U.S. patent number 3,922,865 [Application Number 05/395,575] was granted by the patent office on 1975-12-02 for mattress, method of sinking a mattress and vessel suitable for use in said method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Aannemers, Combinatie Zinkwerken B.V.. Invention is credited to Ate Nijdam.
United States Patent |
3,922,865 |
Nijdam |
December 2, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Mattress, method of sinking a mattress and vessel suitable for use
in said method
Abstract
A mattress is disclosed comprising a filter cloth into which at
regular intervals metal bars are woven and spaced concrete blocks
are connected to the bars, thus securing the blocks to the filter
cloth. In use the space between the blocks may be filled with
ballast such as rubble, gravel, etc.
Inventors: |
Nijdam; Ate (Schelluinen,
NL) |
Assignee: |
Aannemers, Combinatie Zinkwerken
B.V. (Gorinchem, NL)
|
Family
ID: |
19817086 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/395,575 |
Filed: |
September 10, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/17; 52/388;
405/20 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B
27/19 (20200501); E02B 3/123 (20130101); E02B
3/121 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E02B
3/12 (20060101); E02B 003/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;61/38,37,7,1,34
;52/388,386,198 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,265,062 |
|
Mar 1968 |
|
DT |
|
86,920 |
|
Nov 1957 |
|
NL |
|
591,824 |
|
Aug 1947 |
|
UK |
|
Primary Examiner: Shapiro; Jacob
Claims
I claim:
1. A mattress comprising a filter cloth, bars of metal, plastic or
the like being woven in said filter cloth at regular intervals,
anchoring members being arranged so as to be linked to said bars
woven in said cloth and extending from one face of said cloth, and
concrete blocks cast on said filter cloth about said anchoring
members.
2. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 wherein said anchoring members
are welded to the bars.
3. A mattress as claimed in claim 2 wherein said anchoring members
are substantially V- or U-shaped members, the apices of which
extend into the filter cloth so that the bars in the cloth extend
between the upright limbs of said members.
4. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that a rush
mat is arranged on the filter cloth and beneath the concrete
blocks.
5. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 wherein said blocks are
arranged in rows extending substantially the width of the mattress,
said rows being substantially spaced apart longitudinally of said
mattress.
6. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 including rows of spaced,
shorter concrete blocks between said first mentioned rows.
7. A mattress comprising a filter cloth, bars of metal, plastic or
the like woven in said filter cloth at regular intervals, the ends
of said bars being bent so that said ends form eyelets extending
from a face of said cloth, concrete blocks embraceable by pairs of
said eyelets, and bolts extending through said eyelets into said
blocks for coupling said concrete blocks with said filter
cloth.
8. A mattress as claimed in claim 7 characterized in that eyelets
are provided on each side of the blocks and a bolt is passed
through each set of eyelets located on either side of the block and
into the block.
9. A mattress as claimed in claim 7 characterized in that a rush
mat is arranged on said filter cloth and beneath said concrete
blocks.
10. A mattress as claimed in claim 7 wherein said blocks are
coupled by said bars to said mattress in rows extending
substantially the width of said mattress, said rows being
substantially spaced apart longitudinally of said mattress.
11. A mattress as claimed in claim 10 including rows of spaced,
shorter concrete blocks between said first mentioned rows.
12. A method of lowering a mattress, said mattress comprising a
flexible filter cloth in which at regular intervals bars of metal,
plastic or the like are woven, with which bars concrete blocks are
coupled to be spaced apart longitudinally of said mattress, which
comprises loading said mattress on a vessel with the concrete
blocks shifted towards each other closely by folding the cloth
parts situated between the concrete blocks, whereafter one end of
the mattress is lowered from the vessel to the ground and anchored
on the ground, the mattress being deposited on the ground while the
vessel is hauled in a direction away from the anchorage of the
mattress, and braking the movement of the mattress in order to
ensure gradual lowering of the mattress to the ground such that the
cloth is laid in a stretched position.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12 characterized in that a tube is
fastened to the end to be anchored to the ground, said tube being
filled with water for lowering said end with the aid of a winch or
a crane.
14. A method for lowering a mattress comprising a flexible filter
cloth in which at regular intervals bars of metal, plastic or the
like are woven with which bars concrete blocks are coupled the
mattress being wound on a reel having adequate floating capacity
for holding the reel with the mattress in a floating state, the
reel being coupled with a vessel, anchoring one end of the mattress
to the ground, the mattress being wound off the reel for depositing
on the ground while the vessel is hauled in a direction away from
said end of the mattress.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14 characterized in that cables or
chains fastened to winches or the like are coupled with drums
provided at the ends of the reel for braking the reel.
16. A method as claimed in claim 14 characterized in that the
mattress is lowered to the ground on the right-hand side of the
reel.
17. A method as claimed in claim 14 characterized in that the reel
is coupled with one end of the vessel, the mattress is guided
across the vessel and is lowered to the ground at the other end of
the vessel.
18. A method as claimed in claim 14 characterized in that at the
rear end of the mattress at least one tube to be filled with water
is provided, which tube is lowered to the ground with the aid of a
winch or a crane.
19. A vessel intended for lowering a mattress comprising a filter
cloth having bars of metal, plastic or the like woven thereinto at
regular intervals and concrete blocks coupled to said bars,
characterized in that the vessel comprises two consecutive gripping
members including pivotable hooks adapted to grip around the
concrete blocks, first drive means for reciprocating the gripping
members on the line of mattress movement with a given phase
difference for controlling the movement of the mattress over a deck
of the vessel, and second drive means for pivoting the hooks
between a gripping position wherein a hook grips a concrete block
and a position free of said block.
20. A vessel as claimed in claim 19 wherein said first and second
drive means are coordinated so that as one of said gripping members
grips a block and begins movement with said mattress, the other
said gripping member is gripping a longitudinally spaced block on
said mattress and completing its movement with said mattress.
Description
The invention relates to a mattress comprising ballast.
Hitherto it has been common practice to make mattresses from such
material that it can be transported whilst floating to the area
where it has to be sunk, after which the mattress is lowered to the
ground with the aid of ballast formed by gravel, stone or rubble.
This method requires much labour and trouble, whereas fixation of
the ballast material and the like with respect to the mattress is
not ensured so that the ballast or the like may be cast off the
mattress or may roll away from it.
The invention has for its object to provide a mattress which can be
effectively manufactured and sunk, whilst a satisfactory fixation
of the ballast material is ensured.
According to the invention this can be achieved by using filter
cloth for the mattress, in which at regular intervals metal bars
are woven, with which bars concrete blocks are coupled. The
concrete blocks are rigidly secured to the filter cloth so that
they cannot be loosened from said cloth by tidal currents or the
like. The spaces between the concrete blocks can be filled with
ballast for example, gravel, stone and/or rubble, which ballast
will be satisfactorily enclosed between the concrete block so that
even on comparatively sharply inclined surfaces to be protected
rolling away of the ballast material is avoided.
According to a further aspect of the invention an effective method
of sinking such a mattress is obtained by anchoring the mattress by
one end to the ground, which end is sunk from a vessel to the
ground, the mattress being deposited on the ground during the
movement of the vessel in a direction away from the anchorage of
the mattress. In this way the mattress can be gradually lowered to
the ground and deposited thereon in a stretched state.
Sinking of the mattress can be carried out in a particular
effective manner with the aid of a vessel comprising, in the
direction of displacement of the mattress across the vessel, two
grabs arranged one after the other, which can be coupled with the
mattress and which are adapted to reciprocate with a given phase
difference for controllling the movement of the mattress. It can
thus be avoided that the mattress slips off the vessel too rapidly
under the action of its own weight, in which case it would be
incorrectly deposited on the ground.
The invention will now be described more fully with reference to a
few embodiments illustrated in the accompanying Figures for a
mattress and a vessel in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a mattress
embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of a mattress embodying
the invention.
FIG. 3 shows on an enlarged scale a first form of connection
between the filter cloth and a concrete block.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the connection of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 shows schematically a second embodiment of a connection
between the filter cloth and a concrete block.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the connection of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 shows schematically a third embodiment of the connection
between the filter cloth and a concrete block.
FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the connection of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the connection of FIG. 7.
FIG. 10 shows schematically one embodiment of a vessel for
depositing a mattress, the mattress being loaded thereon, when
sinking of the mattress starts.
FIG. 11 shows the vessel of FIG. 10 with the mattress in a further
stage of sinking.
FIG. 12 shows the vessel of FIG. 10 with the mattress after the
termination of the sinking operation.
FIG. 13 shows on an enlarged scale part of the vessel with the
grabs arranged thereon.
FIGS. 14 to 17 show schematically a vessel with a reel coupled
herewith for transporting the mattress.
FIG. 18 shows a further embodiment of a mattress.
From FIG. 1 it will be apparent that a mattress embodying the
invention comprises a filter cloth 1, on which, viewed in the
direction of length of the cloth, a plurality of rows of concrete
blocks 2 are arranged one after the other. FIG. 2 shows that in the
direction of width of the filter cloth a plurality of blocks of
comparatively short length, for example a length of about 150 cms,
having intervals of 25 cms are connected with the cloth instead of
connecting a beam extending over the whole width of the cloth, so
that the mattress can more satisfactorily match the unevennesses of
the ground. The concrete blocks preferably have a square section
having a width and a height of about 45 cms. As a matter of course,
other suitable dimensions may be chosen.
The connection between a concrete block and a filter cloth may be
established in various ways. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and
4 a metal bar 3, for example, of armouring iron, is woven in the
cloth anchoring members formed by T-sections 4 being welded to the
bar 3. After the manufacture of the filter cloth with the
interwoven bars 3 provided with anchoring members 4, the cloth is
spread and casings are placed on the cloth for casting the concrete
to form the concrete blocks 2. It is ensured that in each concrete
block at least on two parallel bars anchoring members 4 are
embedded as is illustrated in FIG. 4. In a preferred embodiment of
a mattress in accordance with the invention the distance between
two concrete blocks located one behind the other in the direction
of length of the filter cloth is preferably about 155 cms.
A second form of connecting concrete blocks 2 with the filter cloth
1 is shown schematically in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this embodiment only
straight metal bars 5, for example, of armouring iron, are woven in
the filter cloth. Before the concrete blocks are arranged in place
at least substantially V-shaped anchoring members are pierced
through the filter cloth so that the interwoven bars 3 are located
in the bend between the two limbs of the V-shaped anchoring
members. (FIG. 6).
In order to obtain a satisfactory connection between the anchoring
members and the concrete the ends of the limbs of the anchoring
members may be bent over as is shown in FIG. 6. Also in this case
it is ensured, when the bars are woven in, that two bars are
comparatively near each other so that the anchoring members slipped
around two bars will be embedded in a concrete block 2.
A third method of connecting a concrete block with the filter cloth
is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9. In this embodiment the filter cloth
is provided with metal bars 7, for example, of armouring iron, the
ends of the bars being bent upwardly at right angles and being
curled to form eyelets 8. With the aid of these bars a
prefabricated concrete block 2 can be coupled with the filter cloth
1. For this purpose the distance between two bars located one
behind the other viewed in the direction of length of the filter
cloth is chosen to be equal to the width of a concrete block 2. In
pre-casting the concrete block 2 cavities are provided so that
these cavities get in line with the eyelets 8. It is thus possible
to pass bolts through the eyelets 8 of two consecutive bars and the
intermediate concrete block, nuts being subsequently screwed
thereon so that a rigid connection between the bars and the
concrete block is obtained. The Figures shows furthermore that on
each side of a concrete block preferably two aligned bars 7
provided with eyelets 8 are woven in the filter cloth 1 so that
each concrete block can be connected by four bolts 9 with the
filter cloth. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 a rush-mat is
deposited on the filter cloth, said mat also being rigidly secured
to the filter cloth after the concrete blocks are fastened. The use
of such rush-mat may be useful to avoid damage of the filter cloth
by the abrazing motion of concrete blocks and subsequently shed
ballast along the filter cloth. The application of such rush-mat 10
is, of course, also possible in the embodiments described
above.
For transporting the mattress thus manufactured it can be placed on
a vessel, for example, a pontoon. In order to arrange a maximum
length of mattress on the pontoon, the concrete blocks are
preferably shifted against each other as is shown on the right-hand
side of FIG. 10, whilst the filter cloth located between successive
concrete blocks is folded upwards and is clamped in between the
successive blocks. For lowering the mattress a single or double
sinking tube 11 is coupled with the front end of the mattress,
which tube can be filled with water. The tube is furthermore
anchored by means of an anchor 12 so that after it has been lowered
by means of a crane or winch 13 on the vessel the tube will occupy
a given position on the ground and will maintain such position.
When the tube 11 is located on the ground, the mattress can be slid
off the vessel and be deposited on the ground by gradually hauling
the vessel 11a in the direction of the arrow A, as is illustrated
in FIGS. 11 and 12. It is preferred to fasten also to the rear end
of the mattress a single or double sinking tube to be filled with
water 14, which tube is lowered to the ground by means of a crane 3
when the last part of the mattress is sunk.
In order to avoid an acceleration of the movement of the mattress
from the vessel under the action of its own weight, when part of
the mattress has already slipped from the vessel, the latter is
provided with a retaining member, an embodiment of which is shown
in FIG. 13, which shows on an enlarged scale one end of the vessel
in further detail.
This Figure shows that the end of the vessel where the mattress is
slipped from the vessel is provided with a roller track 16 formed
by a plurality of successive rollers extending transversely of the
direction of movement. The roller track 16 preferably extends along
part of the horizontal deck and along a curved part in downward
direction along that side of the vessel, as is illustrated in the
Figure.
The mechanism for controlling the speed of movement of the filter
cloth with respect to the vessel comprises two hydraulic cylinders
17 and 18, arranged one behind the other in the direction of
movement of the filter cloth and provided with piston rods 19 and
20 respectively, with the free ends of which yokes 21 and 22
respectively are coupled. To the yokes are pivoted gripping members
formed by arms 23, to which two spaced, downwardly extending tines
24 and 25 are secured, the distance between said tines
corresponding to the width of a concrete block 2. The arms 23 with
the tines 24 and 25 are adapted to swing up and down with the aid
of setting cylinders 26, fastened to the yokes. When a yoke 22
occupies its extreme right-hand position, as is shown for the yoke
22, the gripping member 23, 25 coupled with said yoke can be turned
downwards so that a concrete block gets in between the tines 24 and
25. Then the yoke concerned can be displaced by regulating the
fluid supply to the hydraulic cylinder 18 gradually further in the
direction of the arrow B in order to regulate the speed with which
the mattress slips off the vessel. Near the end of the stroke of
the setting cylinder 18 the gripper concerned will be swung upwards
with the aid of the setting cylinder 26, after which the yoke 22 is
moved back and the cycle described can be repeated. Between the
movements of the setting cylinders 17 and 18 and those of the yokes
21 and 22 coupled herewith a given phase difference is made so that
at the instant when the setting cylinder 18, which may have a
stroke of 4 ms, has arrived at 1 meter in front of its extreme
left-hand position the setting cylinder 17 is competely withdrawn
and is coupled with a block so that at the instant when the
gripping member coupled with the yoke 22 is released from the
concrete block 2 the setting cylinder is already coupled with a
further concrete block and has performed already about 1 meter of
its stroke. The yoke 22 is then rapidly moved back and the gripping
member coupled herewith is again coupled with a concrete block at
the instant when the setting cylinder 17 has performed about three
quarters of its stroke. It will be obvious that by means of the
setting cylinders 17 and 18 the speed of movement of the mattress
is regulated in accordance with the speed of hauling the vessel in
the direction of the arrow A.
A further possibility of transporting the mattress from the area of
manufacture to the area of sinking resides in winding the mattress
on a reel 26, the floating capacity of which is sufficiently high
for allowing floating transport together with a mattress wound
thereon. Such a reel, which may have a diameter of 6 ms, is shown
schematically in FIG. 14. For sinking the mattress the reel is
coupled with a vessel 27, which is shown schematically in FIG. 14.
For this purpose the reel is provided at its ends with stub shafts
28 arranged opposite correspondingly shaped recesses 29 in arms 30,
secured to the rear end of the vessel, between which arms the reel
is navigated.
The mattress is then shifted along the deck of the vessel toward
the other end of the mattress and the sinking tube 11 secured to
the front end of the mattress is again lowered in the manner
described above with the aid of a crane 13. The vessel is
preferably also provided with the system shown schematically in
FIG. 13 for the control of the speed of displacement of the
mattress.
A further, particularly effective possibility of lowering a
mattress with the aid of a reel 26 is illustrated in FIGS. 15 to
17. In a similar manner as described above a reel 26, around which
a mattress is wound, is coupled with a pontoon 27 with the aid of
arms (not shown). In this case, however, the reel 26 is coupled
with the rear side of the pontoon, viewed in the direction of
displacement of the pontoon 27, when a mattress is deposited.
Cables 31 are coupled with the ends of the sinking tube 11
connected with winches (not shown) arranged on the pontoon. Further
cables 32, also connected with winches (not shown) arranged on the
pontoon, are fastened to drums 33 arranged at the ends of the
reel.
When the pontoon 27 is hauled with the aid of the cables 31, the
tube 11 can be lowered to the ground as is shown in FIG. 16, and
when the pontoon is moved on the mattress is gradually released
from the reel 26 and deposited on the ground. The speed of rotation
of the reel 26 and hence the speed of lowering of the mattress are
controlled by means of the winches to which the cables 32 are
secured. During lowering of the mattress the cables 32 wind up
around the drums at the ends of the reel. As a matter of course,
the end of the mattress released last from the reel is still
connected with the reel by means of a cable 34 wound on the reel in
order to ensure gradual lowering of said end.
FIG. 18 shows a further embodiment of the mattress which is
particularly suitable for being wound on a reel. This Figure shows
that between the rows of closely adjacentt concrete blocks 2, which
rows as stated above are spaced apart by a distance of about 155
cms, further rows of comparatively short concrete blocks 35 are
arranged. Viewed in the direction of length of a row of aligned
blocks 35 a fairly large distance is left between the blocks 35,
but viewed in the direction of length of the mattress the distance
between the blocks 35 and the blocks 2 is fairly small. It will be
obvious that since the concrete blocks are spaced apart by a
comparatively small distance from each other, viewed in the
direction of length of the mattress, the mattress can be more
satisfactorily wound regularly on the reel. However, since the
concrete blocks 35 are comparatively small, they do not increase
the weight of the mattress in an excessive manner. A further
advantage of the provision of the short concrete blocks 35 between
the concrete blocks 2, which advantage also becomes manifest when
the mattress is deposited in a different way, is that the material
subsequently shed on the mattress is prevented from slipping off
between the concrete blocks 2, since this material is retained by
the short concrete blocks 35.
After the deposition of the mattress material can be shed thereon
and this material gets in between the concrete blocks rigidly
secured to the filter cloth so that it is firmly held and even on a
fairly sharp slope of the ground the material will be retained on
the mattress and will not readily roll off the same.
A further advantage of a mattress in accordance with the invention
resides in that the filter cloth with the interwoven metal parts
can be readily manufactured on a suitable place and can then be
transported to the proximity of the area where the mattress has to
be lowered. In general, a sufficient quantity of materials can be
provided there for the manufacture of the concrete blocks so that
the arrangement of the concrete blocks on the filter cloth can be
carried out at fairly low costs in the neighbourhood of the area
where the mattress has to be lowered, whilst transport of large
quantities of materials over large distances, which was frequently
required for the conventional mattresses is omitted. The concrete
blocks can be fastened by unskilled labour, whereas the manufacture
of the conventional mattresses requires high craftmanship.
As a matter of course various modifications and additions to the
construction and method described above may be carried out. It will
be obvious that also with the mattress shown in FIG. 18 a rush-mat
may be arranged on the filter cloth beneath the concrete blocks.
Moreover, instead of using metal bars for coupling the concrete
blocks with the filter cloth bars of other material, for example
synthetic resin or bars coated with synthetic resin may be
employed, the synthetic resin having s higher
corrosion-resistance.
In the embodiments given above it is stated that in depositing the
mattress the vessel is displaced so that the mattress is lowered
behind the vessel. In many cases it is, however, also possible to
displace the vessel in the opposite direction, when the sinking
tube is correctly anchored so that the vessel passes over the
deposited mattress.
* * * * *