GB2549704A

GB2549704A - Structures made from vehicle tyres

Info

Publication number: GB2549704A
Application number: GB1606836.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Gerald Baddeley Timothy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-04-19
Filing date: 2016-04-19
Publication date: 2017-11-01

Abstract

A structure comprising a vertical stack of tyres 10 having a waterproof membrane extending through the centre of at least two tyres for containing a body of water. The tyres may be whole tyres, or tyre parts forming annular shapes. Stacks may form part of a wall of a building, flood defences, foundations or a rain water storage tank. The membrane may be a deformable plastic bag having annular grooves 32. Also claimed is a structure comprises tyres stacks, the space between stacks being reinforced, for example by filling with reinforced concrete, pillars or other solid material. Tyres may be connecter together via clips mounted to adjacent tyre rims, and tyre stacks may be connected via ties extending between the clips in adjacent stacks. Also claimed is a tie, a clip, a membrane and a kit of parts containing ties and clips for use with tyre stacks.

Description

Structures made from vehicle tyres

The present invention concerns the use of vehicle tyres in building structures, for example walls.

The present invention provides various structures made from vehicle tyres, as set forth in the claims attached hereto and the text below. It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the subject matter of the claims may incorporate subject matter from the description below which describes various embodiments and concepts concerning the invention, and vice versa.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings which include:

Figures la and lb;

Figures 2a to 2f;

Figures Sato 3c;

Figures 4a to 4f;

Figures 5 a and 5b;

Figures 6a and 6b;

Figure?; and

Figure 8.

Before the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are described there follows some non-limiting description providing some context to the present invention and describing subject matter which various embodiments of the present invention may have in common. All embodiments relate to structures comprising multiple vehicle tyres, a method of building such a structure and/or the accessories used to build the structures from multiple tyres (for example clips and/or ties for connecting tyres). A particularly important embodiment concerns a water tank structure made from multiple tyres, the cavity/cavities in or between tyres being filled (at least partially with water).

The application of the tyre tank is grounded firmly in the needs of a planet beset by climate change and the problems of linear consumption. It enables some important structures, like the hydroponic vegetal roof that improves a microclimate, building designs that anticipate rising water levels, flooding and earthquakes, and urban structures that prioritise the saving of water and greenery over road traffic.

It also consumes waste vehicle tyres. Waste and climate change are of course connected through the unsustainable character of a lot of industrial activity, which creates greenhouse gasses in both the manufacturing and disposal of a product. However a product is no longer ‘waste’ if it can be upcycled. This invention takes advantage of the intrinsic properties a vehicle tyre’s material, dimensions, strength and shape. Upcycling from a tyre to a tank means that every tyre used for building saves on the financial and environmental costs of its disposal, as well as all the whole-life costs of any other system it replaces. If the tyre tank idea is widely taken up, used vehicle tyres will begin to have a value in themselves.

Cities are now becoming aware of the role played by their infrastructure in affecting their microclimate, where hard surfaces and storm water run-off deprive the atmosphere of evaporating water. The more water that can be allowed to evaporate, the more stable and healthy the microclimate. In Germany several cities like Berlin now offer grants for the fitting or retro-fitting of vegetal roofs, since they are ideal in this respect, absorbing rainwater and allowing it to evaporate over time.

However, not all vegetal roofs are the same. The most popular covering is sedum, as it is hardy in drought and requires little substrate. It is therefore lightweight, whereas grass needs a good six inches of soil for its roots. Yet grass has several advantages over sedum in terms of providing better insect habitat, trapping dust and dirt particles from the air, enabling more evaporation from its greater soil depth, and producing more oxygen. The problem is that the six inches of soil, though ideal for evaporation, is extremely heavy when wet, and could not be supported by a typical domestic roof Were this not the case, grass would undoubtedly be the preferred solution over sedum.

Some of the embodiments of my recent invention of a lightweight hydroponic vegetal roof (the subject of GB Application Number 1503229.5 - my “hydroponic roof’ invention) may benefit from the present invention, especially the tyre tank aspect. Embodiments of my hydroponic roof invention make a grass roof a possibility on just about any existing roof, as it has the advantage of supporting turf at steep angles and weighs no more than a typical timber structured roof However, though grass loses water generously through transpiration and evaporation, there may be cases where it has no substrate in which to store rainwater but a few millimetres of capillary paper, and this does not retain much moisture. It may therefore benefit from a tank of water and a pump to supply it. Large tanks cannot be located on the roof, but by using a pump the grass roof can access the water and allow it to evaporate.

This system has two advantages: firstly in a drought the grass is always fed plenty of water, and with a good water supply a hydroponic roof will release more water by evaporation even than a soil based roof, as it never dries out. The tank is therefore critical in enabling the hydroponic roof to be more successful than the traditional sedum roof in forming a more balanced urban micro-climate, filtering some particulates from diesel engines and providing insect habitat.

Secondly, when it rains the storm water is collected in the tank and does not need to be managed by the municipal drainage system. This saves a municipal sewage system from being overburdened by rain run-off, which is a problem for ageing, leaking sewer systems. The more hydroponic roofs are adopted, the more tanks there will be taking rainwater out of the municipal disposal system and putting it back in the sky where it belongs.

To hold sufficient water for a large roof, the tank must also be large. Yet if the tank for a roof were stored down at ground level, there would be heavier energy costs in lifting the water back up to the roof with each cycle of irrigation (roof crest - turf - gutter - tank -roof crest). On the other hand, were a normal tank bolted to the wall somewhere high up, this amount of weight on a building could be precarious. There is therefore a need for a large and stable tank of water, positioned upon the ground, reaching up at least to the lowest point of the hydroponic turf roof, namely the gutter, but which is not able to fall down or put strain on the masonry. The more water is available to be pumped, the larger the surface area of roof that can be put to turf. A series of tanks the width of a tyre, tall enough to reach the gutter, assembled together to line the wall as one unit, and securely fixed to the building, solves this problem.

In temperate climates there is obviously a lot more rain available in Winter and little demand for water from the roof; there is more demand for water in Summer when it rains less A large tank where water can be pumped from one chamber to another provides all kinds of options, including dealing with grey or black water, which can also be used to supply the roof Using domestic waste water will provide further savings for the water supply.

To keep off the UV rays and disguise its form the assembly of tyres can be covered by solar panels, a vegetal covering like creeper, any appropriate sheet covering like masterboard, or even concrete. There are various ways to fix things to the tank assembly. The fastening assembly which connects all the tyres securely to each other also offers fixing points that can be used to bolt the structure to a building wall or to attach coverings. This means that a tank can become an integral part of a building’s wall, simply making it thicker, but with a suitable cladding on the exterior face.

The idea can be taken further. It is possible to make a building’s walls solely from tyres, particularly when the wall is several tyres thick, as they have, in multiplicity, a reasonable compressive strength. More importantly, the triangular concave gap where three tyres meet offers a vertical hole. Here steel rods can be inserted and variously braced together across the holes at each gap between courses, and when the structure is complete liquid concrete can be poured in, reaching all the gaps and voids between (but not in) tyres, so that the structure is capable of supporting substantial loads as well as containing tanks. If the building is erected in an area at risk of earthquakes a more pliable substance than concrete could be used to fill the gaps between steel rods and tyres.

As a cheaper alternative, some tyres, or tyre gaps, could be rubble-filled, whilst others remain as tanks. In either case the building could then store its own water, an advantage in places that have all their rain in a short period of time. In the same way, piles of tyres can be combined to make a free standing tank with many vertical compartments. By using a configuration of plumbing beneath the tanks, liquid can be transferred from one tank to another.

All truck tyres share the same diameter of around 1 metre, whereas car tyres come in many sizes. This means that truck tyres are particularly suitable for making free standing tyre tanks and tyre walls of varying thickness. For the wall construction to be possible using the robust arrowclip system tyre dimensions are important: two tyres adjacent laterally must have the same width of tread. Two tyres adjacent vertically must have the same height of tyre wall, where ‘wall’ refers to the distance from tread to rim. Truck tyres have the advantage of being almost always the same diameter and sidewall depth, though tread widths vary, and are well suited to the robust arrowclip. Car tyres, because of their difference in sizes, are more likely to be connected with the smaller flexible hemisphere clips that house a screw.

One important application of the tyre tank wall is in an embodiment I refer to as “the USHWANT system” (which is the subject of patent application filed in my name under agent reference number P024982GB on the same date as the present UK patent application). The USHWANT system concerns a idea for reducing vehicle emissions into the atmosphere, where tank walls are needed as the sides of a tunnel enclosing traffic to supply water to the air filter system and the hydroponic vegetal roof, and to collect rainfall and possibly grey water from nearby buildings. Applied in a civil engineering setting, an important feature is the arrowclip fastening device which can be easily dismantled. This is also true for the smaller hemisphere clip, as a screw head is not embedded inside the rubber of the tyre, a common problem when screwing tyres together. If concrete and steel rods are used with truck tyres, the structure will be extremely strong, and will support a series of steel arches onto which other substantial structures can be fixed.

Once a tyre pile is complete, the liner bag is lowered in, and the feed/drainage pipe at the bottom of the liner bag connected to the plumbing manifold below . The bag may first be inflated with air to test for leaks, then filled with water. Other smaller liner bags can be lowered into the narrow, concave triangular gaps between piles of tyres, if the space is to be maximised and not used for housing steel rods or rubble. A slightly less voluminous alternative to the whole tyre tank that is described above is to use the severed car tyre sides (the wall and rim), which are a by-product when removing car tyre treads from a tyre to make the hydroponic roof (Truck tyres are unlikely to be used because their side walls contain steel mesh, which is awkward to cut). After the tread is removed, what is left is two rubber discs with a hole at the centre where the steel rim forms the inner annular edge. These discs can easily be stacked and screwed together in batches, much like the assembly of whole tyre stacks.

To make a tank wall of these rubber discs with rows laid out horizontally, the rubber walls are made to overlap by their rubber section in an alternating fashion. Further rows are added in the same way, with the rim sizes identical in each vertical pile. At the overlap of rubber sidewalls, one screw can join several layers of rubber together. The centre of an emerging vertical tube consists of all the rims, but there will be a small vertical gap between any adjacent pair of rims of about half an inch, and this would endanger the bag liner if left unfilled. Therefore an inner liner of semi rigid sheeting may be inserted, curled into a tube, so that the bag liner later encounters only a smooth but well supported surface.

The water pressure at the bottom of a tank three storeys high would be considerable. The steel band inside a tyre tread has sufficient strength easily to withstand this pressure, as do the tyre rims in the second embodiment. Furthermore, the rubber is a good insulator, meaning that water is unlikely to freeze inside. Were it to do so, the potential for expansion at the tyre wall would make it indestructible.

Solar panels are likely to be used to power the pump for the roof, as water is most needed when the sun is shining. One useful feature of stacked tyres is that there is a ridge available where two tyres join, and this provides a good horizontal fixing point for a framework to which solar panels might be attached. The arrow clip in the joining assembly can also be used as a firm bolting point for a bracket. An array of PV panels could be then be affixed all the way up the wall of tyres if necessary. A further issue in domestic water management is that, in addition to the hydroponic roof feed, there may be different kinds of water to be stored: rainwater, grey water, black water and drinking water. Technologies for treating water are evolving fast, and this invention anticipates a time when water is in short supply and technology will exist for filtering water at domestic source so that it can be re-used. The current invention, by having a multiplicity of vertical tanks, all with replaceable internal liners, will allow for many different combinations of storage and supply. The liners mean that no water comes into contact with the tyres themselves. If used in cities with grassy tunnels as part of the USHWANT system, the tanks could store river water, if a river is available.

Further afield, the invention lends itself well to the construction of flood proof housing in flood zones where the tyre tank is sufficiently strong to both hold water securely up to considerable heights/depths, keeping it protected from ingress of floodwater, and, when grouped together as a large tank, to provide a sufficiently solid foundation for a floor to be built on it. This anticipates the tanks being incorporated into a dyke that has off-grid buildings constructed on the top. This is illustrated in Figure 8, where rubble-filled tyres and water-filled tyres can form a grid assembly, enabling houses to be built on top of the tyre tanks and the rubble filled walls, all of which are joined by the same tyre clips.

The arrowhead tyre clip works by using the integral tension of rubber and steel to hold four adjacent tyres together by their rims. An addition to this invention is a special compression tool that enables one to apply tension against the tyre using one’s weight through the knee whilst the clip is being hammered home. Upon release of the tool the clip takes up the tension. The tool means one man rather than two can connect tyres.

Benefits of embodiments of the invention include assisting cities to provide extensive turf roofing, and as a support for other structures. With the tank to save and supply rainwater, there is little reason not to use the turf roof all over the world, particularly in hot countries with sporadic rainfall, and reverse the destruction of greenery. Inexpensive solar-powered turf roofs can be built over car parks, even over streets and arterial roads. With the use of large water tanks, a critical mass of greenery is capable of changing the ambient temperature in inhospitable cities that overheat in Summer.

There now follows a description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, which explain aspects of the present invention, but by way of example only.

Illustration of Tyre Tank

Figure 1A shows a detail of a section of wall (Fig IB) in order to illustrate how the tyres (10) are held together. The tyres are shown in cross section to explain how the rims in a tyre wall create tension when compressed. Two rims from a pair of adjacent tyres are forced into proximity when a clip is applied using two locking pieces, (111), (112), which hereafter, when assembled, will be referred to as a locking clip. Each locking piece has a curved end that fits round the rim of a tyre. The two locking pieces are squeezed together and the arrow clip (13) is driven through the first locking clip via an oblong slot (116) in both locking pieces (Fig 2). It is then driven through an identical second locking clip, similarly positioned around the rims of an adjacent pair of tyres. This tension in the tyre walls and rims effectively locks the two clip pieces together, working in conjunction with the slots (116) and the arrow clip (13). Once married up, the position of the slots relative to the curved ends defines the new distance between two tyre rims.

The arrow clip serves to affix a pair of vertically joined tyres to an adjacent pair of vertically joined tyres, but due to its role in locking the clips by passing through the hole in both pieces of a clip, it is integral to locking all four tyres together. However used tyres vary in the thickness of their tread, due to wear on the road. This means that for a tight fit the arrow clip may need to be available in a variety of lengths (with small variations), as this difference in tread thickness will affect the distance between the two sets of locking clips. A covering (14) could be provided to cover sharp edges on the arrow head.

Figure 2A provides more detail of the compression process prior to locking. In order to make compression easier when using a simple hand tool for the purpose, a lug (114), (115) may be available on each locking piece so that when the two lugs are squeezed together there is more leverage available than if the jaws of the tool simply squeeze the locking pieces at the curved ends, or even at the rims themselves. Also the tool does not impede the free movement of the arrow clip head. Figure 2B shows how the lugs are positioned on the front face and relative to the slot (116).

Figure 2C shows how the arrow clip has a slot down its length, which enables to two prongs to be compressed together when the arrow clip is driven through the slot (116). The arrow head, made up of the two prongs in parallel, is wider than the slot, its two sections starting narrow at the tip, then growing wider. When hammered through from the other end, where a right angle denotes the limit of travel possible through the first slot, it forces the two prongs closer together. This allows it to be driven through the slot, but upon emerging on the far side it returns to its original shape, and so is locked into position, the combined width of the prongs at the base of the head being wider than the slot. Both locking clips now are held tightly together by the arrow clip. A small plastic cover (14) may be fixed over all or part of the locking clip to prevent the liner being punctured by any sharp edges, or preferably a larger circular cover (45) (Fig 4B) that encloses the rims and the clips may be used.

Further embodiments are possible. Figure 2D shows a hole at 117, which would enable the arrow clip and slot to be replaced by a nut and bolt. The advantage of such a system would be to obviate the need for different lengths of arrow clip, as the nut could be tightened as required.

Another embodiment is the addition of two or more clips (118) on the sides of one of the locking pieces that enable the second locking piece to be enclosed as a sliding fit. This would provide more control at the compression stage. This is shown in Figures (2D), (2E) and (2F).

The clip assembly is designed to be dismantled.

Figure 3 (displayed on its side) shows a method for inserting the lining into a vertical section of the tyre tank wall, formed by a vertical assembly of tyres. This will be referred to as a tyre pillar. The problem is that a polythene tube has a given dimension for its diameter, whereas a tyre has one width from tread to tread, and another from rim to rim. The lining therefore has to have bulges like the Michelin Man. To avoid stretching and tearing the lining when it marries with the irregular shape of the tyre pillar interior, it must first be loaded safely into the pillar in such a way that it can expand in a controlled and even manner.

Figure 3 A shows a liner tube (30) gathered together and encircled with a fragile material like masking tape at the points (32), making a series of waistbands. These match up exactly with the tyres and their rim joints (10) in the pillar shown below. Each pillar may have a different combination of bulges, because tyres have varying tread widths, and so this needs to be a simple method that can be performed on site. (Figure 3D): The gathered waistbands must therefore be kept the correct distance apart, (i.e. rim joint to rim joint: distance ‘r’). The gathered material itself allows for expansion into the greater distance ‘R’ of rim to rim travelling round via the tread, roughly three times distance ‘r’. Therefore lengths of masking tape, made up of short lengths just a little longer than ‘r’, are used to ensure the smaller rim to rim distance between waistbands (32) These can be applied anywhere, as long as they maintain the correct distance between waistbands. In (Fig 3 A) they are shown as (31), taking their reference from the various distances between rims of the tyres (10). The gathered liner material would expand to the greater distance ‘R’ when inflated later, the tape offering little resistance. The gathered liner (Figure 3 A) must first be narrow enough to fit through the rims. There will inevitably be folds and creases inside the liner once inflated.

Once made up in this fashion, the liner is fed into the top of the pillar, base first. It has a weighted string (35) attached to the outlet pipe (34), which has been secured to exit from the bottom of the liner bag. The liner may need to be folded at the base to make a tube into a watertight bag.

The weighted string is used to guide the pipe out through small apertures, like the hole (34) in a support base (37), so that the pipe itself can be pulled through, and attached to a plumbing system (38). This is shown in Figure 3C, where the tyres are shown resting on blocks (36).

When the liner is in position with the waistbands next to the rim joins, the liner can be inflated by compressed air. This may prove a more controlled technique than using water. However, filling with water from the start is also a possibility.

Figure 4

Figure 4 shows a design for securing the tyre tank wall to an existing structure like a house wall. Figure 4A shows where the two fixing spots lie, one at a building wall (41) and one where the Arrow clip (13) might cross from one pair of tyres to another. In the illustration a simple clip is shown (42), bolted to the arrow clip (13) and slotted into a wall bracket (43). Such fixings could be used to secure a tyre tank wall that is built to stand against, say, the wall of a house. A second embodiment (Figure 4B) addresses the issue of sharp edges or deep clefts endangering the integrity of the liner sleeve. One solution is the addition of a length of suitably sized material, such as pipe insulation (44), forced between the two adjacent rims to fill what would otherwise be a dangerous gap. A second solution would be a length of hollow tubing (45), slit along its length, again corresponding in length to the rim circumference, which is forced over both rims, thus covering all clips as well as the gap between rims. A wall can be two or more tyres thick. Figure 4C shows how a multiplicity of tyres are fixed at a variety of points where two tyres touch, which would have the advantage of making it very strong in cases where it might be hit by a vehicle. The tensile strength of each tyre would come into play, both absorbing some shock and spreading the tension in many directions. Such a multiplicity of tyres means the pillars could be configured as a free standing tank, as well. The gaps at (46), which would be tall concave pyramids formed by the meeting of tyre treads from three pillars, could also be used as tanks if a small diameter of sleeve is used.

Figure 4D and 4E show how a tyre tank assembly can be fortified to make a load bearing wall using steel and concrete. (Figure 4D) A rod or assembly of rods is inserted down the gaps between tyres (46), but are strengthened with lateral pieces at 47 between courses of tyres. (Figure 4E) A spacer (48) maintains a suitable gap between the tyres so that the concrete can envelope the steel bracing. However, the pipe sleeve (45) placed around the rims prevents any concrete getting into the tanks themselves. The shading in (Fig 4E) shows where the concrete lies in cross section. Viewed from above it would spread everywhere except the tank void itself

Figure 4F shows how the gaps at (46) can be used to support a concrete and steel support, whereby the support is designed to rest on the multiplicity of tyres rather than on the base foundations. It uses the cumulative resistance of all the tyre treads to compression, the concrete preventing them from collapsing when the load is borne at a point on the edge of the tyres on the tread. The steel rod or pipe that forms the core has a series of lugs or extension arms (49) group in threes around its circumference, each group designed to lie opposite a join in the tyre pillars between tyres. The lugs or extension arms are designed to fit into the join between two tyres. To locate the bar in position, the bar is lowered into the hole (46) with the lugs aligned towards the three tips of the triangle, and when at the right depth the rod or pipe is twisted so that the lugs take up a position in the joins, each lug sitting between two treads.

Figure 5A shows a second embodiment of the tyre tank. The tyre sidewall (50) is removed from the tyre tread (51) as part of the process required to make a hydroponic turf roof, where the tread is used as the roof support. An average roof may result in 400 tyre sidewalls being available. These are stacked together with their rubber elements (fins) being screwed together at intervals in groups of perhaps five or six, at different points around the rubber surround, so that a rigid pillar gradually builds, preferably with all rims of the same circumference. Into this pillar is inserted a sheet of a semi-rigid sheet material (52), rolled up to make a tube that, on unfurling, marries with the rims inside. Finally a liner is added, as in the whole tyre tank, except that there is no need to gather it into bulges first. This then forms the tank. It is likely to be smaller than the first embodiment, but it can be rendered on the outside surface with a stiff mortar between and on the rubber fins.

Figure 5B When making a wall, as opposed to a single pillar, the rubber fins (50) of adjacent sidewalls are laid so that they interlock with their adjacent fins. When a pillar is screwed together, the screws then enter the neighbouring fins as well, thus securing the whole stnicture as one piece. The semi-rigid sheets are then inserted to make the tanks ready for the liners.

Figure 6A A second embodiment of the tyre clip is required, as tyre tanks made from car tyres will not have the benefits of standardised dimensions that truck tyres enjoy. This irregularity requires a different form of clip that can be adapted in its affixing to suit various sizes of car tyre, or which can be produced cheaply in a variety of colours to represent different sizes of clip, or both. This second clip is designed to be placed over the two adjacent rims so that the two hemispheres are roughly opposite each other, with the two tyre sidewalls between them. Instead of being clipped together, the tyre sidewalls will be screwed together. The problem to be addressed is that the emerging screw point would damage the liner; a second problem is that the screw has to enter at an angle, as the upper rim would obstruct the power tool if the screw were inserted vertically. A third problem is that repeated holding a screw whilst using the power tool could damage the fingers.

The solution involves a clip (60), made of a semi-rigid material like plastic, where two hemispheres (61) (63) (approximately 3cm in diameter) are connected by a strap that is roughly U-shaped. The two flat faces are almost directly opposite each other, but are actually slightly offset, the lower hemisphere sitting nearer its tread, as they are intended to facilitate the driving of a screw (62) diagonally through the two adjacent tyre walls. The upper hemisphere (61) has a hole drilled diagonally through it to hold a screw in position ready for drilling. The lower hemisphere (63) accommodates the screw point after it has pierced the two adjacent tyre walls, preventing it from endangering the liner. The angle of screw entry allows the power tool not to be obstructed by the upper tyre rim. The strap is semi-rigid, and so formed as to wrap around the rims and hold the two hemispheres in approximately the correct position. The lower of the two hemispheres may have a shallow hole drilled into its flat surface, slightly off centre and towards the strap, so that the screw point can be correctly located by feel midway through the drilling process.

Figure 6B

To attach two adjacent tyres by their treads requires a pair of hemispheres but not a strap. Here the hole in the one hemisphere that is designed to take a screw is perpendicular to the flat plane on the hemisphere. The second hemisphere may again have a shallow hole in the centre to facilitate the positioning of the screw

Figure 7 A method of assembling the arrowhead clips: The compression tool is designed to provide a resistant support against which to hammer the arrow head clip (13) home through the second pair of rim clips (111/112) under tension, thus making the horizontal union between two adjacent pairs of tyres. The pairs of rim clips provide only the vertical union: the first pair of rim clips for the first pair of tyres, and the second pair of rim clips for the second pair of tyres. The clips are placed with their short side hooked over the rim and their long side lying face to face with its partner (that is hooked over the vertically adjacent tyre rim). They work by having a slot (116) in each clip, which only aligns each with the other when the two rims and their respective clips are squeezed together. The action is locked by the arrow head clip (13) passing through this slot.

The procedure is first to compress the first set of rims and first set of rim clips with a hand tool and pass the arrowhead clip through the combined slot. This connects those two tyres vertically under tension via the slot. The arrowhead clip is hammered further through, between the supine tyre walls towards the horizontally adjacent second pair of tyres and the second rim clips. Here the second pair of clips is squeezed together by a hand tool enough to get the arrowhead to fit through the combined slot by, say, a quarter of an inch. This ensures the two vertically adjacent rims of the second pair of tyres remain temporarily locked together.

To effect the horizontal lock, the arrow head must be fully hammered through this second slot, but it should do so under tension, working against the integrity of the tyre walls and treads. The distance on the arrowhead clip between the hook at the hammered end and the start of the arrow head being fractionally less than what the tyres wish to accept. Because everything is rubber, the hammer blow needs something solid to strike against to drive the arrowclip home. This is what the compression tool is for.

To set up the tool, it is first positioned so that its two feet, (76) and (77), at the end of the jointed legs (71) and (72) are touching opposite sides of the two adjacent rims in the second tyre pair. The front foot (76) covers the second pair of rim clips, but leaves space for the arrow head to come through unobstructed. Thus, whilst one foot (76) of the tool is pressing against the pair of rim clips that clasp the second pair of tyres vertically by their adjacent rims, the other foot (77) rests against those same rims, but on the opposite vacant side. Using downward pressure from the knee on the plate (75) at the end of the lever (73), the elbow joint (70) of the two legs is forced downwards by a lower plate (74) on the lever (73) that is nearer to the fulcrum at, so that the articulated section, consisting of legs (71) and (72) is made to extend, and pressure is brought to bear where the feet rest on the rims. There is now a good support for the hammering.

The arrowhead must be hammered far enough so that its widest point passes through the slot of the rim clips. This will mean hammering against the resistance of the shape in both sets of tyre walls and any space between the tread faces, as well as resistance in the arrowhead clip itself to being compressed. Once the arrowhead is through, it retains that tension between the two horizontal pairs of tyres.

An alternative or an addition to the arrowhead clip is the use of a nut and long bolt, passed through a hole (117) on each rim clip pair, on the same principle as the slot and arrowhead clip. It is possible, by tightening the nut on the bolt, to move the two pairs of rim clips closer to each other, prior to driving the arrowhead clip through, or to use them as a fixing in their own right.

Figure 8

This shows how a structure can be made that uses a combination of tank tyres and rubble filled tyres, all connected with either of the two clip designs. Such a structure would enable flood proof buildings to be constructed, whereby the rubble tyre foundations for the building stand clear of the water, and the tyre tanks are safe from floodwater ingress, if the top of the tanks is higher than the floodwater. A second example of building support and tyre tanks being combined is found in Figure 4C. Into the concave triangular voids (46), formed when three tyres abut against each other, can be inserted steel rods and a fluid material that solidifies into a rigid or semirigid state, like concrete or a resin-based product. In this instance the structure could be further strengthened if the steel rods are connected to each other at intervals between the courses of tyres, for example by welding horizontal steel joining lengths between the rods or using a form of clip,. In this way the rods acquire a unified strength, with auxiliary tension provided by the surrounding assembly of tyres and clips, which would enable them to bear, for example, arch structures.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular emhodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, there now follow various clauses, which define various combinations of subject matter which fall within the scope of various aspects of the present invention.

Arrowhead clip system 1. A clip assembly to affix together the four rims of two horizontally adjacent pairs of tyres, whereby a pair of tyres consists of one tyre in a horizontal position being placed on top of a second tyre in a horizontal position, so that their sidewalls are in contact with each other, and the treads of one pair of tyres are touching the adjacent treads of other pair. 2. A clip assembly as in (1) consisting of five pieces, of which four, known as rim clips, are rectangular plates, typically between 4 and 20 centimetres in length, whose one end is bent at or close to a right angle to form a hook of at least I centimetre length that is substantially the same in profile as the inside edge of a tyre rim, when the clip hangs down from the lower rim, held by its hook, from a tyre held in a horizontal position, i.e. with the sidewall facing upwards. 3. A rim clip as in (2) may have a rectangular slot, typically 30mm x 5mm, cut horizontally through the longer face of the clip (by which is meant the face that is not part of the hook), when the clip is seen to stand with the hook uppermost. 4. A rim clip as in (3) may have two or more extensions on each of its two longest edges that wrap partially or completely around the front long face, by which is meant the opposite side to the hook, in such a way that a second clip as in (3) would be able to slide by its long face against the long face of the first clip, whilst being held in place by the two or more extensions. 5. A clip as in (2) or (3) may have a further hole drilled in its long face that can accommodate a bolt, typically 10mm in diameter. 6. A long rectangular clip, of which part or all of one end has been made to form a right angle, and of which the main shaft has been separated into two separate, parallel longitudinal sections for all or most of its length, and at the end of which sections (i.e. at the opposite end from the right angle) the two sections in their combination are seen to form a split triangle or arrow head 7. A long rectangular clip, as in (6) where the combined width at the base of the triangle, when the two sections are compressed together, is fractionally less than the width of the slot in (3), and when the sections are released from compression the combined width is significantly wider than the slot in (3).

Method for arrowclip 8. A method for joining four tyre rims as described in (1) whereby a pair of rim clips as in (2) is made to hook over the two adjacent tyre rims, such that the long faces of each pair of rim clips touch in a potentially sliding fit, so that when the two rims are squeezed closer to each other at the point where the hooks espouse them, the slot on each rim clip comes to align with its partner clip slot, making a single slot through which the arrowhead clip described in (6 ) can be forced to pass by compressing its two longitudinal sections together, thus allowing the arrowhead end to pass through the set of rim clips, which, by virtue of the distance between the right angle at its one end and the wide base of the triangle at the head end, can be made to provide a tensioned fit in the whole assembly when the arrowhead clip has passed through two sets of adjacent clips mounted on opposite sides of two touching tyre treads.

Bolt version of arrowclip 9. A method as in (8), where instead of the arrowhead clip passing through the aligned slots in the rim clips, a bolt is made to pass through the aligned bolt holes, as in (5), and a nut secured and tensioned on the end of the bolt against the second pair of rim clips.

Hemisphere clip: sidewall 10. Two semi-rounded, typically hemispherical pieces of semi-rigid material, each with a flat face, are joined by a U-shaped strip of a minimum 30mm length, so that their flat sides can face each other on either side of two conjoined tyre sidewalls when the strip is passed around their two adjacent tyre rims. 11. A clip as in (7) where one of the two hemispheres has a linear hole that, when the hemisphere is lying flat face down on the tyre wall, pierces it at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the flat plane, passing from the exterior of the hemisphere and emerging roughly in the centre of the flat face, and where the exterior end of the hole is located close to the joining strip.

Hemisphere clip: tread 12. Two semi-rounded, typically hemispherical pieces of semi-rigid material, each with a flat face, of which one has a linear hole passing from the outside to the centre of the flat plane at an angle roughly perpendicular to the flat plane, whilst the second may have a shallow hole in the centre of its flat face.

Hemisphere method: sidewall attachment 13. A method for affixing to each other two adjacent tyres by their sidewall faces, whereby a hemispherical clip as in (10) is passed over the two adjacent rims so that the two flat faces of the hemispheres are approximately opposite each other and slightly staggered on either side of the two sidewalls sandwiched between them, so that a screw can be placed in the diagonal hole and made to pass through the two tyre walls and enter the second hemispherical piece without the sharp screw point emerging.

Hemisphere method: tread attachment 14. A method for joining two adjacent tyres by their treads, whereby a pair of hemispherical pieces as described in (12) are placed on either side of the two tyre treads, so that these are sandwiched between them, and a screw of an appropriate length placed in the perpendicular hole of the first piece which is then driven through the pair of treads and into the second hemispherical piece, such that the sharp screw point does not emerge.

Assembly of tyres 15. An assembly of tyres may be connected by clips as described in (1 - 9) such that any number of tyres laid horizontally, with their treads touching, may receive a second or more layers of horizontally laid tyres directly on top of them, such that their rims are broadly aligned, whereby the clips are used to affix two horizontally adjacent pairs of vertically adjacent tyres together across the point where the treads touch. 16. An assembly of tyres may be connected by clips as described in (10-11) such that any number of tyres laid horizontally, with their treads touching, may receive a second or more layers of tyres directly on top of them in the same plane, such that their rims are broadly aligned, whereby the clips are used to affix a vertical pair of tyres together across the point where the sidewalls touch. 17. An assembly of tyres as in (16) whereby clips described in (12) are used to affix a pair of adjacent tyres across the point where the treads touch.

Pipe joint covers 18. A method for protecting tank liners from being damaged by sharps or crevices at the joining of two rims, whereby a length of tubing of no less than 50mm diameter, cut to the length of a tyre’s rim circumference, is cut up its length in a straight line and forced apart such that one edge of the long slit created fits on top of the upper rim, and the other edge of the long slit is made to fit under the lower rim, so that the joining of the two tyre rims is completely hidden by the length of pipe.

Tube Liner 19. A vertical tube of tyres as created in (15-17) may have a liner inserted into it, made from a pliable tube of membrane such as pol3rihene, whereby the diameter of the liner tube is greater than the diameter of the tyre tube when measured across the inside of its tread. 20. A liner tube as in (19) may be sealed at the bottom so as to form a bag, and a pipe inserted through the bottom of the bag such that no liquid can escape from inside the liner except through the pipe. 21. The pipe in (20) may be connected to a network of pipes, enabling a series of tanks to be connected to each other as well as to assorted pipes, filters, sensors, or pumps.

Tyre disc tank 22. A method for making a series of tanks from the severed walls of vehicle tyres requires the tyre walls to be set down horizontally, such that the rubber annular section of one tyre wall overlaps the rubber annular section of one or more other tyre walls, and subsequent tyres that are added to the structure may be similarly arranged over the first tyres such that the tyre rims in successive layers broadly align with each other, and a threaded fixing device like a screw may be driven through multiple overlapping rubber annular sections to fix them together. 23. A method as in (22) by which a number of flexible semi-rigid sheets can be rolled up and inserted down into the tube created by the assembly of aligned rims so that they unfurl to provide a semi-rigid lateral support by covering all the exposed rims. 24. A method as in (23) by which a liner tube of polythene or similar flexible watertight material, whose diameter is not less than the diameter of the assembly of rims and sheets, is inserted into the tube created by the multiplicity of rims and sheets. 25. A liner tube as in (24) may be sealed at the bottom so as to form a bag, and a pipe inserted through the bottom of the bag such that no liquid can escape from inside the liner except through the pipe. 26. The pipe in (25) may be connected to a network of pipes, enabling a series of tanks to be connected to each other as well as to assorted pipes, filters, sensors, or pumps.

Tyre tank loadbearing wall 27. An assembly of tyres as in (15 - 21) may be further adapted to become a loadbearing support for a structure, whilst simultaneously serving as storage for liquid. At the point where three horizontal tyres meet, whereby each tyre is touching two other tyres by their treads, a concave triangular void is created. These voids extend upwards commensurate with the height of the tyre tank assembly, and provide the primary location for the strengthening method described below in (28-29). 28. A rod or assembly of rods may be positioned inside the void described in (27) such that it extends from a point near the lowest tyre towards or beyond a point near the top tyre. 29. A rod or assembly of rods as in (28) may be connected to another similar rod or assembly of rods, such that the connection or connections are made between courses of tyres. 30. A framework may be adapted to fit onto any of the clips (1-9) or rod assembly (28 - 29) that may serve as a fixing point for cladding or shuttering affixed to the outside of the tyre assembly. 31. A series of spacing pieces may be inserted between the tyre sidewalls of two vertically adjacent tyres to define the thickness of concrete required between courses of tyres. 32. Into the voids and assembly of rods as described in (27 - 31) a form of liquid, for example concrete, may be poured that sets in a rigid or semi rigid state. 33. Exterior shuttering may be affixed to the framework in (30) 34. Into the void created between the tyre assembly and the shuttering in (32) a form of liquid such as concrete may be poured that sets in a rigid or semi rigid state. 35. A rod as in (28) or tube, preferably of steel, may have a series of lugs or extension arms, each group of three lugs or extension arms positioned at three points laterally equidistant from each other on a horizontal plane around its circumference, and each group positioned such that it is laterally adjacent to a horizontal join between two tyres.

Rubble-filled tyre tank load-bearing support 36. In a second embodiment of the tyre tank forming part of a building support, an assembly of tyres as described in (15 to 17) may contain some vertical assemblies of tyres that are filled with rubble.

Tube Liner 37. A long bag made of flexible waterproof material may be manufactured so that at regular given intervals it is of a narrower diameter than the remainder of the bag, which is of a larger given diameter. 38. A bag as in (37) which has a facility for an external pipe to be attached to its base.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

1. A stnicture comprising a vertical stack of multiple vehicle tyres (being whole tyres - or parts thereof but being generally annular in shape) the vertical stack defining a cavity accommodating a water-proof membrane which extends at least partially through the centre of at least two of the vehicle tyre portions in the stack and which is arranged to contain a body of water.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure is or forms part of a building structure, for example a habitable building.

3. A structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the structure is or forms part of a wall.

4. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the membrane contains water, for example more than 1,000 litres of water.

5. A structure according to claim 4, wherein the structure is covered at least partially with a layer of vegetation, preferably grass turf, and the structure is arranged such that the layer of vegetation is watered using the water contained by the membrane.

6. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the membrane is arranged to be fed with captured rain water.

7. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the membrane (for example being in the form of a liner bag) defines one or more water containers, optionally unsealed containers (for example open at their upper ends so as to catch rain water).

8. A stmcture according to any preceding claim, wherein the membrane is a flexible, preferably elastically deformable, membrane.

9. A structure according to any preceding claim, comprising a protective liner that is located between the membrane and the inner surface of the stack of tyres.

10. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the structure defines one or more water tanks, at least one being formed by the water-proof membrane in the cavity.

11. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the structure comprises multiple vertical stacks of multiple vehicle tyres, for example each vertical stack defining a cavity as defined in claim 1 (there possibly being yet further vertical stacks of multiple vehicle tyres not being in accordance with claim 1).

12. A structure according to claim 11, wherein the multiple vertical stacks are arranged in a line, for example forming part of a wall.

13. A structure according to claim 11, wherein the multiple vertical stacks are arranged to span an area such that the area is more than two stacks (optionally more than three stacks, and possibly more than five stacks) wide in one direction and more than two stacks (optionally more than three stacks, and possibly more than five stacks) long in a transverse direction.

14. A structure, optionally being one according to any preceding claim, comprising multiple vertical stacks of multiple vehicle tyres, wherein the regions between adjacent stacks are filled with solid material or otherwise reinforced (for example with pillars, lengths of rigid material for example of steel or other metals).

15. A structure according to claim 14, wherein the solid material is concrete, for example reinforced concrete (for example reinforced with lengths of steel).

16. A stnicture according to any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the multiple vertical stacks form part of a dyke, a flood defence system, or as a foundation suitable for supporting a permanent human dwelling.

17. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein the tyres are used vehicle tyres.

18. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein adjacent tyres in a stack are secured to each other by means of a clip system which includes at least one clip (preferably multiple clips) which clips tyre rims of the adjacent tyres together.

19. A structure according to claim 18, wherein the clip system includes a spacer (for example being a ring of for example pipe section) which sits between the rims of the adjacent tyres, thus urging the tyre rims apart against the action of the clip.

20. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein a tyre in one stack is connected to a tyre in an adjacent stack by means of a tie which extends from the rim of a tyre in a stack to the rim of a tyre in an adjacent stack.

21. A structure according to claim 20 when dependent on claim 18 or 19, wherein the tie connects to the clip.

22. A tie for use as the tie of claims 20 or 21.

23. A clip for use as the clip of any of claims 18, 19 and 21.

24. A kit of parts comprising a plurality of ties according to claim 22 and a plurality of clips according to claim 23.

25. A membrane for use as the membrane of any of claims 1 to 21.

26. A membrane according to claim 25, wherein the membrane is in the generally form of a bag configured to have a varying diameter along its length, so as to fill the cavity in a vertical stack, the cavity having a varying diameter along its height.

27. A method of manufacturing a membrane according to claim 26, wherein the regions of varying diameter of the bag are produced during manufacture and before installation of the bag in the cavity.

28. A method of installing a membrane according to claim 26 in a vertical stack of tyres, wherein the method includes causing the bag to expand to have greater diameter in certain regions and a lower diameter in other regions, for example during the step of installation.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein prior to installation the bag, those parts which form the regions of greater diameter are of a substantially identical shape, configuration and composition to those parts which form the regions of lower diameter (for example, such that it is the act of installation which causes the bag to conform to a shape having one or more regions of greater diameter and one or more regions of lower diameter).