Granted Patent B2

US 8,858,120 · App. 13/182,618 · Granted Oct 14, 2014

Inventors: Bruce Allen (Selkirk, CA); John Mascarenhas (Winnipeg, CA); Michael Fell (Winnipeg, CA)

Assignee: Vicwest Inc.

E02D27/01

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A liquid containment barrier comprising:

a plurality of panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge, an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end and a second end such that the panels can be arranged with the first end of one panel connected to the second end of a second panel to form a peripheral wall surrounding an area to be confined;

the top edges of the panels being arranged at a common height to define a common top edge of the peripheral wall;

wherein each panel has the common top edge as a raw edge of a single upstanding metal sheet standing upwardly from the panel without any additional flange portion where the common top edge defines the inner surface and the outer surface spaced by a thickness of the panel;

a plurality of support bracket members arranged to stand vertically at spaced positions around the peripheral wall outside the peripheral wall for connection to the panels to hold the panels and the peripheral wall vertical;

and a plurality of elongate extruded plastics spring channel members each engaged over the common top edge at positions along the common top edge;

each of the extruded spring channel members comprising a cylindrical portion having a hollow interior engaged over the common top edge with the common top edge entering into the hollow interior of the cylindrical portion;

the cylindrical portion of each channel member having at least three longitudinal parallel ribs extending inwardly from an inside surface thereof defining the hollow interior;

the parallel ribs including a central rib aligned with the pair of legs and a first rib on one side of the central rib and a second rib symmetrically with the first rib on an opposed side of the central rib;

said first and second longitudinal ribs being spaced apart relative to the central rib so as to define therebetween first and second parallel grooves on the inside surface of the cylindrical portion thereof so that the common top edge is received and located in the first groove where the common top edge is inclined inwardly and in the second groove where the common top edge is inclined outwardly;

wherein each bracket member includes an upstanding brace portion with an inner vertical edge engaging and supporting the outer surface of one of the panels;

and wherein each bracket member includes a rod member;

the rod member having a lower hook end defined by a first bent portion of the rod member engaging onto the brace portion at a position thereon outward of the inner edge;

and the rod member having an upper arcuate hook defined by a second bent portion of the rod member end engaging over the cylindrical portion of the extruded spring channel member at the common top edge of the panel;

the extruded spring channel member being held captured by the upper arcuate hook so that lifting movement of the extruded spring channel member causes upward pulling forces on the rod member to resist the lifting;

the upper arcuate hook being free from connection to components inside the peripheral wall so that all upward puling forces are communicated to the rod member.

2. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 1 including a plurality of additional cylindrical clamp collars each shorter than the channel members and having an inside surface of each of the cylindrical clamp collars closely surrounding the cylindrical portion of the channel members.

3. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 2 wherein the cylindrical clamp collars bridge between an end of one channel member and an end of a next adjacent channel member.

4. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 2 wherein the channel members are arranged to end at an end of the panels and the clamp collars are arranged to bridge between an end of one panel and an end of a next adjacent panel.

5. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 2 wherein the additional clamp collars are arranged to provide additional and localized clamping force on the channel members.

6. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 2 wherein the additional clamp collars are arranged to be located at a respective one of the bracket members to engage a component of the bracket members.

7. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 2 wherein a liner extends over the cylindrical channel members and the additional clamp collars clamp the liner on to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the channel members.

8. A liquid containment barrier comprising:

a plurality of panels, each having a top edge, a bottom edge, an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end and a second end such that the panels can be arranged with the first end of one panel connected to the second end of a second panel to form a peripheral wall surrounding an area to be confined;

the top edges of the panels being arranged at a common height to define a common top edge of the peripheral wall;

and a liner arranged to extend across the ground inside the peripheral wall and arranged to be connected to the peripheral wall;

wherein each panel has the common top edge as a raw edge of a single upstanding metal sheet standing upwardly from the panel without any additional flange portion where the common top edge defines the inner surface and the outer surface spaced by a thickness of the panel;

wherein the panels are horizontally corrugated to form horizontal ribs and valleys and so that the common top edge is inclined inwardly or outwardly depending on the position of the top common edge relative to the ribs and valleys;

and a plurality of elongate extruded plastics spring channel members each engaged over the common top edge at positions along the common top edge;

each of the extruded spring channel members comprising a cylindrical portion having a hollow interior and a pair of legs extending downwardly from the cylindrical portion to an end thereof remote from the cylindrical portion;

the cylindrical portion being engaged over the common top edge with the common top edge entering into the hollow interior of the cylindrical portion;

the pair of legs extending downwardly from the cylindrical portion at the common top edge;

the pair of legs having inside surfaces thereof in engagement with the inner and outer surfaces respectively of the common top edge;

the cylindrical portion of each channel member having at least three longitudinal parallel ribs extending inwardly from an inside surface thereof defining the hollow interior;

the parallel ribs including a central rib aligned with the pair of legs and a first rib on one side of the central rib and a second rib symmetrically with the first rib on an opposed side of the central rib;

said first and second longitudinal ribs being spaced apart relative to the central rib so as to define therebetween first and second parallel grooves on the inside surface of the cylindrical portion thereof so that the common top edge is received and located in the first groove where the common top edge is inclined inwardly and in the second groove where the common top edge is inclined outwardly.

9. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 8 there is provided a plurality of support bracket members standing vertically at spaced positions along the peripheral wall to hold the panels and the peripheral wall vertical and wherein each bracket member includes an upstanding brace portion with an inner vertical edge engaging and supporting the outer surface of one of the panels and wherein each bracket member includes a rod member having a lower hook end engaging onto the brace portion at a position thereon outward of the inner edge and an upper arcuate hook end engaging over the cylindrical portion of a respective one of the channel members.

10. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 9 wherein the bracket member terminates at a height below the top edge and the rod member extends upwardly and inwardly from the lower end over the top edge.

11. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 9 wherein the lower hook end extends through a hole in the brace portion.

12. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 8 including a plurality of additional cylindrical clamp collars each shorter than the channel members and having an inside surface of each of the cylindrical clamp collars closely surrounding the cylindrical portion of the channel members.

13. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 12 wherein the cylindrical clamp collars bridge between an end of one channel member and an end of a next adjacent channel member.

14. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 12 wherein the channel members are arranged to end at an end of the panels and the clamp collars are arranged to bridge between an end of one panel and an end of a next adjacent panel.

15. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 12 wherein the additional clamp collars are arranged to provide additional and localized clamping force on the channel members.

16. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 12 wherein there is provided a plurality of support bracket members arranged to stand vertically at spaced positions along the peripheral wall for connection to the panels to hold the panels and the peripheral wall vertical and wherein the additional clamp collars are arranged to be located at a respective one of the bracket members to engage a component of the bracket members.

17. The liquid containment barrier according to claim 12 wherein the liner extends over the cylindrical channel members and the additional clamp collars clamp the liner on to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the channel members.

Assignments (11)

Continuity (1)