A flexible and movable splice joint between edge aligned adjacent panels incorporates a flexible water sealing gasket and a flexible tensile member, which may be a strap or a cable or chain that allow the panels to move laterally and rotationally transversely relative to each other without damaging each other by such movements, and is particularly applicable to a plurality of assemblies of so joined panels that form raisable flood barriers to prevent flooding of land and improvements on the land by water rising from an adjacent body of water without permanently blocking a view of the waterscape.
A flexible and movable splice joint between edge aligned adjacent panels incorporates a flexible water sealing gasket and a flexible tensile member, which may be a strap or a cable or chain that allow the panels to move laterally and rotationally transversely relative to each other without damaging each other by such movements, and is particularly applicable to a plurality of assemblies of so joined panels that form raisable flood barriers to prevent flooding of land and improvements on the land by water rising from an adjacent body of water without permanently blocking a view of the waterscape.
An assembly that fits within a ventilation shaft open to atmosphere and leading from underground ventilation ducts such as to subways prevents surface waters from flooding the underground ducts while maintaining the ventilation. The assembly fits in the ventilation shaft and houses a buoyant float in a chamber surrounding a passageway in fluid communication with the ventilation shaft. A grate covers the passageway. An outside wall of the chamber adjacent the ventilation shaft is open at top to atmosphere and allows flooding water into the chamber, buoying the float upward in the chamber, elevating the passageway above the flooding water. The chamber suitably has means for drainage and admission of flush water to flush flood water debris from the chamber through the drainage.
An assembly that fits within a ventilation shaft open to atmosphere and leading from underground ventilation ducts such as to subways prevents surface waters from flooding the underground ducts while maintaining the ventilation. The assembly fits in the ventilation shaft and houses a buoyant float in a chamber surrounding a passageway in fluid communication with the ventilation shaft. A grate covers the passageway. An outside wall of the chamber adjacent the ventilation shaft is open at top to atmosphere and allows flooding water into the chamber, buoying the float upward in the chamber, elevating the passageway above the flooding water. The chamber suitably has means for drainage and admission of flush water to flush flood water debris from the chamber through the drainage.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
Metal and metal composite floodwater barrier structures transportable for installation on permanent waterfront barriers in coastal and riverine locations to passively elevate above the permanent barriers for additional height to protect against flooding without permanently blocking the coastal or riverine view
A wall resident in a subterranean chamber and not obscuring a horizontal ground level view is situated between buoyant panels flanking the chamber and is configured to be passively rotationally raised out of the chamber to an upright position by one or both of the flanking panels when the panels rotationally buoy upward to form a barrier against water invading the position that the wall, chamber and panels occupy. When flood waters recede, the wall passively lowers so the horizontal ground level view is again not obscured. Provision is made for cleaning flood laden debris from the subterranean chamber to allow the wall to be operated repeatedly after recurring floods.
Flood barrier assemblies in land near a water frontage shoreline have next adjacent panels actively erectable into a continuous barrier preventing flooding of the land. In one configuration one lateral side of a panel is a contact surface and the other lateral side carries a gasket. The panels are sequentially raised with a first to raise panel presenting a contact surface to the gasket of the next adjacent second to raise panel. In another configuration, a contact surface is on opposing lateral sides of two panels separated by a next adjacent panel between them having gaskets on both its lateral sides. The spaced first panels raise before the second panel. The raised panels may be in a linear or curved array or a combination of linear and curved arrays. Either configuration and order of raising erects a flood barrier wall sealed panel to panel by the gasket between adjacent panels.
Flood barrier assemblies in land near a water frontage shoreline have next adjacent panels actively erectable into a continuous barrier preventing flooding of the land. In one configuration one lateral side of a panel is a contact surface and the other lateral side carries a gasket. The panels are sequentially raised with a first to raise panel presenting a contact surface to the gasket of the next adjacent second to raise panel. In another configuration, a contact surface is on opposing lateral sides of two panels separated by a next adjacent panel between them having gaskets on both its lateral sides. The spaced first panels raise before the second panel. The raised panels may be in a linear or curved array or a combination of linear and curved arrays. Either configuration and order of raising erects a flood barrier wall sealed panel to panel by the gasket between adjacent panels.
An upper level of a multi-level building is guarded from flooding by water present in one of the levels of the building where the upper level is reached from the lower level (or vice versa) by connecting stairs. A flight of stairs bridging the levels is buoyant and pivotally connected to the building at one end of the flight adjacent one of the levels such that on occasion of water rising originating in one of the levels, the flight rotates upward on the axis of the pivot to block water from entering the upper level.
E04F 11/04 - Escaliers amovibles, p. ex. échelles de greniers qui peuvent être ou non escamotables ou extensibles
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E02B 3/10 - BarragesDiguesCanaux à vannes ou autres ouvrages pour digues, barrages ou analogues
Apparatus and process for securing a grating over an atmospheric opening of a ventilation shaft fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct. A vertically extending support for arrangement in the shaft has horizontal flanges for projecting across a top of at least two opposing sides of said shaft to hang said support in said shaft for over topping by said grating. An anchoring member is supported in the support at a level below the flanges and proximate the atmospheric opening. A hold-down connects to the anchoring member to secure the hold-down and the grating to the anchoring member.
F16M 13/02 - Autres supports ou appuis pour positionner les appareils ou les objetsMoyens pour maintenir en position les appareils ou objets tenus à la main pour être portés par un autre objet ou lui être fixé, p. ex. à un arbre, une grille, un châssis de fenêtre, une bicyclette
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E06B 9/00 - Écrans ou dispositifs de protection pour ouvertures, avec ou sans mécanismes de manœuvre ou de fixationFermetures de même structure
E05F 1/02 - Appareils de fermeture ou d'ouverture pour battants, non prévus ailleurs dans la présente sous-classe actionnés par gravité
F16P 3/08 - Dispositifs de sécurité agissant en conjonction avec la commande ou le fonctionnement d'une machineCommandes exigeant l'emploi simultané de plusieurs parties du corps humain conjugués avec le verrouillage de portes, couvercles, garde-fous ou autres dispositifs semblables donnant accès aux parties mobiles de la machine
E04B 1/41 - Dispositifs d'assemblage spécialement adaptés pour être noyés dans du béton armé ou de la maçonnerie
Apparatus for allowing ventilation for underground tunnels through a ventilation shaft opening to atmosphere yet preventing underground flooding from surface waters pouring through the grate comprises an assembly that fits within the ventilation shaft and includes one or more panels mounted on a pivot axis and rotatable upwardly by human action raising the panel past a center point of the pivot axis to an upright inwardly leaning home position that allows ventilation as usual but by manual push or pull of the panels past the center point of the pivot axis lets the panels rotationally fall under gravitational impetus to a lower sealing position closing a passage between the ventilation shaft and atmosphere to prevent water from entering the underground tunnels.
E21F 1/08 - Dispositifs de ventilation relatifs aux conduits d'air, p. ex. agencements de montage des ventilateurs
E06B 3/38 - Aménagements des battants caractérisés par le genre de mouvementAménagements des battants modèles dans les ouverturesCaractéristiques des battants ou châssis ayant trait uniquement au genre de mouvement du battant pour un seul genre de mouvement avec un axe de rotation horizontal en haut ou en bas de l'ouverture
F24F 13/14 - Organes de réglage de l'écoulement d'air, p. ex. persiennes, grilles, volets ou plaques directrices mobiles, p. ex. registres à éléments basculants, p. ex. persiennes
E05F 11/16 - Mécanismes par lesquels la barre déplace le battant déplaçant le battant par l'intermédiaire d'organes à accouplement par pivot, qui se déplacent dans un plan perpendiculaire à l'axe du pivot du battant
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the underground ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls unobstructively horizontally spanning the passage proximate the top opening and holding one or more hinge connected panels in the passage that manually release to rotationally close the passage and prevent flooding and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. The suspension member is liftingly removable from the support and may include end keys received in keyed supports to allow the suspension member to fit in the supports so a specific panel closes to a specific sidewall.
E21F 1/00 - Ventilation des mines ou tunnelsDistribution des courants de ventilation
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls proximate the top opening holding one or more hinge connected panels that manually release to rotationally close the passage and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. A panel drain automatically closes when the panel is raised to home position so it is already closed when the panel is released to rotationally close the passage.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E06B 7/02 - Aménagements particuliers ou dispositions en rapport avec les portes ou fenêtres pour assurer la ventilation, p. ex. à travers des doubles fenêtresAménagement de rosaces de ventilation
E06B 7/14 - Moyens pour l'écoulement de l'eau de condensation ou de l'eau d'infiltration
E21F 1/08 - Dispositifs de ventilation relatifs aux conduits d'air, p. ex. agencements de montage des ventilateurs
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the underground ventilation duct includes one or more hinged panels closing a ventilation passage between the top and bottom of a support fitting in the shaft to prevent flooding. The panels have handles on their topside and pivotable arms on their underside and are liftable to an upright home position allowing ventilation, using tools to reach through grating covering openings on the shaft and lift the panel handles and after the panels are partially lifted, using reach tools to engage and lift the arms to press them again support sidewalls to exert lateral force on underside of the panels to complete upward rotation to the home position.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E21F 1/08 - Dispositifs de ventilation relatifs aux conduits d'air, p. ex. agencements de montage des ventilateurs
E06B 9/04 - Volets, grillages amovibles ou autres dispositifs de fermeture de sécurité, p. ex. contre l'effraction du type à battants, p. ex. tournants ou à glissière
E05F 1/02 - Appareils de fermeture ou d'ouverture pour battants, non prévus ailleurs dans la présente sous-classe actionnés par gravité
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls proximate the top opening holding one or more hinge connected panels that manually release to rotationally close the passage and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. A panel drain automatically closes when the panel is raised to home position. A releasable latching system between panel and a suspension member holder catches rising panels to hold them in home position. The suspension member may include end keys received in keyed supports so a specific panel faces a specific sidewall.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the underground ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls unobstructively horizontally spanning the passage proximate the top opening and holding one or more hinge connected panels in the passage that manually release to rotationally close the passage and prevent flooding and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. The suspension member is liftingly removable from the support and may include end keys received in keyed supports to allow the suspension member to fit in the supports so a specific panel closes to a specific sidewall.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E21F 1/08 - Dispositifs de ventilation relatifs aux conduits d'air, p. ex. agencements de montage des ventilateurs
E06B 7/02 - Aménagements particuliers ou dispositions en rapport avec les portes ou fenêtres pour assurer la ventilation, p. ex. à travers des doubles fenêtresAménagement de rosaces de ventilation
E06B 7/14 - Moyens pour l'écoulement de l'eau de condensation ou de l'eau d'infiltration
E06B 9/04 - Volets, grillages amovibles ou autres dispositifs de fermeture de sécurité, p. ex. contre l'effraction du type à battants, p. ex. tournants ou à glissière
E05F 1/02 - Appareils de fermeture ou d'ouverture pour battants, non prévus ailleurs dans la présente sous-classe actionnés par gravité
E06B 9/00 - Écrans ou dispositifs de protection pour ouvertures, avec ou sans mécanismes de manœuvre ou de fixationFermetures de même structure
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls proximate the top opening holding one or more hinge connected panels that manually release to rotationally close the passage and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. A panel drain automatically closes when the panel is raised to home position so it is already closed when the panel is released to rotationally close the passage.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E21F 1/08 - Dispositifs de ventilation relatifs aux conduits d'air, p. ex. agencements de montage des ventilateurs
E06B 9/04 - Volets, grillages amovibles ou autres dispositifs de fermeture de sécurité, p. ex. contre l'effraction du type à battants, p. ex. tournants ou à glissière
E05F 1/02 - Appareils de fermeture ou d'ouverture pour battants, non prévus ailleurs dans la présente sous-classe actionnés par gravité
E06B 9/00 - Écrans ou dispositifs de protection pour ouvertures, avec ou sans mécanismes de manœuvre ou de fixationFermetures de même structure
Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls proximate the top opening holding one or more hinge connected panels that manually release to rotationally close the passage and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. A releasable latching system between panel and a suspension member holder catches rising panels to hold them in home position ready for release.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E21F 1/08 - Dispositifs de ventilation relatifs aux conduits d'air, p. ex. agencements de montage des ventilateurs
E06B 9/04 - Volets, grillages amovibles ou autres dispositifs de fermeture de sécurité, p. ex. contre l'effraction du type à battants, p. ex. tournants ou à glissière
E05F 1/02 - Appareils de fermeture ou d'ouverture pour battants, non prévus ailleurs dans la présente sous-classe actionnés par gravité
E06B 9/00 - Écrans ou dispositifs de protection pour ouvertures, avec ou sans mécanismes de manœuvre ou de fixationFermetures de même structure
Apparatus for allowing ventilation as usual for underground tunnels through a ventilation shaft opening to atmosphere yet preventing underground flooding from surface waters pouring through the grate, comprises an assembly that fits within the ventilation shaft and includes one or more panels held in an upright home position that allows ventilation as usual but is releasable to rotationally gravitate to a lower sealing position closing a passage between the ventilation shaft and atmosphere to prevent water from entering the underground tunnels. A panel position indicator moves from a hidden position to a visible position with lowering of the panels to visually signify that the panels are lowered and that flooding protection is activated.
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E06B 7/02 - Aménagements particuliers ou dispositions en rapport avec les portes ou fenêtres pour assurer la ventilation, p. ex. à travers des doubles fenêtresAménagement de rosaces de ventilation
E06B 7/14 - Moyens pour l'écoulement de l'eau de condensation ou de l'eau d'infiltration
G08B 5/02 - Systèmes de signalisation optique, p. ex. systèmes d'appel de personnes, indication à distance de l'occupation de sièges utilisant uniquement une transmission mécanique
A buoyant flood guard barrier panel passively buoyantly rotationally pivotable upward from horizontal about a first horizontal axis overlays a subframe unattached to the panel. A secondary mechanism for raising the panel has one or more lift arms below the panel transverse to the first axis are rotationally mounted on a second horizontal axis parallel to, below and forward of the first axis. One or more powered drivers act on one or more driven member units each attached to a lift arm rearward of and lower than the second axis to pivot the lift arm on the second axis, rotating the arm upwardly under the panel to rotationally raise the panel. The powered driver may be a winch or a hydraulic actuator.
A plurality of flood prevention units are vertically stacked one over another inside a frame mounted over ventilation opening on a wall. Each unit includes a buoyant gate pivotally mounted by one or more pivotation members about a horizontal axis transverse to sidewalls of the frame for pivotation of the gate on rise of water buoyantly lifting the gate rotationally upwardly between said sidewalls for engagement with an upper deck horizontally connecting the sidewalls. A limiter limits the extent of self-actuation rotation of the gate. The gates are open during non-flooding conditions, allowing ventilation through the building opening, and sequentially close from lowest to highest on rise of water activating each gate in order, allowing ventilation to continue until the highest gate is closed.
E06B 11/00 - Moyens pour permettre le passage à travers des clôtures, des barrières ou similaires, p. ex. échaliers
E04H 9/14 - Bâtiments, groupes de bâtiments ou abris conçus pour résister à des situations extérieures anormales, p. ex. à des bombardements, à des séismes ou à des climats extrêmes, ou pour se protéger de ces situations contre d'autres influences dangereuses, p. ex. tornades, crues
E06B 9/04 - Volets, grillages amovibles ou autres dispositifs de fermeture de sécurité, p. ex. contre l'effraction du type à battants, p. ex. tournants ou à glissière
A floodwater barrier for protecting the shore side of a shoreline from flooding includes at least one self-actuating floodwater barrier unit for installation between a pair of walls transverse to a shoreline. The unit includes a flexible resilient panel, a plurality of rigid members connected to the panel, at least one watertight chamber of size and arrangement to give the unit water buoyancy, hinged to be rotatable upward about a horizontal axis longitudinal to the shoreline under the influence of buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure from a rise of the body of water acting on the unit, and further includes flexible tension members positioned to act on the floodwater barrier unit to limit upward rotation of the unit to a predetermined extent.
A series of self-actuating flood guard units each including a buoyant gate flanked by a pair of the boundary walls and pivotable about a horizontal axis transverse to the flanking boundary walls runs along a shoreline of an adjacent body of water The axis is located at a selected elevation above ground inundated by the body water and is selected to cause the gate to buoyantly rotate upwardly between the boundary walls on rise of water above the selected elevation. The extent of rotation is limited by a restraint acting on the gate. The series of units may be continuous or contiguous and act as a whole to prevent onshore flooding from a rise of the body of water at the shoreline.
The shore side of a shore line water barrier is protected by a disclosed construction and method from flooding caused by storm surge over-topping the barrier. Water overtopping the barrier, such as from wind waves crashing against the barrier, is trapped, impounded and accumulated between a parapet atop the barrier and walls on the sides of a buoyant gate unit taller than the parapet and walls and normally resident below grade on the shore side of the barrier, hinged about an axis generally parallel to the barrier and spaced from the parapet by a distance not less than the height of the gate unit. The accumulated water is applied to rotationally float the gate unit from the horizontal position initially principally by buoyancy and then principally by hydrostatic pressure to drive the gate unit to an upright position to oppose storm surges having a water level higher than the parapet.
Method and apparatus for preventing water from flooding along the length of a super elevation surface having a slope from an upper end to a lower end transverse to a longitudinal direction of the surface. A chain of rigid buoyant gate units of increasing heights is flexibly sealingly laterally linked together side by side for pivotable movement of the gate units about at least one pivotation axis, and if more than one axis, then about coplanar pivotation axes. The gate units are situated in a recess in and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the surface between a pair of walls lining the surface parallel to the longitudinal direction to which the pivot axis or axes is/ are transverse. One of the walls is at a lower end of the slope and the other wall is at the upper end of the slope.
The shore side of a shore line water barrier is protected from flooding caused by storm surge over-topping the barrier. Water overtopping the barrier, such as from wind waves crashing against the barrier, is trapped, impounded and accumulated between a parapet atop the barrier and walls on the sides of a buoyant gate unit taller than the parapet and walls and normally resident below grade on the shore side of the barrier, hinged about an axis generally parallel to the barrier and spaced from the parapet by a distance not less than the height of the gate unit. The accumulated overtopping water is applied to rotationally float the gate unit from the horizontal position initially principally by buoyancy and then principally by hydrostatic pressure to drive the gate unit to an upright position to oppose storm surges having a water level higher than the parapet.
A self-actuating flood guard for a construction holds a buoyant gate at an elevation spaced from ground between flanking spaced vertical boundary walls adapted for connection to the construction. The gate is pivotable on pivotation members about a horizontal axis normal to the boundary walls for buoyant rotation upwardly between the boundary walls on rise of water above the elevation. Optionally, flexible lip seal gaskets along the sides of the gate sealingly wipe the boundary walls, and a flexible strip gasket across the pivotation members along the base of the gate prevents passage of water between the base of the gate and the construction. A restraint acts on the gate to prevent the gate from rotating about the axis more than a predetermined extent when the gate is pivoted upwardly above said elevation.
Metal and metal composite barriers for protecting building
and garage entrances and interior passageways, ventilation
shafts and openings, roadways, levees, and residential and
business areas against flooding waters, and parts for the
barriers.
Metal and metal composite barriers for protecting building and garage entrances and interior passageways, ventilation shafts and openings, roadways, levees, and residential and business areas against flooding waters, and parts for the barriers
Metal and metal composite barriers for protecting interior passageways, ventilation shafts and openings, roadways, levees, and residential areas against flooding waters, and parts for the barriers
Metal and metal composite barriers for protecting building and garage entrances, and business areas against flooding waters, and parts for the barriers
32.
AUTOMATIC FLOODING PROTECTION FOR UNDERGROUND VENTILATION DUCTS
Embodiments are described for preventing downward flow of substantial surface water into an underground ventilation duct communicating upwardly to a ground surface opening. The embodiments comprise a support having a top opening and an opening in a lower portion above a floor. The opening in the lower portion is for venting communication with a proximate portion of the ventilation duct. The support supports at least one seat and paired buoyant gate set. The seat is mounted perpendicularly relative to the gate and a portion of a passageway under the seat for fluidly communicating beyond such portion to the top opening of the support and to the proximate portion of the ventilation duct. The buoyant gate is positioned lower than the seat and the passageway, is of sufficient size to block the passageway, and is responsive to water rising in the support by floatingly pivoting upwardly until engaging the seat, thereby blocking the passageway. In an embodiment, the seat of at least one set is mounted under the top opening spaced from one of the opposing sides a horizontal distance nominally equal to a fraction applied to a length for the particular opening, the fraction having the numerator 1 and a denominator which is the sum of 1 plus the number of seat and gate sets, and the buoyant gate has a seat engagement height nominally equal to the same fraction applied to the same opening length.
Embodiments are described for preventing downward flow of substantial surface water into an underground ventilation duct communicating upwardly to a ground surface opening. The embodiments comprise a support having a top opening and an opening in a lower portion above a floor. The opening in the lower portion is for venting communication with a proximate portion of the ventilation duct. The support supports at least one seat and paired buoyant gate set. The seat is mounted perpendicularly relative to the gate and a portion of a passageway under the seat for fluidly communicating beyond such portion to the top opening of the support and to the proximate portion of the ventilation duct. The buoyant gate is positioned lower than the seat and the passageway, is of sufficient size to block the passageway, and is responsive to water rising in the support by floatingly pivoting upwardly until engaging the seat, thereby blocking the passageway. In an embodiment, the seat of at least one set is mounted under the top opening spaced from one of the opposing sides a horizontal distance nominally equal to a fraction applied to a length for the particular opening, the fraction having the numerator 1 and a denominator which is the sum of 1 plus the number of seat and gate sets, and the buoyant gate has a seat engagement height nominally equal to the same fraction applied to the same opening length.
