimeters; and the front wall, rear wall, and sidewalls having thicknesses of about 4 millimeters. 
     
     
         25 . The barrier fence of  claim 21 , wherein the ground receiving the post has an inclination down away from the roadway that is larger or equal to 6H:1V. 
     
     
         26 . The barrier fence of  claim 25 , wherein the post is spaced from an outer portion of the supporting reserve by at most 400 millimeters when the inclination is 4H:1V, by at most 300 millimeters when the inclination is 3H:1V, by at least 200 millimeters when the inclination is 2H:1V, and by at most 100 millimeters when the inclination is 1H:1V.