Flood protection for underground air vents
AssigneeFloodbreak, L.L.C.
InventorLouis A. Waters, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for allowing ventilation for underground tunnels through a ventilation shaft opening to atmosphere yet preventing underground flooding from surface waters pouring through the grate comprises an assembly that fits within the ventilation shaft and includes one or more panels mounted on a pivot axis and rotatable upwardly by human action raising the panel past a center point of the pivot axis to an upright inwardly leaning home position that allows ventilation as usual but by manual push or pull of the panels past the center point of the pivot axis lets the panels rotationally fall under gravitational impetus to a lower sealing position closing a passage between the ventilation shaft and atmosphere to prevent water from entering the underground tunnels.
Claims20
An apparatus for allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the underground ventilation duct, comprising:
- a support for arrangement in said shaft defining a passage between top and bottom openings of the support for fluid communication of said ventilation duct up through said support to said atmospheric opening, one or more stops within and connected to said support proximate said bottom opening and not obstructing said passage, and one or more panels mounted on a pivot axis in said support for rotation of each said panel upwardly by human action raising each said panel past a center point of the pivot axis to an upright inwardly leaning home position in said support, said home position not obstructing said passage, and for rotation downwardly by human action moving each said panel away from said home position outwardly past said center point of said pivot axis, allowing each said panel to rotationally fall by gravitational impetus to a lower passage closing position where further downward rotation is prevented by said one or more stops, each said panel having a profile such that said one or more panels closes said passage when said panels gravitationally rotate to said passage closing position.
An apparatus for allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the underground ventilation duct, comprising:
- a support for arrangement in said shaft defining a passage between top and bottom openings of the support for fluid communication of said ventilation duct up through said support to said atmospheric opening, one or more stops within and connected to said support proximate said bottom opening and not obstructing said passage, and a pair of panels centrally mounted in said passage on a pivot axis in said support for rotation of each said panel upwardly by human action raising each said panel past a center point of the pivot axis to an upright inwardly leaning home position in said support, said home position not obstructing said passage, and for rotation downwardly by human action manipulating a moveable member mounted inside said support higher than said axis to move each said panel away from said home position outwardly past said center point of said pivot axis, allowing each said panel to rotationally fall by gravitational impetus to a lower passage closing position where further downward rotation is prevented by said one or more stops, each said panel having a profile such that said one or more panels closes said passage when said panels gravitationally rotate to said passage closing position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.