Apparatus for and methods of stabilizing a leaking dam or levee
OwnerArthur E. Christenseninventor
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Abstract
An apparatus 40 is used for stabilizing a leak in a dam 20, which was built adjacent a body of water 26 to prevent flooding of the water onto adjacent land areas 24a. Leaks in the dam 20 may occur because of a breach 38 developing undesirably in, and possibly through, the dam. The apparatus 40 includes an elastomeric sheet 44, which is wound onto a spool 48, when the apparatus is in a storage-and-handling mode. When the breach 38 is discovered, the apparatus 40 is placed adjacent the dam 20 and the sheet 44 is unfurled into a breach-sealing mode of the apparatus, where the breach 38 is covered and sealed by the unfurled sheet.
Claims27
Apparatus for stabilizing a leak in a dam or a levee, which comprises:
- a flexible sheet composed of a material capable of withstanding hydrostatic water pressure in a body of water without rupturing;
- the flexible sheet being manipulatable for positioning breach-sealable portions of the sheet over a breach in the dam or the levee into which the leak could flow;
- and
- the flexible sheet being composed of an inorganic material which maintains consistent flexibility and resilience when subjected to temperatures within a range from −100° C. to 316° C.
A portable and reusable apparatus for covering and stabilizing
- an existing breach located in an unprotected portion of a dam or a levee to preclude a leak of water, into the breach, from a body of water adjacent the dam or the levee, which comprises:
- a flexible sheet composed of a material which is impervious to water;
- the flexible sheet having a proximal end and a distal end spaced from the proximal end thereof;
- means attached to the proximal end of the flexible sheet for facilitating handling of the flexible sheet;
- and
- at least a portion of the flexible sheet being sufficiently supple to allow the at least a portion of the flexible sheet, when placed over the breach in the dam or levee, to be urged into, and seal, the breach to preclude a leak of the water from the body of water into the breach.
The apparatus as set forth in clam 7, which further comprises:
- the flexible sheet being composed of an inorganic material which maintains consistent flexibility and resilience when subjected to temperatures within a range from −100° C. to 316° C.
A portable and reusable apparatus for covering and stabilizing an existing breach located in an unprotected portion of a dam or a levee to preclude a leak of water, into the breach, from a body of water adjacent the dam or the levee, which comprises:
- a flexible sheet having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section extending between the proximal end and the distal end spaced from the proximal end thereof;
- the flexible sheet composed of a material which is impervious to water, and which is sufficiently supple to cover and seal the breach from the body of water;
- a rotatable spool coupled to the proximal end of the flexible sheet for rotation relative to the flexible sheet;
- at least one cord having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section extending between the proximal end and the distal end thereof;
- the proximal end of the cord being attached to the rotatable spool, the distal end of the cord being attached to the proximal end of the flexible sheet, and the intermediate section of the cord extending from the proximal end thereof over an outboard surface of the flexible sheet, about the distal end of the flexible sheet, and over an inboard surface of the flexible sheet, and to the distal end of the cord;
- and
- the spool being rotatable relative to the flexible sheet to facilitate movement of the cord in opposite directions during movement of the flexible sheet between a storage-and-handling mode and a breach-sealing mode, and vice-versa.
A method of covering and stabilizing an existing breach located in an unprotected portion of a dam or a levee to preclude a leak of water, into the breach, from a body of water adjacent the dam or the levee, which comprises the steps of
- providing a water-impervious flexible sheet having a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate section extending between the proximal end and the distal end spaced from the proximal portion thereof;
- storing the flexible sheet in the form of a full package when the flexible sheet is in a storage-and-handling mode;
- unfurling, from the full package, a proximal portion the flexible sheet extending from the proximal end of the flexible sheet while retaining a remainder of the flexible sheet in a less-than-full package;
- placing the less-than-full package of the remainder of the flexible sheet into the body of water;
- and
- unfurling at least a portion of the water-bound less-than-full package of the flexible sheet sufficient for a breach-sealing portion of the flexible sheet to cover the breach, whereby the flexible sheet is in a breach-sealing mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.