Integrated security system for warning of dangerous substances that are dispersed by winds

• US 9,454,921 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wind Willie LLC
• Original Assignee: Wind Willie LLC
• Inventors: Williams, Larry Eugene, Williams, Nickey Joe, Sherrod, Benny Ray, Hayes, Roger Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Andre
• Application Number:
  US14/224,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/02 Indicating direction only, e.g. by weather vane
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/16 Combustible gas alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0037 supported by a post
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0087 including movable parts, e.g. movable by the wind
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/002 weather-proof panels or boards G09F7/02 - G09F7/14, G09F7/18 - G09F7/22 take precedence

Abstract

A wind-articulated, warning sign system responsive to oblique wind currents acting external to surfaces of its exposed, non-flat-sheet and non-fabric structural elements and which provides a functional-airfoil-cross-section with surface configured to display and provide emergency critical technical data for specific classes of regular and emergency visitors to the entrance portal of an industrial site where large quantities of dangerous substances, including, radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, biohazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic substances are handled and which substances might be released by accident or by terrorist attack and dispersed by winds into the local environment.

Claims

1. A wind-articulated, warning sign system responsive to oblique wind currents acting external to surfaces of its exposed, non-flat-sheet and non-fabric structural elements and which provides a functional-airfoil-cross-section with surface configured to display and provide emergency critical technical data for specific classes of regular and emergency visitors to the entrance portal of an industrial site where large quantities of dangerous substances, including, radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, biohazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic substances are handled and which substances might be released by accident or by terrorist attack and dispersed by winds into the local environment, the system comprising:

a mast which extends vertically above a surface;

a wind-responsive, stiffened, monocoque panel formed of thin sections of lightweight materials into the general shape of a polygon;

the panel being a smooth, thin, symmetrical airfoil, said panel defined by a one or more faces being opposed to one another (comprising a first face and a second face);

said one or more faces being panel-lateral-face surfaces and having characteristic span, chord, thickness, plane of symmetry, a center of lift, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root and an outboard tip;

the panel further connected to said mast for unobstructed, 360 degree rotation thereabout;

said panel being pivotably mounted to the mast by mechanical connection to a plurality of ribs comprising a support beams;

said support beams being lightweight monocoque which have an airfoil shape in plan view, extend perpendicular to said mast axis upstream of the leading edge of said panel;

said support beams providing beam-lateral-display surfaces and mechanical connection of said panel to the mast and adapting it for full rotation thereabout at wind velocities as low as 0.5 m/sec; and

each of said support beams being provided with a one or more bearing assemblies being low-friction bearings adapted for thrust loads and for rotation under extreme weather conditions.

2. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said panel being an airfoil having the following characteristics 250<

span, mm<

1000;

250<

chord, mm<

1000, 10<

thickness L4, and mm<

100;

said panel comprises a leading edge;

said leading edge is parallel to said mast axis;

its span being oriented in a vertical plane parallel to the axis of said mast;

said airfoil panel being a rectangular polygon and fixed between a first lower beam at its root and a second upper beam at its tip, both said beams being attached to said mast for 360-degree rotation thereabout;

said offset, L1, of airfoil center of lift re the pivot axis being in the range 0.2*chord to 0.6*chord;

said airfoil panel being able to generate lift forces in the range 0.1<

force, N<

0.5 at 3-degree oblique-angle wind velocities as low as 0.3 m/sec; and

said panel-face surfaces adapted for direct application of thin-layer-designs using known all-weather paints and pigments and known sign-image-generation methods.

3. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said panel being quadrilateral in the form of a parallelogram, a rhombus or a trapezoid with its leading edge not parallel to the mast axis;

said beams and bearings being adapted for rotation under a force of about 0.1N applied perpendicular to one of said lateral surfaces at said airfoil center of lift;

said mast, beams and panel being designed to resist drag forces of strong winds in the range 2<

velocity, m/sec <

30 with elastic deflections of less than 1%;

said mast-mounted beam-&

-panel assembly being adapted to rotate under 0.5-5 deg. oblique angle wind currents in the velocity range 3-40 m/sec and to align itself to the instant wind vector; and

said panel-face surfaces being adapted for one or more of;

(a) semi-permanent fixation of known adhesive-backed warning signs in the form of known materials in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm, (b) permanent fixation of warning signs mated to panel-surface recesses using known technics to achieve a flush mounting of said signs in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm and (c) removable fixation of warning signs mated to panel-surface recesses using known securing technics to achieve weatherproof, substantially-flush mounting of said signs in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm.

4. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising;

said panel being an airfoil having the following characteristics 250<

span, mm<

1000;

250<

chord, mm<

1000;

10<

thickness L4, mm<

100;

its leading edge is generally parallel to said mast axis;

its span being oriented in a vertical plane parallel to the axis of said mast;

said airfoil panel being a rectangular polygon and fixed at its root upon a support beam, said beam being attached to said mast for 360-degree rotation thereabout;

said offset, L1, of airfoil center of lift re the pivot axis being in the range 0.2*chord to 4*chord; and

said panel-face surfaces adapted for direct application of thin-layer-designs using known all-weather paints and pigments and known sign-image-generation methods.

5. The secure warning system of claim 4 comprising:

said panel being quadrilateral in the form of a parallelogram, a rhombus or a trapezoid with its leading edge not parallel to the mast axis; and

said panel-face surfaces being adapted for one or more of;

(a) direct application of thin-layer-warning-designs using known all-weather paints and pigments and known sign-image-generation methods, (b) semi-permanent fixation of known adhesive-backed warning signs in the form of known materials in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm, (c) permanent fixation of warning signs mated to panel-surface recesses using known technics to achieve a flush mounting of said signs in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm and (d) removable fixation of warning signs mated to panel-surface recesses using known securing technics to achieve weatherproof, substantially-flush mounting of said signs in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm.

6. The secure warning system of claim 5 comprising:

said beams and bearings being adapted for rotation under a force of about 0.1 N applied perpendicular to one of said lateral surfaces at said airfoil center of lift;

said mast, beams and panel being designed to resist drag forces of strong winds in the range 2<

velocity, m/sec <

30 with elastic deflections of less than 1%;

said mast-mounted beam-&

-panel assembly being adapted to rotate under 0.5-5 deg. oblique-angle wind currents in the velocity range 3-40 m/sec and to align itself to the instant wind vector; and

said panel-face surfaces being adapted for one or more of;

(a) direct application of thin-layer-warning-designs using known all-weather paints and pigments and known sign-image-generation methods, (b) semi-permanent fixation of known adhesive-backed warning signs in the form of known materials in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm, (c) permanent fixation of warning signs mated to panel-surface recesses using known technics to achieve a flush mounting of said signs in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm and (d) removable fixation of warning signs mated to panel-surface recesses using known securing technics to achieve weatherproof, substantially-flush mounting of said signs in the thickness range 0.05-3 mm.

7. The secure warning system of claim 4 comprising:

said beam is provided with one or more counterweights of materials exhibiting a density of at least 2000 kg/m3 and said counterweights are all offset upstream from said mast axis, the ensemble providing a combined moment to balance the opposing static moment in the panel plane of symmetry due to the combined mass of beam and panel portions located downstream of the pivot axis, wherein said counterweights are one or more of;

(a) all internal or all external to said beam surface, (b) at least one of said counterweights is external, (c) all of said counterweights are permanently attached and (d) at least one of said counterweights is separately and removably attached; and

said panel is provided at its tip with one or more known winglets each having optimized design features including;

cant angle, twist distribution, sweepback and taper ratio whereby vibration and drag of said panel are reduced under wind velocities of more than 10 m/sec.

8. The secure warning system of claim 6 comprising:

said beam is provided with one or more counterweights of materials exhibiting a density of at least 2000 kg/m3 and said counterweights are all offset upstream from said mast axis, the ensemble providing a combined moment to balance the opposing static moment in the panel plane of symmetry due to the combined mass of beam and panel portions located downstream of the pivot axis, wherein said counterweights are one or more of;

(a) all internal or all external to said beam surface, (b) at least one of said counterweights is external, (c) all of said counterweights are permanently attached and (d) at least one of said counterweights is separately and removably attached; and

said panel is provided at its tip with one or more known winglets each having optimized design features including;

cant angle, twist distribution, sweepback and taper ratio whereby vibration and drag of said panel are reduced under wind velocities of more than 10 m/sec.

9. The secure warning system of claim 4 comprising:

said beam is provided with one or more counterweights of materials exhibiting a density of at least 2000 kg/m3 and said counterweights are all offset upstream from said mast axis, the ensemble providing a combined moment to balance the opposing static moment in the panel plane of symmetry due to the combined mass of beam and panel portions located downstream of the pivot axis, wherein said counterweights are one or more of;

(a) all internal or all external to said beam surface, (b) at least one of said counterweights is external, (c) all of said counterweights are permanently attached and (d) at least one of said counterweights is separately and removably attached; and

said panel is provided at its tip with one or more known winglets each having optimized design features including;

cant angle, twist distribution, sweepback and taper ratio whereby vibration and drag of said panel are reduced under wind velocities of more than 10 m/sec.

10. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said warning sign system comprises a short range communication chip; and

each visitor to the site provided with predetermined personal handheld devices including a known, short range communication chip reader and/or a smartphone for graphic web access and for transferring spoken or key-entered passwords, said devices allowing confirmation of a particular level of security clearance and enabling physical access to the site and, if needed, maximum-security-web-access to critical site information prior to entry therein.

11. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said surface which said mast is attached to is a ground surface; and

the mast being placed in a portion of a cleared and leveled area of ground surface about 10 m in radius, the mast having a width of about 40-70 mm and at least one mast-lateral-display surface visible to entering visitors.

12. The secure warning system of claim 1 wherein said airfoil is oriented so that

its plane of symmetry lies parallel to the mast axis and

its chord is perpendicular to the mast axis.

13. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said one or more panel-displays including text, and graphics to provide warning data along with related iconic symbols in grayscale and/or color; and

each of said one or more faces provided with a one or more indicia of encoded and readable messages.

14. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said panel lateral-face surfaces being provided with one or more regulatory-compliant, retroreflective exterior signs indicating in text, colors, icons and special QR-type digital graphics, certain information on characteristics of the dangerous substances and the particular site, the QR codes facilitating password-controlled web access by the visitor'"'"'s personal handheld devices to predetermined additional sensitive data, including layout diagrams.

15. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said lateral display surfaces of said mast and said one or more beams being provided with at least one secure, robust RFID-tag device oriented toward the direction from which visitors approach and which can be accessed by means of a visitor-carried, secure reader to obtain updated, critical or sensitive data on particular aspects of the site.

16. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

whereby a visitor, having the use of a secure portable tag reader and/or smartphone, is informed prior to admittance or actual entry into the site, of relevant critical intelligence data, safety information about the site and instant risks of exposure to dangerous substances.

17. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said warning sign system further comprises a sleeve;

said sleeve attaches to said mast and defines an attachment point for a lower bearing assembly;

said one or more bearing assemblies comprises a upper bearing assembly at a top portion of said sign portion and said lower bearing assembly at a lower portion of said sign portion;

wherein, attaching said sign portion to said mast comprises;

sliding said sleeve having a retainer pin down said mast;

attaching said sleeve to said mast;

sliding said top and an upper portion of said mast through a plurality of mast apertures of said sign portion;

sliding said retainer pin through a notch in a lower collar; and

attaching an upper plug assembly to said top of said mast.

18. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said one or more bearing assemblies comprise delta bearing comprising three bearings surrounding said mast and allowing said sign portion to rotate freely around said mast.

19. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said warning sign system comprises a one or more leading edge lights attached to said leading edge of said sign portion,

a one or more trailing edge lights attached to said trailing edge of said sign portion; and

said one or more leading edge lights are a different color from said one or more trailing edge lights.

20. The secure warning system of claim 1 comprising:

said warning sign system comprises a system-on-a-chip having a processors, a memory, a communication hardware components, a digital compass, a one or more LEDs, a chemical sensors and a power system.