Safety bumper

Claim 2

For use on a motor vehicle, a safety-type bumper comprising a main body section of a length capable of spanning the associated body portion of said vehicle, and complemental spring-biased end sections pivotally mounted on the respective end portions of said body section, said end sections being normally and cooperatively aligned with said body section, being pressure responsive, and adapted to yieldingly pivot relative to said body section and (1) momentarily swing to a displaced position and (2) automatically spring back to and assume a normal position, said end sections being designed and adapted upon striking a relatively stationary obstruction to yield and swing in a horizontal plane on a vertical pivoting axis and are capable of swinging either forwardly or rearwardly relative to said main section depending upon the impact encountered.

Claim 3

The bumper defined in claim 1, and wherein the pivotal mounting for each end section embodies paired hingedly joined angle brackets, and frangible pressure responsive shear pins connecting said paired angle brackets, said shear pins being normally intact but adapted to fracture when subjected to disruptive stress or strain, whereby to permit releasing of and safeguarding displacement of said end sections.

Claim 4

The bumper defined in claim 2, and wherein the brackets of each pair of brackets embody confronting spaced parallel rigid flanges having bolt holes, said shear pins comprising insertable and removable bolts of predetermined strength.

Claim 5

For use on a motor vehicle, a safety-type bumper comprising a main body section of a length capable of spanning the associated body portion of said vehicle, and complemental spring-biased end sections pivotally mounted on the respective end portions of said body section, said end sections being normally and cooperatively aligned with said body section, being pressure responsive, and adapted to yieldingly pivot relative to said body sEction and (1) momentarily swing to a displaced position and (2) automatically spring back to and assume a normal position, spring biasing means for each end section comprising a coil spring having an outer end anchored to a median portion of the associatively cooperable end section, a cooperatively aligned turnbuckle having an outer end anchored on said body section, and linking means joining the inner ends of said spring and turnbuckle.

Claim 6

For use on a motor vehicle, a safety-type bumper comprising a main body section of a length capable of spanning the associated body portion of said vehicle, and complemental spring-biased end sections pivotally mounted on the respective end portions of said body section, said end sections being normally and cooperatively aligned with said body section, being pressure responsive, and adapted to yieldingly pivot relative to said body sEction and (1) momentarily swing to a displaced position and (2) automatically spring back to and assume a normal position, spring biasing means for each end section comprising a coil spring having an outer end anchored to a median portion of the associatively cooperable end section, a cooperatively aligned turnbuckle having an outer end anchored on said body section, and linking means joining the inner ends of said spring and turnbuckle.

Claim 7

The bumper defined in claim 1, and wherein each end section is completely enclosed in a firm but compressibly resilient shock absorbing jacket.

Claim 8

A safety-type truck bumper comprising an elongated channel-shaped main body section and complemental oriented and coordinating channel-shaped end sections, the outer ends of said body section having rigidly secured angle iron brackets, the inner coating ends of said end sections likewise having angle brackets, adjacent confronting flanges of the respectively paired flanges being connectively joined by frangible pressure responsive shear bolts, double hinges connected to and operatively joining the angle brackets of the respective pairs together and permitting swinging displacement of the end sections either forwardly or rearwardly relative to the oriented end portions of said body section, and spring-biasing means interconnecting the coacting ends of said main body and end sections.

Claim 9

A safety-type truck bumper comprising an elongated channel-shaped main body section and complemental oriented and coordinating channel-shaped end sections, the outer ends of said body section having rigidly secured angle iron brackets, the inner coating ends of said end sections likewise having angle brackets, adjacent confronting flanges of the respectively paired flanges being connectively joined by frangible pressure responsive shear bolts, double hinges connected to and operatively joining the angle brackets of the respective pairs together and permitting swinging displacement of the end sections either forwardly or rearwardly relative to the oriented end portions of said body section, and spring-biasing means interconnecting the coacting ends of said main body and end sections.

Claim 10

The bumper defined in and according to claim 6, and wherein the spring biasing means for each end section comprises a coil spring having an outer end anchored to a median portion of the associatively cooperable end sections, a cooperatively aligned turnbuckle having an outer end anchored on said body section, and linking means joining the inner ends of said spring and turnbuckle.

Claim 11

The bumper as defined in claim 6, wherein said shear bolts are normally intact, but are fractured when subjected to disruptive stress or strain, thus permitting the release displacement of said end sections.

Claim 12

A safety-type bumper comprising a main body section of a length capable of transversely spanning the front end of a major portion of an associated body portion of a vehicle having tires adjacent the bumper, and at least one end section pivotally mounted on a respective end portion of said main body section for pivoting toward an adjacent tire, said end section being normally, cooperatively, aligned with said main body section and further embodying frangible, pressure-responsive shear means retaining the end section in normal position and adapted to fracture under stress, hinge means interconnecting the inner end of the end section and the respective end portion of the main body section, thus permitting the end section to be displaced inwardly toward an adjacent tire, and enclosed resilient means, elongated in said transverse direction, interconnecting the end section and the main body section to pivotally swing said end section away from the adjacent tire and back to its normal position, after the shear means has been fractured and the end section has been displaced toward the adjacent tire.

Claim 13

A safety-type bumper comprising a main body section of a length capable of transversely spanning the front end of a major portion of an associated body portion of a vehicle having tires adjacent the bumper, and at least one end section pivotally mounted on a respective end portion of said main body section for pivoting toward an adjacent tire, said end section being normally, cooperatively, aligned with said main body section and further embodying frangible, pressure-responsive shear means retaining the end section in normal position and adapted to fracture under stress, hinge means interconnecting the inner end of the end section and the respective end portion of the main body section, thus permitting the end section to be displaced inwardly toward an adjacent tire, and enclosed resilient means, elongated in said transverse direction, interconnecting the end section and the main body section to pivotally swing said end section away from the adjacent tire and back to its normal position, after the shear means has been fractured and the end section has been displaced toward the adjacent tire.