Hydraulic and earth engineering – Bank – shore – or bed protection – Revetment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2001-02-13
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Bank, shore, or bed protection
Revetment
C383S066000, C383S105000, C383S107000, C383S904000, C405S111000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186701
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an elongate flexible container having a relatively heavy and deformable body which is capable of accommodating itself to the shape of the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An elongate flexible container is disclosed in EP-A-0 267 661.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The elongate flexible container of the present invention generally includes a textile fabric and defines at least one filling opening for filling the fabric container with loose solid material having little or no coherency, such as sand or other similar material. The container is used for the formation of a core or base of a dam, a quay, a bank reinforcement, a jetty, or a breakwater. The container is also used for filling holes or trenches, for the packaging and storage of contaminated material, or other uses. The container defines at least one filling opening at an upper side thereof, and includes stitching extending in a longitudinal direction along a lower side of the container, with the stitching mutually connecting facing longitudinal edges of the textile fabric.
Because the fabric material of the flexible container has a sufficient tensile strength and wear-resistance, and the container is provided with a filling opening at the upper side thereof and is provided at its lower side with stitching, the container may be filled with solid filling material through the filling opening. The stitching located at the lower side, or the bottom of the container, is gradually covered by the solid filling material and thus gradually covered by a large mass of the filling material. The textile fabric and the stitching at the lower side of the container are located between the solid filling material and the ground. Thus, the textile fabric and the stitching at the lower side of the container are not, or at most to a negligible degree, subjected to tensile forces which would tend to tear open the stitching.
It is noted in passing that in applicant's patent application entitled “flexible container”, which was filed on the same day as the present application, discloses a container which defines over its entire surface area a plurality of mutually spaced through-holes covered with gauze. As a result of this configuration, air and water may pass into the container, but solid material is confined within the container. Such covered through-holes may advantageously be used in connection with the elongate flexible container according to the present invention. However, the present invention does not primarily relate to this feature.
The container according to the invention also has a plurality of parts abutting in a longitudinal direction that are mutually connected by stitching that extends transverse to the longitudinal direction. The stitching connects the parts together. The stitching may also be provided in the form of separate swatches stitched to the parts. The stitching extends substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the container. It should be understood that the tensile forces acting on the container mainly extend in a tangential direction in the textile fabric (i.e., extending transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the container). Due to the fact that the stitching extends in the transverse direction they are not, or at most in negligible degree, loaded by tensile forces, which might tear apart the stitching.
A preferred embodiment has the stitching at the lower side of the container extending in the longitudinal direction connecting two tangentially overlapping edges of the fabric.
In order to achieve homogeneous filling of the container, the container includes a plurality of filling openings arranged in a distributed manner over the entire length of the container, e.g., at regular mutual distances of about 25 meters.
Another embodiment has the feature that each filling opening includes a flexible filling tube. The filling tube preferably has a length of 0.5-3.0 meters and a diameter of 0.20-0.70 meters.
A specific embodiment of the present invention has the feature that the textile fabric is water-permeable.
The textile fabric of the container must have a sufficiently high strength in order not to lose its integrity, particularly during the filling operation. Consequently, a preferred embodiment has the feature that the fabric has in both main directions a tensile strength of over 80 kN/m.
A specific embodiment of the present invention has the feature that the textile fabric substantially consists of PP (polypropylene).
An alternative embodiment of the present invention has the feature that the fabric substantially consists of polyester and PE (polyethylene).
Another specific embodiment of the present invention has the feature that the filling tube widens in a downward direction.
Furthermore, the present invention is a method for filling a flexible container of the type described hereinabove, which container includes a filling opening in the form of a flexible tube. The method according to the present invention includes the steps of:
guiding a supply tube of fixed shape through the flexible tube and into the container;
temporarily coupling the flexible tube with the supply tube through the use of a clamping band or the like;
supplying a flow of filling material, if desired, in combination with water, through the supply tube;
decoupling the supply tube and the flexible tube; and
if desired, guiding the flexible tube into the container. A pump may be used to supply the flow of filling material.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1211853 (1917-01-01), Huggins
patent: 4441627 (1984-04-01), Takeuchi
patent: 4449847 (1984-05-01), Scales et al.
patent: 4690585 (1987-09-01), Holmberg
patent: 4878446 (1989-11-01), Vermeulen
patent: 4889446 (1989-12-01), Holmberg
patent: 5902070 (1999-05-01), Bradley
patent: 267661 (1988-05-01), None
patent: 0267661 (1988-05-01), None
patent: 8803583 (1988-05-01), None
Garbe Stephen P.
Ten Cate Nicolon B.V.
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
LandOfFree
Elongate flexible container does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Elongate flexible container, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Elongate flexible container will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2575145