Counterbalanced Inground Traffic Control Device

Abstract

A traffic control device, for use with a roadway receiving vehicles travelling longitudinally along the roadway, includes a housing mounted transversely across the roadway with an upper supporting surface that supports the vehicles rolling over the housing. A frame comprised of a shaft supporting tire puncturing members thereon is rotatable within the housing between stored and working positions of the tire puncturing members relative to the upper supporting surface of the housing. Offset counterweights are coupled to the frame to bias the tire puncture members towards the working position. An upper stop member on the housing, formed of resilient material, is engaged by the frame in the working position and is adjustable in height to control position of the tire puncturing members in the working position.

1 . A traffic control device for use with a roadway receiving vehicles travelling longitudinally along the roadway in a travel direction, the device comprising:
 a housing which is elongate in a longitudinal direction and which is adapted to be mounted to extend across the roadway transversely to the travel direction;   the housing having an upper supporting surface adapted to support the vehicles rolling over the housing;   the upper supporting surface having a plurality of upper openings formed therein;   a plurality of tire puncturing members having respective pointed ends adapted to puncture tires of the vehicles;   the tire puncturing members being pivotal relative to the housing about a common pivot axis between a stored position in which the tire puncturing members are retracted below the upper supporting surface of the housing and a working position in which the pointed ends of the tire puncturing members protrude upwardly beyond the upper supporting surface of the housing through the upper openings formed therein;   at least one counterweight member operatively connected to the tire puncturing members such that the counterweight member is pivotal together with the tire puncturing members between the working position and the stored position;   said at least one counterweight member being angularly offset about the pivot axis relative to the pointed ends of the tire puncturing members and having a mass biasing the tire puncturing members towards the working position under force of gravity alone.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one counterweight member is diametrically opposed from the pointed ends of the tire puncturing members. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the tire puncturing members are fixed onto a common pivot shaft such that the pivot shaft and the tire puncturing members are pivotal together relative to the housing between the working position and the stored position. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the tire puncturing members are joined in fixed relation to one another to define a tire puncturing frame which is collectively pivoted between the working position and the stored position, a number of the tire of puncturing members being greater than a number of said at least one counterweight members. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one counterweight member includes an upper surface which is generally convex so as to extend laterally and opposite to the pointed ends along a downward curve. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one counterweight member is mounted on one or more tire puncturing members at a location diametrically opposite from the pointed ends. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the tire puncturing members are joined in fixed relation to one another to define a tire puncturing frame which is collectively pivoted between the working position and the stored position, the housing further comprising a threaded aperture receiving a latch bolt threadably therein such that the latch bolt engages the tire puncturing frame in the stored position to retain the tire puncturing frame in the stored position. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1  further comprising a crossbar mounted on the tire puncturing frame in connection between an adjacent pair of the tire puncturing members at a location spaced radially from the pivot axis, the latch bolt engaging the crossbar in the stored position. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the housing comprises a pair of side walls extending in the longitudinal direction along laterally opposing sides of the housing, the pointed ends of the tire puncturing members being located directly adjacent one of the side walls in the stored position thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the tire puncturing members are joined in fixed relation to one another to define a tire puncturing frame which is collectively pivoted between the working position and the stored position, further comprising at least one spring member operatively connected between the tire puncturing frame and the housing to bias the tire puncturing frame towards the working position. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 the tire puncturing members being fixed onto a common pivot shaft such that the pivot shaft and the tire puncturing members are pivotal together relative to the housing between the working position and the stored position; 
 the pivot shaft being axially slidable relative to the housing through a range of axial positions; and 
 a lock member being supported on the pivot shaft so as to fix the pivot shaft relative to the housing at a selected one of the axial positions while enabling pivotal movement of the pivot shaft relative to the housing. 
 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the tire puncturing members are joined in fixed relation to one another to define a tire puncturing frame which is collectively pivoted between the working position and the stored position, further comprising a latching aperture formed in the housing and a latching aperture formed in the tire puncturing frame which are aligned with one another, the latching apertures receiving a common latch pin longitudinally slidable therein in the stored position to retain the tire puncturing frame in the stored position, the latch pin being slidably removable from the latching apertures. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 1  further comprising an upper stop member supported on the housing so as to engaged by tire puncturing frame in the working position whereby the upper stop member defines an upper limit of pivotal movement of the tire puncturing members relative to the housing, the upper stop member being formed of resilient material. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 1  further comprising an upper stop member supported on the housing so as to engaged by tire puncturing frame in the working position whereby the upper stop member defines an upper limit of pivotal movement of the tire puncturing members relative to the housing, the upper stop member being mounted on the housing so as to be adjustable in height relative to the upper supporting surface. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a pair of mounting flanges protruding laterally outwardly from opposing side walls of the housing so as to be adapted to overlap the roadway, the mounting flanges including fastener apertures for receiving roadway anchors therethrough and at least one guard member fixed onto a top side of the mounting flanges to protrude upwardly therefrom adjacent each fastener aperture so as to be arranged to at least partially shield a roadway anchor received within the respective fastener aperture. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the housing further comprises:
 a pair of mounting flanges protruding laterally outwardly from opposing side walls of the housing so as to be adapted to overlap the roadway; 
 a top plate extending across a top of the housing so as to define the upper supporting surface of the housing; 
 the top plate being supported in overlapping relationship overtop of a top side of a corresponding one of the mounting flanges at each side edge of the top plate; and 
 at least one guard member supported on each mounting flange to protrude upwardly therefrom in proximity to the corresponding side edge of the top plate, the guard member having a ramped upper surface which is slope upwardly towards the top plate. 
 
     
     
         17 .- 20 . (canceled)