Guard apparatus for a curb inlet
OwnerPaul E. Phillipsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guard for curb inlets prevents entry of large objects such as cans and bottles into the opening of the curb inlet, but allows water to enter the opening. The guard defines a relief on its bottom side so that the guard may be installed at the correct height without measurement. The guard may be composed of first and second or first, second and third slidably-engaged portions to allow the length of the guard to be user-selectable to fit a variety of curb inlets. The guard may include a grill to strain smaller debris from the water.
Claims9
In a storm management system for a street or parking lot having a curb inlet, the improvement being a variable width guard comprising:
- a pair of elongated members (52, 54), each having an elongated slot (56, 58) extending along its length, with end portions (8, 10) at one end of each elongated member (52, 54) having installation holes (14) and a downwardly extending portion such that the width of said elongated members (52, 54) is wider at said end portions (8, 10);
- at least two central portion fasteners (60);
- wherein said pair of elongated members are spanningly arranged across said curb inlet in overlapping fashion such that each respective elongated slot is slidably aligned with the other and said wider end portions (8, 10) are located at opposing elongated ends, with said at least two central portion fasteners (60) extending through said aligned slots and slidably connecting said elongated members to each other, while said wider end portions space a central portion (12) of said connected elongated members a distance above a surface of a street or parking lot (36) along the length of said central portion (12), defining a relief (26) through which water may pass.
A method of retrofitting a curb inlet of a street or parking lot to prevent debris from entering an opening of the curb inlet, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a variable width guard, said variable width guard comprising a pair of elongated members (52, 54), each having an elongated slot (56, 58) extending along its length, with end portions (8, 10) at one end of each elongated member (52, 54) having installation holes (14) and a downwardly extending end portion (8, 10) such that the width of said elongated members (52, 54) is wider at said end portions (8, 10), said variable width guard further comprising at least two central portion fasteners (60);
- b. arranging said pair of elongated members (52, 54) to span said curb inlet in an overlapping fashion such that each respective elongated slot is slideably aligned with the other and said wider end portions are located at opposing elongated ends, with said at least two central portion fasteners extending through said aligned slots and slideably connecting said elongated members to each other;
- and
- c. attaching said variable width guard to the curb inlet or a curb by installing fasteners (44) through said installation holes into said curb inlet or into a curb, whereby said wider end portions (8, 10) space a central portion (12) of said connected elongated members (52, 54) a distance above a surface of a street or parking (36) lot along the length of said central portion, defining a relief (26) through which water may pass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.