Assembly For Covering a Trench

• US 20090103986A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Vincent Byrne
• Original Assignee: David Vincent Byrne
• Inventors: Byrne, David Vincent
• Application Number:
  US11/596,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/282
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 17/10 Covering trenches for foundations

Abstract

An assembly suitable for temporarily covering a trench comprises an anti-slip tile (30) and a separately formed trench cover. The anti-slip tile (30) may be releasably attached to the trench cover. The anti-slip tile (30) comprises a plurality of cylindrical protrusions (21) integrally formed with a body portion of the tile (30), protruding from an upper surface (6) of the body portion (5), and evenly spaced across the upper surface (6) to minimise the possibility of a wheel of a vehicle slipping as the wheel passes over the anti-slip tile (30) and over the trench cover. The body portion (5) has a plurality of openings (22) extending through the body portion (5), the openings (22) being spaced across the upper surface (6) to reduce the overall weight of the anti-slip tile (30), and to provide a means of draining rainwater from the upper surface of the body portion (5). Two openings (31a) are located at opposite end edges of the body portion (5). During assembly, a number of body portions (5) are placed on the surface of the trench cover and spaced at intervals to evenly cover the surface of the trench cover. A shaped, half round bracket is inserted into the matching opening (31a) in the surface of each body portion (5). The bracket can be fixed to the surface of the trench cover by means of a hardened nail fired from an impact gun.

Claims

1. An anti-slip element for use with a separately formed trench cover, the anti-slip element comprising:

a body portion, the body portion being attachable to a separately formed trench cover; and

means to minimise the possibility of another element slipping upon passage of the other element over the body portion.

2. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion is releasably attachable to a trench cover.

3. An element as claimed in claim 2 wherein the body portion is attachable to a trench cover by means of a mechanical attachment.

7. An element as claimed in claim 3 wherein the mechanical attachment includes an attachment member configured to be driven into a trench cover by an impact gun.

22. An element as claimed in claim 7 wherein the element comprises an attachment member for clamping the body portion to a trench cover.

23. An element as claimed in claim 22 wherein the attachment member comprises a lip for extending over at least part of the body portion to clamp the body portion to a trench cover.

24. An element as claimed in claim 22 wherein the attachment member comprises a first wing configured to be fixed to a trench cover.

25. An element as claimed in claim 24 wherein the element comprises a fixing member drivable through the first wing to fix the first wing to a trench cover.

26. An element as claimed in claim 25 wherein the fixing member is configured to be driven through the first wing by an impact gun.

27. An element as claimed in claim 24 wherein the body portion comprises a fixing opening, the first wing being locatable in the fixing opening.

28. An element as claimed in claim 24 wherein the attachment member comprises a second wing configured to be located between the body portion and a trench cover.

29. An element as claimed in claim 28 wherein the body portion comprises a recess for accommodating the second wing.

30. An element as claimed in claim 22 wherein a single attachment member is configured to clamp the body portions of two or more elements to a trench cover.

31. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion is attachable to a trench cover by means of welding.

32. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slip minimisation means is integrally formed with the body portion.

33. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises an upper surface for facing away from a trench cover when the body portion is attached to the trench cover, and the slip minimisation means comprises one or more protrusions protruding from the upper surface.

34. An element as claimed in claim 33 wherein the slip minimisation means comprises a plurality of protrusions evenly spaced across the upper surface.

35. An element as claimed in claim 34 wherein each of the protrusions is substantially identical.

40. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises one or more weight-reducing discontinuities.

41. An element as claimed in claim 40 wherein the one or more discontinuities comprise one or more openings extending through the body portion.

42. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises drainage means.

43. An element as claimed in claim 42 wherein the drainage means comprises an opening extending through the body portion.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

8-21. -21. (canceled)

36-39. -39. (canceled)

44-45. -45. (canceled)

46. An assembly for covering a trench, the assembly comprising:

a separately formed trench cover;

an anti-slip element including;

a body portion, the body portion being attachable to the separately formed trench cover; and

means to minimise the possibility of another element slipping upon passage of the other element over the body portion.

54. An assembly as claimed in claim 46 wherein the trench cover comprises an upper surface, and the upper surface is substantially smooth.

47-53. -53. (canceled)

55-56. -56. (canceled)

57. A method for covering a trench, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an anti-slip element;

providing a separately formed trench cover;

attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover; and

positioning the trench cover with respect to the trench to cover the trench.

58. A method as claimed in claim 57 further comprising the step of attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover before covering the trench.

59. A method as claimed in claim 57 further comprising the step of attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover while the trench cover is in position covering the trench.

66. A method as claimed in claim 57 wherein the step of attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover further comprises the step of releasably attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover.

60-65. -65. (canceled)

67-95. -95. (canceled)