CA1150070A - Canadian flexible dams - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A flexible dam using a fully or partly closed top; ship barge troller, boat, launch, navy ship or submarine, or tanker or any commercial, industrial, or navy ship or any type of vessel that was originally made or used for transportation in water, of any kind, to carry, support or sustain a flexible impermeable inextensible rubber, or rubberised plate fabric plate or the like which plate is referred to hereafter as water barrier plate or WBP, which plate is tightly anchored directly cor indirectly to the water bed and holds between its bottom and top ends the water that englobes the vessel or vessels and causes it to float on the surface of the water, pulling with it, in conjunction with a tie anchoring the said vessel to a point somewhere back upstream, the water barrier plate.

Description

l~S~o CFD P.l 1- The present invention deals wlth massive fle~ible dams for rel~tively deep water bodies and hlgh waterhead courses of water, using a comblnation of:
Hlgh tensile strength, cross reinforced, flexible, impermeable, inextensible pl~te (referred to hereafter as flexible wall and ~breviated as FW) specially deslgned and fitted to be lnstalled strip by strip on the job site.
1-2- An anchoring system to anchor the lower edge of the flexible wall tightly and firmly to the waterbed.
1-3- Used ships,destined for retire~ent3 ad~usted and fltted to be anchor~d ~nd to support the flexible wall by ~eans of ties connected to inde~endent motorlzed drums mounted lnslde the shlps.
1-4- Cable be~ms to support the back of the FW and bre~k the s~an of the FW in between the wqterbed and the surface of the water, whlch o~le b3~ms transfer their lo~ds throu~h the FW to anchoring and supportin~ tles u~stre~m.
1 5- A spring like flexlble con~ectlon to tie tne upper edges of the flexlble wall to the used shlps.
1-6- Independent motorlzed systems fastened lnside the shlps end connected to the ties transferrlng the loads from the upper edges of the flexible wall.
1-7- Independent motorized systems fastened inside the shlps and connected to the ties tying the ships to their anchoring sites. The role of the motorized syste~s ls to ad~ust to the w~ter level and the snow pressure on the dam.
1-8- An anchoring concrete platform anchored to the waterbed through piles drl~en in the water~ed and anchored to the tube holdin~ the lower edge of the ~ by me~ns of relnforcin~ rods welded to said tube.

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CFD P.2 1~9- Flex~ble spouts connected to openings made ln the FW about the heiht of the low water level, used to discharge the water into electric generatlng turbines mounted on secondary vessels stationed at the low water slde.
1-10- A sediment flushing out system through tunnels begin~!ing upstream ahead of the anchoring lines and e~tend-inF downstream beyond the ~lexible wall.
1-11- A'~set of specially designed accessories to tie the different coml?onents of the dam to each otherO
1-12- A flexible desl~n applica~le to shnllow and deep water d~ms where no previous methods could apply, taken into constderation:
A- The question of reduclng the colossal sl2e of ~he dams to a fe~therwei~ht, flexlble metnbrane.
B_ ~n inst~ tion desi/n nllowing the erection of the flexible wall ste~ by step on the dam site.
C- The question of easy anchoring, repalr and repl~cement of the flexible wall.
D_ Recycling of very valuable used ships destined for retire~ent.
~- ~educing the dam construction time to one tenth of the time needed for convention~l dams.
F_ And the most important of all, reducing t.he overall cost of the dams to less than one tenth of the origlnal cost of the conventlonal da~s known till now.

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115~07~9 March 7, 1983 CFD Pa~

PLo~l shows a plan view Or the dam.
PL.-2 shows a cross section 1-1 of the dam shown on Pl.-l.
PL.-3 shows a cross section 2-2 of the dam shown on PL~
PL.-4 shows the flushing out ~yste~ o~ the dam shown on Pl.-l.
PL.-5 shows deta~ls Dl,D2 of equlpment Or the dam shown on PL.-l.
Pl.-6, PL.-7 shows detalls D3,D4,D5 of equipment of the dam shown on PL.-l.
PL.-8 shows details D6 Or equ~pment Or the dam shown on PL.-l.
PL,-g shows detalls D7~D7A Or equipment of the dam s~hown on PL.-l.
PL,-10 shows detalls D8 Or the dam s;hown on PL.-l.
Pl,-ll shows d~tall~ D9 Or the dam shown on PL.-l.
PL.-12 shows detall~ o~ th~ fle~lble wall o~ the dam shown on PL.-l.

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CFD P~3

2 - D~SC~IPTION (iF T~E INVi~NTION TEIROUGH TllE DRAWINGS
2-1- ABB?~VIATIC)i`~S .~.ND K~Y WO~DS
H.D~F.D. - heavy duty flexible dam renamed Canadian flexible dam ( CFD) CFD ~ Canadian flexible dam t~.B~P~- water barrier, flexiblè, impermea~leg inextensible, cross reinforced plate renamed flexible wall and abbreviated (FW) FW - flexible wall WDP - water deflecting, flexible, impermeable, inextensible, cross reinforced plate Cl - Item 4 - high tensile strength s~ee~ wire rope or the like C2 - Item 5 - same as Cl C3 - Item 15 - same as Cl C4 - Item 17 - same as C1 C5 _ Item 28 - same as Cl CLl- Item 18 ; clamp CL2- Clamp Pl.6, Pl 7, Det. D5~No. 9 Rl - Rolling shaft or drum, Pl05~Det.Dl~No. 1 R2 - Rolling bearing shaft or drum,Pl.5,Det.D2,No.9 Vl - Item 3, Pl.2)su~portlng vessel at high weter level V2 - Ite~ 24, Pl.2 - secondary vessel at low water level V3 - Item 27, Pl.2, addltional supporting vessel at hlgh water level Sect~ l = section 1-1 taken on plate r;t 6 Item ~ - identif~cation of equipment, item num~ers are in circles No. X = is given generall~ to the components of the items or parts of Aetails PL = drawing plate or sheet ~5~07~
CFD p~4 . LATE 1 - General plan vlew taken ~bove the lower deck showing the gener~ layout of the flexible wall~
the main vesssls and the piers etc.
PL_2_ Transversal, vertical Cross Section 1/1-1 showing a vertical view of the general position of the main components of the da~.
PL_3_ Longitudinal,~ertlcal sectJ 1/2-2 showing the dam upstream on the anchoring side of the vessels PL_4-General layout showing flushing out system.
PL_5-Det Dl,D2, items 8,9,10 Dl showing the details of the motorlæed drums used to move the flexible wall to flnd from the vessels and the identical but tot~lly independent motorlzed drums used to ~ove the vessels to and from the anchoring points and D2 used as bearing drums under the cables along the long sldes of the vessels, on both sides Or the vessels.
PL-6-Det. D3,D4,D5,- elevation showing the typic~l connection of the upper ~dges of the flexible wall to the vessels.
PL_7-Det. D3,D4,D5, showing a vertical ~ection of the items shown in PL-6.
PL-8-DetO D6, ite~ 18 showing a ty~e of a clamp used to connect the cable beams supporting the back of the flexible wall to the anchoring ties on the opposite side of the flexible w~ll.
PL-9-Det.D7~D7A~ ltem 17,18, showing:
D7 - detall of the connection of the cable be~ms supporting the back!of the flexible wall to the anchoring ties situ~ted on the opposite slde of the flexible wall using the clamp descri~ed on PL~8.
D7A- detail of the connectors used to connect the cable ,.; ..
_~i ~519()7~
CFD P.5 cflble bea~s supporting the b~ck of the flexible wall to the different anchoring ties, used as alternati~e to the clamp descrlbed ln Pl-8 in the case of heQvy gauged flexible walls.
Pl-10~ Det. D~, anchorlng of the flexible wall to Pier Pl showing the detàil of the connection of the fle~ible wall to the ~sterbed, through a curvaceous tube anchored to a concrete platform on the waterbed.
Pl~ Det. D9, anchorlng of cables CI,C2, etc., to piers P2,P3~ ekc~, showing the typical details of connectin~ the,anchcrin~ ties to lon~itudi~al blocks inserted through a curvaceous tube ~nchored to a concrete platform on the waterbed.
Pl_12- Det. of the flexible wall ltem 2 showing:
~- Detail of relnforcement of the flexible wall.
B_ Detail of the on site spllcing relnforcement and the step by step erection o~ the flexible w~ll .
C_ A type of loop used at the lower tip end of the flexible wall.

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Plete 1 Item l - Pier ~l Pier ~l consisting of :
Concrete or wooden piles driven into the waterbed and protruding over the surface of the waterbed.
1-2- In case of concrete plles, reinforcing should be left protruding to~make bond with the concrete cap coverlng and Jolning all the plles.
1-3- In case of wooden plles cross holes should be made about the top of the plles to allow insertion of relnforclng steel bars to tle the wooden piles to the concrete c~p coverlng them.
1-4- ~ concrete ~l~tform to Jo~n all the piles ln one solld block.
1-5- A continuous reinforced curvaoeous plpe is lnserted all alon~ in the concrete cap be~ore beln~ poured (See det.D8,page lO) to serve as a mean to anchor the flexlble w311 to the pler $1.
Plate I
Item 2 ~lexible wall (See Pl-12) 2-l- A flexlble wall conslstlng of a flexible, impermeable, inextenslble, rubber or rubberized plate, fabrlc plate, or the llke relnforced internally wlth high tensile strength steel wlre ropes or the like.
2-2- The ~aln reinforcement ls to be in this case the ~rertical reinforcement from the waterbed to the flo~ting vessel holding the upper end of the flexlble w~llo 2-3- The secondary relnforcement is horizont~l ~nd~or dia~;onal and serves to:

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CFD p.7 A. keep the vertlcal reinforcement in pl~ce, B. to relnforce the plate transversally, C. as means to splice rolls of the flexible wall longitudinally one ~eslde the other 3fter being unrolled into strips to form the complete continuous flexible wall.
2-4- The flexible wall could also be made of fabric materlal using reinforcing fl~re lnstead of steel wire ropes or other metal alloys.
2-5- For further detalls see Plate 12.
Plate tl Item ,~3

3-V~SS~LS
3~ sed ships and water golng vessels of a~y kind (referred to hereafter as vessels or buoy~nts) lined lon~itudinally one next to the other all along the dam to serve wlth its floating force, to support the weight of the flexible wall and to co~nterba la nce the downward component of the outw~rd pressure on the flexible wall ~nd on the anchoring llne.
3-2- The vessels ~ould include any type of ships commercial9 industrial or navy ships, barges, launches, boats of any kind with fully or partly o~en top or closed tol- vessels, however priority is given to large displacement vessels.
3_3- Since the cost is the ~ain factor and the en~lne and the inside equipment of the vessels do not enter i~to the functioning of the CFD i.e. since merely the floatin~ cap~city of the vessel's shell is needed so the vessels would rather be retlred shlps destlned for retlrement or destined for '!.'` `
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CFD P.8 de~tlned for scr~p which fact reduces the over all cost of the CFD.
3-4_ The vessels are longitudinally tled with cables C3 ali along the dam. The cables are fl~ed at front and rear of the vessels leavlng a space between ths vessels and keeping them apart from one another. See PL 1 ~ 39 ltem 15 4_ Item 4 Cable Cl

4-1- Hlgh tenslle strength steel wlre ropes or the like, made corrosion proof.
4-2- C~bles Cl, item 4 are anchoring ca~les that tie the vessels Vl, V3~ etc., to points upstream on the water bed or on other flxed polnts u~stream.
4-3_ Cables Cl~ ltem 4 begln at the motorlzed roller shafts, ltems 8~, see PL_5 det. Dl9 pass throu~h the bearing shafts, Item 10, see PL~5 Det.D2 and extend upstream to their anchoring points at plers P3, or slmilar plers, see PL-ll, Det. D9.
IT~M 5 Cable C2

5-1~ High tensile strength wlre steel ropes or the like with the same crlterla as ITEM 4.
5-2- The cable C2 begins at the cl~mp ltem 18 (See PL-9 1~5) and det.D7A and ends at Pler No. 2 ltem 6 in the same way as shown on PL~ 6.
5-3-1-See PL-2 - Addltional cables ~28 added~slmilar to the cables item 5, and connected to the supporting cables item 17 t`rlat support the back o~ the ~lexlble wall.
See Cable C5 det.D7A PL-9.
5-3-2-These cables No. 28 are tied to the additional vessels V3 item 27~ see PL-2.

5_3_3-The vessels item 27, absorb the vertical forces ()7~

CFD p~g forces transferred to them from the flexible wall and in turns transfer the horlzontal forces through anchoring cables No.29 that extend upstre~m to anchoring polnt~ lined on piers similar to piers P3 in the ssme way as cable 1 item 4.
ITE~ 6 Pier P2

6-1- Reinforced concrete pier built the same way as pier Pl.
6-2- The connectlon of the cable item 5 to the ~ier is made according to Det. D9, PL-ll.
IT~M 7 Pier ~3

7-1- A reinforced concrete pier ~uilt the same way as e~plained for pier Pl.
7-2- The connection of cable Cl to the pler P3 ls as shown ln Det. D9 PL -11 IT~I 8A - Motorized rolllng shafts tSee PL.-l,PL.-2 and PL. 5 Det. Dl) 8A-l- Items no. 8A are ty~ical motorlzed shafts and ~otorlzed drums installed at d~ferent levels lnside the yessels~
They are connected to the ties transferring the losds from the upper edges of the flexlble wall.
8A-2- The role of the motorlzed sha.fts, items 8 A series, is to move the flexlble wall to ~nd from the vessels, 8A-3- The motorized shafts have to ~e synchronlzed to ~ull or release the flexlble wall with the same distance and at the s~ speed and sa~e time.
IT~M 8B - The series of the motori~ed rolling shafts 8B are ldentical to the series ite~ 8A but totally lndependent from them.
8B-l~ The ~otorized shafts series 8B are also lnstalled at dlfferent levels inside the vessels.
8B-2- The serles of motorlzed shafts and drums 83 are connected.

to the c,sbles tylng the vessels ~ack to their anchoring ~5~)7~

CFD P.10 anchoring points. These motorized drums and shafts are used to move the vessels to and from their anchcring points.
ITEM 9 - Item 9, bearing sh~fts ~nd bea~ing drums (See Pl.-l, Pl.-2, and Pl.-~ Det. D2) 9-1- The series lte~s 9 are bearing shafts and bearin~ drums installed at different levels inside the vessel~ on the sides of the vessels facing the flexlble wall.
9-2- The role of these bearing shafts ls to act as beArings for the tles transferring the loads from the upper edges of the flexible wall to the motorized rolling shafts, series item ~A fastened inside the vess~ls, Also the be~ring shafts system prevent the sald tles fro~
slippin3 out on either side of the bearlngs.
9..3- The series item 9 are provided with water tight openlngs ln front of them te prevent the outslde water from seeplng lnslde the vesse~s, whlle allowing the tles to pass t~rough these packaged watertigh~ holes.
9-4- The watertlght packaged holes ~re fitted at different levels on and about the outslde walls of the vessels.
IT2M 10 - Serles item 10, bearing shafts and be~ring drums (See PL.l,P~2,PL.3,PL. 5 Det. D2) ~0-1- The serles ltem 10 is identical to the series item 9.
10-2- The series item 10 are installed at dlfferent levels lnside the vessels~ on the sldes of the vessels facing the anchoring points.
10-3- The role of the serles item 10 ls to act as bearlngs to the tles tying the anchoring points to the motorized rolling shafts series 8B fastened inside the vessels.
Also the ~earing shafts system prevents the s~id ties from sllpping on elther side of the bearin,gs.

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CFD P.11 ITEI~ long beams Bl (See PL.-l,P3.-5,Det. D2) Long beams under the bearin3s R2 serles item 9 to dlstribute the cable loads along the edge of the vessels on the slde of the flexible wall~
11-2- Be~ms Bl could be of steel, wood or the like, llke full tree trunks planed flat on lower and upper side and fastened to the vessels.
ITEM 12 - Beams B2 (See PL.-l,PL.-5, Det. D2) 12-1- B2 same as Bl set longitudinally one next to the other along the outer edge of the vessels~ f~cing the anchorlng points, on the opposite side of Bl, to distribute the lo~ds of the anchoring ties transmitted throu~h the bearlngs series item 10.
ITE~i 13- Stop sn~p block (See PL.-7~ Det. item 13) 13-1- Item 13 is a stop sn~p block preventing the c~ble Jolning ~ set o~ pulleys from passinæ through the pl~lleys in case the cable breaks, The result is in case the cable breaks in one spct the stop snqp blocX prevents the cable from passing throu~h the ~ulleys and getting loose all along.
ITE~I; 14 - idle pulley (See PL.~1) ITEI~I 15 - Cable C3 (See PLo~l~ PL~-3 ) 1~-1 A hig`n tensile strength steel wire rope stretched longitudinally along the line of vessels and fixed at the front and re~r of each vessel to keep them at cert-- ain sp~ce from each other.
ITEM 16 - Spacers 16-1 Compressible spacers to help keep the ends of the vessels ~part.

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CFD P.12 ITEM 17 ~ pical cable beams, ltem 17 (See PL.-2 and PL.~9 No. 4, 4A) 17-1- Cable beams ~tem 17 are heavy steel wire ropes or the like, installed on the cack of the flexible wall to support the flexible wall.
17-2- Cable beams item 17 are installed at the back of the flexible wall at different spacing between the waterbed and the surface of the water; their role is to break the span of the flexible wall between the waterbed and the surface of the water.
17-3- The said cable beams, item 17, tr~nsfer their loads at intervals, through the flexlble wall,in part directly to anchorin~ polnts by means of tles like ite~ 5; and in the other parts they are tied wlth ties like ltem 28 to supportlng vessels like ltem 27, which vessels are in turn anchored to their anchorlng points further upstre~m.
17-4- The connection of the cable beams~ item 17, to their ties item 5 and 28, is done through clamps llke item 18 (See PL.-8 det. D6) or through connectors (See PL.-9 det. D7A) or the like.
ITEM 18 - Clamp CL 1 (See PL.8,det D6) and connectors (See PL.9 det~ D7A) 18-1- The cla~ps (See PL.8, det. D6) made to transmit pulling forces from cables behind the flexlble wall or a similar item without touching the cables and without perforating the flexible wall.
18-2- Connectors that tie the cable beams~ item 17, to the ties9 item 5, 28, use bolts passlng through w~tertight holes cut in the flexi~le wall.

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CFD P.13 IT~. 19 Ring (See PL. 3) 19-1- Rings ~oining the ties connecting the cable beams~
item 17, to the anchoring ties, items ~, 28.
ITE~ 20 - Tunnels (See PL. 3, PL~ 4) 20-1- Concrete tunnels beginning at a distance upstream ahead of the anchoring plers, then passing through the piers, and extending a distance downstream beyond the flexlble wall.
20-2- The role of these tunnels is ~o flush out the sediments that could ~ccu~ulate in front of the flexible wall.
20-3- The tunnels would be flbout the surf~ce of the water bed and through the plers.
20-1~- The tunnels are ~rovlded with loclss at thelr beginning at the wall (item 21) to be opened perlodically to flush out the sedi~ents.
ITEM 21- Wall tSee PL. 4) 21-1- A ~all to stop the sedi~ents from continuing to the piers and the flexible wall.
21-2- The wall would be protruding outside the water bed.
21-3 At the wall, the flushlng tunnels begin.
2~-4- ~ ~ate, ite~ 26, is installed ~t the be~inning of e~ch flushing tunnel to ~llow the opening and closing of water.
IT~I 22 - Piles (See PL. 4) 22-1- Concrete piles, wooden, steel, or the co~bination of same or the like piles driven in the water bed and protrudin~ well ~bove the waterbed (item 21).
22-2- The role of the piles ls to act as ~ screen in front of the tunnelsto prevent the rocks ~nd debris etc.~

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CFD P.14 debris etc., from advancing to the tunnels (item 20) and blocking the~.
IT~I~ 23 - Funnels (See PL. 2) 23-1~ The f7exible wall~ item 29 is provided at its lower end with o~enings connected to flexible spouts or funnels, ite~ 23, discharging water outward into electric generating tur~ines, item 25, mounted on secondery vessels, ite~ 2-'~, anchored behind the : flexible wall on the low water side.
23-2- The structure holding the funnels rests on rollers over the surface of the vessels V2 so that lf the water rlses the vessels V2 rlse also, then the structures holdlng the funnels would roll on the surface of the vessels V2.
23 3- A serles o~ funnels ~re mounted on the flexlble wall.
ITrii 24- Vessels V2 (See PL. 2) 24-1- Secondary vessels anchored at the low water side behind the flexible wall and used to accomod~te ~ set of ~enerating ~urbines snd the water funnels feedlng them.
ITEI~, 25 - Generatlng turbines (See PL.2) 25-1- Electric generating turbines installed ins~de the vessels V2 about the level of the low water beyond the flexible wall.
ITEIii 26 - Locks on tunnels (See PL. 4) 26-1- The tunnels ~item 20) are provided with locks (item 26) at the mouth of the tunnels on the wall, item 21.
26-2- These locks are used to open and close the water through the tunnels durlng the sediments flushin~ out operationO

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CFD P.l~
ITEM 27 - Additional vessels (See PL.2 ) 27-1- Additional vessels stationed on the hi.gh water level ahead. of the maln vessels, item 3.
27~2~ The additional vessels, item 27, are used ~o support the cable beams like item 17, supporting the back of the flexible wall.
27-3- The vessels, item 27, ~re anchored u~stream in the same way ~s the main vessels, item 3~
27-4- Vessels,series ltem 27, are interconnected with each other ~nd with the vessels,series item 3, with tr~ns-vers~l ties, ltem 45, that keep the vessels interreecting with e~ch other ~nd keeping at certaln spacln~ from each other.
IT~ 28 - (See PL~2) Ties tying the cable beams, ltem 17, to the additional vessels, item 27.
ITEM 29 - (See PL. 2) Anchorlng ties tyl.ng the vessels~ item 27, to their anchorin~ polnts.
ITEI~I 3Q - (See PL. 2) 30-1- ~pper split of the flexible wall at the top edge of the flexible wall.
30-2- The role of the pflrt of the flexible wall, ltem 30, is to hold the water at high level around the vessels to allow the vessels to develop ~ hi~her floating cap~city.
30-3- The part of the flexi~le wallg item 30, is supported with ties t~in.~ it to the upper decks of the main vessels,item ITEM 31 - (See PL.2) Lower spllt of the upper edge of the flexible wall.
31-1 Item 31 is tne l~wer, shorter and heavier spllt at the u~per ed~e of the flexible wall.

31-2- The role of item 31 is to transfer the main loads of the ;' CFD ~i504~7~ P. 16 OI the upper part of the flexible wall to the lower decks of the main vessels, item37 where the structure of the vessels is strong enough to su~port said loads and need less reinforcement th~n the u~per decks would reouire.
31-3- Item 31 should allow the water level to rise over it to gi~e the ~essels a chance to develop higher flo~tin~ cRpacity.
ITE~I 32 (See Pl.2,Pl.3) Part oî the anchoring ties connecting the motorized drums series item 8B
mounted on the lower decks of the main vessels, to the maln ~nchoring ties,item 4.
ITEM 33 - (See Pl.2,Pl.3) Anchoring ties connecting the motorized drums series 8B to the maln anchorlng tles, ltem 4.
33-1- The ties series ~3 pass throu~h bearing drums like item lOC mounted at a hic.,her level than the opposite be~rin.~ drums supporting the lower split oP the FW, to give a lever arm to the said ties, to counter balance the tendency of the flexible wall, on the opposite side9 to overturn the vessels flat on their sides.
ITE~I 34 - (See Pi.2,Pl.3) Tles connectin~ the mrotorized drums or shafts serles 8B mounted on the upper decks of the rnain vessels) ltem 3, to the lDain anchorlng tles,, item 4.
34-1- Items 32,33,34, eould be extended directly to the anchorin~ polnts when necessary without belng connected to general ties like ltem 4.
ITElvl 35 - (See Pl.2) is the sAme as item 32~
ITEM 36 - (See Pl.2) ls the same as ltem 33.
IT~M 37938939,40~ - (See Pl.29Pl~3) different decks ,~ .

115~
CFD P.17 decks of the main vessels series item 3.
ITEM 41,42,43,449 - (See Pl~2) different decks of the additional vessels series item 27.
ITEM 45 - (See Pl.2) Transversal ties tying the supporting vessels series item 27 and series item 3 to each other.
45-l- The role of the ties, item 45, ls to make the vessels interreact with each other and to keep the vessels at a certain spacing from each other.
Plate ~ Det, Dl,D2 ITEM ~
l- Motorlzed rolling shaft or drum 2- Motor 3- Bolts holdlng chassls to the platform of the vessel 4_ Chassis 5- C~ble No. 15 See Pl.6 Det.D5, or cable Cl, item 4 See Pl.2 IT)3~
6- Chassis 7_ Ca~les no. 15 See Pl. 6 or cables Cl, item 4, or cables No. 29~ See Pl, 2

8- Bolts ~oining chassis and beams(lte~s ll & 12) to vessels.

9- ~olling shafts or drums acting as cable bearing~

Plates 6 & ~ Det,.~ D4 D~
l - A block of two pulleys ~oined by two plates.
~ Upper pulley connecting cable No. 15 See Det.D3~D5 1-2- Lower pulley connectin~ header cable No.2 2 - Header cable 2-l- The header cable is c~rried by cable No.15 through ~5al~'7~

CFD P.18 through the sets of pulleys No. l.
2-~- The header cable carries the loads transmltted from the FW by means of a set of pulleys-and cables through No. 3.
3 - A block ~oinlng one upper pulley carried by cable No. 2 to two lower pulleys carrying cable No. 4.
4-l- Contlnuous cable carrled by block No.3 and carrying beams No. 5 through the upper pulleys installed betwesn the two beams.
~-2- The cable 'No.4 is made contlnuous and rolled around the two u~per pulle,ys and the four lower ones to give freedom of movement to the com~oslte beam No. 5 so that once there 1s hi~her pressure on the part of the FW sa,y between clamps II and IV (No.9) ln thls case, both co~posite beams would come down at the point ~here they are 301ned by the chaln No. 6 leaning towards the area between clamps II and IV.
4_3_ The co~posite beams would keep tiltlng until the pressure on the FW 1s equalized on the opposite sides of the bea~s. With this movement the s~stem of cable No. 4 and the pulleys connected to it ~ct like a sprlno; to protect the FW edge from excesslve pressure on concentrated areas.
5-l- Two beams ~olned together to form one composite beam.
5-2- Pulle,ys ~re installe~ between the two(~ beams. The upper pulleys are carried by continuous cable No~ 4 while -the lower pulleys carry the continuous cable ~o. 7~
5-3- The role of the beams No. 5 is to keep the FW straight while transmitting the load to the cable Cl (item 4) ~, 1~15g~
CFD P.19 (item 4) otherwlse the FW would ~e subjected to excessl~e folding at its top end and wo~ld spllt in between the clamns.
5-4- The co~posite beams Jolned at both ends by a flexible tie like chaln No.6 to avoid that the opposlte ends go in different directlons and split the YW in between the clamps No.9.
6 - Chaln ~oinlng the composite beams at both ends.
7-1- Continuous c~ble carrled at lts upper end by the lower pulleys mounted in between the beams No. 5 and carries at its lower end the pulleys mounted on the clamps No, 9. It transmlts the load from the FW to the composlte beam No, 5 .
7-2- The cable is made continuous and free to roll around the pu]leys to ~llow for the pulling of the FW where there is A hlgher pressure untll the pressure ls equall~ed along the ~1 edges; in this way the system ~cts 3gain as a second spring ~etween the FW and the m~in cables No. 15 and reduces the excessi~e pull on concentrated areas of the FW~
8 - Stop sn~p (item 13) see details on plate 7 and eY.planation on ltem 13.
~ Similar devices are installed on all continuous ca~les.
9-1- Clam~s made of structural shaped pieces bolted together on both sides.
9-2- Each cl~mp ls provlded at lts upper end with a pulley through which it transmits its load to the cable No.7.
9~3_ The role of clamp No.9 is to insure a strong grlp around the edge of the FW and pre~ent it from slipping away under the high pressure;~t t he same time,it transmits the load from the FW to the cable No.7.

~ r :,"

~563~7~ ~
CFD P.20 The clamp is rubber-lined where.lt comes ln co~tact wlth the FW.

10-1- Cable, aroun~ which, the top end of FW is rolled.
10-2- The cahle prevents the edge of the FW fro~ splitting, it helps for a better gr~p between the clamp No.9 and the FW and helps transferring of the loads from the FW to the clamp No.9.

11-l- Two solid cylindrical sectlons, their role is:
A. To distribute the bearing of the grlpped area .~ between the cla~p No.9 and the FW.
B. To offer a l~rger circumference to be gripped by the clamp No.9 and to prevent the cable No, lO and the FW from slipplng outslde the ~aws of the clamp~

12-1- Top edge of the FW showing the way how the end of the FW is folded inside and ~round the clamp No.9 to prevent the slippage of the FW out of the clamp No. 9 and splitting of its end around the bolts connecting the two parts of the clamp No 9.
12-2- For further details, see plate 12.

13- . Pieces preferably wooden pleces above and below the top edge of the FW to help better f~stening of the FW to the clamp No.9 and prevent sllppe~e of the FW.

14- A splke inserted between the two folds of the FW to prevent slippage.

15- (See Pl.6~Pl.7, Det.D3,D4,D5).
15-l- No. 15 are hlgh tenslle strength steel wire ropes, or the like that tle the header cable No. 2 to the motorized rolling shafts series item 8A tSee Pl.2, .
,. , , ~

~5~7~
CFD P.21 ( (See Pl.2,Pl.5, Det~Dl) after passing through the roller bearlng series ltem 9 (See Pl.2,Pl.5 Det.D2)

16 - cable

17 - (See item 13) Two short c~rved channel shape pieces bolted on both sides around a cable to prevent a broken cable from passing through a pulley and getting loose.

18- Bolts fastenlng both channels around the cable.
Plate 8~ Det. D6 ITEM 18 - Clamp CL 1 1 - One side of the clamp CL 1 2 - P~lley 3 - Bolt and screw used as a shaft for the pulley.
4_ Two bolts and screws to tlghten the clamp - one or more bolts on saoh s~de of the flange.
5- Rubber lining to avoid tear and wear on the FW.
6 - Flan~e or web plate.
Pl~tQ 90 Det. 7 1- Clamp C~ 1 2- FW (ltem 2) 3_ Two solid ~ tu~o, their role ls:
A. To dlstribute the pulling stress of the cla~p over a large area of the ~.
B. To make the o~erall dlameter ~ r~er for a better grip by the cl~mp CL 1.
C. To reduce the frictlon of the FW over the rough cable ltem 17.
4_ Cable C4 (ite~ 17) 5- Cable C2 (ltem 5) 3~ 5~7~1 CFD P.22 Detail DZ~ (Pl.9) shows an alternative connector to connect the cable beams item 17 to the ties like item 5, ,end 28 (See Pl.2) 4A - Cable beam (See Pl.2, item 17) 4A-l- The c~ble beams are made flat to enlarge the bearing area between the FW and the cable beam ~nd reduce the sheer stresses on the FW.
llA - Steel plate connected to the pl~te No. l~A T.~Tith tles like No. 14.
llA-l-The plate No. llA is welded to transversal plates like No. 16A.
13- Tles holdlng the flexlble shoe plates from both sides of the rlexlble wall, these t;ies pass through water tight holes cut through the 1~.
14 - Tles th~t connect the plates :LlA and 15.
14-1- These sald ties,ltem 14, p~S!3 through water ti~h~ hol~es cut through the flexible wall.
15A - Steel plate shaped ln a for~ of a clamp mounted behind the c~ble beams No. 4A (See Pl.2 item 17) 16A - Flanges welded to the steel plate No. llA and provldes connection to the earrings like No. 17 and 19.
17 ~ rrings hold.ing the pulley tied to the anchorin~ tie like item 5 See Pl.2 18 - Flexible shoe plates on both sides of the flexible wall~
to protect the flexible wall.

19 - Earrin,~s that connect the plate No. 16A to the pulley that holds cable No. 28 (See Pl.2) Plate lO_Det.8 1- FW titem 2) 2- Curvaceous, continuous, metallic tube made of , " ~j 7~
CFD P.23 m~de of relatively corrosion resisting material.
2-1- The well of the curvaceous tube ls made ondulated to offer a better grip to the FW.
3 _ Rubber lining over the tube or corrosion resistant cladding.
4_ ReinPorcing bars welded to the tube and to the flan~e, their role is to create bond between the tube shell and the concrete block.
5 _ Relnforcing flange plate welded around the tube -lnstalled at intervals along the tube.
6 - A dip in the bottom of the tube to allow pl~ce for excess of the FW.
7 - Loop at end of FW (item 2) cre~ted by foldlng the tenslon reinforcement of the FW during manufacturing.
8 - Round pieces of wood,plastic, met~l or the like inserted inside the end of the FW through openin~s provided for them at intervals along the FW end.
The comblned role of No. 7 & No. 8 is to prevent the FW from sllpping out from under the wooden blocks No. 9-9_ Lon~itudin~l wooden, plastic, ~etallic blocks or thelike that~could be full trees cut longitudinally and ; lnserted in the tube, the two side blocks first and finall~ the ~iddle block that acts as a wedge between the two others and locXs the FW tightly inside the tube.
10- Concrete - the whole curvaceous tube is lnstalled below the surface of the concrete platform at pier 1.
11 - Pin to hold mlddle block of wood in place~

~L~5~7~

CFD P.24 12,13 - Tles fastened to the bottom of the curvaceous tube and tightened at the top over the longltudinal blocks.
14 - Bqrs ~oining the top of the ties No. 12,13.
15 - Longitudinal bars welded to the bottom of the curvaceous tube ; their role is to hold the ties No. 12,13, at the bottom of the tube.
16 - Alternati~e folding of the tip of the flexible wall, in between the longitudinal blocks No. 9, to ~revent the ~ from sllpplng out.
Plate ll,Det~9 1 - Curv~ceous ~etallio tube installed inside piers llke P2 & P3 below the surface of tlle concrete.
2 - The tube to be lined with rubber or cement or cladded or covered wlth any anti-corroslon material.
3- Reinforcing f]ange pl~te inst~lled at intervals ~long the tube and welded to the tube.
4 _ Longitudlnal blocks made Or wood, plastic, metal or the like cut in plsces to make it posslble to insert them lnto the tube. It could be a rull tree cut in three longitudlnal pieces and assembled inside the tube.
Wood ls used here because:
A. It has no corroslon problem.
B. Easy to replace.
C. Chea~ local product.
5 _ Bolts and screws Joinlng the longitudinal blocks to~ether.
6 - Cable Cl (item 4) 7_ Concrete reinforcing bars welded to the tube and the ~ ~LS~

CFD P.25 and the flanges - their role is to create bond between the concrete platform ~nd the tube.
8 - Concrete piers like P2,P3, ltem 6,7.
Ties connecting the two sides of the curvaceous tube.
These tles are inserted after the installation of the longitudin~l blocks.
Plate l~_L~

- FW - water barrier plate renamed flexible wall.
strength A hlgh tensileVsteel wlre reinforced rubber or rubber-ized plate,flexible, impermea~le, inextensible (non stretchable) plate~
1-2- The FW could also be fi~er relnforced or nylon reinforced fabric plate or the llkegflexlble, lmperme3~1e, inextensible plate.
1-3-- The wire or fiber reinforcement o~` the FW are referred to ~s cords.
1-4- The FW ls built of a sertes of long, l~rge, flexlble `plates ~olned together longitudin~lly slde by side.
The individual rolls of plates are relnforced longitudinally and transversally.
The ~ertlcal relnforcement is the maln reinforcement of the plate.
The transversal reinforcement is a secondary reinforce-ment ~and lt could be hori~ontal or inclined~
1-6- The cords relnforcing the plates end ln closed loops cand in zigzag all around tha plates and the loops are left ~rotruding outside the plates to allow for spllcing.
1-7- ~he protrudln~ loops are coated with rubber or fabric enough to pre~ent corrosion and to insure a cleaner C
-- , ~s~

CFD P.26 cleaner surface re~dy for the appl1cation of the splice covering compound.
1-8- For higher strength plate, the plates would have multi layers of reinforcement separated from each other enough to insure eno~gh bond between the reinforcement and the rubber or f~brlc see sect.
12/1-1 A and 12/1-1 B. At the same time the ~ulti layers of reinforcement would be staggered to insure a better strength see No.5,6.
1-9- The splicing of the rolls of pl~tes to form the complete FW is to be done as follows.
1-9-1-The rolls are spread lon~itudinally, lf posslble on the constructlon slte, ide by slde where the protruding closed loops come to overl~p over e~ch other, then a ~oining cord ln one plece or more equally coated,No. 15, i9 inserted through the loops of both ed~ing pl~tes continuously from one end of t~e rolls of plates to the other. Then the loops are again tled wlth indivldual ties over the joinlng cord ~nd to make a flrm connection.
1-9-2-Once the Jolnlng cords like No. 15 and the ties are in place, the spllcing compound is applled to cover the cords~ Eske a tlght ~oint impermeable between the two plates.
2- Lower end of FW showing the loop folded around pleces of wood and bolted to them to prevent the end of the FW to slip away see Det. 12/D Pl.12 and No.7 Pl.10.
2-1- No. 7 PL 10 shows a different loop at the end of the FW. This type of 100~8 iS more sultable for a double reinforced plate where the lower relnforcing layer is ~,,. ~.
-3~

~ L5(~7~1 CFD P.27 layer is continued and folded over to form the upper relnforcing layer. In this case the longitudinal pieces No, 8 Pl.10 are inserted between the two continuous layers of reinforcement.
3 - The FW folded around the cable C4 item 17 and clamped by clamp CLl item 18 See Pl~ 9 Det. 7 or connected with connectors (See Det. D7A,P1~9) 4_ Loop at the higher split of the upper edge of the flexible wall (See P1~2,Pl.6,Pl.7) 4A - Loop at the lower spllt at the u~per edge of the flexlble wall.
5 _ Upper layer of FW plate relnforcement.
6 - Lower layer of FW plate reinforce~ent.
7- Closed loo~s of secondary relnforcement sho~n over-lapplng wlth a ~oinlng vertical oord passlng through.
8 _ Closed loops at the end of main vertlc~l reinforcement 9_ Free closed loops of the secondary reinforcement.
10- Longitudinal block inserted inside the lower loo~ of the FW.
11- 2 pieces of wood mounted on ~oth sides of the folded FW and bolted to each other throu~h the folded FW, 12- Bolts ~olning the two pieces of wood No. 11 and passing through the folded FW.
13- Seccnd~ry reinforcement of the FW.
14- Primqry reinforcement of the FW, - Joining cord or cords inserted through the overlapping closed loops of the secondary relnforce~ent continuously fro~ one end of the rolls of plate to the other end.
See Det. 12/C.

~,!, ?
;,1 '~, ~5~
CFD P.28 3 - D~T.r~ILS
The present ~nvention named hereafter Canadian flexible dams and abbreviated as (CFD) deals with large, deep w~ter, flexible dams for relatively deep water bodies and high w~terhe3d water courses using a combination of:
3~ High tenslle strength, cross reinforced~flexible, impermeable, ine~tensible plate (referred to herelnafter as flexible wall and abbreviated as FW),( See Pl.~2, Pl.-12, item 2), made of fabric, rubber or rubberized material or the like.
3-1-2- The FW conslsts Or reinforced lon~itudinal strips like tho.se used for conveyor belts, redesl~ned wlth cross relnforcement, where the reinforcement is left protruding wlt.h forms of loops and zlg zags (See Pl.-12~No.9) to allow for ~olnt splicing all along the strips by insertlng wire c~bles consecutlvely through the ad~oent loops of the stri-~s t.o be ~olned (See ~1.-12~ No.7) ~oreover these loops of the adjacent strips are tied together with speclal ties9 ~ f~ct which makes the ~olnt strong and firm developing the same stren~th of the plate itself and by applying the rubberlzed flexible compound the ~oint w~ould be watertight as well, the sa~e as the remaining part of the plate.
3-1-3- This design of the pl~te allows us to install the FW on the dam site gradually in sections strip ~y strip which fact m~kes possible the erection of dams with limitless length without having the handicap of transporting the whole Fh7 from the factory to the site of the dam 3-2-1- Using in comblnation a curvaceous tube imbedded and anchored to the concrete ~latform on the waterbed.

(See Pl.-2, Pl~-lO~Det~ D~) CFD P.29 The lower edge of the FW is inserted through the curvaceo~s tube and locked in tightly by means of lon~itudinal blocks wed~ing together to interlocX and squeeze tightly and firmly the FW inside the tubeO
3-2_2_ The lower end of the FW is inserted inside the tube and folded around longitudinal blocks and fastened ~round the.l~ to prevent the sllpp.~ge of the FW in between the walls of the tube and the longltudinal blocks.
(See Pl.-lO,Det. D8~Pl.-12, Det~l~D) 3-3-1- Using in con~unction, used shlps,(See Pl.-2~Item 3) used barges and used watergoing vessels of any kind that h~d served thelr time ~nd had p~id back thelr capital invest~ent and are destined for retirement for their lnefflcien~.lnternal equipment but that they could still dellver safely thel~ f~oating capacit;y. The choice of such ships that are usually destlned for scrap is the intersection of different polnts of oonsider~tion:
economical, technlc~l, avallability, applicability, etc., which, in combination with the specially desi~ned ~W~
(See Pl.-2, Item 2), the su~porting cable beams on the back of the FW and the other related features, makes lt posslble the breakthrough from the existing toy size flexlble dams to the present giant dams that the present inventlon applles for to replace -the convention~l solid dan~s used up till now.
3~3-2- T`~.ese used ships could be open shlps and do not have to be closed floatlng bodles ~.s the previous lnventions called for nor inflated as the previous inventions called for.
3_3_3_ These used vessels are uscd to su~port the upper edges of the FW, connected to the~ at different levels thro~!gh a series of pulleys and ca~les passing through ~5~71~
CFD p.30 through the vessels and fastened to equipment inside the vessels (See Pl.-2,Pl.-6sPl.-7, Det. D3,D4~D5).
3_3_4_ These used ships transfer the loads, applied to them fro~ the FW, to th~ ~nchorlng cables connected to them at different levels on the op~osite side cf the FW, (See Pl.-2, lte~ 4), which cables extend upstream to their anchoring points on the waterbed or on other fixed points upstream. (See Pl~-29Pl.-ll, Det. D9) 3_3_5- The used ships are lined longitudlnally one next to the other on the high water side inside the FW and all along the dam.
3-3-6 - The shlps are tled to each other along the length wlth heavy wire cables keepln$ them sllghtly stag~ered and wlth a fl~ea spaclng and so~e compresslble sep~r~tors in between the edges of the shlps to ~revent and mini~ize collislon.(See PI.-3, Item 15) 3_3-7- The edges of the dec!cs of the shlps receivlng the loads from the FW and the o~posite edges receivin~ the anchorin~ cables are provlded with longitudinal blocks ~11 along the dec~s of the shlps to distribute the loads ~plied to them from the FW and from the anchoring cables.
(See Pl.-l~Items 11,12, Pl.-5, Det. D2) 3-4-1- Uslng in combination supporting cable beams (See Pl. 29Item 17) on the back of the FW at differe~t distances in between the waterbed nnd the surface of the water, to break the span of the FW in between the waterbed ~nd the surface of the water.
These cables play the role of reversed beams supporting the back of the FW. The cables transfer the loads applied to them from the FW to anchoring c~bles connected to them, through the FW, wlth special connections (See Pl.-8, ~et.D6 and Pl.-9, Det, D7A) , ~ - . r-'''''`,`

1~5~
CFD P.31 3-4-2- Some of the anchoring cables (See Pl.-2~Item5)9 extend dlrectly upstream to anchoring points on the water-bed or on other flxed points upstream,(See Pl.-2,P1.-11, Det. D9), while other anchoring cables ,(See Pl.-29Item 28), extend upstream to be connected to the decks of additlonal vessels9 (See Pl.-2~Item 27), stationed upstream on the high w~ter level; ln turns, the addltional vessels are anchored upstre~m in the same way as the main vessels Vl (See Pl.-29Item 3).
3_4_3_ The supportlng cables (See Pl.-2~Ite~ 17 ~nd Pl.-9~Det. D7A,No. 4A) are ~de flat c~bles to enlarge the bearlng area of the oable and reduce the concentrated stress on the back of the FW
3-5-1- Using ln combination sprin~like flexlble systems to transfer the stresses at dlfferent le~els from the top ed~es of the F~l to the ships,(See Pl.-2~Pl.-6~Pl~-7~Det.D5) oonsisting of wlde olamps~No.9 cl~mpln~ the t~p ed~es of the FW~No.12~ which is rolled over a wlre rope~No.10, that is covered with sectlons of solid pipes~No.ll, to enl~rge the overall diameter clamped ~J said clamps whose ~aws ~re bolted also to each other throu~h the FW.
3-5-2- The upper end of the clamps ls pro~ided w~ith a pulley su~ported by contlnuous ca~le,No.7, which cable ls itself supported by another pulley mounted on dou~le beam structure,No. ~, which beam is att~ched ltself to another cable,No~ 4, th~t is carried by the block of pulleys,No.39 that is hanging down from the header cable,No. 2, and the header cable No. 2 is supported b~ a block of pulleys suspended from cable No. 15, (See Pl~Det.D3)~ which ties the whole system to the sh1E~. The cables No. 15 pass throu,gh watertight holes ~rovided at dlfferent levels Olî the outer walls of the shl~s, facin~ the FW~ then, ~s l~d 5~76~
CFD P. 32 then, cables 15 pass over bearin~ drums mounted on the edges of decks lnside the ships(See series items 9,El.-1, Pl.-2 and P1.-5~Det.D2) and continue inside the vessels to be fastened to independently operated motorized drums fastened inside the said vessels.
3-5-3_ The role of the system connecting the top edges of the FW to the ships is to prevent excessive concentrated loads from spllttlng off tne top edge of the FW; in such a way that if there is a hlgh press~re on one edge of the FW the cable No.7 is pulled longer towards that hlgh pressure area and shorter where the pressure is lower until the pressure equallzes along the top edge of the FW.
3_5-4- The cable No. 4 plays the same role by allowing the be~m No. 5 to tilt towards the hioh pressure area~
The com~inatlon of cables No. 4 and No. 7 with the sets of pulleys connecting to them result in ~ sprin~like action to protect the top edge of the FW from splitting under excessive concentrated loads.
3_~_5_ The role of the solld dual beams,No.59 is to Xeep the to~ edge of the FW close to the straight line and ~reventing lt from excessive foldlng which fact could cause the bre3kage of the cable NOA 10~ ~nd eventually the splitting of the top edge of the FW
3-6~ Usin~ in combination independently operated motorized systems fastened inside the vessels and connected to the ties llke No. 15(Pl.;6,Pl.-7) transferring the loads from the upper edges of the flexible wall to said motorized systems.
3-6_2_ The role of these motorized systems is to move the FW to ~nd from the vessels.
3-6-3- The position of the flexible wall with reference to tne vessels needs to be ad~usted when the water level ir.

~, ....
,...

)7~
CFD p.33 level in the dam changes up or down.
3-7-1- Using in comb1nation independently operated mctorized systems fastened inside the vessels and simllar to the systems used in article 3~6-1, connected to the anchoring ties like item 4,(See Pl. 1,Pl.-2,Pl.-3) tylng the vessels to thelr anchoring sites.
3-7-2- The role of these motorlzed systems ls to move the vessels to and from thelr anchorlng sltes-.
3-7-3- The posltion of the vessels wlth reference to their anchoring sites has to be ad~usted when the water level ln the d~m rlses or goes downO At the same tim~, when solld lce ~ccumulates in front of the vessels, the anchoring ties ha~e to ~e released and ~hts can be done through the ~otorlzed systems.
3-8-1- (See Pl.-2,Pl.-lO~Det.D8) Uslng in combination ~n anchoring syste~ binding the curvaceous tube, holdin~
the lower end of the FW, to the concrete platfor~ and to the waterbed by using reinforcing steel bars welded to the curvaceous tu~e system and rooting down through a concrete platfor1D cast at the surface of the waterbed.
3-8-2- The concrete platform cast at the surfsce of the w~terbed is itself ~nchored to the waterbed through:
A- Concrete piles driven in the ~1aterbed and with their upper reinforce~ent left protr~ding througll the concrete platfor1n.
B- Wooden plles driven in the water~ed and provlded at thelr u~per end with transversal holes t~rough which reinforcing steel bars are passed through and left ~rotruding out through the concrete platform to serve as anchorage between the piles and the concrete ~latfor~
itself.

1~5~;907~
CFD p 3~
3-9-1- (See Pl.-2) Providing in combination holes in the flexible wall at a~out the level of the low water surface, which holes are connected to flexible spouts, ite~ 23, extending downstream beyond the FW on the low water area.
3-9-2- These spouts are used to discharge the water from the high w~ter level through the ~W to electric generating turbines, item 25, mounted on secondary vessels, ite~ 2l~, stationed on the low water side.
3-9-3- The flexible spouts ~re supported on a pivoting structure connected from one ~ide to the spouts and resting on a moblle mechanism that rolls over the decks of the secondary ships, itew 24, to allow free ~ov~ment of the said shi~s when the low water level changes up or down.
3-10~1- (See Pl.-4) Uslng in conJunction a sediment flushing out system through closed tunnels, item 20, at the surface of the waterbed, beginning upstreflm ahead of the ties ancilorin~ sites ~nd extendi~g downst~eam to discharge the sediments somewhere downstream beyond the-flexible wall.
3-10-2- The flushln~ out system ls provided with a kind of screen in front of the t~nnels consisting of plles, ite~ 22, drlven into the w~terbed ~nd protruding up for a distance above the waterbed. Their role is to prevent he~vy rocks and debrls from blocklng the mouth of the tunn-els.
3-10-3- The tunneis are ~rovided with locks,No. 26, at the beginning of the tunnels to allow openlng ~nd closing the w~ter throu~h the tunnels.
3-11- rroviding i~ comblnation a series of accessories, specially desi~ned clamps and connections to make the tie in between the different ~arts of the dam.(See Pl.-7,No.9 and item 139Pl.-8,Det.D6 ~Pl.-9~Det~D7~).

~5~

3-12- A fitted comblnatlon insuring at t`ne same time:
3-12~ ^ flexlble design adaptable to any kind of dam in order to replace the methods used up till now ~ith the conventional construction metheds, flexible or solid, for dams deeper that what it was possible with tHe existlng methods and to dams with unllmlted length.
3-12-2~ ~n easy way of constructlon and on site joining the parts and erecting the flexible wall stri~ by strip in a way that insures tH~ full strength of the plate all along the ~oints.
This solution made it possible the construction of dams wit'l1 limitless len~th without havin~ the im~ossible inconvenience to have the FW Joined in the workshop ~nd transported in one unit to the site of the dam.
Add to that ~n easy way of re~a1r and replacement, pullin~
out ~nd re-anchorlng the FW to the wator~ed, 3-12-3- ~ lar~e overall saving in money and time that the present invention realizes over all the ~atents exlstlng till nowO

, 7~

CFD P~36 4- _ MPARISON WITH THE PRIOR ART
The prlnci~le of buoy.~ncy in the water is known from the time of the Greek scientist Archi~edes.
The seerch in the p~tent offlces in Cqnada and abro~d has shown that the concept of a dam for~ed by a flexible wall which is .~nchored to the botto~ and having -the top ed~e supported by a buoy~nt support floatlng on the surface of the water with tle backs to hold the floatlng support in pl~ce. This conce~t was known slnce the 19th century ~nd the petents thæt were issued for inventions based. on thls concept, were issued, based on the merits of what components were used~ wh~t comblnatlon of co~ponents they h~d, how ~.hat comblnation worked, wh~t appllcations they h~d, up to wh~t limit of coverage they could be applled~
~nd ~h~t kind of sqving adv~ntage do they carry over prevlous p~tents.
4-1- Thc fle~:lble w~l].s used in th~ patents of Mesnager and M~r~en are designed for low water pressure a~pllcations:
4-1-1- In the case of Mesnager, if we conslder a dam of 200 feet deep a~d five kilomet~es wide, it wo~ld be unthink~ble to use that flexlble wall as called for ln the Mesne~er patent; first, it is i~possible to build ~nd transport such a large flexl~le wall, second, for a depth of 2QC feet of water a flexible wall should be of a certain speclal design to support the water pressure at 20Q feet deep. It n,eans the flexi~le wall ~s lt is called for ln the Mesna~er p~tent ls llmited and if one follows its deslgn, he would not ~ustify usi.n~ it for w~ter ~arriers n~ore than 2~ feet deep.

4-1-2- The fle.~ible w~ll used in the ~tent of Margen ls J
,. ~,, ~L~5~()7~
CFD p 37 is designed to take ma~imum 6 inches of water pressure differentlals between the inner and outer part of the flexible wall and car~ies the same li~it~tion as described in 4~
4~1-3- The flexible walls ~ade elther of fabric~rubber, rubberized materl~l or canvas, enter lnto the category of the art of leather and cloth design and fashion. Leather, canvas and clothes are patented on the ~erit of their fashion, how they are cut and ~oined and for what purpose, even though sometimes they could be made of the same material.
On the other hand, fence wires are p~tented on the kind of knit they h~ve and how lt is made and wh~t purpcse lt serves. The sa~e also, the knitwork is patented on the ~ase of how it ls Xnitted ~nd ~.~hat resultin~ sha~e lt ends lnO~ ;
4 1-4- The present in~ention c~lls for a specific klnd of .~ flexible wall starting from a selected base, it gives special cross design ~lth multll~yers o~ reinforce~ent and with speci~l provisions for joining ln on site, the different parts of the flexible wall strlp by strip in a way to develop the full strength of the plate and at the same time to allow us the erection of da~s with limitless length.
The combinat.ion of the ~sic choice of the strips of the materials for the flexlble walls, the s~eci~l design of its reinforcement and the way it is reinforced with the special desi~n for ereoting the flexible wall strip by strip, ~e it possible the construction of flexible w~ll dams of hundreds of feet deep ~nd with unlimited length;

a result which could not be obtained with the ~lready existin~ patents no ma.tter how they are stretched.

.~ .

~L5~
CFD P.38 4-2- Anchoring of the flexible wall~
4~ Let us again ccnsider a d~m of 20Q feet deep ~nd flve kilometres long.
First, the flexlble walls of the prevlous patents are not designed nor could their specification be stretched to withst~nd a 200 feet deep water pressure.
Second, nor thelr speclfications provlde for anchorag,e that could stand such hlgh pressure.
4-3- Buoyant support.
4-3-1- Again, if we kee~ considering a dam of 200 feet and flve kllometres long uslng a flexlble wall to retaln the ~ter.
4-3-2- ~he inflatable buoyant used ln the lnventlon of Mesn~ger to support his flexlble dam could not be used for a water depth beyond 25 feet deep for the followlng reasons:
A- ~o ouild an inflatable buoyant of a very large volu~e, to be ~ble to support the huge vertical loads transferred to it from the flexible wall9 it would have to be of a very heavy materlal, lt would hav~ to have very he.~vy reinforcement to hold ltself by itself.
B- Due to the very high concentrated pressure on the cables transferrinæ the loqds from the flexible wall lt would have to h~ve solid reinforce~ent to keep lt ln -shape, otherwlse the lnflated buoyant would bulge in between the cables out of the w~ter, whlch fact reduces its supportin~ ca~acity.
C- An inflated buoyant ls not a safe support for a per~anent, rellable da~ which ls supposed to generate electrlcity-to l~lntain a clty lit, heated, refrlgerated and ~oto~lzed.

:~5~07~

CFD P.39 D- In case an inflated comp~rtment of the lnflated buoyant 1s perforated at 1~ feet below the water, how easy is it to renair? Qr in case of a storm where more compart-ments could be perforated or ruptured.
E- Besides, the cost of s~ch a huge heavy reinforced infl~-t~ble buoyant, would prevent its use.
F- The inflated buoyants as well as the solid buoyants described ln the e~istlng patents so far, h~ve the tles supportinU the flexi~le wall pass over them and continue to their ~nchoring points; such buoyants only support the ties on their back, besides that they have no measures to move the flexible wall to and from the buoyants nor to move the buoyants to and from the ~nchoring points.
4-3_3- The lon~itudinal solid ~uoyants called for in the previous p~tents are llmited ln design and applica-tion. A~ain gettlng baok to a d~m of 200 feet deep and five kilometres long; to bulld a solid contalner and s~ecially a closed one~ as it is c~lled for ln the previous patents, to support a flexlble dam holdln~ 200 feet deep water; it would not be feasible for the following reasons:
A- The buoyant would have to be ~ very m~ssive container wlth a thicX gau~e shell.
B- Such a large buoy3nt would need a ~ery heavy structural internal relnforce~ent to hold it in shape under the w3ter pressure and the pressure of the anchoring cables holding the flexible wall and passing over the buoyant.
C_ In a case like in the present invention, where the flexlble w~ll is tled to the buoyants, by means of a system tied to motorized drums or shafts mounted inside CFD P.40 the buoyants and fscing the flexible wall whlle the ~nchering cables tying the buoyants to the anchoring points are connected to the buoy~nts through other sets of motorized dru~s or shafts, independent fro~ the ~revious motorlzed shafts3 ~ounted also inside the buoyants, facing the anchoring lines which is the o~posite side of the flexible wall. These anchoring c~les enter the buoyants at levels different than the ;~
levels where the ties connectinS the flexible ~all enter the buoyants, to create a lev~r arm to counterbal?nce the forces exerted by the flexible wall to pull down the ships flat on thelr sides at the surface of the water which fact would allow water to go through the ships and drown the~.
In this case, the buoyants are su~ect to opposite forces trying to spllt them ~part unless the buoyants them-selves are strong enou~h or reinforced enough to sustain the pulling forces acting on them.
In other words, ~n the present invention the buoyants act like anchorin~ sites as well as suppcrt to the flexible wall~ they are sub~ect to vertical, torsional, horizontal stresses~ etc., at the sa~e time while in the previous existlng patents with solid or inflatable buoyants, the buoyants -~ct mere]y as saddles to support the ties holding tlle flexlble wall. They absorb only vertical forces and have no provision in thelr structural desi~n to resist the horizontal, torsional or any other stresses transferred from the flexible wall.
Secondly~ ln the present invention, the upper edge of the flexible wall is split into multi splices and each splice transfers its load through ties passing at a different .~ ~0~

1~5~

CFD P.41 different level through watertight openings cut throu~h the bodies of the buoyants ~nd are anchored-to equipment fastened inside the buoyants while in the previous existing patents ~he tles supporting the flexible wall merely cross at one level over the top of the buoyants.
D_ In the case of a closed cont2iner, that is free to roll from one side to the other as is the case in the previous patents, if through an ~ccident, the water got lnto the ~uoyants somewhere below the water surface, it would not be an easy task to repair while the buoyants ~re rolling free forward and bac~ard and the water inside movin~ fro~ one slde to the other nor would the su~p pu~ps be practical.
E_ For a five kilo!netres d~m that would require for ex~m~le flfty of such buoyants of 100 metres long each, they would have to be speclally fitted and very heavily built, a fact th~t requlres a tl~e consuming and a costly special design which doesn't Justify its use.
F- The buoyants as like those called for ln Margen's in~ention ~e only designed to -t~ke the straight vertlc~l loqds of the ~lexible wall without provision to tr~nsfer horizontal loads to the anchoring points.
G- Finally, the price tag to stretch the existing design of such buoyants as described in the existing patents up till now in their different forms does not ~ustlfy their use, otherwise people could have used them from the beginning of the century.
4-3-4- The choice of used ships, as buoyants, in the present inventlon9 is not a random choice. It is the intersection of different points i~ consideration, well screened and analyzed to pinpoint tll~t choice and it s~rings up from totally different basic considerations.

~ .

~L~5~6~7~

CFD P.~2 Besides:
~- The present invention uses open buoyants~
Al- The existing patents use closed ln buoyants, inflated or solid.
B_ The presen~ lnventlon uses buoyants capable of withstanding the horizontal pulling forces between the flexible wall and the anchoring llnes a~art from the vertical loads trans~erred to it.
Bl_ The exlstlng patents whlch make use of solid buoyants, as ln the inventlon of Margen, these buoyants are used and specified to support only the vertical welght of the flexlble wall without provlslon to stand for horizontal loads.
C- In the present invention the ties conneoting the flexible wall to the buoyants and the other tles oonnecting the buoyants to the anchorlng points are two dlfferent independ.ent ties, they both ~ass throu~h the buoyants and at different levels below and above the water level~
Cl- The existlng patents use slngle tles connectlng the flexible wall to the anchoring points; these ties simply pass over the buoyants and at the same level~
D_ The present invention provides for means of mo~ility, which are very necessary, for the operation of the dams to move the flexible wall to and from the ~uoyants and to move the buoyants to and from the anchorin~. points.
Dl_ The existi.n~ ~atents h~ve no provision to fill that speciflc role.
E- The ~resent invention provldes for housing the motorizing systems and the equipment called for, inside its structure~ below the water level, as well as it i~s~

CFD p 43 it provides ample space wlthin its walls for the operators and the supporting personnel running the dæm and the generating plants.
El- The existing patents do not h~ve any provision to cover any of the items mentioned above nor do they apply to any of these applications, nor are they provided to receive the ties holding the flexible wall below the water level through their bodies~
~_ The present invention m~kes use of used ships of any klnd that had paid back their original cost and are to be put out of service but still they could safely deliver their buoyant c~pacity where in such case the price of t~ese shl~s ls su~stanti~lly reducecl to much less than ~Ihat it would have been needed to build their hulls to support the ~ertlcal, horizont~l and torsional loads of the flexible dam system, without considering the additlon~l lntern~l equip~ent o~ the ships needed for water tr~nsportatlon.
Fl- The existing patents call for inflatable buoyants and for simple,closed, solid buoyants that the cost of building such ~uoyants to support deep water d~m systems, would prohiblt their use, apart from the fact th~t tlleir specification does not qualify them to resist any of th~
horizontal and torsional stresses transferred from the flexible wall nor does it apply to the present inventlon.
4_3_5_ Again, in brief, the choice of the used ships, as buoyants~ is the intersection point of different points of conslderation, and economic and market study plus the engineer1n~ and applicabllity study m~tched with other .~tudies and speclal desi~ns and adaptation of the flexible wa].l plus the anchorin~ systems, plus the supporting cable ~15~V7~
CFD p~44 cable beams on the back of the flexible wall; with all these considerations bæked together~ ~tched and ad~usted the present invention comes up with this package of deep water flexible dams to replace the existing costly solid dams and far beyond. This present invention using used shlps as described above realizes huge advantages over the existing patents; strength, reliabllity, availa~llity, applicability and over all that it realizes an enormous saving in the o~erall cost of dams, a fact that encour~es the authorities to step forward hydro dam pro~ects that otherwise they would ha~e remained dormant on the shelves.
4_4_ Reversed beams supporting the back of the flexible wall to break the span o~ the flexible wall into multi-spans in between the waterbed and the sur~flce of the water.
4-4 1- This is a com~l0tely new feature that is not com~arable to any Or the existing p~tents.
The co~tinuous belt ~entloned ln the Margen's lnvention represents a ring that has to be continuous all around;
if it is cut at a certain point~ it loses its effect.
4_4_~_ The reversed bea~s called for in the present invention9 pl~y the role of beams and could be cut into sections without losing the effect of the whole length of the beam as in the case of a ring.
4 4_3- These beams transfer their loflds at intervals to the anchcring ~oints, by ~eans of anchcring ca~les connected to them through the flexible wall with the aid of connectors or clam~s specially designed for that purpose.
4_4_4_ Besides, these beams are alsc connected to addltional ships at the surface of the water to dischar$e their loads to these ships~

~ ~}

~.~ S~V70 CFD P. 45 4-4-5- These beams play an important factor in the invention.
~- They allow us to distribute the streeses concentrated on the flexible wall along the anchorlng line on the waterbed into many anchoring lines.
~- The beams allow us to reduce the thickness of the flexlble wall and use the same flexible wall thickness all throu~h from the waterbed to the surfac~ of the water by using beams on the back of the flexlble wall at different spacing since the water pressure is increasing with the depths of the water.
C- The be~ms ~olntly with the ties connecting them to the addltlonal used ships stationed in front of the main shios, allow us to use smaller maln ships to support the top edge of the flexi~le wall.
D_ The install~tion of supportillE ~7eams on the back of the fle~ible wall allow us to apply the present invention to deeper ~ters that ~ouldn't have been possi~le without the use of these beams.
This f~ct renders the present lnvention app~lcable ~nywhere ~here solid d~ms were used before and furthermora.
Such result could ne~er have been re31ized with any of the existin~ patents no matter how they could hq~e been extended..
4_5_ Connection of the top edge of the flexible wall to the sul~portin~ buoyants.
4-5~1- If we consider fl flexible w~ uilt for a deep water d~m of 5 kilometres wide,~iullt, for example~ to harness the Fundy Bay tidal powers; such a flexible wall has to withst,~nd the effect of a stormy sea which could cause swingin~ ~snd tippin~, the S~ S in all directlons ~ .~
.~....

~L~5~7~

CF~ P.46 directlons which could cause high concentrated loads at one snot at the to~ edge of the ~lexible wall which could cause splitting and shearing the top edge of the flexible wall; for this reason a special design was made to connect the to~ edge of the flexible wall to the supporting ships 9 see detalls at ~aragraph 3-5.
4-5-2- The previous patents ~o not contain any provision ln that sense, nor are they a~pllcable to such sltuations.
4-6- Me~ns to move the fle~ible wall to and from the buoyants:
4-6-1- Consldering the sltuation described ln para-graph 4-5 of a dam bullt in a stormy water~
First, due to the fact that the buoyants would be always in movement that could cause shlftlng~ unbalance ln the connection between the top edge of the flexlble wflll and the buoyantsO
Second, the ch~ne in the level of water, held by the dam, and the bulgln~ out of the flexlble dam would creiqte a change i~ the ~ertical and horizontal loads transferred to the ~uoy~nts and would need pulling or releasl~ the flexi~le wall to and from the b~oyants, Thts fact is a necessity in s~ch sltuation.
Third, the repeir and repl~cement of certaln sections of the f]exible w~ll would also require pulling and releaslng of tlle flexible wall to and fro~ the buoyantsO
4-6-2- For these reasons a system to ~iove the flexible ;`
wall to and from the buoyants is a must.
4-7- ~ie~ns to move the buoyants to and from the anchorlng sites:
4-7-1- On the other hand~ another completely independent system is needed to move the ~uoyants to and from their `-?

~9 S~

CFD P.47 their anchoring points for the following reasons:
First3 in cqse the level of water held by the dam is changing up or down, the buoyants should be moved to or from their anchoring points to keep the buoyants in a certaln position with res~ect to the anchoring sites and to the flexible wall.
Second, in -the c~se of solld. ice accumulatin~ on the surface O:r the water held by the dam~ there wlll be tremendous pressure on the buoyants, which pressure ls transferred to the anchoring tles.
There again it is a. necessity t~ have a system to move the buoyants slightly away from the ~nchorlng points ln order to release the stresses on the anchoring tles, created by the snow uressure.
4-7-2- At the same time it is necessary that the two systems: `
A The system to move the flexlble w~ll to and from the buoyants.
~- The system to move the buoyants to and from the ~nchorl.n~ points.
It is necessary that these two systems should be separate ly o~er~tQd independent from one another because their movements are not pro~ortional with each other nor are they in the s~me direction nor at the same time.
4_7-~- The existing patents so far related to flexlble walls do not come close to these designs.
4_7_4_ Besicles, the flexible wall ls tied to the buoyants from one side and the anchoring cables are tied to the buoyants from the opposite side, the buoyants should be of a very strong structure or speclal reinforce-ment added to provide the links between the two systems `. ' ~

~L5~7~
CFD P.48 otherwise the buoyants would s~lit one part toward the system holdlng the flexible wall and the other part ~:
toward the system holding the a.nchoring cables.
4-7-5- None of the existlng patonts is applicable, nor are they stretcha~le to apply for such sltuations.
The soll~ longltudin~l buoyants are llmited in thelr deslgn, thelr cost and their qpp~ic.qblllty and the lnflatable buoyants ~re ll~lted ln the nature of their m~terial~ their cost and their deslgn.
4-~- Anchorlng of the syste~ holding the lower edge of the flexible wall, to the w~terbed. (See p~r~graph 3-8) 4~ 1- Due to the high w~ter pressure at the lower edge of the flexible w~].l, a tl~ht ~nd well secured anchoring system at the waterbed is needed,t.~ken in conslderation:
A- A tl~ht and very strong bond bet;ween the system holding the lo~er edge of the flexible wall and the waterbed, taken also in consideratiorl the leakage of water fro~ the high pressure to the low pressure are~
from underne~th the syste~ ho].ding the flexible wall.
B_ The issue of repai~ and re~lacement of the flexible . .
w~ll .
C~ The fact that the work is under water.
D- ~nd overall the cost of materials and their under-water inst.~llation.
4-~-2- The choice was orlented to use home product wherever possible and was centered on uslng, wherever ~ossible, wooden piles to be driven ln t.he ~terbed and to be ~rovided wlth transversal holes through whlch reinforcing bars are inserted to create an anchor.~ge ~etween the wooden piles and the concrete ~lat~ormO
These wooden piles carry the following advantages:

;1`':' `;J

~SC~7~
CFD P.49 A- 10w priced abundant home ~roducts.
B- Offer a strong bond between the w~terbed and the concrete platform.
C- Hel~ hclding the e~rth underne~th the concrete platform and prevent the water from seeping through underneath the concrete pl~tform, from the high ~ater level ~o the low water level area.
4-~-3- The concrete pl~tform would be the hondln~ agent between the concrete piles ~nd the wooden piles driven into the ~terbed and the curvaceous tube, holding the loT~er end of the flexible wall~ through the reinforcing bnrs welded to the c~rvaceous tube ~nd the other b~rs comln~ up from the plles.
4-~_4~ Besides, the concrete platform helps, with its weight~ to hold down the curvaceous tube which holds the lower end of the fle~lble wall.
4-8-5- The existing patents do not cover any of these forementioned f~ctors.
4-9- Funnels disch~rging the water from the hl~h water level to the tur~ines. (For details, see pars. 3-9) 4-9-1~ This flexible design including the second~ry used ships to ho~se the tur~ines, ~llows an easy install~tion and ~ lsrge ~ving ln the electric generating syste~.
4-g-2- This design for the elcctric gener~ting system is not covered in any of the existing patents.
4-10- Sediment flushing out syste~.(See ~rs. 3-10) 4-10-1- This system is also a necessity and it differs bssic~lly from the other existlng p~tents.
4-11- Specl~l accessorles.(See p~rs. 3~
4-11-1~ These accessorles, cl~mps, connectors, and the anchoring system of cables p~ay a l~rge role in tying~ the .~ ~. "
, i ~'~' ~L3L5~

the different parts of the dam and are not covered by the previous patents.
4 12- Application. (See pars. 3-12) 4-12-1- The flexible design of the present invention ma~es it applicable to any type of dams up to hundreds of feet of water depth and for dams of unlimited length, for rlvers large and small, to harness the tidal power in stormy seas~ for irrigation reservoirs, etc.
4 12-2- Such applications could not be covered ln any way by the existing patents nc m~tter how they are stretched. The comparison between the exlsting patents and the present ~atent is like the comp~rison between a c~t ~nd a tiger; no matter how you ~tretch a cat, it cannot do the Job of a tiger, they are two species that spr1ng out from t~`10 different sperms or b~sic fo~ndations.

... ~"

CFD P.l 6- AE`P~DIX I
6-1- Chapter 3 (continued3 ` .
6 1-1- The reinforcement of the strips formin~ the flex-ible wall has tc be equally strong in all directionc in order that the finished flexible wall ~ould have the same strength in all directlons due to the ~act that the water pressure exerts stresses on the fle~lble wall in flll directions.
6-1-2- ~Iherever is ~ractical, the fle~ible w~ll would be inst~slled l~ith the strips for~ing the flexible ~!all laid p~?r~llel and incllned wlth reference to the w~terbed.
In such a C~-?Se the lower strins forloing the flexl~le w~ll would be heavier and wlth heavier relnforce~ent due to the hlgher water pressure at the lo-~er part of the d~3m.
Grad~ the strlps for~ln~; tthe fle:xlble wall would be llghter ~nd their reinforce~ents would be llghter propcrtional to the dimlnishln~ water pressure as the flexible wall approaches the surface of the w~ter.
: 6-1-3- 'rhe c~ble besms supportlng the flexlble wall ln such a case would be vertical and at an angle or in other words perpendicular to the dlrection of the strins forming the fle~ le w~ll.
6-1-4- ~s ln ~he c~se of the horlzontal cable beams supportin~ the flbxi~le wr311 wlth the vertical strips3 t`he verticPl and inclined cable be~ms tr~nsfer their lo~ds u~?stre~m through t;he flexlble wall to anchorin~ point.s and su~,nortin~ ~oints upstream.
6-1-5~ Besldes9 wherever it is needed, for deep wqter d~ms, multl flexible w.~lls would be instnlled and cen3ented f.~ce ' to face wlth each other but with the strips forn3in~ the flexible r.~alls ~id ln ~erpendicular and dla~onal directions to each ot`eer9 ~''3 ,~ ,, 0~7~
~`~ `.
CFD P.2 6-1-6- For a composite flexlble wall as in 6-1-5~
supporting cable beams would be installed at the back of the composite flexible wall in different dlrections per~endicular to the directions of the strips forming the flexible wall~.
6-1-7- The cable beams would be interconnected to keep them at certain spacing from each other.
6-1-8- Cable beams always transfer thelr loads upstream.
6-2- CLAi~IFIC~TION
6-2-1- Ite~ 15 (See Pl.-l,Pl.-3) ls the cable connectin~
the vessels head to tall all alon~ the line of the dam to keep the vessels ~t certain spacing from each other.
No. 15 (See P1._1,P1._6,P1._7J Det. D3, D5) are the ties connecting the he~der cable, sup~ortlng the loads from the upper edge of the flexl~le wall, to the ~otorized 0~uipment inside the vessels.

'"1'':^3 ~

Claims (14)

CFD P.51 The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property and or privileges claimed are defined as follows:

1- A flexible dam using a flexible, impermable, inexten-sible plate shaped in form of long strips of average 5 to 15 feet wide and with lengths cut to measure and with varied thickness up to 5 inches or more, made of fabric, nylon, rubber or rubberized material or the like, cross reinforced internally with steel wires and steel wire ropes or other metallic alloys wires and wire ropes, fabric cords, nylon cords or the like, which reinforcement is made of one or multi layers with the said reinforcement left protruding on all the four sides of the strips with zig zag reinforcement and with loops to provide for splicing of the strips, to allow the installation of the flexible wall gradually strip by strip, where the edges of the strips are approached to each other and wire ropes are inserted consecutively through the loops of both adjacent edges of the strips that have to be joined, from one end of the strips to the other end along the long edges and the short edges of the strips where the adjacent loops are also tied with separate ties to make the adjacent strips firmly connected to each other to develop full strength as the strips themselves and then a rubberized splicing compound is applied on the Joint to make it impermeable, which fact renders the flexible wall a continuous flexible plate with the same strength all along, a fact which allow the installation of the whole flexible wall gradually on site,and where for deep water dams, additional flexible walls are installed and cemented at the back of the main flexible wall, but with the strips led perpendicular and diagonal to the direction in which the strips of the main CFD P.52 flexible wall were installed, which additional flexible walls are connected to the main flexible wall at different spots to make all the flexible walls act together at the same time, where the flexible wall, simple or composite, as is the case is also inserted at its lower end into a curvaceous tube designed in combination with the flexible wall and anchored on the waterbed to secure a tight and firm anchorage of the lower end of the flexible wall by squeezing the flexible wall by means of longitudinal blocks-that wedge together inside the curvaceous tube and interlock with each other to squeeze the flexible wall in between the wall of the curvaceous tube and the said blocks where at the same time a tail end of the flexible wall, extends beyond the opposite end. of the curvaceous tube and is folded around small longitudinal blocks and fastened to them to create a massive block tied to the end tail of the flexible wall to prevent it from slipping through in between the wall of the curvaceous tube and the longitudinal blocks squeezing the flexible wall inside the tube and where the upper edge of the flexible wall is split in the form of the lettersY
somewhere below the surface of the water and one branch of the split flexible wall is made shorter and is connected to a series of cables and pulleys acting like a spring and connected to a header cable which header cable is tied with separate ties that pass through watertight packaged holes, provided in the walls of the buoyants somewhere below the water level, where the structure of the buoyants is stronger and need little reinforcement to support the loads transferred to them through the ties, beyond which holes, the ties connecting the header cable are rolled around motorized shafts, installed inside the CFD P.53 the buoyants, and are used to move the flexible wall to and from the buoyants, which buoyants are tied back, on the opposite side, with anchoring cables to fixed points somewhere upstream, and where the other branch of the split Y shaped flexible wall is made longer and extended higher up to be connected to a series of cables and pulleys and a header cable that is tied to motorized shafts mounted inside the buoyants, in the safe way as the shorter branch of the split flexible wall is connected but at a level higher than where the short split of the flexible wall was connected, where the flexible wall, being, tightly and firmly anchored at its lower end, to the curvaceous tube, installed on the waterbed, acts like an apron that holds the water which water will cause the buoyants, which are in this case used ships, to float and pull up with them the flexible wall where in order to profit of the strength of the structure of the buoyants where they are strong and to minimize the tendency of the flexible wall to pull the buoyant flat on its side, the upper edge of the flexible wall was split and the heavier split was connected to the lower part of the buoyants somewhere below the water level always allowing the water.
level to rise past the lower connection of the flexible wall to the buoyants and in order to allow the buoyants to develop full buoyant capacity, the other split of the flexible wall is made lighter and extended upward to allow the water to rise around the buoyants so that the buoyants would develop their full buoyant capacity where the whole system acts together in such a way that as long as the water , held by the flexible wall,rises, the buoyants float-ing on the water surface, rise also pulling with them continuously the top edges of the flexible wall until an CFD P.54 an equilibrium is reached between the floating capacity of the buoyants from one side and the vertical components of the forces acting on the flexible wall and on the anchoring lines, from the other side.

2- A dam using a flexible wall as described in claim 1 where the lower end of the flexible wall is anchored to the waterbed by being inserted through a curvaceous, continuous tube laying all along the dam and fastened to the waterbed, where the lower end of the said flexible wall is rolled around longitudinal blocks inserted inside the curvaceous tube along the lengths of the tube where such blocks interlock among each other to form a kind of wedge that squeezes the flexible wall inside the curvaoeous tube to be well anchored inside the tube while the very tip of the flexible wall ends in the form of a ring provided with slots along the lengths of the flexible wall which slots allow the insertion of solid blocks of wood, metal, plastic or the like, which blocks prevent the end of the flexible wall from slipping out in between the wall of the curvaceous tube and the said blocks, and also that the very tip of the flexible wall ends alternatively, for thinner plates, with a form of loop folded around longitudinal blocks and fastened to other longitudinal blocks which loop equally prevents the edge of the flexible wall from slipping through the curvaceous tube, and again another alternative when the flexible wall is not provided with a loop at its lower end, then the lower end of the flexible wall is folded back and inserted in between the longitudinal blocks, installed inside the curvaceous tube, before such blocks are wedged to interlock with each other, where at the same time pairs of bolts fastened to CFD P.55 to longitudinal bars mounted at the base of the curvaceous tube, pass through watertight holes in the flexible wall then across the wedging longitudinal blocks where they receive joining earings, washers and nuts at the surface of the longitudinal blocks and by tightening the screws on these nuts the wedging blocksinterlock tightly among each other, squeeze the flexible wall to the curvaceous tube and help to reduce the stresses on the webs reinforcing the curvaceous tube,

3- A dam using a flexible wall as that described in claim 1, using in combination open, upright, longitudinal, solid buoyants consisting of used ships and watergoing vessels of any type, that have served their times and paid back their original cost and are destined for retirement due to inefficient internal equipment but that they could safely deliver their floating capacity , which vessels are fitted and modified to support a flexible wall that retains the water that causes the vessels to float and pull up with them the upper edges of the flexible wall, while these ships are tied back on the opposite side of the water retaining flexible wall with ties that connect them back upstream to fixed anchoring points, where these vessels, are fitted, in their lower part along their long sides, with watertight openings in their outside walls that allow the entrance of the cables transferring the loads from the lower split of the upper edge of the flexible wall, without allowing the passage of the water through these holes where these cables extend inside the vessels and are connected to motorized shafts fastened on the decks of the vessels, which said motorized shafts are used to move the flexible wall to and from the vessels, CFD P.56 while the upper part of the vessels is covered to be watertight is order to increase the floating capacity of the vessels and again is fitted with watertight holes that would receive the cables transferring the loads from the upper split at the top edge of the flexible wall, with said cables are connected inside the vessels to upper motorized shafts and drums mounted on the upper decks of the vessels and which motorized shafts are used to move the upper split at the top of the flexible wall to and from the vessels, in a way that the lower part of the vessels, where the structure is heavier, would be supporting the heavier parts of the cables, transferring the main loads of the upper edge of the flexible wall, which fact also minimizes the tendency of the flexible wall to pull down the vessels flat on their sides where water could get through and drown the vessels, and where on the other hand the upper parts of the vessels receive the upper split of the top edge of the flexible wall which is supposed to transfer lighter loads from the flexible wall to the vessels, a fact which would minimize the additional reinforcement required on the vessels and would minimize the tendency of the flexible wall to overturn the vessels flat on their sides, a joint combination between the flexible wall and the used ships made in such a way to insure the use of the maximum capacity of the vessels while the flexible wall would retain the highest level of water possible insuring a dam with the lowest cost and the fastest time of construction possible.

4- A dam using a flexible wall as described in claim 1 where the span of the flexible wall in between the CFD P.57 the waterbed and the surface of the water, is divided into multi spans by introducing, on the back of the flexible wall, supporting cables playing the role of beams at different intervals between the waterbed and the surface of the water, which beams transfer the loads from the back of the flexible wall, to anchoring cables connected to them at different spacing through the flexible wall, which anchoring cables extend somewhere upstream; some of them directly to their anchoring points on the waterbed or on other fixed points upstream, while, in order to absorb the vertical components of the stresses transferred. from the beams on the back of the flexible wall, other anchoring cables connected to said beams extend upward, pass through additional buoyants that are used ships stationed in front of the main buoyants on the surface of the water where said cables are connected to equipment fastened inside said additional buoyants, which buoyants are in turn tied back upstream with ties tying them to anchoring points on the waterbed or on other fixed points upstream, where at the same time the supporting beams at the back of the flexible wall are interconnected with cables in the form of zig zag tying them to each other and to the top and lower edge of the flexible wall to keep said beams in a certain spacing from each other, and to act as additional supporting beams, where at the same time, additional cable beams, vertical, horizontal and diagonal to the flexible wall, are used to support the additional flexible walls that are used to support the main flexible wall which additional flexible walls have their strips built perpendicular and diagonal to the direction of the strips CFD P.58 forming the main flexible wall where also these additional cable beams are anchored upstream through the flexible walls in the same way as the beams supporting the main flexible wall are anchored.

5- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, with the top edge of the flexible wall rolled around a cable and clamped together with the cable by means of clamps provided at their opposite ends with pulleys connected to a continuous cable that transmits the loads from the clamps to other pulleys mounted between pairs of solid beams, and it the same time allows the flex-ibility in the connection in a way that the pressure at the top edge of the flexible wall is blaanced due to the continuous cable which is free to get longer under higher pressure on one clamp while it gets shorter on the other clamp, so transferring a smooth pressure to the beams above the clamps r which beams are themselves connected with continuous cables as well to blocks of pulleys above them which fact allows the beams also to tilt to one side or the other according to the pressure transmitted to them from the flexible wall, where the beams and the clamps act together as double springs to equalize the pressure on the top of the flexible wall while the beams also continue to transmit the loads to blocks of pulleys above them by means of continuous cables connecting them to the pulleys above them, which pulleys transfer their loads to a header cable above them where the header cable itself is carried by a block of pulleys that transmit the loads from the header cable to other cables tied to them and carrying the resultant loads from the flexible wall over to the floating vessel.

CFD P.59

6- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, and sets of cables and pulleys connecting the upper edges.
of the flexible wall where the header cable supporting the lower sets of said cables and pulleys is tied to series of ties which pass through watertight packaged holes cut in the lower part of the buoyants along the long side of the buoyants, then said ties pass over bearing shafts mounted inside the buoyants and extend further to be rolled on motorized drums fastened inside the buoyants, which motorized drums are used to move the flexible wall to and from the buoyants, while on the other hand, the header cable supporting the upper split of the flexible wall is tied in the same way to motorized drums fastened inside the buoyants at levels higher than the level holding the motorized drums supporting the lower split of the flexible wall which carries the bulk of the loads of the flexible wall.

7- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, supported by the buoyants, which are used ships of all kinds, where these buoyants are tied back upstream with ties that tie them to anchoring points on the waterbed or on other fixed points upstream where on the opposite side, these ties enter the buoyants at different levels along the long sides of the buoyants, through watertight holes cut in the walls of said buoyants, and after which holes the ties pass over bearing drums and extend further to be connected to motorized drums whose role is to move the buoyants to and from the anchoring points, where apart from the ties entering the buoyants at different levels and tying said buoyants to their anchoring sites, still additional ties are brought from the motorized drums, CFD P.60 drums, inside the buoyants, over additional bearing drums mounted towards the edge of the buoyants facing the anchoring ties, at a level higher than the level where, the opposite ties tying the flexible wall to the buoyants, enter the buoyants, before being turned to connect to the main anchoring ties, which fact gives a lever arm to such additional ties to counterbalance the tendency of the flexible wall to overturn the buoyants flat along their sides.

8- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, anchored at its lower end to a curvaceous, continuous tube, which tube is laid flat on the waterbed along the length of the dam with the upper section of the tube left open to allow the insertion of the flexible wall and the longitudinal blocks holding the flexible wall etc., where such a curvaceous tube is reinforced outside with webs welded to the outside wall of the tube to prevent the flexible wall from causing the tube to open so releasing the flexible wall and the longitudinal blocks holding it and where at the same time, to anchor the curvaceous tube to the waterbed, reinforcing bars are welded on the outside of the tube and on the webs reinforcing it and rooting down through a massive concrete platform poured on the surface of the waterbed which platform anchors the curvaceous tube from one side and concrete and wooden piles driven in the waterbed from the other side, where the reinforcement at the top of the concrete piles is left protruding up through the concrete platform to make bondage between the concrete platform and the concrete piles and where in the case of wooden piles, the wooden piles are provided with transversal holes at the top of .

CFD P.61 of the piles to allow the insertion of reinforcing bars through the wooden piles, which reinforcing bars extend on both sides of the wooden piles through the concrete platform to make bond between the wooden piles and the concrete platform in such a way that the concrete platform by joining the reinforcing bars from the curvaceous tube and from the concrete and wooden piles it acts like an anchoring agent that anchors the curvaceous tube to the waterbed, and at the same time the piles driven into the waterbed help holding the earth beneath the concrete platform and prevent seepage of water from underneath the concrete platform, a system which is duplicated further upstream to offer anchorage to the ties tying back the buoyants to the waterbed with a difference that the curvaoeous tube houses only long-itudinal blocks that are bolted to each other to make one massive longitudinal block after being inserted into the tube and at the same time the two edges of the open tube are tied to each other after the insertion of the long-itudinal blocks to prevent the slipping out of said blocks, where at the same time, the curvaceous tube is cut at different intervals to allow the insertion of the anchoring ties around the longitudinal blocks.

9- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, where the flexible wall is provided with openings made in the lower part of the flexible wall, to which openings a kind of flexible funnels or spouts are connected which funnels would discharge the water outward into electric generating turbines mounted on secondary vessels stationed outside the flexible wall on the low water side.

10- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, CFD P. 62 claim 1, supported by buoyants tied back to anchoring points where the dam is provided with sediment flushing out system through tunnels beginning upstream ahead of the anchoring points and extending at the surface of the water-bed through the concrete platform to points downstream beyond the flexible wall, where such tunnels are provided at their beginning with locks that allow the opening and closing of the water through the tunnels and in order to prevent rocks from blocking the entrance of the tunnels, sets of piles are driven in the waterbed at a short distance from the mouth of the tunnels and left protruding for a distance high above the waterbed, which piles play the role of a screen preventing large rocks from advancing to the tunnels and blocking them.

11- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, where the flexible wall is supported at its back with cables playing the role of beams transferring the loads from the back of the flexible wall through anchoring cables connected to said beams through the flexible wall as in claim 3 where the connection of the supporting beams to the anchoring cables is made by means of clamps and connectors where the clamps are made of two main jaws that bite on opposite ends around the flexible wall englobing the flexible wall and the supporting beams, which are flexible cables, without touching them and without per-forating the flexible wall and that each jaw of that clamp is made in the form of a half circle on one end and on the opposite end it has a recess to receive a pulley which is used to transfer the load to another cable, and where the back of the jaw is reinforced with a perpendicular web plate which prevents the jaw from flattening and getting CFD P.63 getting loose from its grip around the flexible wall an the cable encircled by it so that to connect the cable beams from behind the flexible wall to the anchoring cable rolled around the pulley at the other end of the clamp, the two jaws are placed on the opposite sides to grip around the flexible wall and the cable covered by it and two or more bolts on the opposite sides of the web plates are used to tighten the two jaws together and then a pulley is inserted between the two jaws at the opposite end of the flexible wall and a bolt is inserted through the far ends of the jaws and the pulley where the clamp becomes ready to be connected to anchoring cables that would tie the pulley to anchoring points upstream, while for thicker flexible walls, instead of the said clamps use is made of connectors consisting of metallic plates placed on both sides of the flexible wall and separated from it by shoe rubber plates, and the metallic plates are connected to each other through the flexible wall with sets of bolts and nuts, where the same bolts hold, on the outside of the flexible wall, the cable beams supporting the flexible wall, which cable is inserted in between the bolts and supported by another plate bolted to the bolts from behind the cable to hold the cable in place, and on the inner side of the flexible wall, the same bolts Joining the metallic plates, are connected to another plate which has two earings connected to it, which earings are used to connect to blocks of pulleys that are tied to anchoring cables that transmit the loads, one of them directly to the anchoring point while the others are connected to additional buoyants on the surface of the water and where additional bolts are used to tie the outside plates on the back of the CFD P.64 the flexible wall to an inner plate on the opposite side of the flexible wall which is glued to the rubber shoes that are in turn glued to flexible wall to prevent water leakage around the bolts passing through the flexible wall.

12- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, used for deep water bodies using a combination of:
a flexible, impermeable, inextensible, rubber or rubberized membrane or the like referred to hereafter as the rubber wall and abbreviated as FW, built step by step on the dam site, of cross reinforced, longitudinal strips of said membranes whose reinforcement is made of high tensile metallic wires and in the case of fabric cord reinforcement, the cross reinforcement of the strips is made equally of fabric or nylon cords, where in all cases the reinforcement is left protruding in forms of loops all around the four sides of the strips to allow splicing and joining of the strips to one another, which operation is made by approaching the edges of the strips to each other and inserting a reinforcing metallic wire rope or fabric rope as the case may be consecutively through the protruding reinforcement of both adjacent strips all along the strips, then by tying the loops with separate ties additional to the joining cords and then applying a rubberized, splicing compound all along the joint to make it impermeable which fact renders the joint as strong and impermeable as the other parts of the strips forming the flexible wall, and in the case of very deep water dams additional flexible walls are added and cemented on the back of the original flexible wall but with the strips of the additional flexible walls led perpendicular and .

CFD P.65 and diagonal to the direction of the strips of the main flexible wall, which flexible wall, single or composite, is tightly and firmly anchored at its lower end to the waterbed while at its upper end the flexible wall is split into multi splices, which splices are connected separately through cables and pulleys that play the role of a spring-like connection to minimize the effect of the concentrated loads on the top edges of the FW, where said cables and pulleys transfer the loads from the top edges of the flexible wall by means of ties passing through watertight holes cut, at different levels along the long sides of the walls of supporting buoyants where the ties transferring the loads from the upper edges of the flexible wall , are extended inside the buoyants and connected to motorized equipment, fastened inside the vessels, that are used to move the flexible wall to and from the buoyants in such a way that the different splits of the upper edge of the flexible wall are connected to the buoyants at different levels of the buoyants, which buoyants act in combination with the flexible wall to form the main parts of the flexible dam where said buoyants consist of used ships and watergoing vessels of any kind, referred to hereafter as vessels, that had paid back their original investment and are destined for retirement but that they could still safely deliver their buoyant capacity to support the flexible wall that retains the water which causes the buoyants to float and pull up with them the flexible wall where at the same time these buoyants are tied back to anchoring sites upstream with ties that enter the buoyants on the opposite side of the flexible wall at different levels through watertight holes cut along the long sides of CFD P.66 of the vessels in the walls of the vessels and extend inside the vessels where they are connected to motorized equipment fastened inside the vessels that are used to pull the vessels to and from the anchoring sites where these vessels are built up and covered to a higher level than what was needed for watergoing vessels, in order to develope higher buoyant capacity and at the same time the said vessels are fitted and modified internally and equipped to receive the ties supporting the flexible wall from one side and the anchoring ties from the opposite side, where, in combination with the flexible wall and the supporting vessels, cable beams are added on the back of the flexible wall at different levels between the waterbed and the surface of the water and in the case of very deep water dams where additional flexible walls are added, then additional cable beams are added in perpendicular and diagonal directions to the directions of the strips of the said additional walls where in all cases the cable beams transfer their loads at different intervals, through the flexible walls to ties that some of them are connected directly to anchoring sites, while other ties are connected to additional used vessels by being brought inside the vessels through watertight holes cut in the walls of the vessels where said ties are extended inside the vessels and connected to motorized equipment fastened inside the vessels to allow adjustment of the distance between the flexible wall and the additional supporting vessels due to the change in the water level of the dam.

13- A dam using a flexible wall, as described in claim 1, using in combination a flexible, impermeable, inextensible plate shaped in form of long strips of average 5 to 15 feet CFD P.67 feet wide and with lengths cut to measure and with varied thickness up to 5 inches or more, made of fabric, nylon, rubber or rubberized material or the like, cross reinforced internally with steel wires and steel wire ropes or other metallic alloys wires and wire ropes, fabric cords, nylon cords or the like, which reinforcement is made of one or multi layers with the said reinforcement left protruding on all the four sides of the strips with zig zag reinforcement and with loops to provide for splicing of the strips, to allow the installation of the flexible wall gradually strip by strip, where the edges of the strips are approached to each other and wire ropes are inserted consecutively through the loops of both adjacent edges of the strips that have to be joined, from one end of the strips to the other end along the long edges and the short edges of the strips where the adjacent loops are also tied with separate ties to make the adjacent strips firmly connected to each other to develop full strength as the strips themselves and then a rubberized splicing compound is applied on the joint to make it impermeable, which fact renders the flexible wall a continuous flexible plate with the same strength all along, a fact which allow the installation of the whole flexible wall gradually on site, where the flexible wall is built up gradually on site of strips of uniform thickness laid in about the horizontal direction, which flexible wall joins a series of horizontal strips with thicknesses stepped from one strip to the other gradually from the surface of the water to the bottom of the dam where the thickest strips are about the waterbed, all along the dam, with their heaviest reinforcement to withstand the high water pressure CFD P.68 pressure at the bottom of the dam, while the reinforcement of the strips is reduced gradually in proportion with the diminishing water pressure as we approach the surface of the water and supporting cable beams are installed at the back of the flexible wall in directions, perpendicular and diagonal to the directions of the strips forming the flexible wall, which cable beams transfer their loads at intervals through the flexible wall to supporting and anchoring sites located upstream.

14- A flexible dam as in claim 1 using flexible, impermeable, inextensible plate shaped in form of long strips of average 5 to 15 feet wide and with lengths cut to measure and with varied thickness up to 5 inches or more made of fabric, nylon, rubber or rubberized material or the like, cross reinforced internally with steel wires and steel wire ropes or other metallic alloys wires and wire ropes, fabric cords, nylon, cords or the like, which reinforcement is made of one or multi layers as the case requires, and in the case of metallic wire reinforcement, said reinforcement is interwoven and fastened to perforated metallic bearing plates in form of strips running along the lines of the wire reinforcement and transversal to them where these strips of plates are used as bearing plates to distribute the forces of the wires acting on the rubber or rubberized material of the flexible wall which, in the ab-sence of the bearing plates, the wires could shear up the flexible wall specially, under the agitated stormy water which could destroy the bond between the reinforcing wires and the flexible wall, where at the same time high pressure on the flexible wall due to deep water pressure or due to heavy stormy hammering of the net flexible wall, CFD
could force the reinforcing wires and cords to cut through the soft rubber or rubberized material of the flexible wall unless there are bearing plates fastened and inter-woven with the reinforcing cords and wires to distribute the forces of the wires acting on the rubber or rubberized material of the flexible wall in all directions which bearing strips of metallic plates are perforated wherever it is necessary to allow bondage of the rubber of the flex-ible wall through the holes of the bearing plates and to prevent the formation of separate laminated layers on both sides of the bearing plates, which plates are also bent along their longitudinal edges, in one way or the other, to enlarge the lateral bearing between the plates and the rubberized material of the flexible wall itself, where at the same time, as an alternative for the metallic or plastic bearing plates, the reinforcing cords and wires would be imbedded during manufacturing inside a sort of irregular fins made of hard rubber or hard plastic which fact would enlarge the cross section of the reinforcing cords and wires to a point that bearing plates would no more be needed.