US3052248A

US3052248A - Carage floor dam

Info

Publication number: US3052248A
Application number: US803610A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward M Reuter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-04-02
Filing date: 1959-04-02
Publication date: 1962-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1979-09-04

Description

United States Patent Ofifice 3,052,248 Patented Sept. 4, 1962 3,652,248 GARAGE FLQGR DAM Edward M. Renter, 41211 Llewe lyn, Northville, Mich. Filed Apr. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 803,610 3 (Jlaims. (til. 134-199) This invention relates to a device for isolating a portion of the area of a floor, and more particularly to a special barrier for an area of a floor to isolate that area.

In the winter-time motor vehicles gather quantities of snow and ice on the undercarriage, and after standing in the garage some of the snow melts and generally forms puddles of water over the garage floor causing it to be dirty, slippery and upon refreezing, considerably dangerous. This invention provides abarrier constructed of a plurality of joined strips, designed to be attached to the floor to isolate an area thereof wherein one or more motor vehicles may stand until the ice and snow melts from the undercarriage. The barrier prevents the melted snow from running over the entire floor and causing puddles which are not only annoying but actually dangerous, especially upon re-freezing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier for a portion of the area of a floor, wherein there are means by which the barrier may be used for flushing the isolated area. These means consist preferably of a water passage in the strip that forms the barrier, plus a number of orifices directed inwardly of the isolated area. By attaching a conventional hose to the barrier, the passage may be supplied with water under pressure which ultimately passes through the orifices and sweeps across the floor area isolated by the barrier.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic top view showing the barrier in use.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of one of the strips that forms the barrier.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another modification.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing a further modification.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the line Ill-10 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged sectional view showing a corner construction of the barrier in FIGURE 6.

In the accompanying drawings there is a garage 10 diagrammatically illustrated. This garage may be of any dimension. It has floor 12 which is ordinarily made of concrete inasmuch as the preferred, but not necessarily the exclusive, use of the invention is in garages, service stations and other places which ordinarily service motor vehicles of various types.

Barrier 14- shown in FIGURES l-3 is but one possible form of the invention. It is made of three

elongate strips

16, 18 and 26. The

strips

16 and 18 are joined at right angles to each other and strips 13 and 20 are perspective view of the end piece shown also joined at right angles to each other forming a generally U-shaped isolated area 24 on floor 12 which has an open side 26 for ingress and egress of the motor vehicle.

All of the strips may be made of numerous materials. For instance, the strips from which the barrier is made may be constructed from various tubular plastics e.g. polyethylene, metal, rubber either natural or synthetic, or any elastomeric substance. Barrier 14 is attached to floor 12 by being cemented in place, although it is clearly understood that other means of fastening the

barrier strips

16, 18 and 20 may be resorted to. Typical barrier strip 16 is shown in FIGURE 3. It has an approximately fiat upper surface 28 and an approximately flat bottom surface 36 which is cemented in place on floor 12 around its side 32 and an upstanding side 34. A longitudinal passage 36 is in strip 16 and joins to an identical passage in

strips

18 and 20. The passage 36 is closed at its ends but is in communication with a nipple 40 or some other type of hose coupling so that a source of water under pressure may be operatively connected therewith to supply passage 36 with water. A number of orifices 42 are in strip 16 and they are in communication with passage 36 so that when water under pressure enters the passage 36, it is discharged through the orifices. The orifices are directed inwardly toward area 24 so that the water issuing therefrom will be swept across this area for the purpose of cleaning it.

FIGURE 4 shows strip 50. This strip differs from strip 16 only to the extent that passage 52 therein is located in the center of the strip instead of to one side thereof. Further,

strips

16 and 50 each have sloping surfaces at the top thereof to facilitate walking or riding over the strips. By having the smooth bevel, persons are less likely to trip over the strip, even though this likelihood is remote in view of the small thickness of the strips. They need only be an inch or two inches thick at the highest points.

A further modification is shown in FIGURE 5 where strip 54 has a rather large passage 56. In this form of the invention, as in all other forms, orifices may be provided in registry with passage 56 so that water may be issued in jet streams therefrom to sweep across area 24. Alternatively, each of the forms of the strip may be manufactured without passages and without orifices but this would be at the expense of the capability of the barrier to issue water in a direction to sweep across the enclosed area 24. The result would be that cleaning would have to be accomplished by conventional practice. Strip 54 has slightly angulated sides, and the top surface 58 is formed with a tread design. This is an optional feature.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 6-l1 where another type of strip is shown. Noting first FIGURE 9, strip 61) disclosed therein has a passage 62 in the form of an arch when viewed in cross-section. The sides or side walls rise upwardly from the bottom of the strip a very short distance but sufiicient to have orifices 64 in one wall thereof, which register with passage 62. FIG- URE 6 shows that the strips need not be made in one piece. All

strips

16, 50, 54 and 60 may be made sectional and joined together so that the lay-out and size of the isolated area of the floor may be selected in accordance with the desires of the user as dictated by his particula demands, floor area available, etc.

Barrier 66 is constructed of

strips

68, 70 and 72 joined at their ends to form a generally U-shaped isolated area. Typical strip 72 is made in two

sections

74 and 76 connected together by coupling 78 (FIGURE 10) consist ing of a short sleeve with a passage 86 therethrough. The short sleeve is fitted into passage 62 thereby registering the passages of the sections with each other. Sleeve 78 may be joined to the sections in any suitable way, for instance it may be cemented in place.

The corners 86 are formed by a right angle coupling 88 in the form of an elbow. The ends of it are fitted into the passages 62 of the adjacent sides, 70 and 74 in the illustrated instance (FIGURE 11), and held in place by standard fasteners or fastening means, as cement.

The ends of passages 62 are closed by

end members

90 and 92, each of which is identical. End member 90 is made of a short body having a ramp 94 at one end rising from the leading edge and tapering upwardly as the member 90 approaches the end of section 72 (\FIGURE 7). A reduced end 96 of member 90 is fitted into the end of passage 62, thereby sealing it.

End members

90 and 92 may be attached to

sides

72 and 68 by cementing in the case of rubber, plastic and by other means when other materials of construction are used for the barrier.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable device to isolate a portion of the area of a floor, said device comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed strips lying on the floor in immediate contact therewith, said strips being much longer than they are wide and tall, means separab-ly joining said strips together :at some of their ends to define an enclosure with an open side for ingress and egress to the space on the floor within said strips, said strips constituting a short vertical barrier on the floor, said barrier having an elongate passage extending longitudinally therein, said passage having closed ends and a plurality of laterally disposed orifices directed inwardly of said space, a coupling to connect with a water supply, said coupling registered with said passage to conduct water into said passage for issuance through said orifices to flush said space.

2. In combination, a garage having a vehicle entrance and including a floor, and a generally U-shaped elastomeric water barrier, adhered to the floor in sealing contact therewith and opening toward the entrance for receiving within the confines or" the barrier a vehicle from the entrance and for the outflow of water therethrough, said barrier being tubular for receiving water under pressure and having inwardly and downwardly directed orifices therein for flushing the floor within the confines of said barrier.

3. The combination of claim 2, said barrier comprising a plurality of sections secured to the floor, and means for detachably connecting said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,588 Case May 9, 1905 802,772 McCoy Oct. 24, 1905 938,984 Curry Nov. 2, 1909 939,804 Christy Nov. 9, 1909 1,183,391 Mason May 16, 1916 1,304,726 Bailey May 27, 1919 1,473,709 Otis Nov. 13, 1923 1,544,380 Edmonston June 30, 1925 1,630,553 Watson May 31, 1927 1,680,796 Lostettcr Aug. 14, 1928 2,209,181 Wendel July 2 3, 1940 2,536,843 Dye Ian. 2, 1951 2,689,577 Dunn Sept. 21, 1954 2,752,925 Friers July 13, 1956 2,981,266 Tamburri Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 670,107 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1952 1,051,333 France Sept. 16, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science, magazine, November 1945 (pages 143-144).