Composite expansion joint assembly

Claim 2

A composite expansion joint assembly comprising: a pair of edge members adapted to define the opposite sides of an expansion groove between bridge deck sections; at least one of said edge members having openings therethrough; laterally spaced support bars extending transversely of said groove with at least one end of said bar extending through said openings beyond the side of said groove; a plurality of elongated resiliently yieldable sealing elements in a side-by-side relation extending longitudinally of said groove; elongated rigid structural members interposed between said sealing elements and extending lengthwise thereof; said structural members being supported on said support bars for lateral sliding movement relative thereto; means supporting said support bars for sliding movement relative thereto adjacent at least one end thereof; restraining means bearing against said support bars adjacent at least said one end thereof for limiting vertical displacement thereof, and means for selectively adjusting the bearing pressure of said restraining means against said support bar.

Claim 3

An assembly as set forth in 1, said restraining means comprising a block of resiliently yieldable material and an outer layer of anti-friction wear resistant material bearing against said support bar.

Claim 4

An assembly as set forth in 1, said restraining means comprising a block of resiliently yieldable material and an outer layer of anti-friction wear resistant material bearing against said support bar.

Claim 5

An assembly as set forth in 2, together with an intermediate layer of rigid material between said block and said outer layer.

Claim 6

An assembly as set forth in 2, together with an intermediate layer of rigid material between said block and said outer layer.

Claim 7

An assembly as set forth in 3, together with a cap mounted on said block, adjusting screw means engaging said cap and operable to selectively vary the bearing pressure of said block against said support bar, said adjusting screw means being accessible from exteriorly of said joint assembly.

Claim 8

An assembly as set forth in 3, together with a cap mounted on said block, adjusting screw means engaging said cap and operable to selectively vary the bearing pressure of said block against said support bar, said adjusting screw means being accessible from exteriorly of said joint assembly.

Claim 9

An assembly as set forth in claim 4, together with a casing adjacent said edge member opening extending outwardly therefrom to receive and enclose said support bar end, said adjusting screw being exposed, through the top wall of said opening, and means defining a compartment extending upwardly from said casiNg and protectively encasing said exposed adjusting screw.

Claim 10

An assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said cap is provided with ribs on the inner surface thereof to prevent relative sliding movement between said cap and said block.

Claim 11

A composite expansion joint assembly comprising: a pair of edge members adapted to define the opposite sides of an expansion groove between bridge deck sections; at least one of said edge members having openings therethrough; laterally spaced support bars extending transversely of said groove with at least one end of said bar extending through said openings beyond the side of said groove; a plurality of elongated resiliently yieldable sealing elements in a side-by-side relation extending longitudinally of said groove; elongated rigid structural members interposed between said sealing elements and extending lengthwise thereof; said structural members being supported on said support bars for lateral sliding movement relative thereto; means supporting said support bars for sliding movement relative thereto adjacent at least one end thereof; and means on said structural members and said support bars coacting for limiting vertical displacement of the former relative to the latter, said limiting means including restraining bar means on a support bar and bracket means depending from a structural member and engageable with said restraining bar means from beneath and at spaced points therealong.

Claim 12

A composite expansion joint assembly comprising: a pair of edge members adapted to define the opposite sides of an expansion groove between bridge deck sections; at least one of said edge members having openings therethrough; laterally spaced support bars extending transversely of said groove with at least one end of said bar extending through said openings beyond the side of said groove; a plurality of elongated resiliently yieldable sealing elements in a side-by-side relation extending longitudinally of said groove; elongated rigid structural members interposed between said sealing elements and extending lengthwise thereof; said structural members being supported on said support bars for lateral sliding movement relative thereto; means supporting said support bars for sliding movement relative thereto adjacent at least one end thereof; and means on said structural members and said support bars coacting for limiting vertical displacement of the former relative to the latter, said limiting means including restraining bar means on a support bar and bracket means depending from a structural member and engageable with said restraining bar means from beneath and at spaced points therealong.

Claim 13

An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said bracket means has fastening means disposed beneath said bar means and engageable therewith at spaced points therealong.

Claim 14

An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said fastening means includes means defining bearing surfaces for bearing engagement with said bar means at spaced points therealong.

Claim 15

A composite expansion joint assembly comprising: a pair of edge members adapted to define the opposite sides of an expansion groove between bridge deck sections; at least one of said edge members having openings therethrough; laterally spaced support bars extending transversely of said groove with at least one end of said bar extending through said openings beyond the side of said groove; a plurality of elongated resiliently yieldable sealing elements in a side-by-side relation extending longitudinally of said groove; elongated rigid structural members interposed between said sealing elements and extending lengthwise thereof; said structural members being supported on said support bars for lateral sliding movement relative thereto; means supporting said support bars for sliding movement relative thereto adjacent at least one end thereof; and means for equalizing the lateral movement of said structural members and said sealing elements, said equalizing means comprising at least one leaf spring means disposed between adjacent structural members and means mounting each of said leaf spring means below each of said sealing elements.

Claim 16

A composite expansion joint assembly comprising: a pair of edge members adapted to define the opposite sides of an expansion groove between bridge deck sections; at least one of said edge members having openings therethrough; laterally spaced support bars extending transversely of said groove with at least one end of said bar extending through said openings beyond the side of said groove; a plurality of elongated resiliently yieldable sealing elements in a side-by-side relation extending longitudinally of said groove; elongated rigid structural members interposed between said sealing elements and extending lengthwise thereof; said structural members being supported on said support bars for lateral sliding movement relative thereto; means supporting said support bars for sliding movement relative thereto adjacent at least one end thereof; and means for equalizing the lateral movement of said structural members and said sealing elements, said equalizing means comprising at least one leaf spring means disposed between adjacent structural members and means mounting each of said leaf spring means below each of said sealing elements.

Claim 17

An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said mounting means comprises plates mounted to said edge channels and to the lower ends of said structural members in spaced relation to said support bars; each of said springs spanning the space between adjacent plates and rigidly secured at one end thereof to one of said adjacent plates and bearing against the other of said adjacent plates.