CA2825893A1 - Protective grating for a drain pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

A protective grating for a drain pipe, or culvert, comprising a mounting member arranged to allow the protective grating to be joined to an open end of the drain pipe and further comprising a main grate pivotally joined to the mounting member. The main grate comprises a plurality of bars, each bar having a height that is greater than or equal to its width, spaced apart and aligned substantially parallel to one another along a common inclined plane. The protective grating may further comprise a collar allowing a length of perforated pipe to pass through the protective grating and be aligned along the bottom surface of the interior of the culvert. The protective grating may be of heavy duty construction enabling the protective grating to protect the end of the culvert from physical damage and allowing the protective grating to be cleared of debris by heavy equipment without causing significant damage to the protective grating.

Description

TITLE: Protective Grating for a Drain Pipe FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of protective gratings for culvert pipes that serve to inhibit foreign objects and debris from entering the pipe, thereby interfering with its function, to act as a safety device to prevent large animals and individuals from entering the culvert pipe, and optionally to protect the culvert pipe from damage by overhead equipment.
BACKGROUND

[0002] Many thoroughfares such as roads, highways, trails, and railroads have at least one culvert extending thereunder, with opposite ends of the culvert projecting at least slightly from banked portions on opposite sides of said thoroughfare. The culvert serves to allow the flow of water under the thoroughfare, preventing water from pooling and interfering with the use of the thoroughfare.

[0003] Culverts are susceptible to the accumulation of debris and are further susceptible to damming as a result of beaver activity. The exposed portions of culverts are also susceptible to damage from vehicles operating overhead; such as passenger vehicles, trucks, and road maintenance equipment.
Finally, culverts pose a safety hazard for large animals and individuals that enter therein. A variety of culvert grates and guards have been proposed to address at least one of the aforementioned problems.

[0004] For example, US 5037542 to Carroll discloses a folding grating type pipe covering that may be located within an interior of a pipe or attached to the outer walls of a pipe at its exit. The grating is foldable to allow ready access to a portion of the pipe.

[0005] US 6595721 to Kinchcloe discloses a mitred grate and drain cover comprising a peripheral edge and a series of cross-pieces oriented perpendicularly to the peripheral edge.
The drain cover is designed to be joined to the open end of a drain pipe to prevent large debris from entering into the drain pipe.

[0006] US 7682104 to Wassman et al. discloses a temporary culvert barrier for blocking debris from entering or exiting the mouth of a culvert that comprises a trash guard and further comprises filters to block silt or sand from clogging the culvert of the drain area. The filters may further be selected to absorb chemical contaminants.

[0007] US 7695216 to Kinchloe discloses a drain cover and pipe combination, said drain cover comprising a peripheral edge and a series of cross-pieces oriented perpendicularly to the peripheral edge. The drain cover is designed to be joined to the open end of a drain pipe to prevent large debris from entering into the pipe.

[0008] US 3587239 to Feland et al. discloses a culvert construction including a terminal end section beveled downwardly and outwardly and comprising an anchored included grate structure of heavy construction overlying and extending between the edges of the terminal end section defining the beveled portions thereof.

[0009] US 3086655 to Compton discloses a hinged drain pipe guard comprising a grill pivotally joined to a U-shaped member wherein the U-shaped member is arranged to allow insertion of the drain pipe guard into a drain pipe.

[0010] US4662782 discloses a culvert beaver block comprising a gate that covers the end of the culvert to prevent animals and debris from passing through the culvert, said gate allowing for a smaller elongated pipe to communicate with the culvert and extend outward from the end of the culvert. While beavers may attempt to dam the gate, the smaller elongated pipe allows for continued flow of water out of the culvert.

[0011] US 4713179 to Goedderz, Sr. discloses a removable culvert grate that is arranged to be placed adjacent to the inflow end of a culvert. The grate comprises a vertical grate having a plurality of slats and a linkage bar and further comprises a horizontal platform extending outwardly from the lower edge of the vertical platform. If the grate has been dammed or blocked by debris, the grate can be lifted to remove the debris from the inflow end of the culvert.

[0012] US 6413015 to Poirier et al. discloses a beaver controlling culvert attachment comprising an upstream unit including a vertical pipe with an upper grate to prevent entrance of animals and debris, a horizontal pipe having an upstream end attached to an upper portion of the vertical pipe and a downstream end attached to an upstream end of the culvert. A basket insert within the vertical pipe is movable between an in-use position wherein a grate prevents entrance to the vertical pipe and a clean-out position wherein the grill is elevated to allow disposal of accumulated debris. The system further comprises a downstream gate to prevent beavers from entering the downstream end of the culvert and filling it with debris.

[0013] US 6447206 to Fleury and US 7441989 to Fleming each disclose a cone-shaped beaver control screens that are arranged to be joined to the end of a culvert pipe. The beaver control device disclosed by Fleming further comprises a perforated pipe that passes through the a circular rim at the apex portion of the device, wherein the perforated pipe allows water to flow through the beaver control device even if the screen portion of the device becomes blocked by debris or dammed by beavers.

[0014] While each of the abovementioned devices serves its purpose, there remains a desire for a culvert grate that can protect the culvert from overhead damage, that is readily clearable of debris, and that can help to minimize the impact of beaver damming.
SUMMARY
A first embodiment is a protective grating for attachment to a culvert pipe, said protective grating comprising:
(a) at least one mounting member arranged to be joined to the culvert pipe proximal to an open end of the culvert pipe; and (b) a main grate comprising a plurality of bars attached together and each having a length dimension, a width dimension smaller than said length dimension and a thickness dimension smaller than said width dimension, the plurality of flat bars lying parallel to one another in respective spaced apart vertical planes in positions placing a horizontally-spanning thickness-defining lengthwise edge of each flat bar coplanar with said horizontally-spanning thickness-defining lengthwise edge thickness-wise edge of each of the other bars, wherein, the at least one mounting member is attached to the main grate adjacent a rear end thereof and is arranged to join the main grate to the culvert pipe in a closed culvert-protecting position in which the common plane in which the lengthwise edges of the bars lie is an obliquely sloped plane running from overtop the culvert at an angle downwardly over the open end of the culvert pipe and onward toward a ground surface adjacent to the open end of the culvert pipe.
In an embodiment, the main grate is movable between the closed culvert-protecting position and an open culvert-access position. In a further embodiment, the main grate is pivotally movable between the closed culvert-protecting position and the open culvert-access position.
In an embodiment, the protective grating comprises a rod joining the bars together proximal to the rear end of the grate as part of a pivotal connection between the main grate and the at least one mounting member for pivoting of the main grate about a longitudinal axis of the rod.ln a further embodiment, the protective grating comprises a ground plate joining the bars together proximal to a front end of the main grate opposite the rear end thereof, said ground plate arranged to contact the ground surface adjacent to the open end of the culvert pipe when the protective grating is attached to said culvert pipe and the protective grating is in the closed culvert-protecting position.
In an additional embodiment, the protective grating comprises comprising a collar joined to the main grate and extending through a lower portion of the main grate, said collar arranged to receive a length of perforated pipe, thereby allowing the length of perforated pipe to extend through the main grate and into the interior of the culvert pipe.
In an embodiment, the collar is arranged to position the portion of the perforated pipe received within the interior of the culvert pipe flat atop the bottom inner surface of the culvert pipe.
In a further embodiment, the protective grating comprising a lift attachment member joined to the collar.
In an embodiment, the mounting member comprises a mounting plate arranged to conform to the outer surface of the culvert pipe.
In an additional embodiment, the mounting member further comprises a reinforcement member arranged to be installed into the interior of the culvert pipe in order to reinforce a portion of the culvert pipe that bears a load from the protective grating when the protective grating is attached to the culvert pipe.
In an embodiment, the reinforcement member is an annular band.
In a further embodiment, the reinforcement member is arranged to be fastened to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener.

In yet another embodiment, the protective grating is arranged to be attached to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener passing through each of the mounting member, the culvert pipe, and the reinforcement member.
In an embodiment, the main grate is pivotally joined to the mounting member.
In an additional embodiment, the mounting member comprises at least one grate support arm joined to and extending upward from the mounting member and the main grate is joined to said at least one grate support arm. In a further embodiment, the main grate is pivotally joined to the at least one grate support arm.
In an embodiment, at least one of the bars comprises one or more apertures extending through the thickness of said bar.
In an embodiment, the protective grating comprises a lift attachment member joined to the main grate.
In an additional embodiment, the protective grating comprises a side grate joined to at least one side of the main grate. In another embodiment, the protective grating comprises a side grate joined to each side of the main grate.
In an embodiment, the side grate comprises a plurality of side protection bars spaced apart from one another and arranged to extend downward vertically from the side of the main grate when the protective grating is positioned in the closed culvert-protecting position.
In a further embodiment, the side grate comprises a side protection ground plate joined to the side protection bars, proximal to the bottom of the side protection bars.
Another embodiment is a protective grating for attachment to a culvert pipe, said protective grating comprising:
(a) at least one mounting member arranged to be attached to the culvert pipe proximal to an open end of the culvert pipe;
(b) a grate joined to the mounting member, said grate comprising spaced apart bars and arranged to prevent items that are larger than the spaces between the bars from passing through the grate and into the culvert pipe when the protective grating is attached to the culvert pipe and positioned in a closed culvert-protecting position; and (c) a reinforcement member arranged to be installed into the interior of the culvert pipe, wherein the reinforcement member is arranged to engage the inner surface of the culvert pipe, thereby supporting the culvert pipe and allowing the culvert pipe to resist damage in response to weight being applied to the exterior of the portion of the culvert pipe in which the reinforcement member is installed.
In an embodiment, the reinforcement member is an annular band.
In a further embodiment, the reinforcement member is arranged to be fastened to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener.

In yet another embodiment, the protective grating is arranged to be attached to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener passing through each of the mounting member, the culvert pipe, and the reinforcement member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 depicts a perspective view of a protective grating of the disclosure, mounted on a bevel ended culvert pipe and positioned in an open culvert-access position.

[0016] Figure 2 depicts a top plan view of the protective grating of Figure 1, mounted on a bevel ended culvert pipe.

[0017] Figure 3 depicts a front elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 1, mounted on a bevel ended culvert pipe.

[0018] Figure 4 depicts a side elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 1, mounted on a bevel ended culvert pipe.

[0019] Figure 5 depicts a perspective view of another embodiment of a protective grating of the disclosure mounted on a blunt ended culvert pipe and positioned in a closed culvert-protecting position.

[0020] Figure 6 depicts an enlarged section of Figure 5.

[0021] Figure 7 depicts a top plan view of the protective grating of Figure 5 mounted on a blunt ended culvert pipe.

[0022] Figure 8 depicts a front elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 5 mounted on a blunt ended culvert pipe.

[0023] Figure 9 depicts a rear elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 5 mounted on a blunt ended culvert pipe.

[0024] Figure 10 depicts a side elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 5 mounted on a blunt ended culvert pipe.

[0025] Figure 11 depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of a protective grating of the disclosure mounted on a bevel ended culvert pipe and positioned in a closed culvert-protecting position and having a perforated pipe passing through the collar of the protective grating, extending both into the interior of the culvert pipe and outward beyond the end of the protective grating.

[0026] Figure 12 depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of a protective grating of the disclosure mounted on a bevel ended culvert pipe and positioned in an open culvert-access position.

[0027] Figure 13 depicts a side elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 12.

[0028] Figure 14 depicts a front elevation view of the protective grating of Figure 12.
DESCRIPTION

[0029] Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure.
Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

[0030] Provided generally is a protective grating for a drain pipe, also referred to herein as a culvert or culvert pipe. The grating comprises a series of flat bars aligned edge up along a common plane and spaced apart to allow water, small debris, and small animals, such as fish, to pass through the grating while preventing larger debris, individuals, and large animals from passing through the grating when the protective grating is mounted on a culvert pipe. In a preferred embodiment, the grating is of a heavy duty construction, enabling the grating to protect the culvert from damage by equipment operating overhead. The grating may include a collar proximal to its front end to allow insertion of a perforated pipe, such as weeping tile, through the grating and into the culvert pipe with the collar acting to position the portion of the perforated pipe that is within the culvert along the bottom of the culvert. Further provided is a protective grating comprising a reinforcement member arranged to be inserted into the culvert pipe, wherein the reinforcement member serves to provide structural support to the culvert pipe to prevent the culvert pipe from damage, such as buckling, bending, or bowing, due to the weight of the protective grating and/or from weight being placed on the protective grating.

[0031] A first embodiment of a protective grating of the disclosure is depicted in Figures 1 to 4. In this embodiment, the protective grating is arranged to be joined to a bevel ended culvert 110, at a position that is proximal to an open end of the culvert 110. The protective grating may be joined to the intake end of the culvert 110 or the output end of the culvert 110, as desired.
Further, individual protective gratings may be mounted at each end of the culvert 110 to protect both the intake and outlet ends of the culvert 110. The protective grating is joined to the culvert 110 by a mounting member 108 that may be fastened to the exterior of the culvert 110, for example by one or more fasteners such as bolts or by other fastening means such as welding. In an embodiment, the mounting member 108 is an arced plate with radius of curvature arranged to conform to or provide a close fit between the lower surface of the plate and the upper outer surface of the culvert pipe 110. The mounting member 108 may be joined to the outer surface of the culvert pipe 110 using any suitable means as will be understood to one skilled in the art. For example, the mounting member 108 could be fastened to the culvert pipe 110 through use of one or more fasteners, for example bolts, or welded to the culvert pipe 110.

[0032] In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, joined to and extending upward from the mounting member 108 is at least one grating support arm 302 that is arranged to support the main grate 100 above the outer surface of the culvert 110 at a position that allows the main grate 100 to be movable between a closed culvert-protecting position and an open culvert-access position, for example as depicted in Figures 3 and 5 respectively. In other embodiments, the main grate 100 may be fixedly mounted to the open end of the culvert 110 in a closed culvert-protecting position.

[0033] The main grate 100 comprises a plurality of flat bars 106 aligned substantially parallel to one another and arranged to be angled along a common inclined plane when the protective grating is mounted on a culvert 110 and the protective grating is in a closed culvert-protecting position. To enable this, the length of the main grate 100 should be greater than the height of the culvert pipe. Each bar 106 comprises a length defining the greatest dimension of the bar 106, a thickness defining the smallest dimension of the bar 106, and a width that is notably smaller than the length and notably greater than the thickness of the bar 106. In the main grate 100, each bar 106 is oriented to place its width and length dimensions within a respective vertical plane, with the thickness thus lying horizontally. The bars 106 lie respectively in parallel vertical planes with their top thickness-defining edges located in a common plane with one another. Each bar 106 further comprises a front end and a rear end separated by the length of the bar 106. The rear end of the bar 106 is the end of the bar 106 that is proximal to the mounting member and which is elevated relative to the front end of the bar 106 when the protective grating is mounted on a culvert 110 and positioned in the closed culvert-protecting position.

[0034] In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, proximal to their rear end, the bars 106 are joined to one another by a rod 112 that is oriented perpendicular to the length of the bars and proximal to their front end, the bars 106 are joined to one another by a ground plate 114 that is oriented perpendicular to the length of the bars. The ground plate 114 is arranged to rest on the ground or other underlying surface external to the culvert 110 when the protective grating is joined to the culvert 110 and positioned in the closed culvert-protecting position. In an embodiment, the outermost bars 106b, i.e. the bar closest to each side of the main grate 100, may be larger than the inner bars 106a, for example having a greater length, thickness, and/or width than the inner bars 106a, while in another embodiment the outermost bars 106b may have the same dimensions as the inner bars 106a. In an embodiment, the thickness of the outermost bars 106b is the same as the thickness of the inner bars 106a while the width and/or length of the outermost bars 106b is greater than the width and/or length of the inner bars 106a.

[0035] In an embodiment, at least one of the outermost bars 106b and/or inner bars 106a comprises one or more apertures 116 extending through the thickness of said bar 106. In an embodiment, the apertures 116 are arranged to reduce the weight of the bar 106 without significantly lessening the load strength of the bar 106. In this embodiment, the intact areas between the apertures 116 leave the full width of the bar 106 intact between the top and bottom edges thereof to allow the bar 106 to handle notable downward forces exerted on the protective grating from above. In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, each outermost bar 106b comprises a plurality of apertures 116 aligned substantially central to the width of the bar 106b and distributed along the length of the bar 106b, while the inner bars 106a are devoid of such apertures. In other embodiments one of the bars 106, a plurality of the bars 106, or all of the bars 106 may comprise weight-reducing apertures 116.
In a further embodiment, the apertures are distributed along the length of the bar 106 and aligned centrally relative to the width of the bar 106.

[0036] In an embodiment, the bars 106 are evenly spaced with a spacing distance sufficient to allow water; small debris, such as leaves and twigs; and fish to pass between the bars 106, while preventing large debris, for example trash and logs; larger animals such as beavers; and individuals from passing between the bars 106.

[0037] In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, the rod 112 is pivotally joined to the grating support arms 302. In the depicted embodiment, the rod is joined to the grating support arms 302 by passing through circular apertures in the grating support arms 302, allowing the rod 112 to rotate within said apertures. In other embodiments, a hinge may be used to join the rod 112 to the grating support arms 302 or the grating support arms 302 themselves may comprise a pivot, allowing the main grate 100 to be moved pivotally towards or away from the end of the culvert 110. The support arms 302 should maintain the main grate 100 at a position elevated above the upper outer surface of the culvert 110, to prevent frictional interference between the main grate 100 and the mounting plate 108 and/or the outer upper surface of the culvert 110 when the main grate 100 is moved pivotally between the closed culvert-protecting position and the open culvert-access position.

[0038] In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, the main grate 100 comprises a collar 102 joined to and passing through the main grate 100 proximal to the front end of the main grate 100. In an embodiment, the collar 102 is joined to the ground plate 114. In an additional embodiment, the collar 102 may be joined to one or more of the bars 106. The collar 102 is arranged to receive a length of perforated pipe 1102, allowing the pipe 1102 to traverse between the inside of the culvert 110 and beyond the main grate 100 facing away from the culvert 110. Damming of culvert protection grates by beavers is a known problem and a solution to this problem is to allow water to continue to flow through a length of perforated pipe 1102 extending from the inside of the culvert, through the grate, to the exterior of the culvert. While beavers dam culvert grates, they do not typically dam a length of pipe extending from a culvert. Thus, the perforated pipe allows water to continue to flow from the culvert even when the culvert grated is dammed. In an embodiment, the collar 102 is arranged to position the perforated pipe 1102 proximal to or directly against the bottom of the culvert 110, for example as depicted in Figure 9, maximizing the potential for water to flow from the culvert 110 into the pipe 1102.
This arrangement ensures that the high water stays as per the engineered design for the culvert.

[0039] In a further embodiment, the protective grating comprises a lift attachment member 502 joined to the main grate 100 and/or to the collar 102. An embodiment of a lift attachment member 502 is detailed in Figure 6. In the depicted embodiment, the lift attachment member 502 is a clevis, but any suitable lift attachment member 502 may be employed, as will readily be understood to one skilled in the art. The lift attachment member 502 provides an attachment point for a lift member 1104, such as a rope, cable, or chain, that can be used to lift the main grate 100 from a closed, culvert-protecting position, for example as shown in Figures 5, 10, and 11 to an open culvert-access position for example as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

[0040] A second embodiment of a protective grating of the disclosure is depicted in Figures 5 to 10.
This embodiment of the protective grating is suitable for use with a blunt ended culvert 110. The arrangement of the bars 106, side bars 104, collar 102, ground plate 114, rod 112, support arms 302, mounting plate 108, and lift attachment member 502 is as discussed above for the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4.

[0041] The embodiment depicted in Figures 5 to 10 further comprises a side grate joined to each side of the protective grating. Each side grate comprises a plurality of side protection bars 506 extending vertically between a side protection ground plate 504 and the outermost bar 106b on each side of the protective grating. The side protection ground plate 504 is arranged to contact the ground or other surface underlying the protective grating external to the culvert 110 when the protective grating is in the closed culvert-protecting position. Similar to the bars 106, the side protection bars 506 are spaced at a distance sufficient to allow water; small debris, such as leaves and twigs; and fish to pass between the side protection bars 506, while preventing large debris, for example trash and logs; larger animals such as beavers; and individuals from passing between the side protection bars 506. In an embodiment, the side protection bars 506 are evenly spaced relative to the length of the bars 106. The side protection bars 506 may be rods, square pipe, rectangular pipe, or any other suitable bars as will readily be understood to one skilled in the art. The side protection bars 506 may be of heavy duty, medium duty, or light duty construction as desired.

[0042] The embodiment depicted in Figures 5 to 10 further comprises a backing plate 508 joined to the mounting plate 108, rod 112, grating support arms 302, and/or the side grate and positioned adjacent to the rear end of the main grate 100. In the embodiment depicted in Figures 5 to 10, the backing plate 508 comprises two flat plates joined to the rear end of the protective grating and together arranged to receive the open end of the culvert pipe 110. The plates comprise arcuate cutaways at the edges of the plates that face towards the culvert pipe 110. The cutaways are concentric with the culvert when the grate is in the closed position and the radius of curvature of each cutaway is sufficient to receive the culvert pipe 110, and to leave sufficient clearance between the arcuately cut edges and the culvert to allow the plates to clear the end of the culvert under movement of the grate between the open and closed positions. The backing plates are welded or otherwise attached to the side grates and to the rear ends of the bars of the main grate so the backing plates simply move with the grates under pivoting of the same. For example, each backing plate may be welded at the bottom end to the ground plate 504 of the respective side grate and weleded at the top end to the respective outermost bar 106b of the main grate 100.

[0043] The backing plate 508 is arranged to receive the culvert pipe 110 when the protective grating is attached to the culvert pipe 110 and in the closed position, with the backing plate serving to fill in at least a portion of the gap between the exterior of the culvert pipe 110 and each of the main grate 100 and the side grates of the protective grating. By filling in at least a portion of the gap between the exterior of the culvert pipe 110 and each of the main grate 100 and the side grates of the protective grating, the backing plate 508 prevents animals and debris from entering into the culvert pipe 110 by passing through the rear end of the protective grating. While the illustrated embodiment uses a two-piece backing plate assembly, other embodiments may employ a singular plate with a circular cut-out, or a four piece arrangement in which each piece of plating is attached to the grating at a respective corner of the grating's rear end so as to occupy a respective quadrant around the culvert when the grating is closed.

[0044] In an embodiment, the protective grating is of heavy duty construction, such that the protective grating is sufficient to protect the culvert 110 from damage by machinery such as vehicles and road maintenance equipment that may be operating overhead. For example, the protective grating may be sufficiently rugged to prevent road graders from denting or buckling the culvert 110. In a further embodiment, the protective grating is of sufficiently heavy duty construction to allow a smooth excavator bucket to clear debris from the main grate 100 without causing any substantial damage to the main grate 100. The dimensions of the protective grating components required to achieve heavy duty construction will depend upon the strength of the materials employed to manufacture the protective grating, and will readily be understood to one skilled in the art. Examples of suitable materials include steel, aluminum, other metals, and other metal alloys. In an embodiment, the bars 106 of the main grate 100 are constructed from steel having a thickness of about 1/4 to 5/8 inches and a width of about 2 inches, with a grate spacing of about 2 to 4 inches on centre, although other dimensions are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0045] The length of the main grate 100 may be selected as desired. In an embodiment, the length of the main grate 100 is selected between about 150 mm to about 3000 mm.
Additionally, the angle of the bars 106 relative to the horizontal plane defined by the top of the culvert 110 along its length may be selected as desired. In an embodiment, the angle of the bars 106 relative to the horizontal plane is arranged to be within the range of about 2-1 to 4-1 when the protective grating is installed on a culvert 110 and positioned in the closed culvert-protecting position. In some embodiments, the angle or slope of the bars 106, expressed as a ratio of horizontal run to vertical rise, is about 2-1, 3-1, or 4-1.

[0046] An additional embodiment, for example as depicted in Figures 12 to 14, is a protective grating comprising a reinforcement member 1202 arranged to provide additional structural support to the portion of the culvert pipe 110 that bears the load from the protective grating, when the protective grating is joined to said culvert pipe 110. In the embodiment depicted in Figures 12 to 14, the main grate is substantially as described above, comprising a plurality of flat bars 106 aligned substantially parallel to one another and arranged to be angled along a common inclined plane when the protective grating is mounted on a culvert 110 and the protective grating is in a closed culvert-protecting position.
However, the reinforcement member 1202 could be employed with any style of culvert grating, as will be readily understood to one skilled in the art. For example, the reinforcement member 1202 could be used in conjunction with a culvert grating that extends vertically over the open end of a culvert pipe or the reinforcement member 1202 could be used in conjunction with a culvert grating having bars other than flat bars, such as rods or square bars.

[0047] The reinforcement member 1202 is arranged to be inserted within the culvert pipe 110, allowing the outer surface of the reinforcement member 1202 to engage the inner surface of the culvert pipe 110 at a position underlying the mounting member 108.1n an embodiment, the reinforcement member 1202 is an annular band. Alternatively, the reinforcement member may be an arcuate band of less than full circumference around the axis of the culvert, for example being a half or % ring or a partial ring of other angular span above, below or between the 180-degree and 270-degree span of such half and 3-4 rings. In some cases, the span of the reinforcement around the culvert axis may be selected according to the expected loads to be applied, and/or the condition of the culvert (e.g.
rusted or corroded). In this embodiment, the reinforcement member 1202 should be inserted into the culvert pipe 110 such that the circumference of the reinforcement member 1202 is substantially aligned with the circumference of the culvert pipe 110 in contact or close-proximity to same. In an embodiment, the reinforcement member 1202 is arranged to be positioned within the culvert pipe 110 at a position wherein the reinforcement member 1202 underlies the portion of the mounting member 108 that is under load from the main grate 100.

[0048] The reinforcement member 1202 may be joined to the culvert pipe 110 through the use of at least one fastener 1204. In an embodiment, the reinforcement member 1202 and mounting member 108 are joined to the culvert pipe 110 by at least one fastener 1204 that passes through the reinforcement member 1202, the culvert pipe 110, and the mounting member 108, thereby joining all three elements together. In a further embodiment, a plurality of fasteners 1204 distributed around the circumference of the culvert pipe 110 may be used to join the reinforcement member 1202 to the culvert pipe 110, with at least one of the fasteners 1204 optionally passing through the mounting member 108 as well. Use of bolts to fasten the unit in place on the culvert may be preferable, but other modes of attachment are also possible, and may include on-site welding of the mounting member to the culvert, for example if specified by a contractor.

[0049] The reinforcement member 1202 provides structural stability to the culvert pipe 110, allowing the portion of the culvert pipe 110 into which the reinforcement member 1202 is inserted to withstand a greater load than a comparable unreinforced culvert pipe 110, preventing the culvert pipe 110 from bending or buckling when weight is placed upon the protective grating, for example by machinery operating overhead or by heavy equipment that is used to clear debris from the protective grating.

[0050] Numerous specific details are set forth herein in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that these embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the description of the embodiments.

[0051] Further, while the above description provides examples of the embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to be illustrative of the invention and non-limiting. It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (26)

1. A protective grating for attachment to a culvert pipe, said protective grating comprising:
(a) at least one mounting member arranged to be joined to the culvert pipe proximal to an open end of the culvert pipe; and (b) a main grate comprising a plurality of bars attached together and each having a length dimension, a width dimension smaller than said length dimension and a thickness dimension smaller than said width dimension, the plurality of flat bars lying parallel to one another in respective spaced apart vertical planes in positions placing a horizontally-spanning thickness-defining lengthwise edge of each flat bar coplanar with said horizontally-spanning thickness-defining lengthwise edge thickness-wise edge of each of the other bars, wherein, the at least one mounting member is attached to the main grate adjacent a rear end thereof and is arranged to join the main grate to the culvert pipe in a closed culvert-protecting position in which the common plane in which the lengthwise edges of the bars lie is an obliquely sloped plane running from overtop the culvert at an angle downwardly over the open end of the culvert pipe and onward toward a ground surface adjacent to the open end of the culvert pipe.

2. The protective grating of claim 1, wherein the main grate is movable between the closed culvert-protecting position and an open culvert-access position.

3. The protective grating of claim 2, wherein the main grate is pivotally movable between the closed culvert-protecting position and the open culvert-access position.

4. The protective grating of any one of claims 1to 3, further comprising a rod joining the bars together proximal to the rear end of the grate as part of a pivotal connection between the main grate and the at least one mounting member for pivoting of the main grate about a longitudinal axis of the rod.

5. The protective grating of any one of claims 1to 4, further comprising a ground plate joining the bars together proximal to a front end of the main grate opposite the rear end thereof, said ground plate arranged to contact the ground surface adjacent to the open end of the culvert pipe when the protective grating is attached to said culvert pipe and the protective grating is in the closed culvert-protecting position.

6. The protective grating of any one of claims 1to 5, further comprising a collar joined to the main grate and extending through a lower portion of the main grate, said collar arranged to receive a length of perforated pipe, thereby allowing the length of perforated pipe to extend through the main grate and into the interior of the culvert pipe.

7. The protective grating of claim 6, wherein the collar is arranged to position the portion of the perforated pipe received within the interior of the culvert pipe flat atop the bottom inner surface of the culvert pipe.

8. The protective grating of claim 6 or 7, further comprising a lift attachment member joined to the collar.

9. The protective grating of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the mounting member comprises a mounting plate arranged to conform to the outer surface of the culvert pipe.

10. The protective grating of claim 9, wherein the mounting member further comprises a reinforcement member arranged to be installed into the interior of the culvert pipe in order to reinforce a portion of the culvert pipe that bears a load from the protective grating when the protective grating is attached to the culvert pipe.

11. The protective grating of claim 9, wherein the reinforcement member is an annular band.

12. The protective grating of claim 9 or 10, wherein the reinforcement member is arranged to be fastened to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener.

13. The protective grating of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the protective grating is arranged to be attached to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener passing through each of the mounting member, the culvert pipe, and the reinforcement member.

14. The protective grating of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the main grate is pivotally joined to the mounting member.

15. The protective grating of a claim 14, wherein the mounting member comprises at least one grate support arm joined to and extending upward from the mounting member and the main grate is joined to said at least one grate support arm.

16. The protective grating of claim 15, wherein the main grate is pivotally joined to the at least one grate support arm.

17. The protective grating of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein at least one of the bars comprises one or more apertures extending through the thickness of said bar.

18. The protective grating of any one of claims 1 to 17 further comprising a lift attachment member joined to the main grate.

19. The protective grating of any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a side grate joined to at least one side of the main grate.

20. The protective grating of claim 19, comprising a side grate joined to each side of the main grate.

21. The protective grating of claim 19 or 20, wherein the side grate comprises a plurality of side protection bars spaced apart from one another and arranged to extend downward vertically from the side of the main grate when the protective grating is positioned in the closed culvert-protecting position.

22. The protective grating of claim 20, wherein the side grate further comprises a side protection ground plate joined to the side protection bars, proximal to the bottom of the side protection bars.

23. A protective grating for attachment to a culvert pipe, said protective grating comprising:
(a) at least one mounting member arranged to be attached to the culvert pipe proximal to an open end of the culvert pipe;

(b) a grate joined to the mounting member, said grate comprising spaced apart bars and arranged to prevent items that are larger than the spaces between the bars from passing through the grate and into the culvert pipe when the protective grating is attached to the culvert pipe and positioned in a closed culvert-protecting position; and (c) a reinforcement member arranged to be installed into the interior of the culvert pipe, wherein the reinforcement member is arranged to engage the inner surface of the culvert pipe, thereby supporting the culvert pipe and allowing the culvert pipe to resist damage in response to weight being applied to the exterior of the portion of the culvert pipe in which the reinforcement member is installed.

24. The protective grating of claim 23, wherein the reinforcement member is an annular band.

25. The protective grating of claim 23 or 24, wherein the reinforcement member is arranged to be fastened to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener.

26. The protective grating of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the protective grating is arranged to be attached to the culvert pipe by at least one fastener passing through each of the mounting member, the culvert pipe, and the reinforcement member.