Abutment Plate for Water Control Gate

Abstract

The invention relates to a friction reduced and ice resistant water control gate abutment plates that permit, without damage to the concrete, large relative thermal movement between the abutment plate assembly and the concrete abutment or pier to which the assembly is attached. Features that provide ease of maintenance, tight sealing and debris damage resistance are also disclosed.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. One or more friction reduced abutment plates against which a water control gate seal attaches to a concrete abutment by guide members, wherein said guide members engage at least one of the abutment plates in T slots in the at least one of the abutment plates, allowing sliding along one axis in response to thermal movement.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one or more friction reduced abutment plates are made of UHMW polyethylene.

14. The abutment plates of claim 12 further comprising gaps between the guide members and the corresponding grooves in the abutment plate sufficient to allow relative thermal movement along the axis in the plane of the abutment plate normal to the guide members.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein one or more friction reduced abutment plates are made of UHMW polyethylene.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the abutment plates is sealably attached to an underlying concrete abutment along an upstream edge.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one abutment plates is fixed, relative to the guide member axis, at its bottom edge.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said guide members are oriented generally parallel to a fully raised water control gate.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, a means for removal and replacement of individual abutment plates.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a gate system and associated abutment plate.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a cross section of an abutment plate and adjacent portion of water control gate and associated abutment seal.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a cross section of an abutment plate upstream clamp and sealing means.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a cross section of a non-sealing abutment plate clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, abutment plate strips 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f are attached to concrete abutment 19. Inflated air bladder 17b actuates, to control upstream water 20, gate panel 28 to which is affixed abutment seal 2. The upstream edges of abutment plate strip 6a are clamped to concrete abutment 19 by clamps 21 and 22. The remaining edges of the abutment plate strips 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e and 6f are secured by clamps 23, 24, and 25. The abutment plate of this invention is applicable to a wide variety of water control gates in addition to the one illustrated.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross section of an abutment plate assembly is shown. Guide rails 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d and 12e secure abutment plate 6b to concrete abutment 19. Clearances 7, 8, 9, and 10 vary in proportion to distance from the center rail 12c where only minimal clearance need be provided. The rails are connected, by welding for example, to spacer member 13 which may in turn be connected to diagonal brace 14. Gaps 15 allows for thermal expansion of abutment plate strips 6a, 6b, and 6c. Tee-slot 11, for example, accommodates guide rail 12a. Gate panel 28 is moveable in the upstream-downstream direction relative to abutment plate strips 6a, 6b, and 6c. Abutment seal 2 is secured to gate panel 28 by seal retainer 3 which is in turn secured to the gate panel by stud 5 and nut 4.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 3, clamp 22 held in place by screw 32, secures abutment plate strip 6a to embed 31. O-ring 33 seals between abutment plate strip 6a and embed 31. Abutment plate strip 6a may slide between embed 31 and clamp 22 in response to thermal strain.

[0039] Referring now to FIG. 4, bolt 34 secures clamp 24 which in turn secures abutment plate strip 6a to abutment 19 and protects the edge of abutment plate strip 6a from damage by flowing debris or ice.

[0040] 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 abutment ice control techniques as well as devices to accomplish the appropriate method. In this application, the ice control techniques 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.

[0041] The discussion included in this PCT patent 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 will be included in a full patent application.

[0042] It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. They still fall within the scope of this invention. A broad disclosure encompassing both the explicit embodiment(s) shown, the great variety of implicit alternative embodiments, and the broad methods or processes and the like are encompassed by this disclosure and may be relied upon when drafting the claims for the full patent application. It should be understood that such language changes and broad claiming will be accomplished when the applicant later (filed by the required deadline) seeks a patent filing based on this provisional filing. The subsequently filed, full patent application will seek examination of as broad a base of claims as deemed within the applicant's right and will be designed to yield a patent covering numerous aspects of the invention both independently and as an overall system.

[0043] Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a method or process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method termseven if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, as but one example, the disclosure of a means for preventing ice adhesion or a ice preventer should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of preventingwhether explicitly discussed or notand, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of preventing, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a preventer and even a means for preventing. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description. UHMW polyethylene is specified because it is readily available in North America at the time of the writing of this application. Other low thermal conductivity and low ice adhesion wear resistant materials may be substituted according to their availability, performance and price without deviating from this invention.

[0044] 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, both traditional and 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 Information Disclosure 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).

[0045] Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to claim at least: i) each of the input devices as herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative designs which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, x) the various combinations and permutations of each of the elements disclosed, xi) each potentially dependent claim or concept as a dependency on each and every one of the independent claims or concepts presented, xii) processes performed with the aid of or on a computer as described throughout the above discussion, xiii) a programmable apparatus as described throughout the above discussion, xiv) a computer readable memory encoded with data to direct a computer comprising means or elements which function as described throughout the above discussion, xv) a computer configured as herein disclosed and described, xvi) individual or combined subroutines and programs as herein disclosed and described, xvii) the related methods disclosed and described, xviii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these systems and methods, xix) those alternative designs which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described, xx) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, xxi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, and xxii) the various combinations and permutations of each of the above.

[0046] It should also be understood that for practical reasons and so as to avoid adding potentially hundreds of claims, the applicant may eventually present claims with initial dependencies only. Support should be understood to exist to the degree required under new matter lawsincluding but not limited to European Patent Convention Article 123(2) and United States Patent Law 35 USC 132 or other such lawsto permit the addition of any of the various dependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim or concept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim or concept. Further, if or when used, the use of the transitional phrase comprising is and will be used to maintain the open-end claims herein, according to traditional claim interpretation. Thus, unless the context requires otherwise, it should be understood that the term comprise or variations such as comprises or comprising, are intended to imply the inclusion of a stated element or step or group of elements or steps but not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps. Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive form so as to afford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible.