GB2373811A

GB2373811A - Rigid flood barrier secured by levers

Info

Publication number: GB2373811A
Application number: GB0107716A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Hughes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-27
Filing date: 2001-03-27
Publication date: 2002-10-02
Also published as: GB0107716D0

Abstract

A flood barrier panel 3 is mounted against a frame 1 secured to the periphery of an opening in a building. The frame provides a continuous abutment flange 2, against the exterior surface 4 of which the barrier panel is sealed via sealing means 5. A plurality of pivotally mounted levers 6, mounted on the interior side of the barrier panel, engage the interior face 7 of the abutment flange and in doing so compress the sealing element, providing a watertight seal. The levers may be in the form of toggle clamps and may be adjustably mounted so that the force exerted on the panel can be varied. This may be by way of a screw thread adjustment means 17. The sealing means may be elastomeric and may have hollow cross-sections of either circular or D-shaped profile. A recess 5' in the barrier panel may receive the seals.

Description

FLOOD BARRIER

The present invention relates to barriers for preventing flood water from entering a building.

Traditionally, in order to attempt to prevent flood water from entering buildings through doorways or the like sand bags are laboriously piled up against the lower portion of doorways. Such sandbags are not always readily to hand, do not form a satisfactory seal and can add to the damage caused by flood water in the event that a sand bag splits open, releasing its contents.

As an alternative to sand bags it is known to attach a substantially U shaped channel member to the bottom and at least the lower portion of the sides of a doorway into which can be slid a panel in order to close the lower portion of the doorway. Resilient seals are provided in the channel in order to attempt to provide a waterproof seal between the panel and the channel. Such a device is shown in US 3,861, 081. Such panels have not been successful in practice since it is not possible to provide sufficient sealing between the edges of the panel and the channel, since the sealing force that can be applied to the resilient seal by the panel is limited by the need to be able to slide the panel into position.

According to the present invention there is provided a barrier for preventing the ingress of flood water through an opening in a structure from a first side thereof to a second side, said barrier comprising a frame or frame members securable to the structure so as to define a continuous inwardly directed abutment flange adjacent at least the lower regions of the sides and the bottom of the opening, a rigid or substantially rigid closure panel for closing the space defined by the frame or frame members being locatable adjacent the face of the abutment flange facing said first side, sealing means being provided between said closure panel and said abutment flange, a plurality of pivotally mounted levers being provided on and spaced around at least the

sides and bottom of said closure panel, each lever having a first end or other region pivotally mounted on the closure panel and a second abutment end or adjacent abutment region for abutment with said abutment flange, each lever being movable from a first position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region is spaced from the face of the abutment flange facing said second side to a second position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region is engageable against the face of said abutment flange facing said second side for urging the closure panel and the sealing means against the abutment flange, means being provided for retaining each lever in its second position.

Preferably each lever is pivotable about an axis extending parallel or substantially parallel to the plane of said closure panel and is moveable between its first and second positions, and vice versa, by means of an operating handle connected thereto. Preferably each lever is pivotally attached to a base member mounted on the closure member, each operating handle being pivotally connected to the respective lever and being pivotally connected to the respective base by means of a linkage member, the relative positions of the pivot points on the lever, handle, base member and linkage member and the relative dimensions of the lever, handle, base member and linkage member being such that the linkage member forms a geometric lock when the lever is in its second position, retaining the lever in its second position until the handle is actuated to move the lever to its first position.

While it is envisaged that the sealing means might be bonded or attached to a face of the abutment flange, in a preferred embodiment the sealing means is attached to the closure panel. Preferably the sealing means comprises a continuous sealing strip of compressible elastomeric material having a circular or substantially circular cross section. This allows the sealing strip to be bent through 900 adjacent the corners of the closure panel, improving the seal in the corner region. Preferably a recess is provided adjacent the edge of the closure panel into which the sealing means is received. In an alternative embodiment the sealing strip may have a substantially'D'-shaped cross

section. Preferably the sealing means is bonded to the closure panel by means of a suitable adhesive. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of preventing the ingress of flood water through an opening in a structure from a first side to a second side thereof, comprising the steps of securing a frame or frame members to the structure to define a continuous inwardly directed abutment flange adjacent at least the lower regions of the sides and the bottom of the opening, locating a rigid or substantially rigid closure panel adjacent the face of the abutment flange facing said first side, sealing means being provided between said closure panel and said abutment flange, wherein a plurality of pivotally mounted levers are provided on said closure panel, each lever having a first end or other region pivotally mounted on the closure panel and a second abutment end or adjacent abutment region for abutment with said abutment flange, the method including the step of moving each lever being from a first position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region is spaced from the face of the abutment flange facing said second side to a second position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region engages the face of said abutment flange facing said second side, urging the closure panel and the sealing means against the abutment flange.

The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a front view of a building having a flood barrier according to the invention fitted to a doorway thereof; Fig 2 is a sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig 3 is a rear view of the closure panel shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig 4 is a detail view of a toggle clamp of the flood barrier of Figs. 1 to 3 in its closed position; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the toggle clamp of Fig. 4 in its open position; Fig. 6 is a detail view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 is a front view of a building having a flood barrier according to the invention fitted to a doorway thereof having a raised sill/step and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 7.

A shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the flood barrier comprises a frame 1 sealingly secured to the bottom of a doorway and a lower portion of the sides thereof to define a continuous inwardly facing abutment flange 2. The frame 1 may be secured to the doorway by means of suitable fasteners, such as screws or bolts, and sealant may be applied between the frame 1 and the doorway in order to form a watertight seal therebetween. The frame 1 may comprise an L shaped aluminium or PVC extrusion, as shown in the drawings, or may comprise a flat strip and be affixed to the outer surfaces of the wall adjacent the lower portion of the doorway, depending on the particular construction of the doorway or other opening to which the flood barrier is to be fitted.

A closure panel 3 is locatable to engage the front face 4 of the abutment flange 2 (i. e. the face facing towards the outside of the building) in order to seal the lower portion of the doorway against the ingress of flood water. By locating the closure panel 3 against the front face 4 of the abutment flange 2 the force of the flood water acting against the front face of the closure panel 3 advantageously increases the sealing force between the closure panel 3 and the abutment flange 2.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 3 a compressible elastomeric sealing strip 5 is bonded to the rear face of the closure panel 3 and forms a continuous seal between the closure panel 3 and the abutment flange 2. The sealing strip 5 is circular in cross section, allowing it to be bent through 900 ion the region of the lower corners of the closure panel 3. A circular section closed cell neoprene foam having a diameter of 8 to 10 mm has been found to provide particularly good sealing properties. As can be seen from Figs. 4 and 5 the sealing strip 5 is received in a recess 5'in the rear face of the closure panel 3 adjacent the edge thereof.

A plurality of spaced toggle clamps 6 are mounted on the rear face of the closure panel 3 (i. e. the face facing towards the inside of the building), each

toggle clamp 6 being engageable against the rear face 7 of the abutment flange 2 in order to clamp the sealing strip 5 between the closure panel 3 and front face 4 the abutment flange 2 and urge the closure panel 3 against the abutment flange 2. Advantageously the toggle clamps 6 are spaced apart at 250 mm intervals along the lower edge and sides of the closure panel 3. A further toggle clamp 6'is provided adjacent each lower corner of the closure panel 3, extending at approximately 450 to the lower edge of the closure panel 3, in order to provide a good seal in the lower corner regions of the panel 3.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each toggle clamp 6 comprises a lever 8 having an abutment flange engaging stop 9 mounted on a first end thereof, the lever being pivotally connected to a base member 10 at its opposite end at a pivot point 11, the base member being secured to a face of the closure panel 3. A handle 12 is pivotally connected to the lever 8 at a pivot point 13 spaced from the pivot point 11 of the lever 8 on the base member 10, the handle 12 being connected to the base member 10 by means of a linkage 14 pivotally connected to the base member 10 at a pivot point 15 at one end and to the handle 12 at a pivot point 16 at the opposite end. The relative positions of the pivot points 11,13, 15,16 on the lever 8, handle 12, linkage 14 and base member 10 are such that, when the toggle clamp 6 is in its closed position as shown in Fig. 4, the pivot point 16 connecting the handle 12 to the linkage 14 lies below an imaginary line drawn through pivot point 13 joining the handle 12 to the lever 8 and pivot point 15 joining the linkage 14 to the base member 10, such that the linkage 14 forms a geometric lock, preventing the lever 8 from moving towards its open position and resisting any opening force applied to the stop 9 until the handle 12 is lifted.

The abutment flange engaging stop 9 on the lever 8 is mounted on a threaded rod 17 passing through an aperture in the end of the lever 8 such that distance between the stop 9 and the adjacent end of the lever 8 can be altered in order to vary the clamping force applied to the abutment flange 2 and sealing strip 5 by the toggle clamp 6. This may be required in order to provide an increased clamping force in the event of any minor localised leakage between the closure

panel 3 and the face 4 of the abutment flange 2. Because the toggle clamps 6 are mounted on the rear face of the closure panel 3 this adjustment can be carried out from inside the building on the dry side of the closure panel 3.

The base member 10 of each toggle clamp 6 is mounted on the rear face of the closure panel 3 by means of self tapping screws or similar fasteners that are shorter than the thickness of the closure panel 3. As such, the closure panel 3 is free from through apertures that might cause leakage therethrough.

The use of the toggle clamps 6 allows the closure panel 3 to be quickly fitted to the abutment flange 2 without the use of tools and provides a strong clamping force between the closure panel 3 and the front face 4 abutment flange 2, reducing the chances of leakages, particularly in the corner regions of the panel 3.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the sealing strip 5 is substantially'D'shaped in cross section to define a flat base by means of which the sealing strip 5 can be bonded to the rear face of the closure panel 3. Due to the large surface area of the flat base of the sealing strip 5 a particularly strong bond with the closure panel 3 can be provided, avoiding the need for a sealing strip receiving recess.

The closure panel 3 is preferably formed from phenolic coated ply-wood or, alternatively, may be made from a metal or plastics material. In order to resist bowing of the panel 3 due to the weight of flood water a metal, such as aluminium, or rigid plastic material U or L shaped channel may be affixed to the upper edge of the panel 3, for example by means of rivets.

As shown in Fig. 7, where the sill or step 20 of a doorway is raised, a course of

bricks 21 being provided beneath the sill/step 20 potential leakage problems may occur due to the presence of gaps in the mortar beneath the sill/step 20. As shown in Fig. 8, in order to seal said gaps, a frame of timber panels 22 is located around the lower edges of the sill/step 20, covering the gap beneath the sill/step 20. Expanding polyurethane foam sealant 23 may then be injected into the space beneath the sill/step 20 in order to fill said space and seal any gaps beneath the sill/step 20.

The flood barrier may also be adapted for use to cover an air brick or other opening in a building. In the case of an air brick, the frame and associated abutment flange extend around all four sides of the opening and the sealing strip extends around all four sides of the closure panel, toggle clamps also being provided adjacent all four sides of the panel.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A barrier for preventing the ingress of flood water through an opening in a structure from a first side thereof to a second side, said barrier comprising a frame or frame members securable to the structure so as to define a continuous inwardly directed abutment flange adjacent at least the lower regions of the sides and the bottom of the opening, a rigid or substantially rigid closure panel for closing the space defined by the frame or frame members being locatable adjacent the face of the abutment flange facing said first side, sealing means being provided between said closure panel and said abutment flange, a plurality of pivotally mounted levers being provided on and spaced around at least the sides and bottom of said closure panel, each lever having a first end or other region pivotally mounted on the closure panel and a second abutment end or adjacent abutment region for abutment with said abutment flange, each lever being movable from a first position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region is spaced from the face of the abutment flange facing said second side to a second position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region is engageable against the face of said abutment flange facing said second side for urging the closure panel and the sealing means against the abutment flange, means being provided for retaining each lever in its second position.
2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein each lever is pivotable about an axis extending parallel or substantially parallel to the plane of said closure panel and is moveable between its first and second positions, and vice versa, by means of an operating handle connected thereto.
3. A barrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein each lever is pivotally attached to a base member mounted on the closure member, each operating handle being pivotally connected to the respective lever and being pivotally connected to the respective base by means of a linkage member, the

I relative positions of the pivot points on the lever, handle, base member and linkage member and the relative dimensions of the lever, handle, base member and linkage member being such that the linkage member forms a geometric lock when the lever is in its second position, retaining the lever in its second position until the handle is actuated to move the lever to its first position.
4. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second end of each lever has an abutment flange engaging member adjustably mounted on the lever such that the gap between the abutment flange engaging member and the closure panel when the lever is in its second position can be adjusted in order to adjust the clamping force that can be applied to the abutment flange and the sealing means by the abutment flange engaging member when the lever is in its second position.
5. A barrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein each abutment flange engaging member is mounted on a threaded member passing through an aperture in the second end of the respective lever, a correspondingly threaded nut being provided on the threaded member to allow the gap between the abutment flange engaging member and the closure panel when the lever is in its second position to be adjusted.
6. A barrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein each abutment flange engaging member is mounted on a threaded member passing through a threaded aperture in the second end of the respective lever to allow the gap between the abutment flange engaging member and the closure panel when the lever is in its second position to be adjusted.
7. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sealing means is bonded to the closure panel by means of a suitable adhesive.
8. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sealing means comprises a continuous sealing strip of compressible elastomeric material.
9. A barrier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sealing strip has a circular or substantially circular cross section.
10. A barrier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sealing strip has a substantially 'D'-shaped cross section.
11. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a recess is provided adjacent the edge of the closure panel into which the sealing means is received.
12. A method of preventing the ingress of flood water through an opening in a structure from a first side to a second side thereof, comprising the steps of securing a frame or frame members to the structure to define a continuous inwardly directed abutment flange adjacent at least the lower regions of the sides and the bottom of the opening, locating a rigid or substantially rigid closure panel adjacent the face of the abutment flange facing said first side, sealing means being provided between said closure panel and said abutment flange, wherein a plurality of pivotally mounted levers are provided on said closure panel, each lever having a first end or other region pivotally mounted on the closure panel and a second abutment end or adjacent abutment region for abutment with said abutment flange, the method including the step of moving each lever being from a first position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region is spaced from the face of the abutment flange facing said second side to a second position wherein the abutment end or adjacent region engages the face of said abutment flange facing said second side, urging the closure panel and the sealing means against the abutment flange.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein each lever is pivotally attached to a base member mounted on the closure member, an operating handle being pivotally connected to each lever and being pivotally connected to the respective base by means of a linkage member, the relative positions of

the pivot points on the lever, handle, base member and linkage member and the relative dimensions of the lever, handle, base member and linkage member being such that the linkage member forms a geometric lock when the lever is moved from its first position to its second position, retaining the lever in its second position until the handle is actuated to move the lever to its first position.
14. A barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15. A method of preventing the ingress of flood water through an opening in a structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, in which each of said levers is part of a geometric locking/pressing device.
17. The use of a plurality of geometric locking/pressing devices in a method of preventing the ingress of flood water through an opening in a structure from a first side to a second side thereof, comprising the steps of securing a frame or frame members to the structure to define a continuous inwardly directed abutment flange adjacent at least the lower regions of the sides and the bottom of the opening, locating a rigid or substantially rigid closure panel adjacent the face of the abutment flange facing said first side, sealing means being provided between said closure panel and said abutment flange, wherein the locking/pressing devices are mounted along edge regions of the panel such that each pivotally mounted pressing lever of each device has a free operative pressing end, moveable from a first position wherein it is spaced from the face of the abutment flange facing said second side to a second position wherein it is engageable against the face of said abutment flange facing said second side in order to urge the closure panel and the sealing means against the abutment flange.