Patent Grant
9797105
Not applicable
Not applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mats used for erosion control, pipeline protection, crossings, and many other subsea uses, and methods of installing such mats. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved mat and method of manufacture wherein a specially configured mould provides concave and convex sides, the concave side providing a plurality of inclined surfaces, each having one or more anchors and wherein the convex side provides hemispherically shaped projections which extend over a bottom surface of the mould, the mould being configured to accept a cementitious fill for forming an block and wherein the blocks can be connected with cables or ropes to form a mat.
2. General Background of the Invention
Erosion control mats have been used for many years to protect soil surfaces such as the banks of water bodies (lakes, rivers, etc.).
Another example of an erosion control mat is the Pilaar patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,928). The Pilaar patent relates to an erosion controlling protective surface for a soil mass. The device includes a flexible supporting sheet that can conform to the contour of the soil and blocks that are mounted on the supporting sheet. The mat provides drainage passageways therethrough so that water can pass through the surfacing. Preferably, the surfacing includes a filter and the blocks are secured with the supporting sheet.
The Nelson patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,252) shows a rip rap structure that employs concrete blocks connected together.
Cables are employed to hold blocks together in the Landry patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,829) to form a matrix.
The Crow patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,928) shows rows of blocks held together by a continuous wire cable which is embedded in each block.
The Waters patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,156) shows an erosion control blanket of segments. The segments are said to be of concrete placed into shells. The segments are held together with a rope network. Openings in the shells provide points of entry for the ropes.
The Rudloff patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,230) provides a concrete block revetment system for soil erosion prevention. The system of the Rudloff patent provides concrete blocks that are cable interconnected to form a matrix. The matrix of blocks overlies and holds in place a layer of permeable geotextile overlying a protected soil area.
The Angel patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,285) entitled “Mat Installation” shows cable connected erosion control blocks that can be used over pipe lines. Other patents issued to Angel include numbers U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,795; 5,846,023; and 5,944,449.
The Landry patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,120) provides a spreader bar for the installation of soil erosion prevention mats.
The Daniel patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,217) provides a lifting and placing device for seabed mats.
Other patents possibly relevant to the construction and use of mats for erosion control, pipeline protection, crossings, and many other subsea uses can be seen in the following table, the listing being chronological and otherwise of no significance. Each of the patents listed in the table is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The following US Patents are incorporated herein by reference:
The present invention provides an improved mat used for erosion control, pipeline protection, crossings, and many other subsea uses, that utilizes a plurality of concrete blocks, each block having an upper portion with a plurality of inclined side walls and a lower portion with a plurality of inclined lower side walls. The block provides an upper surface and a lower surface and a block periphery in the form of a block edge where the upper and lower side walls meet.
Cables or ropes, more specifically copolymer rope, connect the blocks together to form a matrix. The cables or ropes can include multiple cables or ropes or one continuous cable/rope that is looped from one row of blocks or one column of blocks to the next column of blocks.
Each block has a boot affixed to the block lower portion. The boot has a plurality of inclined side panels, each side panel having an upper edge. The boot has a lower panel and an interior surface. The boot has an interior that is receptive of at least part of the block lower portion.
The boot inclined side panels engage the block inclined lower side walls. The boot lower panel engages the block lower surface.
The boot has a plurality of anchor posts attached to the interior surface of the boot. These anchor posts include some anchor posts attached to the side wall panels of the boot. These first plurality of anchor posts enable a connection to be formed between one or more of the boot inclined side panels and the lower side walls of the block.
Some of the anchor posts are attached to the boot lower panel. This second plurality of anchor posts enable a connection to be formed between the boot lower panel and the block lower surface.
This improved boot arrangement solves the problem of peeling that can occur during deployment of the mats because they are often lowered to a pipeline resting on a seabed. Mechanical interaction between the mat and the pipeline can dislodge the boots which results in end complete protection for the pipeline.
In one embodiment, a plurality of the anchor posts have central longitudinal axes that are parallel.
In one embodiment, the boot lower panel has a plurality of projections. In one embodiment, the projections are hemispherically shaped.
In one embodiment, there is a concavity on the interior surface of the boot bottom panel next to each projection. In this fashion, when the boot is placed in a mould and slurried concrete added to the mould, the slurry concrete not only fills the interior of the boot but also the concavities behind each projection, thus further reinforcing the projections during use.
In one embodiment, at least some of the boot side panels have two or more anchor posts. In another embodiment, each side panel has two or more anchor posts.
In one embodiment, the anchor posts do not extend beyond the upper edges of the boot.
In one embodiment, the boot side wall upper edges do not extend above the block edge.
In one embodiment, the boot upper edges are positioned below the cables/ropes.
The present invention provides a method of constructing a mat. The method includes the providing of a mould apparatus that includes multiple moulds.
A boot is placed in each mould. Each boot has a plurality of boot anchor posts, a plurality of inclined side panels, each side panel having an upper edge, the boot having a lower panel, a boot interior surface and a boot interior or cavity that is receptive of slurried concrete that can be added to the mould interior after the boot is placed in the mould interior.
In a preferred embodiment, the exterior surface of the boot and the interior surface of the mould are correspondingly shaped at least in the lower half of the mould.
As part of the method, the mould is filled with slurried concrete after the boot is placed in the mould. The slurried concrete sets after a time period to form a plurality of concrete blocks. Each block has an upper portion with a plurality of inclined side walls and a lower portion with a plurality of inclined lower side walls. The block has an upper surface, a lower surface and a block periphery in the form of a block edge where the upper and lower block side walls meet.
Before the time period expires, one or more cables/ropes are placed into the moulds so that after the time period expires, the cable/rope or cables/ropes connect the blocks together to form a block matrix which forms a mat.
A connection is formed of the boot to the slurried concrete before the time period expires using a plurality of anchor posts extending from the boot to the slurried concrete.
The plurality of anchor posts are attached to the interior surface of the boot. Some of the anchor posts are attached to side wall panels to enable a connection to be formed between the boot inclined side panels and the block inclined lower side walls.
Some of the anchor posts are attached to the lower panel to enable a connection to be formed between the boot lower panel and the block lower surface. In a preferred method, the boot lower panel has a plurality of projections.
In one embodiment, there is a concavity on the interior surface of the boot bottom panel at each projection. This concavity is filled with slurried concrete as part of the method.
For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
In
A plurality of generally cylindrically shaped posts or anchors 16 are attached to the inside surface of panel 12 as seen in
As with the post 16, the post 28 provides end portion 34 having a recess or concavity 30, projecting portion 31, and curved surfaces at 32 (having a radius of curvature of 1/16″ (0.2 cm)), 33 (having a radius of curvature of 3/16″ (0.5 cm)). In the embodiment shown, each of the posts 16 has a central longitudinal axis that forms a right angle or 90 degrees with the panel 12 as shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Each inclined side wall or panel 24, 25, 26, 27 provides an upper edge which defines the top of the boot 11. These edges can be seen in
In
Another or alternate boot is shown in
The boot 60 includes a plurality of inclined side walls 73-76. As shown in
A plurality of generally cylindrically shaped posts or anchors 16 are attached to the inside surface of panel 61 as seen in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Each inclined side wall or panel 73-76 provides an upper edge which defines the top of the boot 60. These edges 86-89 can be seen in
In
The inwardly projecting lips 91-94 help to sturdy or rigidify the side walls 73-76, preventing them from flexing. If the side walls 73-76 flex inward, concrete can easily flow over the side of the boot 60 and compromise the protection that the boot provides.
The corners 95-98 are provided with the recesses at 100, 101 to allow the side walls 73-76 to flex in and out. The design of each of the corners 95-98 with recesses 100, 101 provide some flexibility to the side walls if the height of the individual block 43 changes such as for example, from 9″ to 12″ (22.9 cm to 30.5 cm). Thus, the angle assumed by each of the outer walls to change as the height of the block 43 changes. The “fluted” corners provide this flexibility.
Surface 132 has a plurality (e.g. five (5) as shown in
The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention:
All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.
The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/508,592, filed 7 Oct. 2014 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,518,366 on 13 Dec. 2016), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/852,158, filed 28 Mar. 2013 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,858,118 on 14 Oct. 2014), which claims benefit of and/or priority to and which is a non provisional patent application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/617,509, filed 29 Mar. 2012; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/721,337, filed 1 Nov. 2012. Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/617,509, filed 29 Mar. 2012; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/721,337, filed 1 Nov. 2012, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6106194 | Angel | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6416253 | Wimp | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6739797 | Schneider | May 2004 | B1 |
| 8858118 | Benton, Jr. | Oct 2014 | B2 |
| 9518366 | Benton, Jr. | Dec 2016 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170152640 A1 | Jun 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61617509 | Mar 2012 | US | |
| 61721337 | Nov 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14508592 | Oct 2014 | US |
| Child | 15372083 | US | |
| Parent | 13852158 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Child | 14508592 | US |
