h a l f b a k e r yThe leaning tower of Piezo
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On high-speed roads, breakdown crews are often at risk from speeding vehicles in an adjacent running lane.
However, by deploying the new Vehicle Flipper from BorgCo, they can enjoy greatly improved protection.
The Flipper is a trailer towed by the recovery vehicle. It has an onboard generator and
battery system to power its numerous bright, flashing warning lights. The trailer carries a sturdy spaceframe supporting a carefully-profiled curved ramp fabricated from sturdy smooth steel plate, shaped like an inverted plough blade - in fact, it strongy resembles a snowplough, and is constructed on similar principles.
On arrival at the incident, the trailer is uncoupled a safe distance behind the work area. The wheels then retract, dropping the rear of the trailer flush with the ground and the body resting on forward-facing metal spikes.
If a vehicle runs into the back of the Flipper, its wheels will first run onto the gently-graded portion of the ramp, pushing the spikes down and into the road, increasing the grip. As the car moves up the ramp, its mass and momentum continue to push the ramp down, as it is lifted and turned, being progressively deflected upwards and sideways, with a corresponding longitudinal rotation.
This will convert the car's forward motion into a vertical motion with rotation, causing it to fly off at a right angle to its original path, safely away from the breakdown crew.
Even if only the wheels on one side run onto the ramp, there will be enough rotation to tip the vehicle onto its side, bring it rapidly to a stop.
After use, the onboard power system activates the hydraulics to drop the road wheels and pull the spikes out; the trailer can then be hitched up and towed to the next job.
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A good idea in theory; however you will find that people (the crazy ones, at least) will start aiming FOR the ramp, to try and do the old "two wheel drive" manoeuvre. |
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They're very welcome to try. Attempting that stunt in an unprepared vehicle invariably has unpleasant consequences. |
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School buses, tanker trucks, tractors with and without trailers, firetrucks, ambulances, bikes, pedestrians,and Harley Davidson s may all hit this ramp, but their mass and velocity will change where they all end up. What color will you paint the ramp ? Red i Hope. |
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Yep, them Duke boys is at it again. |
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It's a rant, but it's such a well-disguised one that I can hardly bone it, let alone mark it. |
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Would you mind justifying that ? What are your grounds ? |
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It's a practical idea to promote the safety of workers; there's the law of unintended consequences, of course, but it's hardly a rant. |
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I think the vehicles will be uncontrolled, and endanger fellow road
users. A butterfly system briefly came to mind (a big spike, onto which
vehicles impaled themselves), but that seems a bit drastic. I've seen
mention of rollers, which bounce the vehicle back out in other traffic:
also not so good. But how about this: a barrier that gently angles
around the protected area.The barrier has teeth that eat the body a
fraction of an inch each. Hitting this barrier will leave the vehicle
looking like something just ate the side, but it would take away energy
really quickly. Motorbike riders should steer clear of this! |
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// I think the vehicles will be uncontrolled, and endanger fellow road users. // |
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That wasn't in the requirements specification. The brief is for a portable, re-useable device to quickly and effectively protect breakdown crews. We consider that this design will do that. |
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