Systems for water control gate anchoring

Abstract

The present invention relates to inflatable bladder actuated water control gates for control of open channels such as rivers and canals and for control of dam spillways without the need for intermediate piers. The air bladder and hinge flap wedge clamping system includes hinged engagement of the upstream edge of the clamps to the foundation so as to prevent the application of bending and shear loads to the anchor bolts. The resulting configuration facilitates the use of high strength alloy steel anchor bolts in a corrosion protected environment and also prevents tensile loading of the concrete foundation and associated cracking of the concrete foundation.

Claims

1. A water control gate clamping system comprising: a foundation, a water control gate clamp casting that comprises a downstream end with a downstream edge, and an upstream end with a downwardly protruding upstream edge, an anchor bolt hole through said clamp casting, and an anchor bolt and nut assembly that comprises an anchor bolt and a nut, wherein said downwardly protracting upstream edge of said clamp casting exhibits a rounded profile and is in hinged engagement with said foundation so as to provide substantially all restraint against horizontal, downstream motion of said clamp casting while still allowing hinged motion of said clamp casting, and wherein said anchor bolt hole is relieved so as to provide clearance between said clamp casting and said anchor bolt through a possible range of said hinged motion of said clamp casting.

2. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said water control gate clamp casting is positively located along the upstream-downstream axis.

3. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said clamp casting is attached to said foundation by means of said anchor bolt and nut assembly.

4. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 further comprising a compressible seal around said anchor bolt between said clamp Casting and said foundation, and wherein said anchor bolt hole has sufficient clearance between the anchor bolt and the anchor bolt hole to allow compression of said compressible seal without resulting in damaging contact between the anchor bolt and the clamp casting during assembly.

5. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 4 wherein said anchor bolt and nut assembly comprises an unsleeved portion, said clearance between said anchor bolt and said anchor bolt hole forms a bolt hole cavity, and said cavity houses the unsleeved portion of said anchor bolt and nut assembly.

6. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said anchor bolt and nut assembly comprises an in-foundation portion, and wherein said in-foundation portion of said anchor bolt is surrounded by an anchor bolt sleeve.

7. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 6 wherein said anchor bolt sleeve comprises a polymeric anchor bolt sleeve.

8. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said anchor bolt and nut assembly comprises an anchor bolt made of high strength heat treated alloy steel.

9. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said foundation and said downwardly protruding upstream edge provides a wedge shaped gap.

10. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 9 wherein said wedge shaped gap allows said allows said downstream end of the clamp casting to be pivotally installed.

11. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said nut is a spherical nut and said an anchor bolt and nut assembly further comprises: at least one washer.

12. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 further comprising a water occlusion system.

13. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 12 wherein said water occlusion system comprises: a clamp casting anchor bolt hole cover; a compressible seal; an anchor bolt upper spacer; and a water and oxygen displacing substance.

14. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 13 wherein at least a portion of said anchor bolt is surrounded by an anchor bolt sleeve and wherein said anchor bolt upper spacer is embedded horizontally and vertically into said foundation surrounding said anchor bolt and said anchor bolt sleeve.

15. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 14 wherein said vertical embedded portion of said anchor bolt upper spacer extends downward into said foundation a sufficient length as to minimize so as to minimize stress on said foundation surrounding said anchor bolt.

16. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 15 wherein said compressible seal is positioned on top of said horizontal portion of said anchor bolt upper spacer and surrounds a portion said anchor bolt sleeve.

17. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 15 wherein said compressible seal is shaped so that an upper end thereof is slidably positioned into said clamp casting bolt hole.

18. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 17 wherein said slidably positioned compressible seal occludes water from said unsealed portion of anchor bolt.

19. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said rounded profile is of a cylindrical surface of said downwardly protruding upstream edge of said clamp casting.

20. A water control gate clamping system as described in claim 1 wherein said clamp comprises a clamp casting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of the anchor bolt and clamping assembly portion of a water control gate in accordance with prior art.

(2) FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of another anchor bolt and clamping assembly portion of a water control gate in accordance with prior art, shown during installation.

(3) FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of the anchor bolt and clamping assembly portion of the water control gate assembly in accordance with prior art of FIG. 2, shown with the clamp installed.

(4) FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of the anchor bolt and clamping assembly of a prior art water control gate shown as affected by impact of a boulder to a gate panel rib.

(5) FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of a water control gate in accordance with the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is a plan view of the water control gate of FIG. 5.

(7) FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation of the clamping assembly of a water control gate in accordance with the present invention, shown during installation.

(8) FIG. 8 is a sectional elevation of the clamping assembly of a water control gate in accordance with the present invention, shown installed.

(9) FIG. 9 is a view after installation of the assembly of FIG. 8.

(10) FIG. 10 is an isometric view showing the relationship between foundation loads.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) Referring to FIG. 1, prior art shows that compression of hinge flap 6 and air bladder 7 may require an externally applied downward force on clamp casting 19 such as from a hydraulic excavator bucket 18. It should be noted that the term “clamp casting” is used herein to describe the clamps which, although commonly cast, might also be made by forging, flame cutting, or additive manufacturing, for example.

(12) Referring to FIG. 2, prior art shows an external force such as from a hydraulic excavator bucket 18 may be required to seat non-pivoting clamp 19 against hinge flap 6 and air bladder 7.

(13) Referring to FIG. 3, prior art clamp 19 is shown in its installed position against hinge flap 6 and air bladder 7. Upstream embed 44 in spillway (foundation) 15 provides horizontal restraint to clamp casting 19 once installation is complete. Gate panel 28 is shown attached to hinge flap 6 by means of hinge retainer 42 and bolt 43.

(14) Referring to FIG. 4, prior art clamp 19 has moved downstream in response to an impact by boulder 17 to gate panel 28, causing anchor bolt 4 to bend and causing cracks 30 and 31 in foundation 15.

(15) Referring to FIG. 5, a sectional elevation through a water control gate system in accordance with the present invention is shown. Clamp casting 1 holds in place hinge flap 6 and air bladder 7. Clamp casting 1 is in turn held in place vertically by anchor bolt 4 in conjunction with nut 2, spherical washer 3, lower nut 23, lock nut 21, and anchor plate 22. Clamp casting 1 is held in place horizontally by upstream embed 41. Generally, hinged engagement of the upstream edge of the clamps to the foundation via rounded profile 39 of downwardly protruding upstream edge of the clamp may prevent the application of bending and shear loads to the anchor bolts. For example, mating cylindrical surfaces of clamp casting 1 and upstream embed 41 act as a hinge during the assembly process and act to horizontally restrain clamp casting 1 after installation. Air connection 29 is used to control the air volume and pressure in bladder 7. It should be noted that the term “air bladder” is used herein to describe the inflatable actuator used to control the gate panel 28. Air bladder 7 might also be inflated with water, freeze-resistant solution, or nitrogen gas, for example.

(16) Referring to FIG. 6, a plan view of the water control gate system of FIG. 5 is shown in its lowered position. Clamp castings 1 secure hinge flap 6 to spillway 15. Gate panel 28 is secured by hinge flap 6 which is in turn secured by clamp castings 1.

(17) Referring to FIG. 7, a sectional elevation of the clamping assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown during the installation process. Clamp casting 1 rests on upstream embed 41 and on hinge flap 6. The clamp casting 1 is being tightened against hinge flap 6 by hydraulic torque wrench 26 with socket 27 engaged with spherical nut 2 mated to spherical washer 3. Cavity 5 in clamp casting 1 is shaped to clear anchor bolt 4 throughout its range of motion during installation. In this way anchor bolt 4 is not damaged and the concrete in the vicinity of anchor bolt embed 9 is not damaged. Hinge flap 6 seats against air bladder 7 which in turn seats against wedge embed 16.

(18) Referring to FIG. 8, the clamping assembly of FIG. 7 is shown after installation. Nut 2 is tight against spherical washer 3 which tightly holds clamp casting 1 against hinge flap 6 and air bladder 7. The anchor bolt 4 exerts its upward force on the concrete through anchor plate 22. Angular gap 36 may be filled with silicone caulk for example to keep out sand and rocks.

(19) Referring to FIG. 9, angular gap 36, needed for assembly has been provided by tapering the embed rather than the clamp casting 1. In other respects the assembly is the same as that shown in FIG. 7.

(20) Referring to FIG. 10, the geometric relationship between the anchor bolt 4, vertical forces 37 on pivot embed 41 and wedge embed 16, vertical force 38 on anchor plate 22, upstream/downstream rebar tension 34, upstream/downstream concrete compression 35, transverse rebar tension 32, transverse concrete compression 33. Constraint by the rebar and anchor bolts leaves the concrete in the vicinity of anchor bolts 4 in generally tri-axial compression and thus suppresses cracking in response to shear loads. It should be noted that standard construction practice would provide for rebar both transverse and parallel to the flow and to the spillway axis. The use of such rebar is implied although it is not shown on the drawings in the interest of avoiding clutter.

(21) Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8a and 8b, clamp casting 1 is positively located along the upstream/downstream axis 25 (FIG. 6) by clamp pivot embed 41. Clamp casting 1 is free to pivot in clamp pivot embed 41 in response to adjustment of spherical nut 2. Spherical nut 2 minimizes any bending moments transmitted between anchor bolt 4 and clamp casting 1. Clamp casting anchor bolt hole 5 has sufficient clearance upstream and downstream of anchor bolt 4 to allow clamp casting 1 to be initially positioned, as shown in FIG. 7, over hinge flap 6 and air bladder 7 while kept aligned and positioned by clamp pivot embed 41 and without contacting, scraping, or damaging the upper threads of anchor bolt 4. Gap 36 between clamp casting 1 and the adjacent edge of embed 41 allows clamp 1 to pivot upward without interference. Compressible seal 8 is compressed against clamp casting 1, anchor bolt upper spacer 9, and anchor bolt sleeve 10, keeping water and oxygen out of the clearance 5 between anchor bolt sleeve 10 and clamp casting 1 and also away from the upper un-sleeved portion of anchor bolt 4. Rubber cap 11 in conjunction with rubber plug 12 keeps water from entering through the top of clamp casting 1. The space between clamp casting 1 and anchor bolt 4 may be filled with corrosion preventing material such as grease or paraffin. Optional gap filler 29, which may be silicone caulk for example, serves to prevent sand, gravel, and rocks from falling between the upstream edge of clamp casting 1 and clamp pivot embed 41. The gap filler may be replaced as needed. Anchor bolt sleeve 10 may be a PVC plastic tube, a rubber tape wrapped around the pipe, or other material that is either compliant in shear or that does not bond to the concrete.

(22) As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. It involves both water control gates or other devices to accomplish the appropriate method. In this application, the inflatable actuation methods are disclosed as part of the results shown to be achieved by the various devices described and as steps which are inherent to utilization. They are simply the natural result of utilizing the devices as intended and described. In addition, while some devices are disclosed, it should be understood that these not only accomplish certain methods but also can be varied in a number of ways. Importantly, as to all of the foregoing, all of these facets should be understood to be encompassed by this disclosure.

(23) The discussion included in this application is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible; many alternatives are implicit. It also may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. Apparatus claims may not only be included for the device described, but also method or process claims may be included to address the functions the invention and each element performs. Neither the description nor the terminology is intended to limit the scope of the claims which are included in this patent application.

(24) Any acts of law, statutes, regulations, or rules mentioned in this application for patent; or patents, publications, or other references mentioned in this application for patent are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with such interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood as incorporated for each term and all definitions, alternative terms, and synonyms such as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition are hereby incorporated by reference. Finally, all references listed in the list of References To Be Incorporated By Reference In Accordance With The Patent Application or other information statement filed with the application are hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference, however, as to each of the above, to the extent that such information or statements incorporated by reference might be considered inconsistent with the patenting of this/these invention(s) such statements are expressly not to be considered as made by the applicant(s). Please be aware that cited works of non-patent literature such as scientific or technical documents or the like may be subject to copyright protection and/or any other protection of written works as appropriate based on applicable laws. Copyrighted texts may not be copied or used in other electronic or printed publications or re-distributed without the express permission of the copyright holder.