Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – With treating fluid motion
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-07
2002-03-19
Coe, Philip (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
With treating fluid motion
C134S104400, C134S123000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06358330
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
(none)
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for washing the undercarriage and tires of a vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of a truck leaving a construction site.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At many construction sites, particularly in urban areas, the land must be cleared of debris and a large amount of soil must be excavated from the construction site before construction can commence. The construction company or general contractor typically contracts with a hauling subcontractor to remove the debris and excavated soil. The hauling subcontractor typically utilizes dump trucks to transport the debris and excavated soil from the construction site to a dumpsite. The dump trucks have large tires, typically four feet or more in diameter, that collect substantial amounts of mud, dirt and silt from the construction site. The mud, dirt and silt on the tires of the truck is dispersed onto the roadways leading away from the construction site as the truck departs the construction site for the dumpsite. Generally, the concentration of mud, dirt and silt dispersed from the truck tires is greatest on the roadways immediately surrounding the construction site.
Motorists that encounter the mud, dirt and silt dispersed onto the roadway as they pass the construction site often complain to the local authorities, such as the police or erosion control officials, about the condition of the roadway. The local authorities in turn instruct the construction company or general contractor to clean the mud, dirt and silt from the roadways surrounding the construction site. Those that do not comply may be assessed a fine in the event that the local municipality is required to clean the roadways. Typically, the construction company or general contractor demand that the hauling subcontractor be responsible for maintaining the roadways surrounding the construction site substantially free of the mud, dirt and silt that is dispersed from the tires of the trucks leaving the construction site. Accordingly, many hauling subcontractors own or rent street cleaning machines which carry tanks of water or connect to municipal fire hydrants to provide the water necessary to wash the mud, dirt and silt from the roadways surrounding the construction site.
While the street cleaning machines generally do an adequate job of washing the mud, dirt and silt from the roadways, they create a serious environmental problem. The water carrying the mud, dirt and silt from the surrounding roadways runs off into the municipal storm drain system. The mud, dirt and silt travels through the storm drain system and eventually reaches a run-off creek where it collects and causes the creek to overflow its banks when it rains. As a result, property adjoining the run-off creek floods and the property owners complain to the local authorities about the damage and inconvenience suffered as a result of the flooding. Once again, the local authorities may instruct the construction company or general contractor to remove the excess mud, dirt and silt from the run-off creek or may impose a fine in the event that the local municipality is required to dredge the storm drain system or the run-off creek. Furthermore, the mud, dirt and silt washed into the storm drain system may contain a higher than acceptable concentration of petroleum and petroleum by-products acquired from the construction site and the roadway that pose a serious threat of polluting the run-off creek.
As a result of dirty roadways, clogged storm drains and run-off creeks, flooding and pollution, more and more municipalities are enacting ordinances that require the tires of trucks leaving a construction site be washed before the trucks leave the construction site. In municipalities that have enacted such ordinances, the present practice is to construct a ramp leading to an elevated grate. The truck drives up the ramp and the tires of the truck are positioned on the grate. A worker then manually washes the mud, dirt and silt from the tires using a small diameter fire hose connected to a source of water. It typically takes between eight and ten minutes to wash the tires of each truck leaving the construction site. Thus, the present apparatus and method is time consuming, and therefore, not cost effective. Furthermore, the mud, dirt and silt from the tires of the truck is washed back onto the construction site. On many construction sites, and in particular on urban construction sites, the area of the excavation covers the entire construction site. Washing the mud, dirt and silt back onto the construction site is therefore unacceptable because and the mud, dirt and silt collect inside the excavation.
It is apparent that there exists a need for an apparatus and method for washing the tires of trucks. More particularly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site to prevent the mud, dirt and silt from being dispersed onto the roadways surrounding the construction site. There exists a further need for an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site that prevents the mud, dirt and silt from being washed into a municipal storm drain. There exists a further need for an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site that is cost effective. There exists a further need for an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site that prevents the mud, dirt and silt from being washed back onto the construction site.
SUMMARY OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for washing the tires of trucks.
It is another, and more particular, object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site that prevents the mud, dirt and silt from being washed into a municipal storm drain.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tire of trucks leaving a construction site that is cost effective.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site that prevents the mud, dirt and silt from being washed back onto the construction site.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of trucks leaving a construction site that is substantially portable, readily assembled and readily disassembled for storage or transport from one construction site to another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an apparatus and method for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of a truck leaving a construction site. The apparatus includes a water supply line, a collection basin and a grate positioned above the collection basin. The apparatus further includes an optional side rail attached to the collection basin above the grate and an optional drainage system. The water supply line supplies water from a source of water, such as an external tank and pump or a municipal fire hydrant, for washing the mud, dirt and silt off the tires of the truck. The collection basin includes a generally rectangular floor, a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls. Preferably, the end walls and the side walls form a continuous side wall extending upwardly from the floor of the collection basin. Together, the floor and the continuous side wall define an interior cavity of the collection basin for collecting the mud, dirt and s
Coe Philip
Dremann Christopher C.
LandOfFree
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