received by the International Bureau on 07.Oct.2015 (07.10.2015)

1. A protective barrier comprising:

a hollow plastic rail including a first end and a second end;

a rounded metallic member disposed on the first end of the hollow plastic rail, the rounded metallic member including:

a first opening for receiving the first end of the hollow plastic rail, a first anchoring mechanism for anchoring the rounded metallic member and the first end of the hollow plastic rail to a surface, and a rounded protrusion disposed on an outer surface of the rounded metallic member for receiving a force of impact and deflecting the force of impact away from the rounded metallic member;

a second metallic member disposed on the second end of the hollow plastic rail, the second metallic member including:

a second opening for receiving the second end of the hollow plastic rail, and

a second anchoring mechanism for anchoring the second metallic member and the second end of the hollow plastic rail to the surface.

2. The protective barrier of claim 1 wherein the rounded metallic member further includes:

a first side wall having a first distal end, a first proximal end, and a first top end; a second side wall having a second distal end, a second proximal end, and a second top end;

a top surface connecting the first top end of the first side wall to the second top end of the second side wall; and

a rounded front wall connecting the first distal end of the first side wall to the second distal end of the second side wall, the rounded front wall including a first wall portion including a protrusion and a second wall portion, the first wall portion having a wall thickness greater than a wall thickness of the wall second portion.

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3. The protective barrier of claim 2 wherein the rounded metallic member further comprises a lid configured for insertion into an opening in the top surface.

4. The protective barrier of claim 3 wherein a bottom surface of the lid includes one or more arch shaped strengthening ribs.

5. The protective barrier of claim 2 wherein the first side wall of the rounded metallic member includes a first surface facing and extending substantially parallel to a second surface of the second side wall, the first surface and the second surface each including one or more integrally formed ribs.

6. The protective barrier of claim 2 further including:

a bottom surface interconnecting a first bottom end of the first side wall, a second bottom end of the second side wall, and a third bottom end of the rounded front wall, and

one or more strengthening ribs, each of the one or more strengthening ribs

coupled to the bottom surface and one of: the first side wall, the second side wall, and the rounded front side wall.

7. The protective barrier of claim 6 wherein each of the one or more strengthening ribs has an arched shape.

8. The protective barrier of claim 2 further comprising a rounded flange extending along a first bottom end of the first side wall, a second bottom end of the second side wall, and a third bottom end of the rounded front wall.

9. The protective barrier of claim 2 wherein an inner surface of the rounded front wall facing an interior of rounded metallic member is coupled to one or more ribs.

10. The protective barrier of claim 1 wherein the anchoring mechanism includes a shock absorption mechanism for absorbing at least some of a force of impact on the protective barrier.

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1 1. The protective barrier of claim 10 wherein the shock absorption mechanism includes a shock absorber with a fastener of the anchoring mechanism extending therethrough, the shock absorber being held between a surface of the fastener and a bottom surface of the rounded metallic member.

12. The protective barrier of claim 1 wherein the hollow plastic rail includes a plurality of stiffening ribs.

13. The protective barrier of claim 2 further including a bottom surface

interconnecting a first bottom end of the first side wall, a second bottom end of the second side wall, and a third bottom end of the rounded front wall, wherein the bottom surface includes an opening through which a portion of the anchoring mechanism extends.

14. The protective barrier of claim 3 wherein the lid is a metallic lid.

15. A cast metal end cap for a protective barrier, the cast metal end cap comprising: an integrally formed hollow cast metal body including:

a first side wall having a first distal end, a first proximal end, and a first top end;

a second side wall having a second distal end, a second proximal end, and a second top end;

a top surface connecting the first top end of the first side wall to the second top end of the second side wall; and a rounded front wall connecting the first distal end of the first side wall to the second distal end of the second side wall, an outer surface of the rounded front wall including a first wall portion including an integrally formed rounded protrusion and a second wall portion, the first wall portion having a wall thickness greater than a wall thickness of the wall second portion.

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16. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 wherein the integrally formed rounded protrusion extends in a direction from the first distal end of the first side wall to the second distal end of the second side wall and is configured for receiving a force of impact and deflecting the force of impact away from the cast metal end cap.

17. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 further comprising a lid configured for insertion into an opening in a top surface of the cast metal body.

18. The cast metal end cap of claim 17 wherein the lid includes one or more arch shaped strengthening ribs formed integrally on a bottom surface of the lid.

19. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 wherein the first side wall has a first surface facing and substantially parallel to a second surface of the second side wall, the first surface and the second surface each including one or more integrally formed ribs.

20. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 further comprising:

a bottom surface interconnecting a first bottom end of the first side wall, a second bottom end of the second side wall, and a third bottom end of the rounded front wall, and

one or more strengthening ribs, each of the one or more strengthening ribs formed integrally with the bottom surface and one of: the first side wall, the second side wall, and the rounded front side wall.

21. The cast metal end cap of claim 20 wherein each of the one or more strengthening ribs has an arched shape.

22. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 further comprising an integrally formed, rounded flange extending along a first bottom end of the first side wall, a second bottom end of the second side wall, and a third bottom end of the rounded front wall.

23. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 wherein an inner surface of the rounded front wall facing an interior of the hollow cast metal body includes one or more integrally formed ribs.

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24. The cast metal end cap of claim 15 further comprising a bottom surface interconnecting a first bottom end of the first side wall, a second bottom end of the second side wall, and a third bottom end of the rounded front wall, wherein the bottom surface includes an opening through which a portion of the anchoring mechanism extends.

25. The cast metal end cap of claim 17 wherein the lid is a cast metal lid.

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