US3685403A

US3685403A - Assemblies of inter-linked pre-fabricated members for forming a path

Info

Publication number: US3685403A
Application number: US14328A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arno Domnick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-02-28
Filing date: 1970-02-26
Publication date: 1972-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-22
Also published as: FI55700B; CA927643A; BE746446A; FR2037144A1; AT312033B; FR2037144B1; NL163584C; CH528636A; GB1291945A; JPS5116982B1; FI55700C; NO126535B; SE372047B; NL7002806A; NL163584B

Abstract

An assembly for covering a strip of ground to provide a temporary or emergency path is disclosed. The assembly comprises a number of pre-fabricated members which are, preferably, flexibly interlinked by means of wire ropes on which the members are threaded. The flexibility of the wire ropes enables the assembly to be rolled up and unrolled and, when the assembly is unrolled over a strip of ground, the pre-fabricated members are maintained in mutually adjacent relationship by the wire ropes and are so shaped as to substantially cover the whole strip. The members have portions adapted to penetrate the ground so as to provide stability and other portions which provide a substantially uniform surface of a path. The soil or mud on which the assembly is laid is prevented from penetrating through the assembly and coiling the surface of the path.

Description

United States Patent Domnick [151 3,685,403 [451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] ASSEMBLIES OF INTER-LINKED PRE- FABRICATED MEMBERS FOR FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS FORNHNG A PATH 562,188 6/1944 Great Britain ..94/11 [72] Inventor: Arno Domnick, 7 Biener Strasse, Primary Examiner-Jacob L. Nackenofi 4451 Holthausen, Germany Attgrney- Arthur Klein 22 Filed: Feb. 26, 1970 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 14,328

An assembly for covering a strip of ground to provide a temporary or emergency path is disclosed. The as- [30] Forelgn Apphcamn Pnomy Data sembly comprises a number of pre-fabricated mem- Feb. 28, 1969 Germany ..P 19 10 213.7 bers which p y, i y i e inked by Aug. 13, 1969 Germany ..P 19 44 1326 means of wire ropes on which the members are threaded. The flexibility of the wire ropes enables the [52] US. Cl. ..94/13, 52/588, 238/14 assembly to be rolled up and unrolled and, when the [51] Int. Cl, ..E0lc 5/00 assembly is unrolled over a strip of ground, th Field fabricated members are maintained in mutually ad- 14 jacent relationship by the wire ropes and are so shaped as to substantially cover the whole strip. The References Clted members have portions adapted to penetrate the UNITED STATES PATENTS ground so as to provide stability and other portions which provlde a substantially uniform surface of a Wlnte The oil or mud on the assembly is is t X 3,080,021 3/ 1963 Muir ..52/584 X coiling the Surface f the path 3,368,315 2/1968 Thurnau ..52/588 3,385,183 5/1968 Kortz ..94/13 18 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 7 7 1 I 1 i/ 1 4 f /1l L/ 2 5 j 7 4 A 5 3 6 6 A 4 A -A PATENTED M1822 ma SHEET 1 BF 2 lnventbr:

Arno DOM/V/(K m am Y Attorn ev PATENTEBwszz m2 Inventor: Ar'no DOM/V/(K b M (7. w

Aftormev ASSEMBLIES OF INTER-LINKED PRE- FABRICATED MEMBERS FOR FORMING A PATH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to assemblies of interlinked pre-fabricated members for forming a path covering a strip of ground. Such a path may find use as a temporary road surface or as an emergency diversion route when road works are in progress.

Other applications of such paths may occur on building construction sites and farm yards.

It has been proposed to provide sheets of open mesh track to form, when laid down across a strip of ground, a path to facilitate the passage of vehicles across muddy or loose surfaces. A disadvantage of paths formed by such known tracks is that the strip of ground on which the open mesh is laid is not completely covered and hence the mud or loose material on which such mesh tracks are laid tends to penetrate the mesh and, consequently, the path rapidly becomes dirty and its efficaciousness diminishes.

Further, known tracks formed of open mesh or of similar open forms of construction provide only an uneven surface over which, because of its irregularity, vehicles can proceed only slowly. Such and other known tracks are formed of members which merely lie on the surface of the ground and are consequently prone to be displaced by vehicles passing over them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an interlinked assembly of pre-fabricated members of only one or two basic forms of construction for forming a path which substantially covers the strip of ground on which it is laid. The members are each provided with portions tending to penetrate the surface on which they rest to improve the positional stability of the path and with other portions which may easily be arranged to provide an even surface over which vehicles may travel at considerable speed. Thus, the disadvantages of known track arrangements which have been referred to in the preceding paragraphs are substantially reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an assembly for covering a strip of ground to provide a path, the assembly comprising a plurality of prefabricated members, flexible means so interlinking the members as to enable the assembly to be rolled up and unrolled, the members being maintained in mutually adjacent relationship by the flexible means to provide, when the assembly is unrolled over a strip of ground, a substantially continuous cover over the strip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a vertical cross-sectional view in perspective of two adjacently disposed pre-fabricated members of an assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a representation similar to FIG. 1 with a modified construction of the assembly; and

FIG. 3 shows a representation perspective of three prefabricated members of another assembly embodying the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. I, the members 1 each include a channel-shaped portion of approximately U-shaped cross-section, which is composed of downwardly pointing legs 2 and 3 and an approximately planar sheet portion 4 connecting these legs 2 and 3. The members 1 are flexibly interlinked by means of wire ropes 5, indicated in FIG. 1.

These members 1 are maintained on the wire ropes 5 predetermined distances relative to each other by conventional means such as for example disclosed in French Pat. No. 866,878, and German published utility model No. 1,976,650. When unrolled over a strip of ground, they form a path substantially covering the whole of the strip. The width of the path is defined by the length of each of the members in a direction perpendicular to that of the path. Each of the members 1 also comprises substantially horizontally projecting flange portion 7 and 8, which may be welded on to the respective channel-shaped portion. The flange portions 7 and 8 extend along the lengths of the members and cover the gaps 6 between adjacent members 1. In FIG. 1, each member 1 is provided with flange portions 7 and 8 on both longitudinal sides, and each flange portion covers approximately half the width of the adjacent gap 6 in a direction parallel to that of the path. In FIG. 1, the flange portions 7 and 8 lie in the plane of the sheet portion 4 of the members 1. However, the flange portions 7 and 8 may be slightly downwardly displaced out of the plane of the respective sheet portion 4, whereby an increase in the stability of the upper surface of the assembly forming the path may be obtained. In a modification of the member 1, instead of the widths of the projecting flange portions 7 and 8 of successive members being equal to each other, they may be of an altematingly different lengths provided the projecting flange portions of adjacently disposed members substantially cover the area of each gap 6 between respectively adjacent members.

In FIG. 1, the flange portions of adjacent members 1 closely adjoin or abut against each other. However, theprojecting flange facing flange portions of two adjacent members overlap each other when the assembly is unrolled to form the path. The projecting flange portions covering each gap may be altematingly arranged at difierent levels.

In FIG. 2, each member 1 is provided with only one flange portion 9 projecting along one longitudinal side of the respective channel-shaped portion of the member 1. Each flange portion 9 projects over at least the whole of the corresponding gap 6. The width of each flange portion 9 exceeds, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the width of the corresponding gap 6; hence the outer end of each flange portion rests on the respectively adjacent member 1. In this case, each member 1 is preferably provided on the upper surface formed by the sheet portion 4 with a recess 4", which in turn forms the support for the overlapping end of the flange portion 9 of the respectively adjacent member 1'. The width of each recess 4" is preferably somewhat greater than the width of the overlapping portion of the flange portion 9, so as to facilitate the rolling-up of the assembly. The form of construction shown in FIG. 2 proportions may be so constructed, that vides the additional advantage of greatly reducing the tendency of a member 1' to tilt due to the flange portions being unevenly loaded along their length.

In FIG. 1, the members 1 are shown to be welded to the corresponding projecting flange portions 7 and 8 whilst in FIG. 2, the members 1 are shown to be integral units bent into shape so as to provide flange portions 9. It is to be understood, that the members 1 of FIG. 1 may alternatively be constructed as integral units bent into shape; similarly, the members 1' of FIG. 2 may alternatively be of welded construction.

It furthermore is to be understood, that numerous modifications are possible in the formation of the profile of the members forming the assembly. Thus, for example, the projecting flange portions may be arranged along the lower edges of the downwardly pointing U-legs 2 and 3; such a profile is particularly simple to form by constructing the projecting flange portions as bent flanges, whereby a somewhat hat-shaped profile results.

Such a form of construction may be particularly advantageous in certain cases and is represented in FIG. 3. Again, the individual members 10 comprise a downwardly open channel-shaped profile of approximately U-shaped cross-secton, which is composed of downwardly pointing

legs

12 and 13 and an approximately planar sheet portion 14 connecting these

legs

12 and 13. The members 10 are flexibly interlinked by wire ropes 15, or in any other suitable manner, to define gaps 16 between adjacent ones of the members 10.

The gap 16 between two adjacent members 10 is covered over by projecting

flange portions

17 and 18 which extend over the length of their respective members l0, i.e., over the width of the path. In FIG. 3, the

flange portions

17 and 18 are formed as folded flanges and are located at the longitudinal lower edges of the downwardly pointing U-legs 12 and 13. Thus, the members 10 exhibit a somewhat hat-shaped cross-sectional profile.

Advantageously, the

flange portions

17 and 18 are so arranged that as illustrated in the example represented in FIG. 3 of the drawing they define with the respective one of the downwardly pointing U-

legs

12 and 13 an angle a of more than 90. Thus, an edge 19 is provided in the middle of the gap 16, where the

flange portions

17 and 18 of adjacent members 10 are close to or abut each other. This edge 19 promotes penetration into some kinds of soil or sub-strates and tends to stabilize the laid assembly against accidental displacement of the path. This form of construction also facilitates penetration of certain kinds of soil into the U-profile of the channel-shaped portions of the members 10 forming the assembly.

In a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the downwardly pointing

U-legs

12 and 13 are not mutually parallel but diverge towards their lower extremities, thereby causing the channel of the members 10 to be of trapezoidal cross-section. This construction promotes loosening of the soil pressed into the channelshaped profile when the assembly is rolled up. In this modified arrangement, the

flange portions

17 and 18 may as already described be arranged'either to project perpendicularly of the

legs

12 and 13 or to define an angle a of more than 90 to legs 12 and l3.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to a plurality of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a plurality of embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. As assembly, for covering a strip of ground to provide a path, comprising in combination:

a plurality of pre-fabricated members,

flexible means interlinking said members to enable said assembly to be rolled up and unrolled in a predetermined direction, said members being maintained in mutually adjacent relationshipv by said flexible means to provide, when said assembly is unrolled over a strip of ground, a substantially continuous cover over said strip,

each of said members comprising a channel-shaped portion and at least one flange portion projecting from the respective channel-shaped portion, said channel-shaped portions of respective ones of said members being mutually spaced apart along saidflexible means to define gaps therebetween and said flange portions extending across the length of said strip and substantially covering said gaps between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

2. An assemblyas defined in claim 1, wherein said flange portions project from either side of each of said channel-shaped portions and each said flange portions covers substantially half said gap between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said channel-shaped portions comprises a sheet portion adapted to form part of the upper surface of said cover when said assembly is unrolled, and each flange portion projects at substantially the same level as the sheet portion of the respective one of said channel-shaped portions.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein when said assembly is unrolled said flange portions of. adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions abut against one another.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said members comprises only one of said projecting flange portions, each said one flange portion projecting from one side of the respective one of said channelshaped portions and extending over substantially the area of said gap between adjacent ones of said channelshaped portions.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein each said channel-shaped portion comprises a sheet portion adapted to form part of the upper surface of said cover when said assembly is unrolled and each said one projecting flange portion at least partially overlaps said sheet portion of the next adjacent one of said channelshaped portions.

7. An assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein the upper surface of said sheet portion of each said channel-shaped portion is disposed below the upper surface of the flange portion projecting from the respective channel-shaped portion to define a recess to accommodate the overlapping flange portion of the next adjacent channel-shaped portion.

8. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said members comprises a channel-shaped portion and at least one flange portion welded to the respective channel-shaped portion.

9. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said members comprises a channel-shaped portion and at least one flange portion integral with the respective channel-shaped portion.

10. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said channel-shaped portions is of a substantially U- shaped cross-section.

11. An assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein when said assembly is unrolled, transverse portions of said channel-shaped portions of substantially U-shaped cross-section are disposed uppermostto form said sheet portions, and leg portion of said channel-shaped portions extend downwardly from either side of the respective sheet portion. v

12. An assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said I flange portions project from the lower extremities of said leg portions and on either side of the substantially U-shapedcross-section of the channel-shaped portions, each said projecting flange portion covering substantially half the gap between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

13. An assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein each flange portion is integral with said channel-shaped portion of the respective one of said members.

14. An assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein an obtuse angle is defined between the downwardly extending leg portion and flange portion projecting from the lower extremity thereof.

15. An assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein said downwardly extending leg portions diverge towards their respective lower extremities.

16. An assembly for covering a strip of ground to provide a path, comprising in combination:

a plurality of pre-fabricated pieced consisting of bar grates adapted to be wound and unwound, the bar gates being connected by a plurality of parallel flexible members and being maintained in position thereon transversely to the direction of winding thereof, the bar grates when unrolled and assembled on the ground presenting a plurality of parallel transversely extending vertical webs, and means connected to the webs substantially bridging the gaps between successive webs.

17. An assembly for covering a strip of ground according to claim 16, wherein the means substantially bridging the gap between successive vertical webs comprise substantially horizontally disposed members integrally attached to the upper edges of the webs.

18. An assembly for covering a strip of ground according to claim 16, wherein the means substantially bridging the gap between successive vertical webs comprises flanges secured to the bottom edges of successive webs and extending respectively forwardly and rearwardly of successive webs so that their free edges closely confront each other.

Claims

1. An assembly, for covering a strip of ground to provide a path, comprising in combination: a plurality of pre-fabricated members, flexible means interlinking said members to enable said assembly to be rolled up and unrolled in a predetermined direction, said members being maintained in mutually adjacent relationship by said flexible means to provide, when said assembly is unrolled over a strip of ground, a substantially Continuous cover over said strip, each of said members comprising a channel-shaped portion and at least one flange portion projecting from the respective channel-shaped portion, said channel-shaped portions of respective ones of said members being mutually spaced apart along said flexible means to define gaps therebetween and said flange portions extending across the length of said strip and substantially covering said gaps between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said flange portions project from either side of each of said channel-shaped portions and each said flange portion covers substantially half said gap between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein when said assembly is unrolled said flange portions of adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions abut against one another.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said members comprises only one of said projecting flange portions, each said one flange portion projecting from one side of the respective one of said channel-shaped portions and extending over substantially the area of said gap between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein each said channel-shaped portion comprises a sheet portion adapted to form part of the upper surface of said cover when said assembly is unrolled and each said one projecting flange portion at least partially overlaps said sheet portion of the next adjacent one of said channel-shaped portions.

9. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said members comprises a channel-shaped portion and at least one flange portion integral with the respective channel-shaped portion.

10. An assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said channel-shaped portions is of a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

11. An assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein when said assembly is unrolled, transverse portions of said channel-shaped portions of substantially U-shaped cross-section are disposed uppermost to form said sheet portions, and leg portion of said channel-shaped portions extend downwardly from either side of the respective sheet portion.

12. An assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said flange portions project from the lower extremities of said leg portions and on either side of the substantially U-shaped cross-section of the channel-shaped portions, each said projecting flange portion covering substantially half the gap between adjacent ones of said channel-shaped portions.

14. An assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein an obtuse angle is defined between the downwardly extending leg portion and the flange portion projecting from the lower extremity thereof.

16. An assembly for covering a strip of ground to provide a path, cOmprising in combination: a plurality of pre-fabricated pieced consisting of bar grates adapted to be wound and unwound, the bar gates being connected by a plurality of parallel flexible members and being maintained in position thereon transversely to the direction of winding thereof, the bar grates when unrolled and assembled on the ground presenting a plurality of parallel transversely extending vertical webs, and means connected to the webs substantially bridging the gaps between successive webs.