Improvements in or relating to protection bars for vehicles

Claim 2

A protective framework for a vehicle, said protective framework being of generally rectangular shape with a plurality of spaced horizontal bars joined intermediate their lengths to a plurality of spaced vertical bars adapted to be attached to a vehicle, characterized in that the horizontal bars are resilient and are adapted to deflect to absorb some of the forces of impact on the horizontal bars striking an object and that the horizontal bars are joined to the vertical bars by joining blocks, each of the joining blocks including a pair of substantially solid clamp blocks and a substantially solid, hard rubber spacer having grooves on opposite sides thereof and at right angles to each other, the horizontal and vertical bars each being clamped in one of the grooves and engaged by one of the clamp blocks, and mechanical means including a pair of cover plates for engaging associated clamp blocks of the joining block and means for connecting the cover plates to one another to secure the joining block together with the joined horizontal and vertical bars.

Claim 3

A protective framework for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the horizontal bars extend across the width of the vehicle and have free unsupported ends.

Claim 4

A protective framework for a vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the horizontal bars are formed of polycarbonate tube, and the vertical bars are of metal.

Claim 5

A protective framework for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the clamp blocks has a thickness at least equal to about one-half the cross-sectional dimension of the engaged bar.

Claim 6

A protective framework for a vehicle, said protective framework being of generally rectangular shape with a plurality of spaced horizontal bars joined intermediate their lengths to a plurality of spaced vertical bars adapted to be attached to a vehicle, characterized in that the horizontal bars are resilient and are adapted to deflect to absorb some of the forces of impact on the horizontal bars striking an object and that the horizontal bars are joined to the vertical bars by joining blocks, each of the joining blocks including a substantially solid, hard rubber spacer having grooves on opposite sides thereof and at right angles to each other, the horizontal and vertical bars being clamped in the grooves by substantially solid clamp blocks engaging each bar respectively, each of the clamp blocks including a clamp groove on one side thereof for receiving the engaged bar and a protrusion on the opposite side thereof, and each of the joining blocks including a pair of cover plates for interlocking engagement with associated clamp blocks of the joining block, each of the cover plates having an aperture through which the protrusion of the associated clamp block extends.

Claim 7

A protective framework for a vehicle, said protective framework being of generally rectangular shape with a plurality of spaced horizontal bars joined intermediate their lengths to a plurality of spaced vertical bars adapted to be attached to a vehicle, characterized in that the horizontal bars are resilient and are adapted to deflect to absorb some of the forces of impact on the horizontal bars striking an object and that the horizontal bars are joined to the vertical bars by joining blocks, each of the joining blocks including a substantially solid, hard rubber spacer having grooves on opposite sides thereof and at right angles to each other, the horizontal and vertical bars being clamped in the grooves by substantially solid clamp blocks engaging each bar respectively, each of the clamp blocks including a clamp groove on one side thereof for receiving the engaged bar and a protrusion on the opposite side thereof, and each of the joining blocks including a pair of cover plates for interlocking engagement with associated clamp blocks of the joining block, each of the cover plates having an aperture through which the protrusion of the associated clamp block extends.

Claim 8

A protective framework for a vehicle as defined in claim 5, wherein each clamp block has a thickness at least equal to about one-half the cross-sectional dimension of the engaged bar, and each clamp block engages the spacer with the joined horizontal and vertical bars respectively disposed therebetween to provide a substantially solid assembly of the clamp blocks and spacer.