Joseph F Vellozzi

US Patent:

6843613, Jan 18, 2005

Filed:

Feb 6, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/359666

Inventors:

Matthew A. Gelfand - Rockville Centre NY, US
Joseph Vellozzi - Ardsley NY, US
John S. Paner - Lancaster NY, US
Norman D. MacKenzie - Alden NY, US
Shubin Ruan - Williamsville NY, US
Dean C. Alberson - Bryan TX, US

Assignee:

Universal Safety Response, Inc. - New York NY

International Classification:

E01F 1506

US Classification:

404 6, 244110 C, 256 131

Abstract:

A heavy duty ground retractable automobile barrier for a railroad crossing. Concrete bunkers are placed at each side of a roadway. An upstanding concrete-filled steel pipe fixed in each bunker has a sleeve for rotational and axial movement. Shock absorbers are mounted on each sleeve. A net extends across the road and is attached to the opposite ends of the shock absorbers. Collision of an automobile with the net creates tensile forces in the net. The shock absorbers expand while rotating about the pipe's axis in response to tensile forces from the net that meet or exceed a minimum threshold. Forces from the net pass through the axis of the steel pipe. The net is stored in a pit transverse the roadway parallel to the railroad tracks and is raised and lowered as appropriate. The net includes a cable that extends across the road in a wave pattern, having peaks, valleys and midpoints, wherein tangents of the wave midpoints are at least 90 degrees from tangents of the peaks and valleys.

US Patent:

7785031, Aug 31, 2010

Filed:

Feb 6, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/504068

Inventors:

Joseph Vellozzi - Ardsley NY, US
Matthew A. Gelfand - Rockville Centre NY, US
John S. Paner - Lancaster NY, US
Norman D. Mackenzie - Alden NY, US
Shubin Ruan - Williamsville NY, US
Dean C. Alberson - Bryan TX, US

Assignee:

Universal Safety Response, Inc. - Franklin TN

International Classification:

E01F 15/00

US Classification:

404 6, 404 10, 49 9, 49 33, 49 34, 49 49

Abstract:

A heavy duty ground retractable automobile barrier for a railroad crossing. Concrete bunkers are placed at each side of a roadway. An upstanding concrete-filled steel pipe fixed in each bunker has a sleeve for rotational and axial movement. Shock absorbers are mounted on each sleeve. A net extends across the road and is attached to the opposite ends of the shock absorbers. Collision of an automobile with the net creates tensile forces in the net. The shock absorbers expand while rotating about the pipe's axis in response to tensile forces from the net that meet or exceed a minimum threshold. Forces from the net pass through the axis of the steel pipe. The net is stored in a pit transverse the roadway parallel to the railroad tracks and is raised and lowered as appropriate. The net includes a cable that extends across the road in a wave pattern, having peaks, valleys and midpoints, wherein tangents of the wave midpoints are at least 90 degrees from tangents of the peaks and valleys.

US Patent:

20030016996, Jan 23, 2003

Filed:

Feb 7, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/072678

Inventors:

Matthew Gelfand - Rockville Centre NY, US
Joseph Vellozzi - Ardsley NY, US
John Paner - Lancaster NY, US
Norman Mackenzie - Alden NY, US
Shubin Ruan - Williamsville NY, US
D. Bullard - College Station TX, US
Dean Alberson - Bryan TX, US

International Classification:

E01F013/00

US Classification:

404/006000

Abstract:

A heavy duty ground retractable automobile barrier for a railroad crossing. Concrete bunkers are placed at each side of a roadway. An upstanding concrete-filled steel pipe fixed in each bunker has a sleeve for rotational and axial movement. Shock absorbers are mounted on each sleeve. A net extends across the road and is attached to the opposite ends of the shock absorbers. Collision of an automobile with the net creates tensile forces in the net. The shock absorbers expand while rotating about the pipe's axis in response to tensile forces from the net that meet or exceed a minimum threshold. Forces from the net pass through the axis of the steel pipe. The net is stored in a pit transverse the roadway parallel to the railroad tracks and is raised and lowered as appropriate. The net includes a cable that extends across the road in a wave pattern, having peaks, valleys and midpoints, wherein tangents of the wave midpoints are at least 90 degrees from tangents of the peaks and valleys.

US Patent:

57624437, Jun 9, 1998

Filed:

Feb 26, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/606600

Inventors:

Matthew A. Gelfand - Rockville Centre NY
James C. Herrmann - Rockville Centre NY
John M. R. Fitzgerald - Stony Brook NY
Joseph Vellozzi - Ardsley NY
Joel L. Stahmer - Pennington NJ

Assignee:

Universal Safety Response, Inc. - Rockville Centre NY

International Classification:

E01F 1304
B61L 2900

US Classification:

404 6

Abstract:

A heavy duty shock absorber system for resisting large forces as may be encountered, for example, in a restraining barrier for a railroad crossing. A concrete bunker with an upstanding concrete-filled steel pipe has a hydraulic, compressive shock absorber mounted on the steel pipe for rotational, axial, and orthogonal movement. Forces applied to the shock absorber always pass through the axis of the steel pipe, thereby maximizing the resistance to the force while minimizing the necessary size of the system. A net is stored in a pit transverse the roadway parallel to the railroad tracks and is raised and lowered as appropriate. Each end of the net is attached to shock absorbing systems of the type described above.