Water control gate and actuator therefore
AssigneeHenry K. Obermeyer
InventorHenry K. Obermeyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to improved water control gates and related inflatable actuators, and associated sealing, manufacture and operation apparatus and methods. Advancements in technologies related to air fitting design, inflated bladder stress relief, inflatable bladder strength enhancement, water gate related slide friction mitigation, abutment and other impounded water seals, gate panel fabrication, traffic accommodating water impoundment structures, and water gate panel system operation efficiency, as well as nappe areation, hinges, and bladder manufacture technology are disclosed herein.
Claims81
An inflated bladder stress reduction apparatus comprising a substantially elongated, substantially cross-sectionally drop-shaped, deflated bladder fold membrane insert element established at an inner surface of a deflated bladder fold membrane of a bladder membrane, wherein said inflated bladder stress reduction apparatus reduces stress of said deflated bladder fold membrane when said bladder membrane is inflated.
A strength enhanced inflatable bladder apparatus comprising an inflatable membrane element having at least one positively conformed, inflated stress reduced deflated bladder fold membrane element;
- and a pressurized fluid inlet element responsive to said at least one positively conformed, inflated stress reduced deflated bladder fold membrane element, wherein said at least one positively conformed, inflated stress reduced deflated bladder fold membrane element is positively conformed to have an inflated bladder stress reduction significant increase in a minimum curvature radius by a stress relief profile established at and internally of said at least one positively conformed inflated stress reduced deflated bladder fold membrane element said stress relief profile effecting a reduced stress of said at least one positively conformed inflated stress reduced deflated bladder fold membrane element in an inflated configuration.
An inflated bladder stress reduction apparatus comprising a deflated bladder fold membrane insert element established at an inner surface of a deflated bladder fold membrane of a bladder membrane at some point in time with the effect of reducing stress of said deflated bladder fold membrane when said bladder membrane is inflated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.