BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is based on provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 60/509,690 filed Oct. 8, 2003, on which priority to the present application is claimed, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
Various applications of used tires have been invented, and some of them patented. This is discussed in my PCT Application No. PCT/US03/14967 filed May 13, 2003 and published on Nov. 27, 2003. That patent application discloses several ways for usefully dealing with vehicle tires that are no longer suitable for use on vehicles. The content of that application, is incorporated by reference herein to any extent needed. Pages 13 and 14 of that application describe the use of tire tread strips for bindings to bind tires together in a manner generally shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of that application and the present application to make a fence or barrier. Page 13 of that PCT application also describes the use of staples to connect ends of two tire tread strips and, in that context, refers to FIG. 11 of that PCT patent application. As disclosed in that PCT application, the tires are distributed in courses and stacked somewhat like a wall of bricks, to make fences or barriers having different profiles and heights. The tires oriented with their rotational axes vertical, can be exposed to collection of water and dirt or debris in the upward facing concave portion of the lower half of the tire. To enable drainage of water from this portion of the tires, holes are provided in the downward facing sidewall. In some circumstances, some of such tires can be exposed to enough dirt and debris for it to become wet and interfere with drainage. There remains a need for improvement in that regard.
SUMMARY
Various aspects of the invention are presented here, but others may be noted even though not necessarily recited here.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, used tires are divided on a plane transverse to the axis of the tire, resulting in two tire slices. Such slices are placed in one or more rows, with the axes of the slices generally vertical, and the outside face of the sidewall portion of each slice facing upward. The slices are arranged in courses stacked upward to the height desired for the fence or wall which is built according to one aspect of the invention.
Adjacent slices in a course may be connected to each other by binding devices which may be rope or cabling or ribbons of various materials or with strips of tire treads according to another aspect of the invention.
Courses of slices are connected together by binding devices which may be with rope or cabling or ribbons of various materials or with strips of tire treads according to another aspect of the invention.
Bindings and anchorage and organization of slices and rows may be tailored to usage as highway barriers for medians or elsewhere with controlled deflection upon impact, according to another aspect of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a half portion slice of a tire and which is useful according to a typical embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1A is a section through the slice taken on a plane containing the axis of the slice.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic of a piece of binding made from a tire tread.
FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a wall made according to a typical embodiment of the present invention, with the section taken on a plane or planes containing the axes of the slices comprising the wall portion illustrated.
FIG. 3A is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 3 showing a loop of binding material around and coupling together adjacent tire slices in a course of slices.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of end portions of two tread strips (shown fragmentarily) stapled together.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the wall shown in FIG. 3, the view taken at line 5-5 in FIG. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a wall like that of FIG. 3 but showing the wall constructed of whole tires.
FIG. 7 is a section taken through a wall such as FIG. 6 but viewed in the direction of the arrows 7-7 in FIG. 5.
FIG. 8 is a view of a tire tread cut from the tire carcass and cut across the tread.
FIG. 9 is a view of the cut tire tread of FIG. 8 and laid out flat.
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the tire treads cut from two tires and laid out flat, with two butt ends connected with staples.
FIG. 11 is a view like FIG. 10 but with tread strip ends connected by a hinged clamp.
FIG. 12 is a view like FIG. 10 but with overlapping ends connected with adhesive.
FIG. 13 is a view like FIG. 10 but with ends fitted in a mortise and tenon configuration and connected by a threaded fastener.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of end portions of two tire tread strips having inter-fitting dovetail cut configuration for holding them together.
FIGS. 15A, 15B and 15C are schematic top plan views on a small scale of three different profiles of highway median fences which can be made with assemblies such as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6.
FIG. 16 is a schematic top plan view of a highway with a divider median and showing the fence of FIG. 15A in place, and showing a vehicle veering toward the fence.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
In contrast to my previous inventions, the present invention employs used tires but, instead of whole tires as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the above-mentioned PCT application, the present invention employs used tires which have been split in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tire. For example, FIGS. 1 and 1A herein show one-half 11 of a tire with tread at 12, sidewall at 13, rotational axis 14, and wheel opening 15, all centered on the axis 14. The original tire, such as the tires in FIG. 6 herein, was split at plane 16 perpendicular to the axis 14.
FIG. 2 shows schematically a piece of strapping 17 made from the tread of another used tire. It represents an example of bringing together the ends of tread strips for binding slices shown in FIG. 3, immediately prior to connecting the ends of one or more tread strips in a manner such as shown, for example, in FIGS. 10 through 14.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 5, FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a wall 21 similar to the wall of FIG. 6, but using slices 11 which have been split bagel-style, instead of whole tires such as 37 and 38 in FIG. 6. These slices 11 are stacked in the same way as in FIG. 6, but the slices in FIGS. 3 and 5 are placed with the concave surface thereof facing down in the direction of arrow 22. Thus, no water can accumulate in them. Depending on the wall height desired, the wall can be made with as many courses of slices as needed.
FIGS. 8-14 of the present application correspond to like figures of the PCT application and with the same reference numerals, but with some difference in figure numbers in the present application.
In contrast to the end-to-end relationship of the tread strips 131 and 134 shown in FIG. 10 of the present application, the tread strips employed in the practice of the present invention are preferably stapled as shown in FIG. 4. More specifically, in FIG. 4 there are two tread strips shown fragmentarily, with a portion of strip 17A overlapping the end portion of strip 17B. There are four rows of five staples 23 in each row. Of course, the prongs of the staples are driven through the two tread strip end portions and then folded over as in FIG. 10 herein, and in conventional paper stapling style, to retain the staples in the tread strips.
Depending upon the height of the wall, it is not likely that one tread strip will suffice to provide the binding from the bottom course of slices 11B to the top course of slices 11T (FIG. 3). Therefore, as many tread strips as necessary can be stapled together in the manner shown as in FIG. 4 to wrap completely around the stacks of the slices as shown at 26 in FIG. 3.
The tire slices 11 were shown with solid black in the sectional views in FIGS. 1 and 3 of my provisional application, to help emphasize the location of the binding between adjacent slices. Their cross section is typical as in FIG. 1A herein but, having been cut on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis 14 of the slice, and oriented with the concave inside surface 20 facing down as shown best in FIG. 1A, no water will collect in them. Also, while FIG. 3 shows a small vertical spacing between slices of each course and the slices of the supporting course below, this is done to better distinguish one slice from another in the drawing. It should be understood that the slices in each course are preferably stacked in direct contact with the slices in the course below them.
The above-mentioned PCT application describes in some detail, the various types of connections shown in FIGS. 10 through 14 herein. While the tire tread strips can be connected in various ways, some of which are shown in FIGS. 10 through 14 herein, it is believed that the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 herein is particularly strong. The overlapping of tread strips shown in FIG. 4 can be done anywhere within the complete loop such as 26 in FIG. 3, depending upon the height of the wall, the depth of the slices and the length of tread strips used. Just as an example, the overlapping might occur at locations A in FIG. 3.
With the tread strips woven through the bagel-sliced tire halves, a very strong wall assembly is provided, using materials that would otherwise be wasted and become an excessive burden in dumps and the like.
It should be understood that the tread strips are preferably provided in loops as at 26 in FIGS. 3 and 5. They are preferably run across the top and bottom of adjacent slices such as 37 and 38 (FIG. 5) in the top and bottom courses of the wall. The tread strips extend vertically through portions of the wheel openings of these slices which are in registry with the wheel openings of the offset slices in the alternate courses below them in the same manner as shown for the binding 36 in the tires of FIG. 6. Similarly, if desired, tread strips can be used for binding adjacent slices in a single course as at 27 in FIGS. 3 and 5 and 47 in FIG. 6. For example, a tread strip such as 27 across slices such as 48S and 49S in FIG. 5 can be looped around the slices in any course where the tread portion of one slice is in contact with or immediately adjacent the tread portion of the adjacent slice. It is believed that a connection such as bolt 51 between treads of adjacent slices in a course such as shown for whole tires in FIG. 7, might be used in the practice of the present invention, but such bolted connections seem less likely since only a slice of a tire is used in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 5.
Referring now to FIGS. 15A-15C and 16, FIGS. 15A-15C show three of many possible profiles of highway median fences as viewed from above. One profile example shown in FIG. 15A is a row 101 of tire slices 102 bound together with some of the kinds of bindings described above. The tire slices are placed in a sine wave type of pattern or profile. The illustration represents, for example, a highway median fence one hundred feet in length from point 1 to point 2, having a single row of stacked tire slices, and a maximum overall original excursion “E” of the original positions of the tire slices from the centerline “C” of the row, of about fourteen feet.
FIG. 15B shows a row 104 of tire slices 106 and may be referred to as a trapezoidal pattern in which the length is one hundred feet and the width from peak to peak is ten feet. FIG. 15C shows a row 108 of tire slices 109 arranged in a sawtooth profile.
FIG. 16 represents a portion of a divided highway 116, with two lanes 117A and 117B for travel in one direction, and two lanes 118A and 118B for travel in the opposite direction. A grassy median 119 is provided between the inner lanes 117A and 118A. Fence 101 according to the present invention is built on the median between the inner lanes 117A and 118A. Truck 121 is out of control and headed toward collision with the fence. As mentioned above, many different profiles can be used. Also, more than one row of tire slices may be used in a fence built according to the invention. Also, the FIGS. 3 and 5, fence built according to this invention may be built directly on the ground or on pads or bases assembled or fabricated of various natural or man-made materials. Also, while consistent with the desire for good and effective usage of used tires, tire treads would be used as binding devices. But it may be found that for other reasons, other materials may be preferred for binding devices. If desired, holes such as 25 in FIG. 1A and in FIG. 3 may be provided in the sidewalls of the tire slices, for anchoring spikes or rods or for other reasons. If desired, such holes can be produced by punching slugs or “knock-outs” from the slices, leaving the holes. While they may be made round, they may be made other shapes. Oval, elongate rectangular and diamond are just a few examples. They may be used in the fence for a variety of purposes. Examples are for leveling, for spacing between facing treads in a course, for spacing between a bottom tire slice and the ground or other support surface to facilitate drainage, or for spacing between a and a slice under it for the same, or for other reasons. If a hole is made elongate and long enough, cabling can be wrapped around the slug and the slug used as a wedge or cable tightness adjuster. Also, it is conceivable that combinations of whole tires and tire slices can be made in construction of a fence. Thus, according to the present invention, the entire used tire, as a whole or sliced, and slugs removed from it, can be put to constructive use.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the word “slice” is used herein, it should not be construed as limited to precisely half the original tire width from sidewall to sidewall, or to a particular method of dividing the original tire into two parts.
Patent Grant
7258326
