Sound barrier

Claim 3

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the containment member is fabricated of a composition selected from the group consisting of fiber reinforced plastic compositions and metal compositions.

Claim 4

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the containment member is fabricate of fiber reinforced thermosetting resin and is formed by a pultrusion process.

Claim 5

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the geometric nesting structure of the top wall comprises a trapezoidal shape, said bottom wall forming a cavity having a corresponding trapezoidal shape.

Claim 6

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the containment member includes two opposing, continuous, parallel edges, which define top and bottom boundaries of the open side, said parallel edges further including a mounting lip configured to receive a cover plate for concealing the composite composition contained with the channel volume.

Claim 7

A device as defined in claim 5, further comprising a cover plate removable attached to the respective lips of the containment member and being operable to conceal the enclosed composite composition.

Claim 8

A device as defined in claim 6, wherein the cover plate is perforated to allow transmission of sound waves therethrough.

Claim 9

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of devices are stacked in the nested configuration and supported at opposing ends by upright support columns, said plurality of devices forming a sound absorption wall useful along a roadside or in other areas where sound reduction is required.

Claim 10

A device as defined in claim 8, further comprising a door opening formed in the sound absorption all, said device further comprising a plurality of devices as defined in claim 1 having a shortened length corresponding to a desired width of the door, said shortened devices being stacked horizontally and secured together to form a door which is movably attached at one side to the sound absorption wall to permit access therethrough.

Claim 11

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the binder includes a bonding material which bonds with the rubber crumbs to form a composite composition which can be molded within the channel volume.

Claim 12

A device as defined in claim 10 wherein the binder comprises concrete.

Claim 13

A device as defined in claim 10, wherein the binder comprises polymeric material.

Claim 14

A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the crumbs of rubber comprise recycled tires shredded to a size of less than one cubic centimeter.

Claim 15

A sound wall for placement along a roadside for reducing the transmission of sound from traffic areas, said sound wall comprising: a plurality of stiff, resilient containment members respectively configured as a channel and having an enclosed channel volume and a continuous open side, each channel comprising a back wall and opposing, continuous and parallel top and bottom walls which define top and bottom boundaries of the open side and which are geometrically configured with non-planar, nesting structure to thereby enable a plurality of said containment members to be stacked with the respective top wall of a supporting containment member nesting in the bottom wall of each supported containment member, said parallel top and bottom walls further including a mounting lip configured to receive a cover plate for concealing the composite composition contained within the channel volume; means for stacking said containment members horizontally in a nesting relationship of bottom wall to top wall and for securing this stacked configuration to form a wall, said open side being oriented toward the traffic area; and at least one vertical support rod extending through the respective top and bottom walls of each of the containment members when said containment members are in a stacked configuration to thereby reinforce said stacked configuration, and means for securing the stacked containment members with respect to the support rod; said channel volume including a composite composition of rubber chips and binder compressed within the channel and substantially filling the channel volume.

Claim 16

A sound wall for placement along a roadside for reducing the transmission of sound from traffic areas, said sound wall comprising: a plurality of stiff, resilient containment members respectively configured as a channel and having an enclosed channel volume and a continuous open side, each channel comprising a back wall and opposing, continuous and parallel top and bottom walls which define top and bottom boundaries of the open side and which are geometrically configured with non-planar, nesting structure to thereby enable a plurality of said containment members to be stacked with the respective top wall of a supporting containment member nesting in the bottom wall of each supported containment member, said parallel top and bottom walls further including a mounting lip configured to receive a cover plate for concealing the composite composition contained within the channel volume; means for stacking said containment members horizontally in a nesting relationship of bottom wall to top wall and for securing this stacked configuration to form a wall, said open side being oriented toward the traffic area; and at least one vertical support rod extending through the respective top and bottom walls of each of the containment members when said containment members are in a stacked configuration to thereby reinforce said stacked configuration, and means for securing the stacked containment members with respect to the support rod; said channel volume including a composite composition of rubber chips and binder compressed within the channel and substantially filling the channel volume.

Claim 17

A device as defined in claim 14, further comprising a cover plate removeably attached to the respective lips of each containment member and being operable to conceal the enclosed composite composition.