Apparatus and method for making a drainage element and drainage element made thereby

An apparatus for making composite drainage elements comprising

• a frame;
• a container mounted on said frame, said container having a chamber and at least one inlet for delivering a supply of loose fill elements into said chamber;
• a chute communicating with said chamber and extending from an underside of said container to convey loose fill elements therethrough under gravity;
• a sleeve extending through said container and concentrically within said chute to define a space therewith for receiving loose fill elements therein;
• and
• drive means mounted on said frame for driving a length of corrugated pipe downwardly through said sleeve.

An apparatus for making drainage elements comprising

• a frame;
• a container mounted on said frame and having at least one inlet for receiving a supply of loose fill elements;
• a sleeve extending vertically through said hopper;
• drive means mounted on said frame for driving a length of corrugated pipe through said sleeve;
• a chute extending from an underside of said container and concentrically about said sleeve for receiving loose fill elements under gravity from said container for filling a concentric space between said chute and said sleeve;
• and
• a cage removably mounted on said chute in suspended relation and about said sleeve for supplying a sleeve of netting for securement to a corrugated pipe extending from said cage.

In an apparatus for making composite drainage elements, the combination comprising

• a container having a chamber, at least one inlet for delivering a supply of aggregate into said chamber and an outlet on an underside for an outflow of aggregate;
• a sleeve extending through said container and concentrically within said outlet to define a space therewith for receiving aggregate therein;
• and
• drive means for driving a length of corrugated pipe downwardly through said sleeve;
• and
• a gate below said container for controlling a flow of aggregate through said outlet, said gate having a pair of plates disposed on opposite sides of said sleeve for movement between a retracted position spaced from said sleeve to allow passage of aggregate through said outlet and an extended position to block passage of aggregate through said outlet.

A method of making a composite element comprising the steps of

• generating a supply of expanded loose fill elements of polymeric material characterized in having a degree of latent foaming ability therein;
• filling a sleeve of netting with said loose fill elements to form a compact structure;
• and
• thereafter exposing the compacted structure to an ambient environment of a temperature sufficient to cause said loose fill elements to expand and impose a radial expanding force on the netting and a longitudinally expanding force on the netting whereby the loose fill elements become tightly compacted and the resultant drainage element becomes stiff.

A method of making drainage elements comprising the steps of

• guiding an elongated element through a sleeve having a vertical component;
• securing an end of a sleeve of netting to the elongated element
• dispensing loose fill elements circumferentially under gravity Into a space between the netting and the sleeve;
• and
• thereafter securing the sleeve of netting to the elongated element to define a drainage element.

A unitary structure comprising

• a length of corrugated pipe having a plurality of spaced apart coupling forming areas therein, each said area being severable into a first open end and a second end having at least one integrally formed protuberance thereon for fitting into said open end in coupled relation;
• a mass of expanded elements of polymeric material disposed circumferentially about said pipe between said spaced apart areas;
• and
• a plurality of netting sleeves, each said sleeve being secured at ends thereof to said pipe between a respective pair of said spaced apart areas and containing a portion of said mass of expanded elements therein.

An apparatus for making composite drainage elements comprising

• a frame;
• a container mounted on said frame, said container having a chamber and at least one inlet for delivering a supply of loose fill elements into said chamber;
• a chute communicating with said chamber and extending from an underside of said container to convey loose fill elements therethrough under gravity;
• a gate between said container and said chute movable between an open position and a closed position for selectively opening and closing a passage between said container and said chute for passage of loose fill elements from said container into said chute;
• a cage removably mounted on said chute in suspended relation for supplying a sleeve of netting;
• and
• control means for moving said gate from said open position to said closed position to block a flow of loose fill elements into said chute to permit closure of an end of a netting extending from said cage to contain loose fill elements therein.