Collapsible and stackable roadway construction barrier

Abstract

A portable roadway construction barrier comprising vertically telescoping sections which allow the barrier to be expanded for use or collapsed for storage and transport. The sections are held in the expanded position using locking devices formed at the junctions between the sections. The uppermost section may comprise a handle to facilitate transport and the collapse or expansion of the barrier. The base section may include a recess to allow efficient stacking of multiple barriers in the collapsed state.

1 . A portable roadway construction barrier comprising:
 a plurality of vertically telescoping hollow sections; and   a hollow base section;   wherein the horizontal perimeters of the vertically telescoping hollow sections comprise substantially the same geometric shape; and   wherein the vertically telescoping hollow sections are horizontally sized to be collapsible into the hollow base section.   
   
   
       2 . The barrier of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each vertically telescoping hollow section is held in an extended position by a locking device.   
   
   
       3 . The barrier of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the locking device comprises:
 a protrusion on the outer surface of the lower portion of each vertically telescoping hollow section; and 
 a complimentary indentation on the inner surface of the upper portion of an adjacent vertically hollow telescoping section or the hollow base section; and 
   wherein the protrusion and indentation are nested together by a horizontal force to maintain the vertically telescoping hollow section in a vertically extended position.   
   
   
       4 . The barrier of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the protrusion and indentation comprise mutually nesting curvatures.   
   
   
       5 . The barrier of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric shape is a circle. 
   
   
       6 . The barrier of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric shape is a polygon. 
   
   
       7 . The barrier of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the base section comprises a thickened lower perimeter portion.   
   
   
       8 . The barrier of  claim 1 , wherein the uppermost vertically telescoping hollow section further comprises a substantially horizontal lid portion. 
   
   
       9 . The barrier of  claim 8 , wherein said lid portion further comprising a handle portion. 
   
   
       10 . The barrier of  claim 9 , wherein the base section of the barrier comprises a bottom portion; said bottom portion further comprising a recess for receiving an upper portion of a lower adjacent nested barrier; said recess formed to prevent relative horizontal movement between the barrier and the lower adjacent nested barrier. 
   
   
       11 . The barrier of  claim 10 , wherein said recess is formed to receive the handle portion of a lower adjacent nested barrier. 
   
   
       12 . The barrier of  claim 9 , wherein said handle portion further comprises holes for mounting lighting fixtures to said handle portion. 
   
   
       13 . The barrier of  claim 9 , wherein said handle portion further comprises openings for mounting warning flags. 
   
   
       14 . The barrier of  claim 1 , wherein the vertically telescoping hollow sections are sized with decreasing outer perimeters from the lowermost vertically telescoping hollow section to the uppermost vertically telescoping hollow section; said lowermost vertically telescoping hollow section having an outer perimeter smaller than the inner perimeter of said hollow base section.