Energy absorber

Claim 2

An energy absorber secured to an abutment, said absorber comprising at least one vehicle tire mounted on a metallic hollow rim of substantially the width of the tire, said rim member being substantially devoid of a wheel supporting center and collapsible radially on heavy impact of predetermined value by a moving vehicle radially of the tire and secured to said tire in a liquid-tight seal, the attachment of said absorber to said abutment being provided by a structure that is partially collapsible on said heavy impact, liquid contained in and filling at least part of said tire and blowout plugs mounted in openings in the upper portion of said tire.

Claim 3

An energy absorber comprising a plurality of vehicle tires, a corresponding plurality of hollow rim members substantially devoid of wheel supporting centers, each mounting one of the tires with a liquid-tight fit between each said hollow rim member and its respective tire, means for securing the tires together in side-by-side relation, means for attaching the plurality of tires and rim members to an abutment with the tread portion of the tires toward the abutment, liquid filling a major portion of said tires, holes in the upper portion of said tires, blowout plugs for said holes, said plugs being blown out by the liquid filling inside said tires on heavy impact of predetermined value with a vehicle, the means for attaching said absorber to said abutment being collapsible upon a predetermined force of impact.

Claim 4

An energy absorber comprising a plurality of vehicle tires, a corresponding plurality of hollow rim members substantially devoid of wheel supporting centers, each mounting one of the tires with a liquid-tight fit between each said hollow rim member and its respective tire, means for securing the tires together in side-by-side relation, means for attaching the plurality of tires and rim members to an abutment with the tread portion of the tires toward the abutment, liquid filling a major portion of said tires, holes in the upper portion of said tires, blowout plugs for said holes, said plugs being blown out by the liquid filling inside said tires on heavy impact of predetermined value with a vehicle, the means for attaching said absorber to said abutment being collapsible upon a predetermined force of impact.

Claim 5

A device as described in claim 2 in which the absorber is attached to said abutment with the tires parallel to each other, each tire positioned in a plane substantially in line with the expected line of impact of said vehicle against said abutment.

Claim 6

An energy absorber provided by a plurality of vehicle tires each mounted on a metallic ring member according to claim 3, said tires and ring members being secured together in coaxial relation.

Claim 7

An energy absorber according to claim 4 in which the mounting means for the absorber is secured to at least a pair of the ring members for supporting the absorber, said mounting means being collapsible by substantially the same ring-member collapsing force.

Claim 8

An energy absorber in the form of a series of partially liquid filled vehicle tires mounted next to each other on radially collapsible metallic rims attached to an abutment, so that a vehicle coming toward and against said abutment will contact one tread area of said tires while said abutment is contacting the diametrically opposite tread area of said tIres, restrictive flow opening in said tires to offer substantial resistance to the rapid flow therefrom of said liquid filling on heavy impact above a predetermined value of said vehicle with said absorber, said rim being collapsible radially on sufficient impact, said rim having the wheel portion normally attached to said rim but substantially devoid of its wheel supporting center in order to offer less resistance to collapse, said rims being secured together so that adjacent tire sides abut each other.

Claim 9

An energy absorber in the form of a series of partially liquid filled vehicle tires mounted next to each other on radially collapsible metallic rims attached to an abutment, so that a vehicle coming toward and against said abutment will contact one tread area of said tires while said abutment is contacting the diametrically opposite tread area of said tIres, restrictive flow opening in said tires to offer substantial resistance to the rapid flow therefrom of said liquid filling on heavy impact above a predetermined value of said vehicle with said absorber, said rim being collapsible radially on sufficient impact, said rim having the wheel portion normally attached to said rim but substantially devoid of its wheel supporting center in order to offer less resistance to collapse, said rims being secured together so that adjacent tire sides abut each other.

Claim 10

An energy absorber comprising at least one vehicle tire fitted on a metallic ring member which is the rim portion of a vehicle wheel upon which such tire is normally mounted and said wheel being substantially devoid of its wheel supporting center, said at least one tire being at least partially filled with liquid and provided with a blowout plug in its outer wall, means mounting said absorber upon an abutment with the tread portion facing the abutment, the ring member being radially collapsible upon a predetermined radial force thereagainst.

Claim 11

An energy absorber comprising at least one vehicle tire fitted on a metallic ring member which is the rim portion of a vehicle wheel upon which such tire is normally mounted and said wheel being substantially devoid of its wheel supporting center, said at least one tire being at least partially filled with liquid and provided with a blowout plug in its outer wall, means mounting said absorber upon an abutment with the tread portion facing the abutment, the ring member being radially collapsible upon a predetermined radial force thereagainst.

Claim 12

An energy absorber according to claim 7 in which the mounting means for the absorber is secured to the ring member, said mounting means being collapsible by substantially the same ring-member collapsing force.