Method of and apparatus for controlling fluid leakage through soil

• US 4,786,208 A
• Filed: 07/14/1986
• Issued: 11/22/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solmat Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Solmat Systems Limited
• Inventors: Raviv, Avi
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, David H.
• Application Number:
  US06/866,715
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 405/38, 405/174, 405/176, 405/179, 405/258, 405/270
• US Class Current: 405/176
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/122 Flexible prefabricated covering elements, e.g. mats, strips
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/16 Sealings or joints E02B3/12 takes precedence; sealings for specific structural foundation elements, see the relevant groups for those elements; sealings for barrage or lock gates E02B7/54; joints for foundation structures E02D29/16; sealing joints not restricted to hydraulic engineering work E04B1/68

Abstract

Fluid leakage through soil in a region thereof is controlled by sequentially passing over the region to dig a plurality of parallel, laterally displaced grooves in the surface. Soil dug from each groove is temporarily stored, and a strip of sheet material is laid over a groove as it is created during each pass, the width of the strip being greater than the width of the groove. Thereafter, the temporarily stored soil is deposited on the strip such that it is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass over the region. As a consequence, a first layer of overlapping strips of sheet material covered with soil is installed over the region.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating the surface of the ground in a region with a vehicle having ground engaging means for supporting the same, and means located at the front of the vehicle for digging a groove in the surface each time the vehicle traverses the region and for lifting the earth dug from the current groove onto a strip of sheet material that is laid out over the current groove from a roll at the back of the vehicle when the latter traverses the region, the improvement being in having the width of the strip, when it is laid-out on the current groove, be wider than the width of the ground. engaging means of the vehicle and wider than the periphery of the current groove, whereby said ground engaging means clears an edge of a previously laid-out strip when the next groove is dug parallel to the previously dug groove, and an edge of the next strip laid-out on the next groove overlaps said edge of the previously laid-out strip.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has a trailing wheel mount located ahead of the roll of sheet material so that the wheel mount directly engages the ground before the strip is laid down.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has a trailing wheel mount located behind the roll of sheet material and the soil is distributed on the strip ahead of the trailing wheel mount which rides on the distributed soil.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the improvment is in nonuniformly distributing earth on the strip such that one edge of the strip remains uncovered.

5. The invention of claim 4 including means for distributing the soil to a uniform depth on the strip.

6. The invention of claim 4 including means for distributing the soil to a non-uniform depth on the strip.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein the center of the strip is aligned with the center of the vehicle.

8. The invention of claim 4 wherein the center of the strip is eccentric with respect to the center of the vehicle.

9. A method for using an elevating scraper vehicle having a bowl and a scraper blade for creating groove in the earth each time the vehicle traverses a region, and an elevator mechanism separate from the scraper blade for lifting soil scraped from the groove into the bowl of the vehicle, the method comprising:

(a) unrolling a strip of sheet material from the vehicle over each groove created when the vehicle executes a pass over a region;

(b) diverting the soil lifted by the elevator mechanism onto the top of the strip instead of into the bowl; and

(c) distributing the soil on the strip such that one edge is clear of soil and the other edge overlaps the clear edge of an adjacent strip unrolled during a previous pass over the region.

10. Apparatus for laying a layer of sheet material below the surface of the ground comprising:

(a) a scraper mechanism having ground engaging means for supporting the mechanism and including a trailing wheel support and a leading scraper blade selectively engageable with the ground for scraping a groove therein each time the mechanism traverses the ground;

(b) a roll of sheet material mounted on said trailing wheel support and being wider than the cross-sectional perimeter of the groove, wider than the mechanism on which the roll is mounted, and wider than the ground engaging means, the axis of rotation of the roll being parallel to the axis of rotation of the trailing wheel support, for depositing a strip of sheet material over a current groove as the groove is created; and

(c) an elevator separate from the leading scraping blade for raising the scraped soil into a spreader mounted on the mechanism;

(d) the spreader being operative to non-uniformity distribute the earth across the width of the strip deposited over the current groove so that one edge of the strip remains uncovered, whereby both said ground engaging means and said trailing wheel support clear the uncovered edge of the previously deposited strip when the next groove is scraped parallel to the previously scraped groove, and an edge of the next strip deposited on the next groove overlaps the uncovered edge of the previously deposited strip.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the roll of sheet material is mounte behind the trailing wheel support, the input end of the spreader being forward and above the axle of the trailing wheel support, and the discharge end of the spreader being rearward of the roll.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the roll of sheet material is mounted forward of the trailing wheel suport, and a discharge end of the spreader is located between the roll of sheet material and the trailing wheel support.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10 including means for directing a jet of compressed air adjacent an edge of the strip but below the strip.

14. A method for comprising fluid leakage through soil in a region comprising the steps of:

(a) sequentially passing over the region to dig a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced grooves in the surface;

(b) removing the soil from each groove as it is dug;

(c) laying a strip of fluid impermeable sheet material over a dug groove, the strip being wider than the peripheral of the groove; and

(d) depositing soil onto the strip such that the strip is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlaying the uncovered edge of an adajcent, previously laid strip, therey establishing over the region, a first layer of overlapping strips of sheet material covered with soil.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of blowing compressed air on said one edge of a strip before the next strip is laid.

16. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of spreading the earth substantially uniformly deep on the strip.

17. The method according to any one of claims 15 or 16 further comprising the steps of:

(a) sequentially passing over the overlapping portions of the strips in a direction along the length of the strips and laying a strip of sheet material thereof; and

(b) depositing soil into the last mentioned strip such that it is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass whereby a second layer of overlapping strips of sheet material is laid down over the first lever of overlying strips of sheet material, the overlaps in the second layer being staggered with respect to the overlaps in the first layer.

18. A method for controlling fluid leakage through soil in a region thereof comprising the steps of:

(a) sequentially passing a wheeled vehicle having a scraper blade across the region for scraping a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced grooves in the surface of the region;

(b) laying a strip of fluid impermeable sheet material of a width greater than the periphery of a groove on the ground so as to cover the groove;

(c) depositing soil onto the strip such that the latter is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent, previously laid strip thereby establishing over the region a first layer of overlapping strips of sheet material covered with soil.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

(a) sequentially passing the wheeled vehicle over the overlapped regions of the strips of a direction along the length of the strips and laying a strip of fluid impermeable sheet material thereover; and

(b) depositing soil onto the last mentioned strip such that the strip is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass whereby a second layer of overlapping strips of sheet material is laid down over the first layer of overlying strips of sheet material, the overlaps in the second layer being staggered with respect to the overlaps in the first layer.