GB2405169A - Marine structure formed from clamped tyre beads - Google Patents

Abstract

A marine engineering structure (Fig 2), such as a gabion, is formed from rubber beads 1 clamped together with clamps formed as two half plates 2 and 3 bolted together to clamp the beads between them. The rubber beads are cut from the sidewalls of vehicle tyres to give a rubber hoop 6 containing a steel cable or wire 5. The clamps may be contoured to fit the shape of the beads and may be formed from glass fibre, reinforced concrete or stainless steel. The nuts and bolts which connect the two half plates of the clamps may also be formed from stainless steel.

Description

24051 69 TYRE BEADS CL^vlr This invention relates to specially shaped

clamps capable of locking, large rubber covered hoops which coat the circular high tensile steel cables in their core.

These hoops or beads are obtained by a machine, which perfonns a annular cut around the side-wall of a lyre, so on completion a rubber hoop is achieved, containing the bead steel cable or wire.

This bead is highly engineered, and its very strong, and very well coated, as is ideally suited for marine use, especially if locked together as a recognised engineering structure, mesh, gabion.

Idle clamp joins 2 beads together in a rigid clamped position, and are shaped and contoured to match the profiles of the beads.

Their construction material capable ol long term marine life, and bolted together with stainless steel nuts and bolts.

The clamps, clamp the 2 beads together where they touch, when laid side by side in a flat plane.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure I shows in perspective the upper and lower clamp retaining 2 beads in a side by side position.

Figure 2 shows a mesh system layout, where 3 rows of beads in a side by side position are locked together by clamps at places of contact.

Referring to the drawing in Fig. I shows a section of two beads I clamped together in the area, where their outer circumferences touch. The contoured upper clamp 2, and the contoured lower clamp 3, bolted together by means of nuts and bolts, passed through bolt holes 4. The sectioned end area, shows the bead 1, construction, high tensile steel cable 5, and the rubber coating 6, surrounding it.

laid 2, shows the common mesh pattern structure layout of 3 rows of side by side beads 1, locked by clamps 2 t 3 where they touch

Claims (3)

1) These clamps lock together hoops of rubber covered high tensile steel beads which are obtained, from cutting them frown the sidewalls of tyres.

2) The clamps are contoured on their internal surfaces to match the profile of the 2 beads in their side by side positions and their side walls curved to match the profile of the inner circumference section of beads under contact.

3) The clamps can be in pairs? upper and lower clamp, or singular, and can lock the hoops or beads into suitable mesh or structural shapes in marine use, similar to scaffold clamps on land.

4) '['hey are constructed of robust material capable of marine use, glass Libra reinforced concrete, or stainless steel.

5) 'I'he upper clamp is locked to the lower clamp with stainless steel nuts and bolts.

6) 'the combined structure of beads and clamps can form a variety of'marine civil engineering structures, e.g. gabions.