US 5,290,129 AGranted

Trench shield assembly

OwnerKenneth G. Rody, Richard D. Rody +1inventors

InventorsKenneth G. Rody, Richard D. Rody, Bradley W. Rody

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Abstract

A trench shield assembly (12) having first and second shield walls (14, 16) maintained spaced apart by a plurality of spacer struts (30) at the front end of the shield walls and an archway (32) secured at the rear end of the shield walls. Each shield wall is constructed from a plurality of beams (18) that are stacked on top of each other and secured together. Each beam includes a central web (20) and first and second face flanges (22, 24). When stacked and secured, the first face flanges define a first exterior skin (26) of the shield wall and the second face flanges define a second exterior skin (28) of the shield wall. The ends of the spacer struts project through transverse passages (44) defined in the shield walls. Stops (46) formed on the spacer struts, at a location spaced from the ends of the struts, limit the degree of insertion of the struts into the transverse passages. A locking plate (50) is secured to each projecting end of the struts to prevent withdrawal of the struts from the passages.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A trench shield assembly, comprising:

first and second shield walls each constructed from a plurality of horizontally disposed elongate members stacked adjacent and on top of each other in a continuous stack extending from the bottom to the top of the shield wall, each elongate member defining a longitudinal axis extending lengthwise of the beam, wherein at least some of the elongate members comprise beams, each beam including a central web and first and second parallel face flanges, the first face flanges of the stacked beams defining a first integral exterior skin of the shield wall and the second face flanges of the stacked beams defining a second integral exterior skin of the shield wall, with the central webs of the beams spanning between the first and second exterior skins, wherein each elongate member defines an elongate interior surface that extends the length of the member and that is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member, whereby the elongate interior surface defines at least a portion of an elongate inner channel extending the length of the member;
means for immovably and rigidly securing together elongate edges of adjacent stacked elongate members;
and
means mounted between the first and second shield walls for maintaining the first and second shield walls spaced apart, with the first exterior skins of the first and second shield walls opposing each other.

1 more element

A trench shield wall comprising:

a plurality of horizontally disposed elongate members stacked adjacent and on top of each other in a continuous stack extending from the bottom to the top of the shield wall, each elongate member defining a longitudinal axis extending lengthwise of the beam, wherein at least some of the elongate members comprise beams, each beam including a central web and first and second parallel face flanges, and each elongate member defines an elongate interior surface that extends the length of the member and that is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member, whereby the elongate interior surface defines at least a portion of an elongate inner channel extending the length of the member;
and
means for immovably and rigidly securing together elongate edges of adjacent stacked elongate members such that the first face flanges of the stacked beams define a first integral exterior skin of the shield wall and the second face flanges of the stacked beams define a second integral exterior skin of the shield wall, with the central webs of the beams spanning between the first and second exterior skins.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.