Road structure – process – or apparatus – Pavement – Modules or blocks
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-31
2003-01-28
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3672)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Pavement
Modules or blocks
C404S035000, C404S044000, C404S041000, C428S116000, C428S117000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06511257
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENTS AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(NOT APPLICABLE)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reusable mat system for the construction of load bearing surfaces, such as temporary roadways and equipment support surfaces, over unstable or unsubstantial terrain. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reusable system of durable, interlocking individual mats which can be quickly and easily installed in a single application to construct temporary roadways and equipment support surfaces, and which can thereafter be easily removed and stored until needed again. More particularly still, the present invention relates to a reusable mat system comprising generally identical mats constructed of thermoplastic resins or other moldable materials, which interlock on all sides to form stable and continuous load bearing surfaces, and which exhibit favorable traction characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
When performing operations with heavy equipment in a remote location, it is often necessary to provide a firm, stable and continuous surface to support such heavy equipment. For example, when drilling a well in a remote location, it is often necessary to provide work surfaces used during the drilling process. It is also advantageous to provide one or more roadways to permit ingress to and egress from said remote location. Such a surface must provide sufficient support for the equipment and personnel involved in the work process, and must be able to withstand severe weather. Further, such a support surface must be capable of being quickly and easily installed, and thereafter being easily removed and reused at other locations.
Wooden boards or planks have historically been used to construct temporary roadways and equipment support surfaces in remote or undeveloped areas where the terrain lacks sufficient integrity to adequately support trucks and other heavy equipment. Such boards were generally placed end to end, or side by side, to form a continuous load supporting surface. While individual wooden boards or planks have been used to construct support surfaces for some time, this method of building roadways and other load bearing surfaces suffers from some very significant disadvantages.
Because such a large number of individual wooden boards are generally required to construct a typical roadway or equipment support surface, the use of wooden boards can be very labor intensive, since each board must first be individually positioned, and thereafter nailed or otherwise secured in place. Removal of said individual boards can also be a very time consuming and labor intensive process, since each board must be separated or pulled apart prior to being removed from the location. Each individual board must also be loaded onto a truck or other means of transportation prior to being removed from the particular location or work site.
In order to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings associated with the use of individual boards, a variety of mat systems have been developed for the construction of temporary roadways and support surfaces. These mat systems typically utilize prefabricated, multi-layered wooden mats which can be installed in a variety of configurations to create roadways or other support surfaces. These mats, which are constructed of a number of individual boards or planks affixed together in a variety of configurations, generally interconnect or intermesh with one another to form a continuous, or nearly continuous, support surface.
While such conventional mat systems may represent an improvement over the use of individual boards for the construction of roadways and other equipment support surfaces, the aforementioned conventional mat systems suffer from a number of serious shortcomings. Although such conventional mats may reduce labor requirements compared to individual wooden boards, significant amounts of time, effort and manpower are still required to install said mats at a remote location since most, if not all, of said conventional mat systems require the use of multiple layers. In other words, an initial layer must first be installed, then at least one additional layer of mats must be installed over said first layer. This multiple layer requirement leads to significant redundancy of effort in connection with both the installation and removal of said mats.
Additionally, the design of conventional mat systems can lead to degradation of the ground underlying said mats, as well as the structural integrity of the mats themselves. Because the individual mats of conventional mat systems are generally constructed of various configurations of wooden boards or planks, conventional mats contain gaps or seams between said boards and/or planks. As rain falls on said mats, the rain water passes through the seams of said mats and mixes with the underlying soil to make mud. Trucks and other heavy equipment passing over the mats place a downward load on said mats, which in turn causes mud to be pumped up through the numerous gaps or seams of the mats. This pumping action creates voids beneath the mats which, over time, can lead to severe deformities in the roadway surface. Because the mats bridge over these underlying voids, the mats thereafter have a tendency to break or splinter when subjected to loading from above, especially after such wooden mats dry out.
Conventional wooden mats also suffer from significant rotting problems, since the mats can become inundated with rain water and various other contaminants from above, as well as mud from below. This mixture of water, mud and other contaminants will often invade into the seams or gaps between the boards of said mats, causing the wooden mats to rot from within. As a result, just as with individual boards, conventional mats must be frequently repaired and, in some cases, entirely replaced. Although conventional mat systems are designed to be reusable, the mats are still subject to significant repair and replacement expense. The design of these conventional mats can also lead to significant environmental problems, because mud and other contaminants can saturate the mats and collect within the numerous seams or gaps of said mats.
Yet another shortcoming with existing mat systems is the failure of individual mats to lock or interconnect with one another on all sides. Because the intended use of the mats dictates that the roadway or support surface will be subjected to loading from heavy equipment, often in different lateral directions, it is advantageous for individual mats to interconnect on all sides. This will prevent the individual mats from separating or “walking apart” from one another, and will promote a continuous and uniform work surface.
Mat systems have been known in the art for some time. U.S. Pat. No. 2,819,026 to Leyendecker, describes a mat system wherein individual mats interconnect on two sides, and which further requires the use of a strap means for retaining said mats in a desired position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,712 to Penland describes a mat system comprised of individual mats which contain interlocking fingers and recesses, but which interlock on only two sides. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,149 to Waller and U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,336 to Waller also disclose mat systems employing individual mats with alternating offset extensions and recesses along the edges of said individual mats. However, said patents describe offset extensions comprised of individual planks which are subject to warpage, cracking or splintering when exposed to environmental elements, as well as loading from trucks or other heavy equipment using the work surface. Moreover, unlike the present invention, these offset extensions often need to be nailed in place to be secured within the recess of an adjacent mat. The referenced patents to Waller also describe the additional step of securing a plank or board between the individual mats, which significantly increases labor requirements associated with these mat systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,37
Rogers Donald S.
Seaux Kenneth P.
Seaux Ores Paul
Anthony Ted M.
Mitchell Kathy
OLS Consulting Services, Inc.
Swann J. J.
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