Vehicle barrier

Claim 1

A vehicle barrier for roadways or the like comprising: a) a base support having a front, a rear, support pivot means disposed on said front, and brace stop means mounted on said rear; b) a barrier gate having front and rear surfaces, said barrier gate being pivotally attached to said support pivot means for movement between a horizontal not-operative position and an angularly operative position; c) barrier pivot means disposed on said barrier gate and spaced a substantial distance from said support pivot means; d) a brace extending from said barrier pivot means rearwardly thereof; e) said brace lying in a substantially horizontal plane when said barrier gate is in said horizontal non-operative position and out of engagement with said brace stop means, and said brace being in an inclined position when said barrier gate is in said angularly operative position and a rear end of said brace abuts said stop means; f) a housing disposed adjacent an end of said base support and having a front facing said barrier gate; g) means for raising and lowering said barrier gate from said horizontal, non-operative position to said angularly operative position and vice-versa, said raising and lowering means being disposed within said housing; h) said raising and lowering means including: i) a cylinder having a piston for generating extension and retraction forces; ii) said cylinder being mounted on a floor of said housing for pivotal movement; iii) said piston having a free end pivotally coupled to said barrier gate; iv) counterbalance means, said counterbalance means including a spring; v) one end of said spring being attached to a support mounted on said floor of said housing; and vi) the other end of said spring being coupled to said barrier gate so that said spring dampens any extension force causing said barrier gate to move to said horizontal, non-operative position.