Fluid charged roadway barrier

Abstract

The invention is directed to a light weight, fluid charged, stackable, and easily placeable traffic barrier. The barrier includes a lightweight frame, made up of a skin or other lightweight framing elements. The barrier includes an interior bladder chamber for charging with a weighting fluid.

I claim: 
     
       1. A roadway barrier comprising: .[.inverted U shaped.]. .Iadd.generally rigid .Iaddend.shell means .[.having.]. .Iadd.including .Iaddend.forward and rearward portions, .[.having inner and outer surfaces, and.]. .Iadd.said forward and rearward portions .Iaddend.defining .[.a space between said inner surfaces.]. .Iadd.an interior volume between said forward and rearward portions.Iaddend.;   expandable bladder means for containing .[.a fluid.]. .Iadd.fluent material.Iaddend., said bladder means being secured to .[.an inner surface of only.]. .Iadd.a first .Iaddend.one of .[.either of.]. of said forward or rearward portions, said bladder means .[.closely following said inner surface of said portion to which it is connected throughout the height of said inner surface.]. .Iadd.containing fluent material substantially filling said interior volume .Iaddend.and .[.when said bladder is empty of fluid,.]. said bladder .Iadd.means .Iaddend.resiliently collapsing against .[.said.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.inner surface .Iadd.of said first portion when said bladder means is substantially empty of fluent material.Iaddend.; and   valve means for .[.enabling.]. .Iadd.retaining, .Iaddend.charging and discharging of fluent material from within said bladder means, whereby   when fluent material is charged into said bladder .Iadd.means.Iaddend., said bladder .Iadd.means .Iaddend.expands and substantially .[.entirely.]. fills said .[.space.]. .Iadd.interior volume .Iaddend.between said forward and rearward portions of said shell means, and when said bladder .Iadd.means .Iaddend.is discharged, said bladder .Iadd.means .Iaddend.resiliently collapses within said shell .Iadd.means .Iaddend.to enable nested stacking of said shell means.   
     
     
       2. A roadway barrier as recited in claim 1, further comprising: hinge means connected between said forward and rearward portions for enabling relative hinging movement between said portions.   
     
     
       3. A roadway barrier as recited in claim 1, further comprising.Iadd.: .Iaddend. connecting means for linking adjacently positioned barriers one to .[.the other.]. .Iadd.another .Iaddend.whereby a row of barriers can form a contiguous grouping of barriers.   
     
     
       4. A roadway barrier as recited in claim 2, further comprising: connecting means for linking adjacently positioned barriers one to .[.the other.]. .Iadd.another .Iaddend.whereby a row of barriers can form a contiguous grouping of barriers.