Self-actuating floodwater barrier
AssigneeFloodbreak, L.L.C.
InventorLouis A. Waters, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A floodwater barrier for protecting the shore side of a shoreline from flooding includes at least one self-actuating floodwater barrier unit for installation between a pair of walls transverse to a shoreline. The unit includes a flexible resilient panel, a plurality of rigid members connected to the panel, at least one watertight chamber of size and arrangement to give the unit water buoyancy, hinged to be rotatable upward about a horizontal axis longitudinal to the shoreline under the influence of buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure from a rise of the body of water acting on the unit, and further includes flexible tension members positioned to act on the floodwater barrier unit to limit upward rotation of the unit to a predetermined extent.
Claims47
A self-actuating floodwater barrier unit for installation along a shoreline adjacent a place for a body of water, between a pair of walls transverse to the shoreline, comprising:
- a. a panel assembly comprising a flexible resilient panel and a plurality of rigid attachment members connected to said panel, said panel comprising one or more watertight chambers of size and arrangement to give the unit water buoyancy;
- b. pivotation members comprising a stationary member for anchorage adjacent the shoreline and a movable member connected to a said rigid attachment member on a lower portion of said panel assembly, the movable member being movably joined to said stationary member and pivotally rotatable upward from a normally horizontal disposition of the flexible resilient panel about an axis longitudinal with said shoreline under the influence of water buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure from a rise of said body of water;
- and
- c. a flexible tension member connected at one end to an anchorage lower than said floodwater barrier unit when the panel assembly is horizontally disposed and at the other end connected to a said rigid attachment member at a position on said panel assembly effective to limit upward rotation of the unit to a predetermined extent.
The floodwater barrier unit of claim 31 in which said flexible panel is resiliently elastically deformable.
The floodwater barrier unit of claim 32 in which said flexible resiliently elastically deformable panel comprises a water impervious thermoplastic elastomer, rubber composition or elastomeric laminate material, or a combination or composite of two or more thereof.
A plurality of floodwater barrier units of claim 36 connected side by side at said lateral elongate hardpoints to form a floodwater barrier assembly.
A floodwater barrier assembly of claim 37 adjacent a said wall and including, at a lateral elongate hardpoint not connected to another floodwater barrier unit, a gasket mounted on said hardpoint and positioned to wipe the wall on rise of said panel assembly from horizontal, to restrain passage of water between the panel assembly and the wall when the panel assembly pivots upwardly on said axis.
The floodwater barrier unit of claim 43 in which one or more of said one or more chambers are compartmentalized.
A method for protecting a shore adjacent a place for a body of water from flooding, comprising:
- a. providing a plurality of laterally connected floodwater barrier units between a pair of walls transverse to a shoreline of the shore, said floodwater barrier units each comprising a panel assembly comprising a flexible resilient panel having one or more watertight chambers of size and arrangement to give the panel water buoyancy and a plurality of rigid attachment members connected to said panel, said panel assembly being attached to a construction along the shoreline by a stationary pivotation member movably joined to a movable pivotation member connected to a lower portion of said panel assembly, said panel assembly being rotatable upwardly about an axis of the pivotation members longitudinal with said construction under the influence of buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure from a rise of said body of water, and
- b. providing flexible tension members connected to a portion of said panel assembly and positioned to act on said panel assembly effective to limit rotation of the panel to a predetermined extent.
The method of claim 45 in which said flexible panel is supported between two said elongate rigid attachment members by a plurality of resilient flexible stringers arranged transversely to and connecting to said two elongate rigid attachment members.
The method of claim 47 in which said flexible resiliently elastically deformable panel is supported between two said elongate rigid attachment members by a plurality of resilient flexible stringers arranged transversely to and connecting to said two elongate rigid attachment members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.