Culvert bevelled end construction with heavy grating

United States Patent uij 3,587,239

<td> [72]</td><td> Inventor</td><td> Ovalt A. Feland, 1205 6th Ave. East. Williston, N. Dak.</td>

<td> [21]</td><td> Appl. No.</td><td> 804,796</td>

<td> [22]</td><td> Filed</td><td> Mar. 6,1969</td>

<td> [45]</td><td> Patented</td><td> June 28,1971</td>

[541 CULVERT BEVELLED END CONSTRUCTION WITH HEAVY GRATING

Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[56] References Cited

UNITED STATES PATENTS

603,561 5/1898 Gross........................... 94/31,1

1,144,200 6/1915 Hewett 61/16

1,311,817 7/1919 Hutton......................... 94/31.1

1,555,841 10/1925 Harris 61/16

2,263,588 11/1941 Odendahl 61/16

3,299,785 1/1967 James 94/33

Primary Examiner—Jacob Shapiro Attorney—John A. Mawhinney

[52] U.S.CI........................................................ 61/16,

94/31, 138/96

[51] Int.CI......................................................... Fl619/00,

EOlc 11/22

[50] Field of Search............................................ 61/16,17,

18,21,14, 15, 1; 94/31, 33; 210/163; 138/96

ABSTRACT: A culvert construction including a terminal end section bevelled downwardly and outwardly and provided with a suitably anchored inclined grate structure of heavy construction overlying and extending between the edges of the terminal end section defining the bevelled portions thereof.

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CULVERT BEVELLED END CONSTRUCTION WITH HEAVY GRATING

Many highways and roadways have culverts extending thereunder with the opposite ends of the culverts projecting at least slightly outwardly of the banked portions of the roads or roadways on opposite sides of the latter. These culverts do not constitute safety hazards to vehicular traffic moving along the highways or roadways until a vehicle leaves the highway or roadway proper and travels down along one of the banked side portions thereof through which a culvert end opens.

While some culverts are quite small in diameter and thus lightweight in construction and readily shearable by even reasonably light vehicles impacting therewith, other culverts are quite large in diameter and heavily constructed so as to constitute considerable hazards to any vehicles which might move downwardly along a highway embankment and into an exposed end thereof.

It is accordingly the main object of this invention to provide a culvert terminal end section which is bevelled downwardly and outwardly so as to substantially conform to the angle of highway embankments through which the terminal end section may open. In this manner, any protrusion of the terminal end section of the culvert from an associated highway embankment will, be minimal and thus constitute a lesser hazard to any vehicles which might move downwardly along the highway embankment;

Another important Object of this invention is to provide the bevelled end of the culvert terminal end section with heavy gauge grating suitably anchored to the bevelled end of the culvert end section and capable of supporting any highway vehicles which might move thereover.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a heavy gauge grating structure including closely spaced apart generally horizontal grating bars of members extending across the bevelled end of the culvert terminal end section and interconnected by means of an inclined heavy gauge brace member extending beneath and secured to midportions of the horizontal brace members.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a culvert grate in accordance with the two immediately preceding objects including means by which the upstanding heavy gauge brace member may have its opposite ends securely anchored to adjacent portions of the bevelled end of the culvert terminal end section.

Another object of this invention is to provide a culvert end grating in accordance with the immediately preceding object and including two additional upstanding heavy gauge brace members secured to and extending between each set of corresponding ends of the horizontal members of the grating.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a culvert end construction in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to 55 conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to install so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will 60 become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed^ reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a culvert terminal end section constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to the upper left-hand portion of FIG. 2 and illustrating a modified manner of securing the upper end of the center upstanding brace member to the upper portion of the bevelled area on the culvert terminal end section.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of culvert end section constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIG 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified full length form of upstanding brace member which may be utilized in the construction of the culvert end section illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third form of culvert end section;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 8-8 of FIG. 7 and on somewhat of an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a culvert terminal end section including a base end 12 of cylindrical configuration which may be butted against the adjacent end 14 of an intermediate culvert section referred to in general by the reference numeral 16.

The outer end of the terminal end section 10 remote from the base end 12 is horizontally flared as at 18 and includes a flat lower wall 20. The outer end is also bevelled as at 22 and it is to be noted that the angle of the bevelled portion of the culvert section 10 will be generally equal to the angle of the roadway embankment through which the flared end of the section 10 opens. In addition, the base end of the section 10 includes internal surfaces 24 which are flared outwardly for tight telescopic engagement with the intermediate section 16.

The section 10 is preferably constructed of cast concrete and may be provided with internal reinforcing and bracing, if desired. However, the outer edge of the lower wall 20 is provided with a downwardly depressed portion 26 in which an up40 wardly opening notch 28 is formed. A steel pin 30 is anchored in the downwardly depressed portion 26 and projects upwardly into the notch 28.

A heavy steel grating assembly referred to in general by the reference number 32 is provided and includes a plurality of 45 horizontal and laterally spaced apart bars or support members 34,36,38,40 and 42 which are of different lengths and whose corresponding ends have inclined braces or bars 44 and 46 secured thereto and extending therebetween. In addition, a heavier gauge center brace or bar 50 is provided and extends 50 between and is secured to the midportions of the bars 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 with the bar 50 underlying the midportions of the horizontal bars. The lower end of the bar 50 is provided with a foot 52 welded thereto and including a horizontal plate portion 54. The foot 52 is received in the notch 28 with the horizontal plate portion 54 seated against the bottom wall of the notch 28. The horizontal plate portion 54 is provided with an aperture 56 through which the upper end of the steel pin 30 projects.

The upper end of the bar 50 includes a horizontally opening U-shaped bracket of heavy gauge material and the bracket is referred to in general by the reference numeral 58 and opens horizontally toward the base end 12 of the section 10. The bracket 58 includes upper and lower horizontal flange por¢5 tions 60 and 62 between which the upper forward extremity of the base end 12 is embracingly received and a steel bolt 64 of noncorrosive material is secured through other horizontal flanges 60 and 62 of the bracket 58 and the upper forward wall portion of the base end 12.

The opposite ends of the braces 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 rest upon the upwardly facing surfaces 66 and 68 of the sides of the bevelled end portion and thus support a portion of the weight of the grating 32. However, the pin 30 and the bolt 64 serve to securely fasten the grating 32 in position over the 75 bevelled end of the culvert section 10.

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With attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 3 of the drawings it may be seen that the upper end of the bar 50 may be modified so as to include a foot 70 similar to the foot 52 upwardly through which a steel pin 72 similar to the pin 30 may be received as an alternate method of securing the upper end of the grating 32 over the bevelled end of the section 10, the steel pin 72 being embedded in a downwardly depressed portion 74 similar to the depressed portion 26.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings there may be see a modified form of culvert terminal end section referred to in general by the reference numeral 110 and which is bevelled as at 112. The section 110 is not flared but its base end 114 is quite similar to the base end 12 and includes outwardly flared inner surfaces 115.

The sidewalls of the bevelled end of the section 110 are provided with pairs of transversely aligned notches 116, 118, 120, 122,124 and 126 and a grating assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 128 is provided and includes a plurality of heavy gauge transverse bracing members 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 whose opposite ends are seated in the notches 116, 118, 120, 122, 124 and 126. A pair of opposite side inclined brace members which are arcuate in configuration and designated by the reference numerals 142 and 144 are secured to and extend between corresponding ends of the braces 130,132,134, 136, 138 and 140.

The grating 128 includes an inclined central brace member 146 which extends beneath and is secured to the horizontal brace members 136, 138 and 140 and projects upwardly beyond the brace member 140. The upper end of the brace member 146 terminates in a horizontally directed portion 148 underlying the forward upper portion of the section 110 and includes a brace 150 provided with a horizontal flange portion 152 overlying the forward upper portion of the section 110. Thus, the forward upper marginal edge portion of the section 110 is embracingly received between the horizontal flange 152 and the horizontally directed portion 148 of the brace 146. Also, a noncorrosive bolt 154 is secured through the horizontal flange 152 and the horizontally directed portion 148 as well as the portions of the section 110 disposed therebetween.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 6 of the drawings, there may be seen a full length central brace member referred to in general by the numeral 156 and which may be utilized in lieu of the brace member 146. However, the brace member 156, as previously noted, is full length and includes a lower foot portion which is apertured as at 160 and is adapted to abut against the upper surface of the forwardmost lower extremity of the section 110 and to be stationarily positioned relative thereto by means of a steel pin, such as pin 30, embedded in and projecting upwardly from the forwardmost lower extremity of the section 110. In addition, it may be seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings that the brace member 156 is fabricated to the dimensions desired.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. 7—9 of the drawings, there may be seen a culvert end section referred to in general by the reference numeral 161 which has its concrete portion formed in a manner substantially identical to the manner in which the concrete portion of the section 110 is formed. However, in lieu of being provided with a removable grating such as grating 128, the section 161 is provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed bars 162—167 ex4 tending between and whose opposite ends are embedded in the sidewall portions of the section 161. The opposite ends of the bars 162—167 are externally threaded and cast in place when the section 161 is formed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable 10 modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.