US3788253A

US3788253A - Flexible bearer

Info

Publication number: US3788253A
Application number: US00240364A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Rickettson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-04-03
Filing date: 1972-04-03
Publication date: 1974-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-29

Abstract

A flexible bearer adapted to be placed on a ground surface adjacent an excavation for supporting the loose material removed from such excavation and protecting the natural environment adjacent the excavation. The bearer comprises a body formed of a flexible sheet of material reinforced by relatively thick strips of material fixedly secured to the underside of the body. Loops are provided along the marginal edges of the body to receive hooks or other lifting means to raise portions of the bearer.

Description

United States Patent [191 Rickettson 1 FLEXIBLE BEARER [76] Inventor: Donald F. Rickettson, Shepherd Hill Rd., East Aurora, NY. 14052 [22] Filed: Apr. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No 240,364

U.S. Cl 112/402, 61/38, 112/417,

[51] Int. Cl D05b 93/00, B32b 5/04 [58] Field of Search 161/57, 60, 78, 86, 44, 61, 161/149; 112/402, 412, 415, 417, 440; 61/38 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,616,151 10/1971v Racopoules 161/44 1 Jan. 29, 1974 7/1947 Frieder et a1. 28/78 7/1960 Suckle 28/80 Primary Examiner-George F. Lesmes Assistant Examiner-William R. Dixon, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Christel & Bean [5 7] ABSTRACT A flexible bearer adapted to be placed on a ground surface adjacent an excavation for supporting the loose material removed from such excavation and protecting the natural environment adjacent the excavation. The bearer comprises a body formed of a flexible sheet of material reinforced by relatively thick strips of material fixedly secured to the underside of the body. Loops are provided along the marginal edges of the body to receive hooks or other lifting means to raise portions of the bearer.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FLEXIBLE BEARER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a flexible bearer and, more particularly, to a flexible bearer adapted to be used in excavation operations for supporting loose materials.

In various construction operations, such as in the formation of ditches or trenches for the construction of pipeline systems or the like, the loose material removed is generally deposited on the ground surface adjacent the ditch or trech being dug. The indiscriminate dumping of this loose material, which can include slag, stones, rocks and the like, often damages the grass, vegetation and other plant life located along such excavation. Also, the underlying vegetation is further damaged by scraping or raking in an effort to remove the loose material from the ground surface when refilling the excavation. Since it is virtually impossible to recover all of the loose material, an unsightly and unattractive area remains adjacent the excavation after the completion thereof. Sometimes, in order to prevent damaging bushes and trees located near the excavation, the loose material is dumped at a location somewhat remote from the site of the excavation, thereby increasing the time and labor involved for both the excavation and the refill operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the present invention, as hereinafter described, obviates the above disadvantages by providing a novel, flexible, material bearer for supporting material removed from an excavation, which bearer is simple and strong in construction, low in cost, rugged and durable in use, and which also serves to protect underlying vegetation and plant life.

Generally speaking, the material bearer of the present invention comprises a flexible body formed of a suitable sheet of fabric material having relatively thick strips of material fixedly secured to the underside of the body to provide reinforcement for the body. Loops are provided along the marginal edges of the bearer body for receiving hooks or other lifting devices to raise portions of the bearer when loaded with material. The flexibility of the bearer enables the same to follow the contour of the ground surface adjacent the excavation being formed, provides control in metering the flow of material discharged from the bearer, and permits the bearer to be folded or rolled into a compact unit for storage and transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a trench excavation, illustrating the use of the material bearer of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating another position of the material bearer of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating still another position of the material bearer of this invention;

and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a material bearer, constructed in accordance with this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment depicted in the accompanying drawing, there is shown in FIG. 4 a material bearer, generally designated 10 and constructed in accordance with this invention, comprising a flat body 12, preferably of a generally rectangularly shaped configuration in plan. Body 12 preferably is formed of a sheet of strong, flexible, moisture-proof, tear-resistant fabric material, such as laminated nylon for example, or any other suitable flexible materials having the same moisture-proof and tearresistant properties and which are relatively unaffected by sunlight, weathering, oxidation and deleterious chemicals. Body 12 is of a unitary, one-piece construction and can vary widely in length and width, as desired. While the bearer depicted in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4 preferably is rectangular in plan, it should be understood that bearer 10 can take any configuration, such as a square or trapezoidal shape in plane for example.

As shown in FIG. 4, body 12 is reinforced by a plurality of backing strips, generally designated 14, 16 and 18, respectively, of relatively thick, flexible material, sewn or otherwise fixedly secured to the underside of body 12 by any suitable fastening means. Strip 14 is formed of a continuous band having a pair of straight, generally parallel portions 20 and 22 extending lengthwise of body 12 adjacent the marginal edges thereof and a pair of intersecting portions 24 and 26 extending from the opposite ends of straight portions 20 and 22 to the opposite ends of straight portions 24 and 26, intersecting intermediate the opposite ends thereof. The opposite ends of straight portions 20 and 22 are joined to the opposite ends of intersecting portions 24 and 26 at curved junctures forming loops 28 projecting axially outwardly beyond the opposite ends of body 12. The strip 16 is formed from an elongated strip of material bent to the desired configuration with the free ends of the strip suitably spliced together by any conventional means.

Strip 16 also is formed of a continuous band having a pair of straight, generally

parallel portions

30 and 32 extending crosswise of body 12 adjacent the opposite ends thereof and a plurality of diagonally extending, intersecting

portions

34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 interposed between

straight portions

30 and 32. One end of diagonal portion 34 is joined at one end thereof to one end of straight portion 30 at a curved juncture 50, the other end of portion 34 joining one end of diagonal portion 40 at a curved juncture 52. The other end of portion 40 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 42 at a curved juncture 54, the other end of portion 42 joining one end of diagonal portion 48 at a curved juncture 56. The opposite end of portion 48 is connected to one end of straight portion 32 at a curved juncture 58. The opposite end of straight portion 32 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 46 at a curved juncture and the other end of portion 46 is joined to one end of diagonal portion 44 at a curved juncture 62. The opposite end of portion 44 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 38 at a curved juncture 64 and the other end of portion 38 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 36 at a curved juncture 66. The other end of portion 36 is connected to the opposite end of straight portion 30 at a curved juncture 68. Thus, strip 16 defines a configurated pattern forming a pair of triangularly shaped side section with three side-by-side related diamond shaped sections extending therebetween. Of course, the pattern of strip 16 illustrated in FIG. 4 is formed from an elongated strip bent to the desired configuration with the free ends of the strip suitably spliced in any conventional manner.

Stip l8 adds additional support and reinforcement for body 12 and the

overlying strips

14 and 16. Strip 18 extends lengthwise of body 12 along substantially the longitudinal axis thereof and terminates at its opposite ends in a pair of loop or eye formations 70 projecting axially beyond the opposite ends of body 12.

The curved junctures 50-68 form loops projecting laterally outwardly beyond the marginal edges of body 12 and, together with

loops

28 and 70 provide means for receiving hooks of a chain or other suitable lifting device for facilitating the raising of one edge of bearer when loaded with material.

The three

strips

14, 16 and 18 preferably are formed of a strong, flexible, moisture-proof, tear-resistant fabric such as nylon webbing for example, or any other suitable flexible materials having similar properties and weathering characteristics. The cross patterns formed by strip 16 and the generally longitudinal cross pattern formed by strip 14 offer support and reinforcement for body 12 to enable the latter to support extremely heavy loads. It should be understood that the configurations of each of these strips may vary within the purview of this invention so long as they form intersecting cross patterns extending along the length of body 12 sufficiently reinforcing the latter to withstand the load requirements.

FIGS. 13 illustrate the use of bearer 10 in a construction operation in which a trench T is formed for the placement of pipes, conduits and the like. Prior to digging, bearer 10 is placed on the ground surface S adjacent the area to be excavated with the longitudinal edges of bearer 10 extending parallel to the excavation. Normally, bearer 10 would lie in a flat condition following the general contour of ground surface S and the loose material M removed in the formation of Trench T is deposited on body 12 of bearer 10. However, any vegetation V, as shown in FIG. 1, or any other upstanding projections, in close proximity to trench T are covered by portions of bearer 10 to protect the same against the loose material dumped on bearer 10. This allows the material to be expeditiously and rapidly dumped without undue concern for the surrounding vegetation.

A side portion 74 of bearer 10 adjacent the area to be dug is initially reversely bent so as to extend rearwardly of bearer 10. After the trench T is formed, this reversely bent portion 74 is bent downwardly and suspended in trench T as shown in FIG. I for a purpose to be explained.

When it is desired to refill trench T, the side of bearer 10 remote from trench T or side portion 74 is lifted by any suitable means, such as hooks engagable with the loops on bearer 10, to discharge the loose material M into trench T. The disposition of side portion 74, which is bent downwardly into trench T, prevents rearward slippage of bearer 10 relative to the loose material M, which otherwise might occur when lifting the opposite side of bearer 10. Because of the flexibility of bearer 10, the flow of material M from bearer 10 can be effectively controlled so as to meter the flow of material M into trench T, as shown in H0. 2, to more efficiently carry out the refill operation. This is especially important when piping or other components are placed in trench T and all of the material M cannot be refilled in trench T. When the refill operation is completed, as

shown in FIG. 3, bearer 10 is removed and the partially embedded portion 74 is withdrawn from the refilled trench T, leaving a clean area adjacent the trench. While the grass on ground surface S underlying bearer 10 may be matted down, it remains undamaged and in a relatively short period of time resumes its natural condition. The vegetation protected by bearer 10 remains intact, thereby preserving the natural environment around the excavation. Also, where buildings or appurtenances are located in close proximity to the excavation, a portion of bearer 10 remote from the excavation can be bent upwardly to lie against the lower end of such exposed appurtenances to shield them against the material removed from the excavation, which material would otherwise be dumped against these appurtenances. When not in use, bearer 10 can be conveniently folded or rolled into a compact unit for storage and transport.

The present invention thus provides a simple and novel expedient in the form of a flexible bearer for supporting the loose material removed from an excavation while protecting the surrounding area and any vegeta tion or appurtenances existing thereon. The flexibility of the bearer renders it capable of metering the flow of material discharged from the bearer into the excavation. Moreover, the bearer can be folded or rolled into a compact form for convenience in storage and handling. By the provision of reinforcing, flexible strips secured to the underside of the bearer, the latter is materially strengthened for supporting extremely heavy loads. Also, the symmetrical cross pattern configuration of these strips insures equal support and reinforcement for the entire area of the bearer body.

A preferred embodiment of this invention having been described in detail, it is to be understood that this has been done by way of illustration only and than numerous modifications thereof may be made without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A bearer comprising: an elongated body formed of a flexible sheet of moisture-proof, tear resistant material adapted to receive bulk material on one side thereof; a plurality of reinforcing strips of flexible material sewn to the other side of said body and arranged in an intersecting pattern thereacross, said plurality of reinforcing strips including a first endless strip and a second endless strip; said first strip having a pair of straight portions extending lengthwise of said body along the longitudinal edges thereof and a pair of diagonal portions extending from the opposite ends of one of said straight portions to the opposite ends of the other of said straight portions; said diagonal portions intersecting intermediate their opposite ends; the opposite ends of said straight portions and said diagonal portions being joined together at curved junctures forming loops projecting axially outwardly of the opposite ends of said body; said second strip having a pair of straight portions extending crosswise of said body along the marginal edges thereof and a plurality of intersecting portions between said straight portions extending across said body; certain of said intersecting portions joined to said straight portions and to certain other of said intersecting portions at curved junctures forming loops projecting laterally outwardly from the longitudinal edges of said body.

v 6 2. A bearer according to claim 1 including a third re- 3. A bearer according to claim 1 wherein said flexible mforcmg strip extendmg lengthwise dong the longitu' sheet material is laminated nylon and said reinforcing dinal axis of said body; said third strip terminating in loop formations projecting axially outwardly from the opposite ends of said body. 5

strips are formed of nylon webbing.

Claims

2. A bearer according to claim 1 including a third reinforcing strip extending lengthwise along the longitudinal axis of said body; said third strip terminating in loop formations projecting axially outwardly from the opposite ends of said body.

3. A bearer according to claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet material is laminated nylon and said reinforcing strips are formed of nylon webbing.