Fascines

Abstract

Inflatable members for forming fascines for filling ditches or smoothing other discontinuities in or on the ground to facilitate the passage of vehicles across the discontinuity are normally carried uninflated in a package at one side of a vehicle such as a tank. The package can be moved from that stowed position to an operational position at the front of the vehicle, for example by swinging around a pivot located at the front corner of the vehicle, from which position the fascine members can be released and inflated. In this way there is no need for the vehicle to turn side on to the discontinuity in order to deploy the fascine.

1 . A vehicle equipped with a deployment mechanism for fascine members comprising; a container for such members having a stowed position at one side of the vehicle and an operational position at the front of the vehicle in which such members can be released from said containers; and a bearing structure for said container whereby said container can be moved from its said stowed position to its said operational position. 
   
   
       2 . A vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein said container is borne by a pivot located in the region of an adjacent front corner of the vehicle about which the container can be swung from its said stowed to its said operational position. 
   
   
       3 . A vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein said container is slidable on the vehicle from its said stowed position to a position forward of its said operational position and a pivot is provided about which the container can be swung from said forward position to its said operational position. 
   
   
       4 . A vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein said container is carried by an arm which lies generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when in said stowed position and generally parallel to the widthwise direction of the vehicle when in said operational position. 
   
   
       5 . A vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein the volume of said container has a minimum dimension generally parallel to the widthwise direction and a maximum dimension generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when in said stowed position. 
   
   
       6 . A vehicle according to  claim 1  comprising a plurality of fascine members packed in said container. 
   
   
       7 . A vehicle according to of  claim 6  wherein said fascine members are inflatable and are held in said container in an uninflated condition. 
   
   
       8 . A deployment mechanism for fascine members comprising a container for such members and a bearing structure for said container adapted to be fitted to a vehicle whereby the container can be stowed at one side of the vehicle and moved from its said stowed position to an operational position at the front of the vehicle in which such members can be released from said container. 
   
   
       9 . A mechanism according to  claim 9  comprising a pivot for said container adapted to be located in the region of a front corner of the vehicle so that the container can be swung about said pivot from its said stowed position to its said operational position. 
   
   
       10 . A mechanism according to  claim 9  comprising a runner for said container adapted to be located on the side of the vehicle so that the container can be slid from its said stowed position to a position forward of its said operational position, and a pivot for said container about which the container can be swung from said forward position to its said operational position. 
   
   
       11 . A mechanism according to  claim 9  comprising an arm for carrying said container which is adapted to lie generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when in said stowed position and generally parallel to the widthwise direction of the vehicle when in said operational position. 
   
   
       12 . A mechanism according to  claim 9  wherein said container is of generally cuboid form and is adapted to be located on the vehicle with its minimum dimension generally parallel to the widthwise direction of the vehicle and its maximum dimension generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when in said stowed position.