US 11,242,665 B1Granted

Portable cofferdam assembly system

AssigneeSubsurface, Inc.

InventorsBrandon G. Strom, Gary H. Strom

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A system for assembling a cofferdam. In a first example embodiment, a cofferdam may be assembled on-site using a plurality of walls that couple each other to form the cofferdam. In a second example embodiment, a plurality of walls and a plurality of connectors may be assembled to form the cofferdam. The walls and/or connectors disassembled for transport and/or storage, yet quickly assembled on-site to form the cofferdam. The panels and/or the connectors may form cofferdams of various shapes and sizes. The walls and/or connectors are made of a durable material that permits multiple uses. The cofferdam may be assembled to hold back the water of a body of water from around a culvert while work or repairs are performed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for assembling a cofferdam near a culvert, the method comprising:

positioning a first wall vertically and near a first side of an inlet of the culvert, wherein the first wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the first wall comprises a round protrusion;
pressing downward on the first wall to drive a lower edge of the first wall into a ground surface;
positioning a second wall vertically and above the first wall, wherein the second wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the second wall and a second coupler near a second end of the second wall, whereby the first coupler of the second wall is aligned with the first coupler of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the second wall comprises a first C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the first C-shaped receiver and an interior side of the second wall is about 90 degrees, wherein the second coupler of the second wall comprises a second C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the second C-shaped receiver and the interior side of the second wall is about 90 degrees;
lowering the second wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the second wall with the first coupler of the first wall, whereby the slot of the first C-shaped receiver positions the second wall orthogonally to the first wall;
pressing downward on the second wall to drive a lower edge of the second wall into the ground surface;
positioning a third wall vertically and above the second wall, wherein the third wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the third wall, whereby the first coupler of the third wall is aligned with the second coupler of the second wall, wherein the first coupler of the third wall comprises a round protrusion;
lowering the third wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the third wall with the second coupler of the second wall, whereby the slot of the second C-shaped receiver positions the third wall orthogonally to the second wall;
and
pressing downward on the third wall to drive a lower edge of the third wall into the ground surface thereby forming an enclosure around the inlet of the culvert that prevents passage of water from a body of water into an interior of the enclosure.

6 more elements

A method for assembling a cofferdam near a culvert, the method comprising:

positioning a first wall vertically and near a first side of an inlet of the culvert, wherein the first wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the first wall comprises a round protrusion;
pressing downward on the first wall to drive a lower edge of the first wall into a ground surface;
positioning a second wall vertically and above the first wall, wherein the second wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the second wall and a second coupler near a second end of the second wall, whereby the first coupler of the second wall is aligned with the first coupler of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the second wall comprises a first C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the first C-shaped receiver and an interior side of the second wall is about 90 degrees, wherein the second coupler of the second wall comprises a round protrusion;
lowering the second wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the second wall with the first coupler of the first wall, whereby the slot of the first C-shaped receiver positions the second wall orthogonally to the first wall;
pressing downward on the second wall to drive a lower edge of the second wall into the ground surface;
positioning a third wall vertically and above the second wall, wherein the third wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the third wall, whereby the first coupler of the third wall is aligned with the second coupler of the second wall, wherein the first coupler of the third wall comprises a second C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the second C-shaped receiver and an interior side of the third wall is about 90 degrees;
lowering the third wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the third wall with the second coupler of the second wall, whereby the slot of the second C-shaped receiver positions the third wall orthogonally to the second wall;
and
pressing downward on the third wall to drive a lower edge of the third wall into the ground surface thereby forming an enclosure around the inlet of the culvert that prevents passage of water from a body of water into an interior of the enclosure.

6 more elements

A method for assembling a cofferdam near a culvert, the method comprising:

positioning a first wall vertically and near a first side of an inlet of the culvert, wherein the first wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the first wall comprises a first C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the first C-shaped receiver and an interior side of the first wall is about 90 degrees;
pressing downward on the first wall to drive a lower edge of the first wall into a ground surface;
positioning a second wall vertically and above the first wall, wherein the second wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the second wall and a second coupler near a second end of the second wall, whereby the first coupler of the second wall is aligned with the first coupler of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the second wall comprises a first round protrusion, wherein the second coupler of the second wall comprises a second round protrusion;
lowering the second wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the second wall with the first coupler of the first wall, whereby the slot of the first C-shaped receiver positions the second wall orthogonally to the first wall;
pressing downward on the second wall to drive a lower edge of the second wall into the ground surface;
positioning a third wall vertically and above the second wall, wherein the third wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the third wall, whereby the first coupler of the third wall is aligned with the second coupler of the second wall, wherein the first coupler of the third wall comprises a second C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the second C-shaped receiver and an interior side of the third wall is about 90 degrees;
lowering the third wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the third wall with the second coupler of the second wall, whereby the slot of the second C-shaped receiver positions the third wall orthogonally to the second wall;
and
pressing downward on the third wall to drive a lower edge of the third wall into the ground surface thereby forming an enclosure around the inlet of the culvert that prevents passage of water from a body of water into an interior of the enclosure.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method for assembling a cofferdam near a culvert, the method comprising:

positioning a first wall vertically and near a first side of an inlet of the culvert, wherein the first wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the first wall comprises a round protrusion;
pressing downward on the first wall to drive a lower edge of the first wall into a ground surface;
positioning a second wall vertically and above the first wall, wherein the second wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the second wall and a second coupler near a second end of the second wall, whereby the first coupler of the second wall is aligned with the first coupler of the first wall, wherein the first coupler of the second wall comprises a first C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the first C-shaped receiver and an interior side of the second wall is about 90 degrees, wherein the second coupler of the second wall comprises a second C-shaped receiver, wherein an angle between a slot of the second C-shaped receiver and the interior side of the second wall is about 90 degrees;
lowering the second wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the second wall with the first coupler of the first wall, whereby the slot of the first C-shaped receiver positions the second wall orthogonally to the first wall;
pressing downward on the second wall to drive a lower edge of the second wall into the ground surface;
positioning a third wall vertically and above the second wall, wherein the third wall includes a first coupler near a first end of the third wall, whereby the first coupler of the third wall is aligned with the second coupler of the second wall, wherein the first coupler of the third wall comprises a round protrusion;
lowering the third wall to slidably couple the first coupler of the third wall with the second coupler of the second wall, whereby the slot of the second C-shaped receiver positions the third wall orthogonally to the second wall;
and
pressing downward on the third wall to drive a lower edge of the third wall into the ground surface thereby forming an enclosure around the inlet of the culvert that prevents passage of water from a body of water into an interior of the enclosure.

6 more elements