GB2183775A

GB2183775A - Outbale/intake

Info

Publication number: GB2183775A
Application number: GB08625457A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald John Mcparland; Kenneth William Dalzell; Eugene Treanor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-10-25
Filing date: 1986-10-23
Publication date: 1987-06-10
Also published as: GB8526425D0; GB2183775B; IE59955B1; GB8625457D0; IE862807L

Abstract

A headwall assembly comprises a first member (10), a second member (12) and a pair of third members (14). The first member (10) is of 'L' shape in vertical cross- section and comprises a wall portion (16) and a platform (18). The wall portion (16) has accommodating means formed by a 'U' shaped opening (20) for a pipe end which, in use, with the second member (12) rigidly secures the pipe end in situ. Means (28) are provided on said second member (12) for engaging with complementary means (22,24) on said opening (20). The pair of third members (14) have each flume wall portions (32) rooted to a platform (34) and are for securement one on each lateral side of the opening (20) both to extend in a divergent manner from the obverse face of said wall portion (16). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Headwall assemblies This invention relates to headwall assemblies and associated fluming to be constructed, for example at the inlet/intake and outlet/outfall of a piped watercourse.

When it is required to construct the inlet/intake and/or the outlet/outfall headwall for a piped watercourse, this is presently achieved in situ by the pipe end being located spaced from the base of a trench and shuttering located therearound. Wet concrete is then poured into the volume contained within the shuttering which normally has to be left for about a week for the concrete to set and cure before the shuttering can be removed, and the trench infilled. If the piped watercourse is to be located beneath a road, this normally means that the road is closed to traffic for several weeks, causing consequential traffic diversions.This required delay is disadvantageous and since the majority of such piped watercourses located, or to be located, under roads are in rural areas where the road network is not so dense as in built-up areas, the traffic diversions can involve considerable detours for vehicular traffic which is also disadvantageous.

It is an object of the present invention to mitigate the above disadvantages and reduce the time taken to construct headwalls at the ends of a piped watercourse in a trench.

According to the present invention, a headwall assembly comprises a first member having a wall portion formed with means for accommodating, in use, a pipe end, the wall portion being rooted to a platform extending normally, or substantially so, thereto and a second member for location, in use, in said accommodating means to engage directly or indirectly with the pipe end, there being means provided on said second member for engaging with complementary means of said accommodating means whereby, in use, a pipe end is rigidly secured in situ.

Preferably, the accommodating means is provided by a 'U' shaped opening in said wall portion, and the complementary means on the opening comprise rabbets being provided extending along its opposed faces, and the means on the second member which is a plate comprising protrusions extending outwardly from each of the lateral edges thereof.

The web of the opening and the lower edge of the second member are complementarily shaped to the pipe end, and are, for example each of semi-cylindrical shape where the pipe is cylindrical. The opening is provided extending upwardly in the upper part of the wall portion of the first member.

Preferably also, the first member is 'L' shape in vertical cross-section with the platform to extend outwardly from the reverse face of the wall portion in use. The platform may project a short distance beyond the obverse face of the wall portion to form a toe.

Alternatively, the platform extends outwardly a distance beyond the obverse face of the wall portion to form an apron onto which water falling from the piped watercouse impinges.

The first member may be cast as a single unit, however for handling purposes, it is preferably formed from a set of parts comprising two or more sections forming the wall portions with the platform separate from or sectioned with the wall sections. The set of parts may comprise two outer wall portions spaced apart by a middle wall portion of lesser height thereby to form with the two outer portions the opening, the three wall portions being securable together and at their lower edges to the platform.

The first member may have angle members embedded therein to extend longitudinally of the opposed sides of the opening so as to form an inwardly extending groove at each of the rabbets formed in the opposed faces of the opening for receiving, to be slidable therein, the protrusions of the second member.

A pair of third members, in the form of flume wall portions, may be securable diverging away from the wall portion of the first member, one from each lateral side of the opening. The flume wall portions are, in use, to direct water flow towards or from the pipe end depending on whether the watercourse has to be narrowed at an inlet end, or widened at an outlet end respectively. Each third member may have one or more elements, for example bolts, extending from one edge thereof to locate in apertures or slots formed in the wall portion of the first member and extend inwardly from the outer edges thereof; nuts (such as butterfly nuts) being located on the outer ends of the elements projecting beyond the slots and tightened against the wall portion to secure the third members in a required position.An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a headwall assembly; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view from above of one end and one side showing a piped watercourse in a trench through a road with two headwall assemblies, one at each end of the piped watercourse, the view being on a reduced scale to that used in Fig.

1.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a headwall assembly which has been pre-cast comprises a first member 10, a second member 12 and a pair of third members 14.

The first member 10 is of 'L' shaped vertical cross-section and comprises a wall portion 16 and a platform 18. The wall portion 16 has means for accommodating a pipe end, in use, the means being formed by an upright 'U' shaped opening 20 whose longitudinal axis lies on the medial axis of the wall portion 16.

Rabbets 22 are formed to extend along the opposed faces in the opening 20 on the reverse face of the wall portion 16, and two angle members 24 are embedded in the wall portion 16 each to form a groove with a corresponding rabbet 22. The web of the opening is complementarily shaped to fit under a pipe end, for example the web can be semirectangular shape to complement a rectangular pipe end. Slots 26 are formed to extend inwardly from the edges of the wall portion 16 and their provision will be described hereinafter.

The second member 12 is a plate having protrusions in the form of ribs 28 extending from the lateral edges thereof to locate in the grooves formed by the rabbets 22 and the angle members 24. The lower edge of member 12 is formed with, in this embodiment, a semi-cylindrical cut-out portion 30 to complementarily engage over a cylindrical pipe end as shown. The ribs 28 form the means for engaging the complementary means formed by the rabbets 22 and angle members 24.

The two third members 14 each comprise a flume wall portion 32 rooted to a platform 34.

Lateral edges 36 of the flume wall portion 32 are angled so that the third members can be located, one on each side of the opening 20 to diverge away from the wall portion 16 of the first member. One lateral edge has provision of holes to take two threaded elements, such as bolts 38, extending therefrom to locate, in use, through slots 26 of first member 10. Nuts, such as butterfly nuts, are then threadedly located on the outer end of the bolts 38 projecting beyond the slots 26 to secure members 14 in the required position, mastic being used as required between contiguous clamped faces. Members 14 are usually utilised to direct water towards or away from a pipe end depending on whether the watercourse has to be narrowed at an inlet end, or widened at an outlet end respectively.

The members 10,12 and 14 are made of a size depending upon the pipe end dimensions with which they are to be used and the width and height of the trench. Reinforcing rods (not shown) may be used in the casting of the members. The first member can be cast as a single unit however for handling purposes, it can be formed from a set of parts comprising two or more sections forming the wall portion with the platform separate from or sectioned with the wall sections. The set of parts may in one embodiment comprise two outer wall portions spaced apart by a middle wall portion of lesser height thereby to form with the two outer wall portions the opening. The three wall portions are securable together and at their lower edges to a platform. Alternatively, the wall portion 16 can be formed in two parts, each part having a portion of the opening.Also, the parts/portions of the wall portion 16 may be formed with a corresponding part of the platform.

The members are pre-cast from concrete, glass reinforced cement or other suitable material.

Fig. 2 shows the use of two assemblies of the type shown in Fig. 1 at the ends of a piped watercourse 42 shown as running beneath a road to carry therethrough water from a stream or river. When utilising such assemblies, a trench is dug, and foundations for the headwall assemblies prepared, and members 10 erected thereon at each end of the constructed piped watercourse. The pipe ends are then located in respective openings 20 and members 12 located thereover in sliding engagement of the grooves and ribs 28. The assemblies are located at the inlet/intake and/or the outlet/outfall ends of the piped watercourse as necessary and the trench can be infilled immediately after the erection of the assemblies and piping is complete.

In a modification, the first member may be cast as a single unit formed by two outer wall portions and the platform. The inside lateral edges of the two outer wall portions are grooved, in the same manner as in the embodiment above, to receive a middle wall portion and the plate thereabove. The top edge of the middle wall portion and bottom edge of the plate can be shaped to suit whatever shape of pipe ends are to be used. The plate can be modified to be in two parts, a lower part with the shaped bottom edge and a rectangular upper part.In further modifications, the platform is formed to project a short distance beyond the wall portion 16 to form a toe 40, as shown in broken line in Fig. 1, to assist in supporting the wall portion 16 upright, or the platform is extended a distance beyond the wall portion to form an apron 44 (as shown in broken line in Fig. 1) onto which water falling from the piped watercourse impinges before continuing along the bed of the stream or river.

The 'U' shaped opening may be formed in the wall portion other than in the upper part thereof, for example it may be horizontally oriented and extend inwardly from either of the lateral edges or be upright but extend from the lower edge in the lower part of the wall.

The headwall assemblies can be used with pipes of whatever cross-section is suitable and the shaped edges need not necessary be mirror-images, for example the pipe cross-section could be ovoid.

Other variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention is advantageous in that with the use of the headwall assemblies, a piped watercourse can be laid in a trench beneath a road and infilled and the road surface restored without delay as heretofore experienced.

Claims

1. A headwall assembly comprising a first member having a wall portion formed with means for accommodating, in use, a pipe end, the wall portion being rooted to a platform extending normally, or substantially so, thereto and a second member for location, in use, in said accommodating means to engage directly or indirectly with the pipe end, there being means provided on said second member for engaging with complementary means of said accommodating means whereby, in use, a pipe end is rigidly secured in situ.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the accommodating means is provided by a 'U' shaped opening in said wall portion.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the second member is a plate.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the complementary means on the opening comprises rabbets being provided extending along its opposed faces, and the means on the plate comprises protrusions extending outwardly from each of the lateral edges thereof.

5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2,3 or 4, wherein the web of the opening and the lower edge of the plate are complementarily shaped to the pipe end.

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2,3,4 or 5, wherein the opening extends upwardly in the upper part of the wall portion.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the first member is 'L' shaped in vertical cross-section with the platform to extend outwardly from the reverse face of the wall portion in use.

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the platform projects a short distance outwardly from the obverse face of the wall portion to form a toe.

9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the platform extends outwardly a distance beyond the obverse face of the wall portion to form an apron onto which, in use, water falling from the piped watercourse impinges.

10. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the first member is cast as a single unit.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 9, wherein the first member is formed from a set of parts comprising two or more sections forming the wall portion with the platform separate from or sectioned with the wall sections.

12. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the set of parts comprises two outer wall portions spaced apart by a middle wall portion of lessor height thereby to form with the two outer portions the opening, the three wall portions being securable together and at their lower edges to the platform.

13. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 12, wherein the first member has angle members embedded therein to extend longitudinally of the opposed sides of the opening so as to form an inwardly extending groove at each of the rabbets formed in the opposed faces of the opening for receiving, to be slidable therein, the protrusions of the second member.

14. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a pair of third members, in the form of flume wall portions, is securable diverging away from the wall portion of the first member, one from each lateral side of the opening.

15. An assembly as claimed in Claim 14, wherein each third member has one or more threaded elements extending from one edge thereof to locate in slots formed in the wall portion of the first member and extending from the outer edges thereof; nuts being located on the outer ends of the bolts projecting beyond the slots and tightened against the wall portion to secure the third members in a required position.

16. A headwall assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing.

17. A piped watercourse having one or two headwall assemblies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing.