Systems and methods for forming water barriers
First Claim
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1. A water barrier system, comprising:
- a first mobile railcar water barrier, comprising;
a first sidewall, wherein the first sidewall comprises a first sidewall hole configured to allow water to flow from an exterior of the first mobile railcar water barrier into an upper section of the first mobile railcar water barrier to be held within the upper section;
a first side sealing element positioned along an end of the first sidewall;
a first bottom sealing element positioned along a first bottom edge of the first sidewall;
a first vertical position control mechanism for lowering the first sidewall to abut the first bottom sealing element against a surface to form a first bottom seal between the first sidewall and the surface; and
a first set of wheels configured to carry the first sidewall, the first side sealing element, the first bottom sealing element, and the first vertical position control mechanism to a deployment site;
a second mobile railcar water barrier, the second mobile railcar water barrier connected to the first mobile railcar water barrier with a coupler, the second mobile railcar water barrier comprising;
a second sidewall;
a second side sealing element positioned along an end of the second sidewall;
a second bottom sealing element positioned along a second bottom edge of the second sidewall;
a second vertical position control mechanism for lowering the second sidewall to abut the second bottom sealing element against the surface to form a second bottom seal between the second sidewall and the surface; and
a second set of wheels configured to carry the second sidewall, the second side sealing element, the second bottom sealing element, and the second vertical position control mechanism to the deployment site; and
a translation mechanism for translating the first mobile railcar water barrier and the second mobile railcar water barrier toward each other to abut the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.
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Abstract
The disclosed water barrier systems may include a first mobile water barrier, and adjacent second mobile water barrier, and a translation mechanism for translating the first mobile water barrier and the second mobile water barrier toward each other. Lowering mechanisms may be configured to lower sidewalls of the mobile water barriers. The mobile water barriers may include sealing elements to form water seals between the adjacent mobile water barriers and between the sidewalls and a surface. Related methods of forming a water barrier assembly are also disclosed.
9 Citations
70 Claims
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1. A water barrier system, comprising:
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a first mobile railcar water barrier, comprising; a first sidewall, wherein the first sidewall comprises a first sidewall hole configured to allow water to flow from an exterior of the first mobile railcar water barrier into an upper section of the first mobile railcar water barrier to be held within the upper section; a first side sealing element positioned along an end of the first sidewall; a first bottom sealing element positioned along a first bottom edge of the first sidewall; a first vertical position control mechanism for lowering the first sidewall to abut the first bottom sealing element against a surface to form a first bottom seal between the first sidewall and the surface; and a first set of wheels configured to carry the first sidewall, the first side sealing element, the first bottom sealing element, and the first vertical position control mechanism to a deployment site; a second mobile railcar water barrier, the second mobile railcar water barrier connected to the first mobile railcar water barrier with a coupler, the second mobile railcar water barrier comprising; a second sidewall; a second side sealing element positioned along an end of the second sidewall; a second bottom sealing element positioned along a second bottom edge of the second sidewall; a second vertical position control mechanism for lowering the second sidewall to abut the second bottom sealing element against the surface to form a second bottom seal between the second sidewall and the surface; and a second set of wheels configured to carry the second sidewall, the second side sealing element, the second bottom sealing element, and the second vertical position control mechanism to the deployment site; and a translation mechanism for translating the first mobile railcar water barrier and the second mobile railcar water barrier toward each other to abut the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of forming a water barrier assembly, the method comprising:
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moving a first mobile railcar water barrier and an adjacent, second mobile railcar water barrier to a location in which to form a water barrier assembly, the first mobile railcar water barrier comprising a first sidewall, a first side sealing element, a first bottom sealing element, and a first set of wheels for moving the first mobile railcar water barrier to the location, the second mobile railcar water barrier comprising a second sidewall, a second side sealing element, a second bottom sealing element, and a second set of wheels for moving the second mobile railcar water barrier to the location; translating the first mobile railcar water barrier toward the second mobile railcar water barrier; abutting the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; lowering the first sidewall of the first mobile railcar water barrier and the second sidewall of the second mobile railcar water barrier; abutting the first bottom sealing element and the second bottom sealing element against a surface to form a lower water seal between the first sidewall and the surface and between the second sidewall and the surface; and flowing water into an upper section of the first mobile railcar water barrier. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A water barrier system, comprising:
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a first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier, comprising; a first sidewall; a first side sealing element positioned along an end of the first sidewall; a first bottom sealing element positioned along a first bottom edge of the first sidewall; a first vertical position control mechanism for lowering the first sidewall to abut the first bottom sealing element against a surface to form a first bottom seal between the first sidewall and the surface; and a first set of wheels configured to carry the first sidewall, the first side sealing element, the first bottom sealing element, and the first vertical position control mechanism to a deployment site; a second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier, the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier connected to the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier with a coupler, the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier comprising; a second sidewall; a second side sealing element positioned along an end of the second sidewall; a second bottom sealing element positioned along a second bottom edge of the second sidewall; a second vertical position control mechanism for lowering the second sidewall to abut the second bottom sealing element against the surface to form a second bottom seal between the second sidewall and the surface; and a second set of wheels configured to carry the second sidewall, the second side sealing element, the second bottom sealing element, and the second vertical position control mechanism to the deployment site; and a translation mechanism for translating the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier and the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier toward each other to abut the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein each of the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier and the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier is implemented as a semi-truck trailer, a bus body, or a van body. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of forming a water barrier assembly, the method comprising:
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moving a first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier and a second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier to a location in which to form a water barrier assembly, the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier comprising a first sidewall, a first side sealing element, a first bottom sealing element, and a first set of wheels for moving the first mobile railcar water barrier to the location, the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier comprising a second sidewall, a second side sealing element, a second bottom sealing element, and a second set of wheels for moving the second mobile railcar water barrier to the location; translating the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier toward the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier; abutting the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; lowering the first sidewall of the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier and the second sidewall of the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier; abutting the first bottom sealing element and the second bottom sealing element against a surface to form a lower water seal between the first sidewall and the surface and between the second sidewall and the surface; and flowing water into an upper section of the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A water barrier system, comprising:
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a mobile water barrier carried by a motorized vehicle or a railcar, comprising; at least one sidewall, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises a hole configured to allow water to flow from an exterior of the at least one sidewall into an upper section of the mobile water barrier; a side sealing element positioned along an end of the at least one sidewall; a bottom sealing element positioned along a bottom edge of the at least one sidewall; a vertical position control mechanism for lowering the at least one sidewall to abut the bottom sealing element against a surface to form a bottom seal between the at least one sidewall and the surface; and a set of wheels configured to carry the at least one sidewall, the side sealing element, the bottom sealing element, and the vertical position control mechanism to a deployment site; wherein the side sealing element is configured to form a side water seal against a surface of a structure or another mobile water barrier. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of forming a water barrier assembly, the method comprising:
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moving a first mobile railcar water barrier and an adjacent, second mobile railcar water barrier to a location in which to form a water barrier assembly, the first mobile railcar water barrier comprising a first sidewall, a first side sealing element, a first bottom sealing element, and a first set of wheels for moving the first mobile railcar water barrier to the location, the second mobile railcar water barrier comprising a second sidewall, a second side sealing element, a second bottom sealing element, and a second set of wheels for moving the second mobile railcar water barrier to the location; translating the first mobile railcar water barrier toward the second mobile railcar water barrier, wherein translating the first mobile railcar water barrier toward the second mobile railcar water barrier comprises rolling the first mobile railcar water barrier along a railroad track via a railcar bogie supporting the first mobile railcar water barrier with wheels and a centerplate bolster bowl assembly; abutting the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; lowering the first sidewall of the first mobile railcar water barrier and the second sidewall of the second mobile railcar water barrier; and abutting the first bottom sealing element and the second bottom sealing element against a surface to form a lower water seal between the first sidewall and the surface and between the second sidewall and the surface.
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70. A method of forming a water barrier assembly, the method comprising:
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moving a first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier and a second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier to a location in which to form a water barrier assembly, the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier comprising a first sidewall, a first side sealing element, a first bottom sealing element, and a first set of wheels for moving the first mobile railcar water barrier to the location, the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier comprising a second sidewall, a second side sealing element, a second bottom sealing element, and a second set of wheels for moving the second mobile railcar water barrier to the location; translating the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier toward the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier; abutting the first side sealing element against the second side sealing element to form a side water seal between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; lowering the first sidewall of the first mobile motorized vehicle water barrier and the second sidewall of the second mobile motorized vehicle water barrier; and abutting the first bottom sealing element and the second bottom sealing element against a surface of a road to form a lower water seal between the first sidewall and the surface and between the second sidewall and the surface of the road.
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Specification