Portable containment system

Abstract

A portable containment system has a flexible liner sheet and a plurality of leg assemblies attached to the edge portions of the liner sheet. Each leg assembly consists of two legs connected by a fabric hinge and movable from a collapsed transport position to an upright operating position where the legs slope upward toward each other to form a triangle. The edge portions of the liner sheet are attached to the top of the triangle. The bottom ends of the leg assemblies are connected to a flexible leg sheet such that the leg assemblies are evenly spaced. Moving all the leg assemblies to the operating position supports the edge portions of the liner sheet in a raised position sloping upward from the surface at an angle less than about 75 degrees, such that a containment area is formed inside the sloping edge portions of the liner sheet.

1 . A portable containment system for transporting to a desired location for temporary deployment on a surface, the system comprising:
 a flexible liner sheet with first and second side edge portions and first and second end edge portions;   a plurality of side leg assemblies attached to the side edge portions of the liner sheet, and a plurality of end leg assemblies attached to the end edge portions of the liner sheet, each leg assembly comprising two legs connected by a fabric hinge and movable from a collapsed transport position where the legs of each leg assembly lie substantially flat against the liner sheet, to an upright operating position where bottom ends of the legs rest on the surface separated by a base distance, and the legs slope upward toward each other to form a triangle, and wherein the corresponding edge portion of the liner sheet is attached to the leg assemblies in proximity to a top of the triangle;   wherein the bottom ends of the leg assemblies on each edge of the liner sheet are connected to a flexible leg sheet configured such that when the bottom ends of the legs are separated by the base distance, the leg sheet is tight between the bottom ends of the legs, and such that the leg assemblies are substantially evenly spaced along each edge portion of the liner sheet when the leg sheet is tight;   wherein moving all the side and end leg assemblies to the operating position supports the edge portions of the liner sheet in a raised position sloping upward from the surface at an angle less than about 75 degrees, such that a containment area is formed inside the sloping edge portions of the liner sheet that slope upward and outward from an interior of the containment area.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each leg assembly comprises a sheet leg oriented substantially perpendicular to a peripheral edge of the liner sheet and adjacent to the liner sheet, and a support leg pivotally connected at an upper end thereof to an upper portion of the sheet leg by the fabric hinge such that the support leg can pivot outward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the peripheral edge of the liner sheet, and wherein the edge portions of the liner sheet rest on the sloping sheet leg when in the raised position. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the sheet legs and support legs are enclosed in fabric leg pockets connected together to form the hinge, and wherein bottom ends of the leg pockets are attached to the leg sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the leg pockets containing the sheet legs are fastened substantially along a length thereof to the edge portions of the liner sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein an inner edge of each leg sheet is attached to the liner sheet adjacent to the bottom end of the leg pockets. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the fabric hinge is below a top end of the sheet leg. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  comprising a flexible suspension tape extending from a mid-point of a bottom surface of at least one of the leg sheets substantially along a length of the at least one leg sheet, the suspension tape defining apertures spaced along a length thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the liner sheet is folded such that the suspension tape is exposed along the folded liner sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the liner sheet i-s-folded for transport comprises:
 the end leg assemblies on the first and second end edge portions moved to the transport position with the legs thereof lying on the liner sheet with upper ends of the legs toward a center of the liner sheet; 
 the side leg assemblies on the first and second side edge portions moved to the transport position with the legs thereof lying on the liner sheet with upper ends of the legs toward the center of the liner sheet; 
 the side edge portions and attached side leg assemblies folded to the center of the liner sheet such that the side leg assemblies on the first side edge portion are on top of the side leg assemblies of the second side edge portion, and such that the liner sheet folded for transport lies generally vertically aligned with the side leg assemblies. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising a roller rotatably mounted on a vehicle, and a drive operative to rotate the roller, and wherein the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at a first end of the folded liner sheet are attachable to the roller such that when the drive is activated to rotate the roller-to the folded liner sheet winds onto the roller for transport. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at the first end of the folded liner sheet are attachable to the roller by inserting same into a recess in the roller. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the roller comprises a plurality of right and left spokes extending radially from a rotational axis of the roller, and a cross bar connecting a mid-point of each right spoke with a mid-point of a corresponding left spoke, such that the folded liner sheet lies on the cross bars, and the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at the first end of the folded liner sheet are inserted between the cross bars. 
     
     
         13 . A method of providing a temporary containment system for a tanker vehicle on a surface at a work site, the method comprising:
 providing a flexible liner sheet with first and second side edge portions and first and second end edge portions;   attaching a plurality of side leg assemblies to the side edge portions of the liner sheet, and attaching a plurality of end leg assemblies to the end edge portions of the liner sheet, each leg assembly comprising two legs connected by a fabric hinge and movable from a collapsed transport position where the legs of each leg assembly lie substantially flat against the liner sheet, to an upright operating position;   wherein the bottom ends of the leg assemblies on each edge portion of the liner sheet are connected to a flexible leg sheet configured such that when the bottom ends of the legs are separated by a base distance, the leg sheet is tight between the bottom ends of the legs, and such that the leg assemblies are substantially evenly spaced along each edge portion of the liner sheet when the leg sheet is tight;   folding the liner sheet, leg sheet, and leg assemblies to form a folded liner sheet;   transporting the folded liner sheet to a desired location, and unfolding the liner sheet to a working position on the surface;   moving the tanker vehicle onto the liner sheet between the side and end edge portions thereof;   moving the leg assemblies to the operating position where bottom ends of the legs rest on the surface separated by the base distance, and the legs slope upward toward each other to form a triangle, and wherein the corresponding edge portion of the liner sheet is attached to the leg assemblies in proximity to a top of the triangle, such that the edge portions of the liner sheet are in a raised position sloping upward from the surface at an angle less than about 75 degrees and form a containment area inside the sloping edge portions of the liner sheet that slope upward and outward from an interior of the containment area.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  comprising moving the leg assemblies to the operating position by pulling the leg sheet away from the liner sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  comprising folding the liner sheet by:
 moving the leg assemblies on the first and second end edge portions to the transport position and laying the legs thereof on the liner sheet with upper ends of the legs toward a center of the liner sheet; 
 moving the leg assemblies on the first and second side edge portions to the transport position and laying the legs thereof on the liner sheet with upper ends of the legs toward the center of the liner sheet; 
 folding the side edge portions and attached leg assemblies to the center of the liner sheet such that the leg assemblies on the first side edge portion are on top of the leg assemblies of the second side edge portion, and such that the liner sheet lies generally vertically aligned with the leg assemblies. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising rotatably mounting a roller on a vehicle, attaching the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at the first end of the folded liner sheet to the roller, rotating the roller to wind the folded liner sheet onto the roller, and transporting the folded liner sheet to the desired location on the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  comprising attaching the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at the first end of the folded liner sheet to the roller by inserting the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at the first end of the folded liner sheet into a recess in the roller. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the roller comprises a plurality of right and left spokes extending radially from a rotational axis of the roller, and a cross bar connecting a mid-point of each right spoke with a mid-point of a corresponding left spoke, such that the folded liner sheet lies on the cross bars, and the end leg assemblies and the liner sheet at the first end of the folded liner sheet are inserted between the cross bars. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  comprising transporting the liner sheet by attaching a flexible suspension tape extending from a mid-point of a bottom surface of at least one of the leg sheets substantially along a length of the at least one leg sheet, the suspension tape defining apertures spaced along a length thereof, folding the liner sheet such that the suspension tape is exposed along the folded liner sheet, and attaching the folded liner sheet to the tanker vehicle with hooks through the apertures.