Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Flow control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-02
2002-08-06
Shackelford, Heather (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Flow control
C405S116000, C405S018000, C405S016000, C383S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06428240
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sandbags are commonly used to try to prevent the passage of water, mud and silt during a flood or other water flow problems. Sandbags now in use are difficult to keep stacked, and they do not provide a stable structure when stacked or piled.
Suggestions have been made to provide a method for stacking bags, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,635 where rounded bags are tied together with lashing. However, as can be clearly seen, there are gaping spaces between the stacked bags, allowing considerable water to pass through the stacked bags.
Another suggested method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,751 using complex shaped bags, which have a protuberance which fits into an indentation in an adjoining bag. This method is very inefficient because the protuberances do not maintain their integrity on site. The bags also require steel rods to hold open a second filler protuberance. These fillers can get easily clogged and the bags can get easily misshapen so that they do not fit together.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicants' invention comprises a length of material, such as woven polyethylene, woven polypropylene, burlap or other woven material, divided into a series of two or more substantially equal sized sections. Every other section is filled with sand, or other equivalent material. When the length of material is put in place, each row with an alternating filled section and an unfilled section, and stacked in layers, creates a very secure, substantially water-tight structure, which is much more effective than the prior methods in preventing the flow of water.
Because each section is substantially square, the sections can be stacked in a parallel or transverse direction, to effect a wider and stronger water-tight structure. The sections interlock to attain greater strength and water flow prevention.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable, substantially water-tight bag structure to prevent the flow of water, mud and silt in a flood.
Another object of the invention is to provide a substantially water-tight bag structure which is easy to assemble by hand and which is strong, substantially impermeable and secure.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide sandbags which may be interlocked to provide a strong, substantially water-tight structure.
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Ehrlich Peter D.
Slater Steve A.
Astor Sanford
Lagman Frederick L.
Shackelford Heather
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