WO2002050395A1

WO2002050395A1 - Flood barrier

Info

Publication number: WO2002050395A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/005650
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harold Walter Towers; Maurice Barnes
Original assignee: Harold Walter Towers; Maurice Barnes
Priority date: 2000-12-21
Filing date: 2001-12-19
Publication date: 2002-06-27
Also published as: GB0031451D0; AU2002222285A1

Abstract

A flood barrier for fixing in an opening includes a baffle plate 1 having pressure members 4, 5 and 10 secured to the baffle by slide plates 6, 7, 11 and 12. Sliders 15 and 16 are inserted into a guide member 14 at the top of the baffle 1 and angular sliders 17 and 18 are inserted into the pressure members 4, 5 and 10 at the bottom of the barrier. Threaded bolts 22 and 24 are inserted through threaded brackets 20 and 23 to push the pressure members against the sides and bottom of the opening, and an impervious flexible sealing sheet 25 is applied to the baffle to be sealingly held between the pressure members and the adjacent faces of the opening.

Description

FLOOD BARRIER

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to flood barriers for restraining the passage of flood water through an opening such as a doorway.

BACKGROUND

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of flood barrier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a barrier fixable in an opening in a wall to oppose the passage of flood water therethrough, the barrier including a baffle plate for placement in at least the lower part of the opening, respective elongate pressure members extending along two opposite side margins of the baffle plate, and at least one of the pressure members being provided with pusher means for urging the respective pressure member away from the other pressure member such that the pressure members push against opposed surfaces of the opening to hold the barrier therein.

Although the barrier will resist flow of flood water through the opening without additional seals an impervious flexible sealing sheet may be sealingly held between the pressure members and the adjacent faces of the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included byway of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an exploded rear view (looking from the side opposed to any flood water) of a flood barrier in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the assembled barrier, including a flexible sealing sheet;

Figure 3 is a front view of the flood barrier omitting the sealing sheet; and

Figure 4 is a top view of the barrier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The flood barrier includes a rectangular baffle plate 1 which is formed in two equal sections 1a and lb joined by a hinge 3 which allows the plate to be folded double for storage purposes. The two vertical side edges of the baffle plate 1 are provided with respective square-section tubular pressure bars 4 and 5 which are provided with respective slide plates 6 and 7 which overlie the baffle platel . Each slide plate has a pair of spaced parallel slots 8 which receive headed fasteners 9, fixed to the baffle plate, to secure the slide plates to the baffle plate while permitting the pressure bars 4 and 5 to slide outwardly in opposite directions. The bottom of the barrier is also provided with a similar downwardly-slidable square-section tubular pressure bar 10 which is provided with two separate slide plates 11 and 12 which also overlie the baffle plate 1. The slide plates 11 and 12 have respective parallel slots 13 which receive further headed fasteners 9 to hold the slide plates to the baffle plate.

A guide member 14 of square-section tube is secured along the top margin of the baffle plate 1. A slider bar 15, 16 projects perpendicularly from the upper end of each pressure bar 4, 5 for slidable reception in the guide member. At the bottom of the barrier a pair of angular right-angle sliders 17 and 18 are slidably inserted into the opposite ends of the lower pressure bar 10 and the respective side bars 4 and 5.

The two sections of the baffle plate carry elongate U-shaped brackets 20 having opposed lugs 21 which project from the baffle plate. The lugs are formed with screw-threaded apertures to receive respective screw-threaded pusher bolts 22 which act outwardly against the pressure bars 4 and 5 at spaced positions. A further pair of L-shaped brackets 23 are formed with screw-threaded apertures to receive two further spaced screw-threaded pusher bolts 24 which act downwardly against the lower pressure bar 10.

A continuous flexible sealing sheet 25 of resilient non-porous rubber or similar material is bonded to the front face of the baffle plate 1. The margins of the sheet extend beyond the pressure bars 4, 5 and 10 so that they can be folded forwardly and inserted between the pressure bars and the face of an opening such as a doorway in which the barrier is inserted, as indicated in Fig. 4.

When the barrier is first placed in the opening the bolts 22 are adjusted to advance the vertical pressure bars 4 and 5 against the sides of the opening. If the opening is not quite square the pressure bars can be adjusted accordingly by extending the bolts by different amounts. The bolts are then rotated using sufficient force to urge the pressure bars firmly against the sides of the opening sealed by the intervening sheet 25. The bottom pressure bar 10 can then be similarly advanced using the pushers 24 to seal the sheet against the bottom of the opening.

It will be noted in Fig.s 1 and 2 that the external corner of each right-angle sliders 17 and 18 has an L-shaped spacer 30 which carries a pair of flat spring fingers 31 and 32. These fingers 31 and 32 bear inwardly to exert pressure on the bars 4, 10 or 5, 10 to hold the sliders firm and square. They permit the bottom comers to exert a good sealing pressure on the sheet 25 whilst allowing the sliders to slide freely during adjustment of the bars 4, 5 and 10. The sheet 25 thus forms an impermeable barrier to flood water, supported by the baffle plate 1.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A barrier fixable in an opening in a wall to oppose the passage of flood water therethrough, the barrier including a baffle plate for placement in at least the lower part of the opening, respective elongate pressure members extending along two opposite side margins of the baffle plate, and at least one of the pressure members being provided with pusher means for urging the respective pressure member away from the other pressure member such that the pressure members push against opposed surfaces of the opening to hold the barrier therein.

2. A barrier according to Claim 1 which includes a further elongate pressure member which extends along a bottom margin of the baffle, and further pusher means for urging the bottom pressure member against a bottom surface of the opening.

3. A barrier according to Claim 1 in which each pusher means includes a pair of spaced pushers which are operable independently.

4. A barrier according to Claim 3 in which each pusher includes a screw connection for moving the respective pressure member outwardly.

5. A barrier according to Claim 4 in which each pusher includes a screw-threaded shank which is inserted through an internally screw- threaded element fixed with the baffle plate.

6. A barrier according to Claim 1 in which each pressure member is secured to a least one slide plate which is constrained to slide over the baffle plate.

7. A barrier according to Claim 1 including a pair of angular sliders which slidably engaged with the bottom pressure member and respective side pressure members.

8. A barrier according to Claim 7 in which each angular slider has a pair of spring fingers which bear against the adjacent bottom and side pressure members.

9. A barrier according to Claim 1 in which an upper margin of the baffle plate is provided with a guide member and the side pressure members are provided with respective sliders which are slidably engaged with the guide member.

10. A barrier according to Claim 1 in which an impervious flexible sealing sheet is applied to the baffle to extend beyond the pressure members to be sealingly held between the pressure members and the adjacent faces of the opening.