Water Control Apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to improved water control gates and related inflatable actuators, and associated sealing, manufacture and operation apparatus and methods. Advancements in technologies related to air fitting design, inflated bladder stress relief, inflatable bladder strength enhancement, water gate related slide friction mitigation, abutment and other impounded water seals, gate panel fabrication, traffic accommodating water impoundment structures, and water gate panel system operation efficiency, as well as nappe aeration, hinges, and bladder manufacture technology are disclosed herein.

1 - 212 . (canceled) 
   
   
       213 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus comprising:
 an interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element;   an interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element connected with said interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element;   an upper, overflow orthogonal water gate panel edge conforming water seal hinge element connected with said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element; and   an interpanel seal element fixedly attachable to a first edge proximate portion of a first water gate panel and a second edge proximate portion of a second water gate panel,   
     wherein said first edge proximate portion of said first water gate panel is situated adjacent to said second edge proximate portion of said second water gate panel and said first water gate panel is situated adjacent to said second water gate panel. 
   
   
       214 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element connected with said interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element is installable adjacent an inflatable water gate actuator-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element. 
   
   
       215 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein the profile of said interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element substantially approximates an installed-configuration-adjacent, inflatable water gate actuator-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element profile. 
   
   
       216 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein said interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element, said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element, and said upper, overflow orthogonal water gate panel edge conforming seal hinge element is each dimensioned to fit compression seal-tight against adjacent impounded seal elements upon installation. 
   
   
       217 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 216  wherein an overflow orthogonal, water gate actuator hinge flap element adjacent portion of said inter panel seal element is dimensioned to fit compression seal-tight against an installed-configuration-adjacent, inflatable water gate actuator hinge flap element. 
   
   
       218 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 216  wherein said compression seal-tight fit is an interference fit. 
   
   
       219 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein each said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element, said upper overflow orthogonal water gate panel edge conforming seal hinge element, and said interpanel seal element is elastomeric. 
   
   
       220 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  further comprising thin waterproof seal supplement sheets sealably affixed under an installed said interpanel seal element. 
   
   
       221 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element is a substantially flat, interpanel seal-to-spillway clampable retention element. 
   
   
       222 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein said interpanel seal-to-foundation retention enhancement element comprises a comma type insert. 
   
   
       223 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  further comprising said first water gate gate panel and said second water gate panel. 
   
   
       224 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  further comprising an installed-configuration-adjacent, inflatable water gate actuator apparatus. 
   
   
       225 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein said interpanel seal element projects beyond a gate panel downstream limit. 
   
   
       226 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 225  wherein said projecting interpanel seal element is a nappe break element. 
   
   
       227 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 226  wherein said nappe break element is a overtop flow mode dynamic object impact flexible nappe breaker. 
   
   
       228 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 227  wherein said overtop flow mode dynamic object impact flexible nappe breaker is a reinforced elastomeric nappe breaker. 
   
   
       229 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213  wherein said upper, overflow orthogonal water gate panel edge conforming seal hinge element comprises an overflow orthogonal, vertical, interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp face abutting, corner-augmented edge element. 
   
   
       230 . An impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 229  wherein said overflow orthogonal, vertical interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp face abutting, corner-augmented edge element of said upper, overflow orthogonal water gate panel edge conforming seal hinge element is configured to abut substantially all proximate portions of an overflow orthogonal, interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp face. 
   
   
       231 . An actuated water gate panel water control system that comprises at least one impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 213 . 
   
   
       232 . An inflatably actuated water gate panel water control system that comprises at least one impounded water leakage prevention apparatus as described in  claim 222 . 
   
   
       233 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system comprising the steps of:
 creating a substantially elongated interpanel seal element;   adapting said substantially elongated interpanel seal element for fixed attachment to a first edge proximate portion of a first water gate panel and a second edge proximate portion of a second water gate panel, wherein said first edge proximate portion of said first water gate panel is installed adjacently to said second edge proximate portion of said second water gate panel and said first water gate panel is situated adjacent to said second water gate panel;   connecting an interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element with said substantially elongated interpanel seal element;   connecting an interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element with said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element;   connecting an interpanel seal hinge element with said substantially flat, interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element; and   conforming a profile of said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element to the profile of an installed-configuration-adjacent, water gate actuator-to-foundation clampable retention element.   
   
   
       234 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 233  wherein said interpanel seal hinge element further comprises the step of establishing an upper, overflow orthogonal water gate panel edge conforming interpanel seal hinge element. 
   
   
       235 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 233  further comprising the step of conforming said interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element to an installed-configuration-adjacent, water gate actuator-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element. 
   
   
       236 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 233  further comprising the steps of interference seal installing said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element; and interference seal installing said interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp retention enhancement element between proximate water control actuator attachment elements. 
   
   
       237 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 233  wherein each said substantially elongated interpanel seal element, said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element, and said interpanel seal-to-foundation clampable retention element is elastomeric. 
   
   
       238 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 233  further comprising the step of establishing at least one thin waterproof seal supplement sheet between said substantially elongated interpanel seal element and underlying water gate panels. 
   
   
       239 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 233  further comprising the step of installation projecting said substantially elongated interpanel seal element beyond a gate panel downstream limit. 
   
   
       240 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 239  wherein said step of installation projecting said substantially elongated interpanel seal element beyond a gate panel downstream limit comprises the step of projecting said substantially elongated interpanel seal element sufficiently to create a nappe break element. 
   
   
       241 . A method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water control gate system as described in  claim 240  wherein said nappe break element is an overtop flow mode dynamic object impact flexible nappe break element. 
   
   
       242 . An inflatably actuated water gate panel impoundment system that seals impounded water through use of the method of preventing leakage of water impounded by a water gate system as described in  claim 233 . 
   
   
       243 . An inflatably actuated water gate panel impoundment system as described in  claim 242  further comprising the step of corner-augmenting an upper, overflow orthogonal edge of said interpanel seal hinge element to conform to an overflow orthogonal, vertical, interpanel seal-to-foundation clamp face edge. 
   
   
       244 - 629 . (canceled)