Method and apparatus for using automotive tires as earth engineering devices

An earth engineering apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of vehicular tire casings arranged in a plurality of planar arrays extending in a substantially horizontal dimension, said planar arrays being layered on top of one another in a substantially vertical dimension whereby each of said casings is in contacting relationship with at least one other casing within its respective planar array and with at least one other casing within an adjacent layered planar array;
• means for interconnecting said casings in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, said interconnecting means comprising pins projecting through apertures provided in mating deformations of the casings at said contacting locations;
• said mating deformations including an inwardly directed deformation of one casing and a mating outwardly directed deformation of an adjacent contacting casing;
• and
• each of said pins including a shank portion and a hook portion, said casings being interconnected in the horizontal dimension by said shank portions projecting through said mating deformations of the casings and being interconnected in the vertical direction by the hook portions engaging the casings of adjacent layered planar arrays.

An earth engineering device comprising:

• a plurality of vehicular tire casings arranged in a plurality of planar arrays extending in a substantially horizontal dimension, said planar arrays being layered on top of one another in a substantially vertical dimension whereby each of said casings is in contacting relationship with at least one other casing within its respective planar array and with at least one other casing within an adjacent layered planar array;
• and
• means for integrally interconnecting said casings in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, including plural horizontal connecting means distributed horizontally throughout each of said planar arrays positively locking the tire casings therein one to another at their points of respective contact within each such planar array and plural vertical connecting means distributed horizontally throughout the interface between each pair of adjacent vertically layered planar arrays positively locking one planar array to adjacent planar arrays throughout the entire earth engineering apparatus;
• said horizontal and vertical connecting means comprising a plurality of slits in each casing at the contacting locations, and pins projecting through said slits to engage interior surfaces of the casings at said locations.

An earth engineering device comprising:

• a plurality of vehicular tire casings arranged in a plurality of planar arrays extending in a substantially horizontal dimension, said planar arrays being layered on top of one another in a substantially vertical dimension whereby each of said casings is in contacting relationship with at least one other casing within its respective planar array and with at least one other casing within an adjacent layered planar array;
• and
• means for integrally interconnecting said casings in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, including plural horizontal connecting means distributed throughout each of said planar arrays positively locking the tire casings therein one to another at their points of respective contact within each such planar array and plural vertical connecting means distributed horizontally throughout the interface between each pair of adjacent vertically layered planar arrays positively locking one planar array to adjacent planar arrays throughout the entire earth engineering apparatus;
• said horizontal and vertical connecting means comprising a slot in one of the casings at each contacting location and a tab formed in the other casing at each said location, said tab being in mating relationship and partially disposed within its respective slot.

An earth engineering device comprising:

• a plurality of vehicular tire casings arranged in a plurality of planar arrays extending in a substantially horizontal dimension, said planar arrays being layered on top of one another in a substantially vertical dimension whereby each of said casings is in contacting relationship with at least one other casing within its respective planar array and with at least one other casing with an adjacent layered planar array;
• and
• means for integrally interconnecting said casings in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, including plural horizontal connecting means distributed horizontally throughout each of said planar arrays positively locking the tire casings therein one to another at their points of respective contact within each such planar array and plural vertical connecting means distributed horizontally throughout the interface between each pair of adjacent vertically layered planar arrays positively locking one planar array to adjacent planar arrays throughout the entire earth engineering apparatus;
• said horizontal and vertical connecting means comprising double face gang nail plates interposed between the respective casings at said contacting locations, and nails associated with said plates to project through the casing at each of said locations.