Safety ramp and method for protecting hoses and conduits
OwnerGerald A. Wegmann, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method have been developed for protecting a hose or other utility conduit from damage caused by traffic crossing over such conduits. Substantially rectangular ramp units with covered conduit channels are interlocked to form an elongate safety ramp with a channel running the length of the ramp for receiving a conduit. The ramp units are interlocked to form a linear or branched safety ramp.
Claims19
A safety ramp for protecting a hose or utility conduit which comprises:
- a plurality of substantially rectangular ramp units, each of said ramp units having opposed ramp plates forming the sides thereof said ramp plates being inclined from the outer edge of the ramp unit upwardly to the maximum height of the ramp unit;
- a conduit channel formed in each of said ramp units between the inclined ramp plates and running from end to end of said ramp unit;
- a channel cover comprising a horizontal plate having a top surface which is substantially flush with the top surface of said ramp unit and a vertically extending plate adapted to extend downwardly into the conduit channel of each of said ramp units for providing a protective covering for the conduit channel;
- and
- a member projecting outwardly and upwardly from the end of each of said ramp units and adapted for receiving through an opening formed in the end of an adjacent ramp unit for engaging the inside surface of the end of the adjacent ramp unit for interlocking adjacent ramp units to form a chain of ramp units having a continuous conduit channel therethrough for protecting a hose or utility conduit received therein.
A method of protecting a hose or utility conduit laid across a traffic area from damage caused by the crossing of traffic over the hose or utility conduit comprising the steps of:
- interlocking a plurality of substantially rectangular ramp units by inserting a member projecting outwardly and upwardly from one end of each respective ramp unit into an opening formed in the other end of an adjacent ramp unit to engage the inside surface of the end of the adjacent ramp unit;
- placing the hose or utility conduit to be protected into a conduit channel formed in and running from end to end of each respective ramp unit, thereby forming an elongate channel the length of the interlocked chain of ramp units for receiving the hose or utility conduit therein;
- and
- closing the conduit channel of each respective interlocked ramp unit with a cover, comprising a horizontal plate and a vertically extending plate adapted to extend down onto the conduit channel the top surface of the horizontal plate of the cover being substantially flush with the maximum height of a ramp formed in each respective ramp unit on both sides of the conduit channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.