Abstract
A guard for curb inlets prevents entry of large objects such as cans and bottles into the opening of the curb inlet, but allows water to enter the opening. The guard defines a relief on its bottom side so that the guard may be installed at the correct height without measurement. The guard may be composed of first and second or first, second and third slidably-engaged portions to allow the length of the guard to be user-selectable to fit a variety of curb inlets. The guard may include a grill to strain smaller debris from the water.
Claims
1. In a storm management system for a street or parking lot having a curb inlet, the improvement being a variable width guard comprising: a pair of elongated members (52, 54), each having an elongated slot (56, 58) extending along its length, with end portions (8, 10) at one end of each elongated member (52, 54) having installation holes (14) and a downwardly extending portion such that the width of said elongated members (52, 54) is wider at said end portions (8, 10); at least two central portion fasteners (60); wherein said pair of elongated members are spanningly arranged across said curb inlet in overlapping fashion such that each respective elongated slot is slidably aligned with the other and said wider end portions (8, 10) are located at opposing elongated ends, with said at least two central portion fasteners (60) extending through said aligned slots and slidably connecting said elongated members to each other, while said wider end portions space a central portion (12) of said connected elongated members a distance above a surface of a street or parking lot (36) along the length of said central portion (12), defining a relief (26) through which water may pass.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a grill corresponding in shape to the opening of said curb inlet, said grill being attached to said pair of elongated members, said grill defining grill openings to strain debris from water as said water passes through said grill.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said pair of elongated members is composed of a sheet stainless steel, a cast iron or a molded polymer.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein said grill is composed of a sheet stainless steel, a cast iron or a molded polymer.
5. A method of retrofitting a curb inlet of a street or parking lot to prevent debris from entering an opening of the curb inlet, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing a variable width guard, said variable width guard comprising a pair of elongated members (52, 54), each having an elongated slot (56, 58) extending along its length, with end portions (8, 10) at one end of each elongated member (52, 54) having installation holes (14) and a downwardly extending end portion (8, 10) such that the width of said elongated members (52, 54) is wider at said end portions (8, 10), said variable width guard further comprising at least two central portion fasteners (60); b. arranging said pair of elongated members (52, 54) to span said curb inlet in an overlapping fashion such that each respective elongated slot is slideably aligned with the other and said wider end portions are located at opposing elongated ends, with said at least two central portion fasteners extending through said aligned slots and slideably connecting said elongated members to each other; and c. attaching said variable width guard to the curb inlet or a curb by installing fasteners (44) through said installation holes into said curb inlet or into a curb, whereby said wider end portions (8, 10) space a central portion (12) of said connected elongated members (52, 54) a distance above a surface of a street or parking (36) lot along the length of said central portion, defining a relief (26) through which water may pass.
6. The method of claim 5, the method further comprising: selecting a width of said variable width guard to conform to the opening of the curb inlet by slidably engaging said elongated members (52, 54) prior to said step of attaching said variable width guard to the curb inlet or said curb.
7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising: providing a grill, said grill corresponding in shape to the opening of the curb inlet, said grill being attached to said first portion and said second portion, said grill defining opening to strain debris from said water when said water passes through said grill.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein said pair of elongated members is composed of a sheet stainless steel, a cast iron or a molded polymer.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein said grill is composed of a sheet stainless steel, a cast iron or a molded polymer.
Description
IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment.
(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment installed in a combination curb inlet and grate inlet.
(3) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the second embodiment
(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second embodiment.
(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the third embodiment.
(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the third embodiment installed in a combination curb inlet and grate inlet.
(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mounting bracket.
(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a guard attached to a mounting bracket.
(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a guard attached to a surround using the mounting bracket.
(10) FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the fourth embodiment.
(11) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment installed in a combination curb inlet and grate inlet.
(12) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a guard composed of a cast or molded material, such as a cast iron or molded polymer.
(13) FIG. 13 is a perspective of an adjustable guard composted of cast or molded material.
(14) FIG. 14 is a perspective of a second adjustable guard composed of cast or molded material.
(15) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a guard having an integral grill composed of a cast or molded material.
(16) FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a third portion.
(17) FIG. 17 is a perspective of the third portion used with a first and second portion to span a wide curb inlet.
V. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT
(18) FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of the guard 2 of the invention. The guard 2 is an elongated bar 4 that has a predetermined length 6. The elongated bar 4 has a first end portion 8, a second end portion 10 and a central portion 12. Installation holes 14 are defined by and penetrate first and second end portions 8, 10. The elongated bar 4 has a width 16 normal to the length 6. The width 18 of the elongated bar 4 at the central portion 12 is greater than the width 20 of the elongated bar 4 at the first and second end portions 8, 10. As a result, the central portion 12 defines a relief 26. The relief 26 is located on the bottom side 22 of the central portion 12, rather than on the top side 20 of the central portion 12.
(19) FIG. 2 shows the guard 2 of FIG. 1 installed on a combination grate inlet 28 and curb inlet 30. The grate inlet 28 is an opening in the surface 36 of the street or parking lot. The grate inlet 28 is covered by a grate 32. Grate 32 is configured to support the weight of a motor vehicle on the surface 36 of the street or parking lot. Grate 32 generally is composed of cast iron for safety, security and cost reasons. Curb inlet 30 has an opening 34 that is elongated in a direction generally parallel to the surface 36 of the street or parking lot. The opening 34 is generally defined by the face 38 of the curb 42 or the surround 40 normal to the surface 36 of the street or parking lot. The opening 34 of the curb inlet 30 generally is defined by the face 38 of the curb 42 or of the surround 40. As shown by FIG. 2, the length 6 of the guard 2 is selected to span the opening 34 of the curb inlet 30. The surround 40 of the curb inlet 30 generally is composed of concrete. Fasteners 44 pass through the installation holes 12 and anchor the guard 2 to the concrete surround 40 or to the curb 42. When installed on the curb inlet 30, the guard 2 partially occludes the opening 34 of the curb inlet 30, preventing the entry of large objects, such as bottles and cans, into the curb inlet 30. Water can pass both over the top side 20 of the guard 2 and under the bottom side 22 of the guard 2. The relief 26 provides space for water to pass below the bottom side 22. The relief 26 also is selected to provide the correct location of the guard 2 within the curb inlet 30 when the bottom side 22 of each of the end portions 8, 10 is resting on the surface 36 of the street or parking lot or other structure immediately below the curb inlet 30 with the width 16 of the elongated bar 4 generally oriented vertically and along the face 38 of the surround 40 or curb 42. The relief 26 preferably is selected to prevent the passage of cans or bottles either above or below the guard 2 into the opening 34 of the curb inlet 30 and hence into the storm water management system.
(20) FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the guard 2. FIG. 3 is a front view of the second embodiment and FIG. 4 is a detail perspective view. The guards 2 of the first and second embodiments are composed of a sheet material 46, such as stainless steel 48. The sheet material 46 has a thickness 50 that is small compared to the length 6 and the width 16 of the elongated bar 4. In the second embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the guard 2 is similar to the guard of FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the central portion 12 is rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to the end portions 8, 10. Any suitable angle may be selected as the predetermined angle and 90 degrees is believed to be suitable. Rotating the central portion 12 of the guard 2 causes the central portion to define the relief 26. The guard 2 of the second embodiment is installed and operates in the same fashion as the guard 2 of the first embodiment. Rotation of the central portion 12 provides that the thickness 50 of the sheet material 46 corresponds to the width 18 of the central portion, causing the relief 26 to be greater and causing less of the surface area of the opening 34 of the curb inlet 30 to be occluded by the guard 2, which provides less obstruction to water entering the curb inlet 30. Nonetheless, the guard 2 blocks large objects such as cans and bottles from entering the curb inlet 30. Rotation of the central portion 12 also renders the guard 2 stronger in the direction normal to the face 38, reducing bending or other deformation of the guard 2 in that direction. Rotation of the central portion 12 renders the guard 2 weaker and more subject to bending or deformation in the direction parallel to the face 38 and normal to the surface 36 of the street or parking lot.
(21) FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an adjustable third embodiment of the guard 2 in which the central portion 12 is divided into a first portion 38 and a second portion 54, hence dividing the guard 2 into two parts. The first portion 52 defines a first slot 56 and the second portion 54 defines a corresponding second slot 58. Central portion fasteners 60 pass through the corresponding slots 56, 58, attaching the first portion 52 to the second portion 54 in a sliding engagement. The sliding engagement of the first and second portions 52, 54 allows a user to select the length 6 of the guard 2, thereby allowing a guard 2 to fit curb inlets 26 of a variety of sizes. The central portions fasteners 60 may be selected to prevent tampering with the guard 2, as by providing central portion fasteners 60 that can be turned only in the direction of tightening the fastener 60.
(22) FIG. 6 shows the guard 2 of the third embodiment installed on a combination grate inlet 28 and curb inlet 30. The length 6 of the guard 2 is selected using the sliding engagement of the first and second central portions 52, 54 to span the curb inlet 30. The central portion fasteners 60 are engaged to fix the length 6 of the guard 2. The end portions 8, 10 are attached to the surround 40 of the curb inlet 30 by fasteners 44 passing though the installation holes 12. The guard 2 of the third embodiment otherwise functions as does the guard of the first embodiment, illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2.
(23) FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrates a mounting bracket 61. The mounting bracket is configured so that the mounting bracket 61 may be attached to the inside surface of the surround 40 defining the opening 34 of the curb inlet 30. From FIG. 7, three surround mounting holes 63 allow the mounting bracket 61 to be mounted to the inside surface of the surround 40. Guard mounting holes 65 allow the guard 2 to be mounted to the bracket 61 and allow the height of the guard 2 to be selected with respect to the mounting bracket 61 by selecting which of the guard mounting holes 65 through which the guard 2 will be attached.
(24) FIG. 8 shows the guard 2 attached to two mounting brackets 61 at either end 8, 10 of the guard 2. FIG. 9 shows the guard 2 and mounting bracket 61 installed inside the opening 34 defined by the surround 40. The use of the mounting bracket 61 allows the guard 2 and the mounting hardware to be located within the opening 34 with none of the guard 2 or mounting bracket 61 protruding. The guard 2 and mounting bracket 61 are therefore protected from damage by maintenance equipment, such as snow plows.
(25) The mounting bracket 61 may be integral to the first and second ends 8, 10 or may be separate, as illustrated by FIGS. 7-9.
(26) FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a fourth embodiment that includes a grill 62. As shown by the exploded view of FIG. 10, the grill 62 is mounted behind between the first portion 52 and the second portion 54 of the two-part central portion 12 of the third embodiment. From FIG. 10, the grill 62 defines a plurality of grill openings 64. The central portion fasteners 60 clamp the grill 62, the first portion 52 to the second portion 54 together. A grill 62 may be incorporated into any of the embodiments of the guard 2. The grill 62 may be integral to the guard 2 or may attached to an elongated bar 4 by any technique known in the art, including fasteners, thermal welding or adhesives.
(27) FIG. 11 shows the guard 2 including a grill 62 installed on a combination grate inlet 28 and curb inlet 30. The grill 62 is selected to substantially fill the curb inlet 30 to strain debris from storm water entering the curb inlet 30 and to keep out smaller objects. The grill openings 64 may be of any shape. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate rectangular grill openings 64, but any other desired shape may be selected. Any desired size for the grill openings 64 also may be selected. The guard 2 with the grill 62 otherwise is installed and operates in the same manner as the third embodiment, illustrated by FIG. 6 and the first embodiment, illustrated by FIG. 2.
(28) FIG. 12 illustrates a guard 2 that is not composed of a sheet material 46. The guard 2 of FIG. 9 may be cast, for example cast iron 68, or molded, as a molded polymer 70. The cast or molded guard 2 is mounted to the curb inlet 30 in the same manner as the other embodiments described above and functions in the same manner to exclude large objects such as can or bottles from the curb inlet 30. The cast or molded embodiments of the guard 2 may incorporate the bracket 61 so that the guard 2 mounts directly to the inside surface of the surround 40; alternately, the cast or molded guard 2 may be attached to separate brackets 61 within the opening 34 of the curb inlet 30.
(29) FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate embodiments of the cast or molded guard 2 in which the guard is adjustable for length by a sliding engagement (FIG. 13) or by a telescoping engagement (FIG. 14). In FIG. 13, the first portion 52 and the second portion 54 are attached by central portion fasteners 60 passing through slots 56, 58 in the first and second portions 52, 54. In FIG. 14, the first portion 52 is in slidable engagement with an opening defined by the second portion 54 to allow a user to select the length of the guard 2.
(30) FIG. 15 illustrates a guard 2 that is composed of cast or molded material, such as cast iron 68 or molded polymer 70, and in which the central portion 12 defines an integral grill 62. In the example of FIG. 10, the central portion 12 is defined by three elongated bars 4 that also define a grill 62. The three elongated bars 4 of FIG. 10 are integral to the end portions 8, 10. Any shape for the integral grill 62 may be selected, consistent with the ability to cast or mold the material from which the guard is composed, consistent with straining selected debris from the flow of water through the grill 62, and consistent with the passage of water through the grill 62.
(31) FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a third portion 72 and use of the third portion 72 to span a curb inlet 30 that is too wide to be spanned by the first portion 52 and second portion 54 shown by FIGS. 5 and 6. The third portion 72 of FIGS. 16 and 17 is the same as the elongated bar 4 of FIG. 1, except that the third portion 72 of FIGS. 16 and 17 features a third portion slot 74. The third portion 72 can be attached to first portion 52 and second portion 54 by fasteners 60 extending through the third portion slot 74 and through the first slot 56 or the second slot 58. The third portion 72 defines the relief 26 so that the distance between the bottom side 22 of the third portion 72 and the surface 36 of the street or parking lot is defined to allow water to pass, but does not allow large floating objects such as bottles and cans to pass. The third portion therefore complements the self-supporting and self-calibrating nature of the elongated bar 4 of FIG. 1; namely, the third portion 72 may be installed on a curb inlet 30 without requiring the installer to measure the height of the third member 72 above the surface 36 of the street or parking lot, thus reducing the opportunity for installer error.
LIST OF NUMBERED ELEMENTS
(32) 2 a guard 4 an elongated bar 6 a length 8 a first end portion 10 a second end portion 12 a central portion 14 installation holes 16 a width of the elongated bar 18 a width of the elongated bar at the central portion 20 a width of the elongated bar the first and second end portions 22 a bottom side 24 a top side 26 a relief 28 grate inlet 30 a curb inlet 32 grate 34 an opening of the curb inlet 36 a surface of a street or parking lot 38 a face of the curb inlet 40 a surround 42 a curb 44 a fastener 46 a sheet material 48 a stainless steel 50 a thickness 52 a first portion 54 a second portion 56 a first slot 58 a second slot 60 a central portion fastener 61 mounting bracket 62 a grill 63 surround mounting holes 64 grill openings 66 guard mounting holes 66 grill slot 68 a cast iron 70 a molded polymer 82 third portion 74 third portion slot
