Patent Application
20250034856
This invention relates generally to a device for attachment to an end of a culvert for preventing beavers from building a dam to block the flow of water.
Culvert pipes are widely used to allow water to flow beneath roads without having to redirect it or construct a bridge to pass over the stream. Unfortunately, such pipes represent an ideal place for beavers to construct a damn and restrict the flow of water. These damns can quickly cause flooding and washouts when water levels are elevated, for example, by heavy rains or melting snow. Vertical screens or grates have been used to prevent beavers from entering culverts, but such devices do not discourage beavers from building dams at the ends of a culvert pipe. Also, water flows tend to deposit debris at such barriers which builds up over time and restricts flow through the culvert.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,989 by the present inventor discloses a cone-shaped screen that is intended to overcome the limitations of the flat designs discussed above. A base end of the screen attached to the end of the culvert has a series of rods extending outward from the culvert to an apex end. The rods are spaced by a distance that allows small debris to pass through without clogging the culvert while preventing entry by beavers and similarly sized animals. The beavers cannot construct an ideal damn at the opening of the culvert as they cannot properly anchor the structure.
Another arrangement by the present inventor is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,303,397 which provides a generally tubular frame construction formed of welded bars with a plurality of transverse bars generally parallel to a transverse center plane of the frame where each of the transverse bars spans substantially straight across the frame and where the transverse bars are elevated above a bottom peripheral portion of the frame and located at a position below the transverse center plane so that the transverse bars are closer to the bottom peripheral portion than to the top peripheral portion. The raised bars interfere with the beavers moving along the frame so as to interfere with their activities.
As a result of limiting access to the culvert by beavers, the prior art also limits access to the culvert pipe by others. Large culverts require correspondingly large screens that are difficult and costly to transport due to their dimensions. As a result, there is a desire for a beaver control device that is easy to transport and prevents dam construction and debris buildup at the end of a culvert pipe.
According to the invention there is provided a culvert apparatus for use with a culvert having an entrance end for inhibiting beaver activity at the culvert, the apparatus comprising:
an attachment for the culvert at the entrance end comprising:
wherein the attachment is open between the panels at the top of the panels so as to allow passage of water to the entrance end over the top of the panels.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a culvert apparatus for inhibiting beaver activity comprising:
wherein the attachment is open between the panels at the top of the panels so as to allow passage of water to the entrance end over the top of the panels.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a culvert apparatus for inhibiting beaver activity comprising: culvert apparatus for inhibiting beaver activity comprising:
wherein the attachment is open between the panels at the top of the panels so as to allow passage of water to the entrance end over the top of the panels.
Preferably the panels are rectangular with the third panel portion being substantially of the same height as the first and second panels.
Preferably the third panel portion has a width substantially equal to that of the culvert so that the first and second panels lie along the sides of the cut bevel. Preferably each panel has a top rail connecting the upstanding bars.
Preferably the panels are rectangular so that the top rail is parallel to the bottom rail on the ground, but other chapes are possible with the top rail inclined to the ground so that one end is higher than the other end.
Preferably the rails are formed from an angle with two flanges at right angles. However other rail cross-sections can be used including tubular
Preferably the bars are welded to an outer surface of an upstanding outer flange of the angle.
Preferably the angle provides a horizontal flange to form a top or bottom of the panel. In this way the horizontal flanges are available for the hinge to be formed by a coupling pin passing through the horizontal flanges.
Preferably the coupling elements are relatively short and each arranged to extend from the end of the respective panel to a connector on the culvert at a position spaced outwardly of a center line of the culvert. This holds each panel in place at the respective side with the hinge axis on a center line of the culvert.
Preferably the attachment is open between the panels both at the top of the panels and at the bottom of the panels so as to allow passage of water to the entrance end over the top of the panels. In this way the apparatus can be compressed for transport with one panel lying directly on top of the other and then the angle at the hinge opened to place the attachment in the operating position.
The attachment herein can be used with different constructions of culvert made of different materials including coiled steel, concrete and plastic where the cross-section of the culvert can be circular, elliptical or arched.
A culvert apparatus 10 shown in
The upstanding bars 14 of the panels are formed from metal rod so as to be welded to the rails. The bars are spaced by a distance of the order of 6 inches so that water can readily pass therebetween to or from the entrance end so as to prevent passage of beavers to the entrance end.
The rails 13 and 17 are formed from an angle iron with two flanges 131 and 132 at right angles with the flange 131 horizontal and the flange 132 vertical. The bars 14 are welded to an outer surface of an upstanding outer flange 132 of the angle as best shown in
The first and second panels as best shown in
The hinge is formed by coupling pins 21 passing through the horizontal flanges 131 where those flanges overlap at the hinge end.
The panels having a length so that each extends from the hinge 20 rearwardly and outwardly from the hinge to an end of the panel opposite the hinge to respected sides of the entrance end 151;
The panels include first and second flexible coupling elements 301, 311 in the form of chains or other flexible straps which extend from each respective panel to the culvert 15 at or adjacent the entrance end 151 to hold the attachment in fixed position in front of the entrance end. The chains 301, 311 are relatively short to that they extend from the end of the panel where the inner face of the panel abuts the end of the culvert to locate the panel at the culvert inwardly to a fastener 32 on the culvert. The chain can be welded to the panel and looped through a suitable loop or other fastener at the culvert. The attachment method is therefore very simple and very quick but holds the structure in place against any forces from water movement or animals as the bottom rail sits on the ground, as the triangular shape locates the panels against aide to side movement and the coupling 301 and 311 hold the panels against movement away from the culvert.
The attachment is defined simply by the two panels so that the attachment is open between the panels both at the top of the panels and at the bottom of the panels so as to allow passage of water to the entrance end over the top of the panels.
Turning now to
The culvert thus has an entrance end where the entrance end commences at the radial cut end 39 is bevelled to form a bevel cut where the sides of the culvert are cut downwardly from a top of the culvert toward an outer end of the bevel cut at the bottom of the cylindrical shape. This forms a cut edge of the culvert material part of which is at the circular radial entrance, and part of which is inclined downwardly the stub portion at the bottom end remote from the circular radial entrance.
In this embodiment, the apparatus includes an attachment mounted on the culvert at the entrance end which includes a first panel 40 and a second panel 50 which are constructed as defined above in the first embodiment and thus have a bottom rail placed on a ground surface extending from the culvert entrance and a plurality of upstanding bars at spaced positions along the bottom rail.
Thus as before the upstanding bars of each of the first and second panels are arranged so that water passes therebetween to or from the entrance end and spaced so as to prevent passage of beavers to the entrance end.
In this embodiment the first and second panels 40, 50 are connected by a third panel portion 60 hingedly connected at respective ends 63 and 64 by pivot pins 61, 62 to each of the first and second panels at one end for pivotal movement about an upstanding axis. The pins 61 and 62 are mounted in flanges 65 and 66 attached to the ends of the third panel portion and engage into holes in the respective panel 40, 50. In this way the three panels are free to pivot one relative to the other so that the first and second panels can moved from an overlying position for storage and transfer to a generally rectangular shape with the third panel portion at right angles to the first and second. In operation the third panel portion is located at or adjacent the outer end 38 of the bevel cut at the end butt portion of the culvert bevel cut.
The panels 40 and 50 having a length so that each extends from the third panel portion 60 at the outer end of the bevel cut rearwardly from the outer end to an end of the panel opposite the outer end to respected sides of the entrance end 32. First and second flexible coupling elements 301 and 311 as previously described extend from each respective panel 40, 50 to the culvert at or adjacent the entrance end 32 on a respective side of a center line to hold the attachment in fixed position in front of the entrance end as previously described
As described above, the panels have a height typically greater than that of the culvet and have a common height so that the top rails are coplanar but this is not essential and different heights can be used. the attachment is open between the panels at the top of the panels so as to allow passage of water to the entrance end over the top of the panels.
As shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3207830 | Jul 2023 | CA | national |
