Self-Actuating Flood Guard

Abstract

A self-actuating flood guard for a construction holds a buoyant gate at an elevation spaced from ground between flanking spaced vertical boundary walls adapted for connection to the construction. The gate is pivotable on pivotation members about a horizontal axis normal to the boundary walls for buoyant rotation upwardly between the boundary walls on rise of water above the elevation. Optionally, flexible lip seal gaskets along the sides of the gate sealingly wipe the boundary walls, and a flexible strip gasket across the pivotation members along the base of the gate prevents passage of water between the base of the gate and the construction. A restraint acts on the gate to prevent the gate from rotating about the axis more than a predetermined extent when the gate is pivoted upwardly above said elevation.

1 . A self-actuating flood guard unit for a construction, comprising:
 a buoyant gate having proximal, distal, and lateral sides, a height from the proximal to distal sides, and a width between the lateral sides,   a first vertical boundary wall adapted for connection to the construction at an end of the wall,   a second vertical boundary wall adapted for connection to the construction at an end of the second boundary wall, spaced from said first boundary wall a distance at least sufficient to accommodate the width of the gate, and   pivotation members comprising a stationary member adapted for connection to said construction and a moveable member moveably joined to said stationary member, said moveable member being connected to said proximal side of said gate and pivotable about a horizontal axis normal to said boundary walls, said members locating said proximal side of the gate at a selected elevation spaced from ground between said boundary walls for pivotation of the gate rotationally upwardly about said axis between the boundary walls on rise of water above said elevation buoyantly lifting the gate.   
     
     
         2 . The flood guard of  claim 1  in which said distance is wider than the width of the gate sufficient to provide a gap between each lateral side of the gate and the adjacent boundary wall suitable for accommodation of a flexible lip seal gasket for sealing said gap, and further comprising flexible lip seal gaskets along the lateral sides of the gate and of width sufficient to sealingly wipe said boundary walls and seal said gaps to prevent passage of water through said gaps. 
     
     
         3 . The flood guard of  claim 1  further comprising a flexible strip gasket across the pivotation members along the proximal side of the gate to prevent passage of water between said construction and said proximal side of the gate. 
     
     
         4 . The flood guard of  claim 1  further comprising a restraint for acting on said gate to prevent the gate from rotating about said axis more than a predetermined extent when the gate is pivoted upwardly above said elevation. 
     
     
         5 . The flood guard unit of  claim 4  in which the restraint is effective to oppose gate-bending moments from water forces acting on the gate when the gate is restrained from rotation about said axis. 
     
     
         6 . A flood guard unit of  claim 4  in which the restraint comprises tension members anchored in said ground. 
     
     
         7 . A flood guard of  claim 4  in which the predetermined extent is substantially vertical. 
     
     
         8 . The flood guard unit of  claim 4  in which the restraint is connected to the construction a distance above said horizontal axis allowing the gate to rotate to a substantially vertical orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The flood guard unit of  claim 1  further comprising a horizontal frame member for attachment to said construction, said frame member connecting said stationary pivotation member to the construction between said boundary walls. 
     
     
         10 . The flood guard unit of  claim 9  in which said horizontal frame member lends support to said boundary walls. 
     
     
         11 . The flood guard unit of  claim 2  for guarding an opening in a vertical wall of a construction, the opening having a bottom, lateral sides and top, said unit further comprising a pair of spaced vertical frame members for connection to the construction adjacent the lateral sides of the opening, an upper horizontal frame member for connection to the construction above the top of the opening and a lower horizontal frame member for connection to the construction below the bottom of the opening, said vertical members each supporting an elongate vertical compression gasket inwardly of the boundary wall, and said upper horizontal member supporting an elongate horizontal compression gasket between said boundary walls. 
     
     
         12 . The flood guard of  claim 11  further comprising a flexible strip gasket across the pivotation members along the proximal side of the gate to prevent passage of water between said construction and said proximal side of the gate. 
     
     
         13 . The flood guard unit of  claim 12  in which said lower horizontal frame member connects said stationary pivotation member to the construction between said boundary walls. 
     
     
         14 . The flood guard unit of  claim 13  in which said lower horizontal frame member lends support to said boundary walls. 
     
     
         15 . A plurality of flood guard units of  claim 1  for guarding a shore adjacent a body of water in which said ground is normally inundated earth on the water side of a shoreline, comprising a continuous series of said units in which one said vertical boundary wall provides a first end wall to the series, another boundary wall provides a second end wall to the series, and at least one intermediate boundary wall is located between said end walls, a first end gate being located between the first end wall and a next adjacent intermediate boundary wall, and a second end gate being located between said second end gate and a next adjacent boundary wall. 
     
     
         16 . A plurality of flood guard units of  claim 1  for guarding a shore adjacent a body of water in which said ground is normally inundated earth on the water side of a shoreline, comprising a contiguous series of said units arranged side by side in which next adjacent boundary walls of a next adjacent unit are connected to a vertical member rising from a construction lining the shoreline. 
     
     
         17 . A series of continuous self-actuating flood guard units for protecting a shore from flooding on rise of an adjacent body of water above a construction lining the shoreline, each unit comprising:
 a buoyant gate having proximal, distal, and lateral sides, a height from the proximal to distal sides, and a width between the lateral sides,   a first vertical boundary wall connected to the construction,   a second vertical boundary wall connected to the construction, spaced from said first vertical boundary wall a distance at least sufficient to accommodate the width of the gate,   a horizontal frame member for attachment to said construction,   pivotation members comprising a stationary member connected to said horizontal frame member and a moveable member moveably joined to said stationary member, said moveable member being connected to said proximal side of said gate and pivotable about a horizontal axis normal to said boundary walls, said members locating said proximal side of the gate between said boundary walls at a selected elevation above earth normally inundated on the water side of said construction, for pivotation of the gate rotationally upwardly about said axis between the boundary walls on rise of water above said elevation, buoyantly lifting the gate,   tension members attached to said gate and anchored in said earth for acting on said gate to prevent the gate from rotating about said axis more than a predetermined extent when the gate is pivoted upwardly above said elevation,   said series of units comprising one said vertical boundary wall providing a first end wall to the series, another boundary wall providing a second end wall to the series, at least one boundary wall being located intermediate said end walls, a first end gate being located between the first end wall and a next adjacent intermediate boundary wall, and a second end gate being located between said second end wall and a next adjacent boundary wall.   
     
     
         18 . The series of continuous self-actuating flood guard units of  claim 17  in which the second vertical boundary wall connected to the construction is spaced from said first vertical boundary wall a distance wider than the width of the gate providing a gap between each lateral side of the gate and the adjacent boundary wall suitable for accommodation of a flexible lip seal gasket for sealing said gap, and further comprising flexible lip seal gaskets along the lateral sides of the gate and of width sufficient to sealingly wipe said boundary walls and seal said gaps to prevent passage of water through said gaps. 
     
     
         19 . The series of continuous self-actuating flood guard units of  claim 18  further comprising a flexible strip gasket across the pivotation members along the proximal side of the gate to prevent passage of water between said construction and said proximal side of the gate. 
     
     
         20 . A self-actuating flood guard for refusing admission of rising surface water through an opening spaced from ground in a vertical wall of a construction, the opening having a width and limiting margins including a bottom, lateral sides and top, said guard comprising:
 a buoyant gate having a base, lateral sides, top, and upper and lower faces and of width from side to side and height from base to top sufficient on to occlude said opening when vertically positioned proximate the opening,   a first vertical boundary wall for connection to said construction,   a second vertical boundary wall for connection to the construction spaced from said first vertical boundary wall a distance wider than the width of the gate providing a gap between each lateral side of the gate and the adjacent boundary wall suitable for accommodation of a flexible lip seal gasket for sealing said gap,   a pair of spaced vertical frame members for connection to the construction adjacent the lateral sides of the opening, an upper horizontal frame member for connection to the construction above the top of the opening and a lower horizontal frame member for connection to the construction below the bottom of the opening, said vertical members each supporting an elongate vertical compression gasket inwardly of the boundary wall, and said upper horizontal member supporting an elongate horizontal compression gasket between said boundary walls   pivotation members comprising a stationary member connected to said lower horizontal frame member and a moveable member moveably joined to said stationary member, said moveable member being connected to the base of said gate and pivotable about a horizontal axis normal to said boundary walls, said members locating said base of the gate at a selected elevation spaced from ground between said boundary walls for pivotation of the gate rotationally upwardly about said axis between the boundary walls on rise of water above said elevation buoyantly lifting the gate,   flexible lip seal gaskets along the lateral sides of the gate and of width sufficient to sealingly wipe said boundary walls,   a flexible strip gasket across the pivotation members secured along the base of the gate and along the lower horizontal support member,   said lip and strip gaskets combining to prevent entrance of water into the opening between the between the gate and the boundary walls and the lower horizontal frame member when water rises sufficiently above said earth to buoy the gate rotationally upward about said pivotation axis toward the opening, and said vertical and horizontal compression gaskets combining with at least said strip gasket to prevent entrance of water when hydrostatic force on the lower face of the gate is effective to force the gate against the vertical and horizontal compression gaskets.   
     
     
         21 . The flood guard of  claim 18  in which the vertical frame members connect the boundary walls to the construction. 
     
     
         22 . The flood guard of  claim 18  in which the lower horizontal member lends support to the boundary walls. 
     
     
         23 . The flood guard of  claim 18  in which said first vertical boundary wall, said second vertical boundary wall, said pair of spaced vertical frame members, said upper horizontal frame member, and said lower horizontal frame member are all connected to said construction.