Expansion joint for road or bridge span sections

Claim 2

In an expansion joint interconnecting adjoining span sections of a road or bridge, the joint comprising a strip of resilient material having a downwardly depending bead along each longitudinal edge, a securing element receiving and holding each such bead, means locking each bead in its securing element, and means connecting the securing elements to the adjoining span sections, the improvements characterized in that (a) the beads have a dovetail cross section, (b) the securing elements are channel members of matching dovetail cross section, and (c) the locking means comprises a longitudinally extending slidably removable rigidifying member received in a longitudinal bore in the bead, removal of the rigidifying member freeing the bead for removal from the channel member to allow replacement of the strip.

Claim 3

Joint according to claim 1, including prefabricated reinforced concrete members to which the respective channel elements are secured, and including releasable attachment means for securing said concrete members to respective span sections to be interconnected.

Claim 4

A joint according to claim 1 wherein each bead has a series of spaced-apart transverse recesses intersecting the longitudinal bore, and wherein a series of spaced apertured retaining members are disposed within and secured to the channel element, each such retaining member extending into a transverse recess in the bead, the longitudinal rigidifying member passing through the apertures in the retaining members and being axially removable.

Claim 5

A joint according to claim 3, further including (a) prefabricated concrete members to which the respective channel elements are secured, and (b) releasable attachment means for securing the concrete members to the span members to be interconnected.

Claim 6

In an expansion joint interconnecting adjoining span sections of a road or bridge, the joint comprising a strip of resilient material having a downwardly depending bead along each longitudinal edge with a longitudinal cavity in each bead, a securing element receiving and holding each bead, means locking each bead in its securing element, and means connecting the securing elements to the adjoining span sections, the improvements characterized in that (a) the beads have dovetail cross section, (b) the securing elements are channel members of matching dovetail cross section, (c) the beads have spaced-apart recesses on their lower surfaces, (d) the base of the channel members have upwardly projecting, similarly spaced-apart retaining members in the form of rings, each retaining ring extending into a recess in the bead, (e) the longitudinal cavity in each bead being a cylindrical bore into which the spaced recesses extend, and (f) a removable locking member located in the bore to extend along its full length and to pass through each retaining ring to rigidify the bead and lock it in its channel element, (g) the locking member being removable axially from the bore to free the bead for removal From its channel member to allow replacement of the strip.

Claim 7

In an expansion joint interconnecting adjoining span sections of a road or bridge, the joint comprising a strip of resilient material having a downwardly depending bead along each longitudinal edge with a longitudinal cavity in each bead, a securing element receiving and holding each bead, means locking each bead in its securing element, and means connecting the securing elements to the adjoining span sections, the improvements characterized in that (a) the beads have dovetail cross section, (b) the securing elements are channel members of matching dovetail cross section, (c) the beads have spaced-apart recesses on their lower surfaces, (d) the base of the channel members have upwardly projecting, similarly spaced-apart retaining members in the form of rings, each retaining ring extending into a recess in the bead, (e) the longitudinal cavity in each bead being a cylindrical bore into which the spaced recesses extend, and (f) a removable locking member located in the bore to extend along its full length and to pass through each retaining ring to rigidify the bead and lock it in its channel element, (g) the locking member being removable axially from the bore to free the bead for removal From its channel member to allow replacement of the strip.