BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to drainage installations and, more particularly, to drainage channels with flat grating at the surface level (e.g., warehouse and/or factory floor level).
A number of additional features and objects will be apparent in connection with the following discussion of the preferred embodiments and examples with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope of the skills of a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drainage installation in accordance with the invention, which has flat grating at the surface level (e.g., warehouse and/or factory floor level);
FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale perspective view of detail II-II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 2 except with one section of the grating elevated out of and above the floor level drainage channel;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view likewise comparable to FIG. 2 except with portions of the surrounding floor matrix removed from view to show sub-floor level installation details of the drainage installation in accordance with the invention, in what would originally have been an open trench;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale elevational view, partly in section, taken in the direction of arrows V-V in FIG. 4;
FIGS. 5a through 5e are a series of reduced scale section views taken along line V-V in FIG. 4 to show a non-limiting example of how to install the drainage installation of FIG. 4 in a pre-existing concrete floor, wherein:—
FIG. 5a represents the excavation of an oversize trench;
FIG. 5b shows a shallow backfill of aggregate or concrete and the like;
FIG. 5c depicts the placement of pylon-serving, threaded rod;
FIG. 5d shows feet of drainage channel being landed on the threaded rod, and
FIG. 5e shows completion of the assembly corresponding to FIG. 5;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale elevational view, partly in section, taken in the direction of arrows VI-VI in FIG. 4, with middle portions broken away;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale perspective view of detail VII-VII in FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 7 except the hidden lines removed for clarity;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged scale elevation view, partly in section, of detail IX-IX in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevation comparable to FIG. 6 except on a greatly reduced scale and showing the drainage channel installation in accordance with the invention can be extended for an indefinitely long run in the axial direction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1-4 show a drainage installation 20 in accordance with the invention, which has sections of flat grating 22 seated inside drainage channel 24, and which sections of flat grating 22 are arranged to be more less planar with the surface level 26 of, for example and without limitation, a warehouse and/or factory floor.
To turn to FIG. 4, the drainage channel 24 has an axially-elongated, square-U shaped channel portion which is flanked by horizontal shoulders 30 which then transition into vertically-depending skirt portions 32. The drainage channel 24 has inverted square-T shaped feet 34 at spaced intervals along the axial length (only one shown in FIG. 4). The skirt portions 32 are formed with a series of apertures 36 which either allow the injection of wet cement underneath the shoulder portions 30 of the drainage channel 24, or alternately the venting of the wet cement when the cavity under the shoulder portions 30 are over-filled. The drainage channel 24 could have been installed in a pre-existing concrete floor 26 which had no drainage (or which drainage needed replacement). Hence this drainage channel 24 would have originally been set in an open trench, for which reference numeral 38 indicates the outline thereof.
FIG. 5 shows, among other things, a nozzle 42 for injecting wet cement in through any of the apertures 36 of skirt portions 32 (see FIG. 4). There is one short foot 34 in the foreground, and one tall foot 34′ in the background and shown in dashed lines as drainage channel 24 progressively deepens in the distance.
FIG. 5 better shows that feet 34 are precision cut (laser cut in the example of 304 or 316 stainless plate stock) to firmly cradle the channel 24, and joined by weldments 35 as shown.
FIGS. 5a through 5e are a series of reduced scale section views taken along line V-V in FIG. 4 to show a non-limiting example of how to install the drainage installation 20 of FIGS. 1-4.
FIG. 5a represents the excavation of an oversize trench 38 through pre-existing concrete floor 44 and sub-layer 46 of aggregate, concrete, packed clay or the like.
FIG. 5b shows a shallow backfill 48 of aggregate, concrete, packed clay, mortar and so on, without limitation.
FIG. 5c depicts stylized drill bits 52 for drilling anchor holes for epoxying, bonding or otherwise anchoring pylon-serving, threaded rod 54.
FIG. 5d shows the feet 34 of the drainage channel 24 being landed on the threaded rod 54.
FIG. 5e shows completion of the installation assembly corresponding to FIG. 5, with the shoulders 30 of the drainage channel 24 level with the infill 56 of fresh concrete to fill in the trench 38 and even everything up level with the original pre-existing floor 36.
FIG. 6 shows, among other things, that the slope of the floor of the drainage channel 24 is sloped to lead to a drain downpipe 62 that empties into a buried drain line (not shown). The feet 34 and 34′ are adjusted at respective elevations on their respective pylon-serving, threaded rods 54, which are sunk in epoxy footings 64.
Preferably the grating sections 22 are monolithic structures produced by investment casting a food-grade castable material, such as and without limitation 304 or 306 stainless. The drainage channel 24 would preferably be produced of the same material.
The grating sections 22 are formed with a series of spaced slats 70 emerging out of axial side rails 71. The slats 70 are slanted, and preferably are slanted such high pressure jets of water during periodic washdown operation do not bounce back out the drainage channel 24, but are deflected in the direction of the drain downpipe 62.
FIGS. 7-8 are a set of relative views to show that the grating sections 22 have tabs 72 on both lateral sides of the grating, and placed at axially-spaced intervals (this is not shown). The drainage channel 24 has sunken seat portions 74 for setting the grating sections on top of such seat portions. The tabs 72 are, originally too wide to set within the riser portions 76 for the seat portions 74. FIG. 7 shows that excess tab portion 72′ can be ground to size in FIG. 8 such that the grating section 22 rests solidly between the riser portions 76 as shown in FIG. 9.
That way, this prevents lateral dislocation of the grating portions on their seat portions 74 regardless if in the case of foot traffic or vehicle traffic.
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevation comparable to FIG. 6 except on a greatly reduced scale and showing the drainage channel installation in accordance with the invention can be extended for an indefinitely long run in the axial direction.
The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned, and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.
Patent Grant
9834894
