Flexible structural plate pipes and the like

Claim 2

A curvilinear quadrilateral plate for the construction of flexible curvilinear segmented structures, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interPosed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, whereby said plate is capable of being assembled in partially overlapping relation with transversely adjacent plates identical thereto and in abutting relation with longitudinally adjacent plates identical thereto, with the first and second apertures of transversely adjacent plates and the third and fourth apertures of the longitudinally adjacent plates in superimposed coaxial relation to each other.

Claim 3

A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first apertures and second apertures pertaining are arranged on a plurality of lines respectively substantially parallel to said first longitudinal edge and said second longitudinal edge.

Claim 4

A curvilinear plate for the fabrication of flexible bent curvilinear segmented structures, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, said first apertures and second apertures being located in positions midway between said crest portion planes and valley portion planes on the convex face and concave face respectively of the corrugations and said third apertures and fourth apertures being located on a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations on said convex male face and concave female face respectively.

Claim 5

A curvilinear plate for the fabrication of flexible bent curvilinear segmented structures, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, said first apertures and second apertures being located in positions midway between said crest portion planes and valley portion planes on the convex face and concave face respectively of the corrugations and said third apertures and fourth apertures being located on a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations on said convex male face and concave female face respectively.

Claim 6

A curvilinear plate for the fabrication of flexible bent curvilinear segmented structures, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, said first apertures and second apertures being located in positions midway between said crest portion planes and valley portion planes on the convex face and concave face respectively of the corrugations and said third apertures and fourth apertures being located on a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations on said convex male face and concave female face respectively, said plate comprising in a corner of said plate defined by one of said longitudinal edges and one of said curvilinear edges, a notch which is formed in the flank flange portion defined by said one curvilinear edge and extends in a direction parallel to said one curvilinear edge to an extent no less than overlapping between the plate and a transversely adjacent identical plate, said overlapping depending on positions of said first and second apertures relative to said longitudinal edges.

Claim 7

A curvilinear plate for the fabrication of flexible bent curvilinear segmented structures, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, said first apertures and second apertures being located in positions midway between said crest portion planes and valley portion planes on the convex face and concave face respectively of the corrugations and said third apertures and fourth apertures being located on a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations on said convex male face and concave female face respectively, said plate comprising in a corner of said plate defined by one of said longitudinal edges and one of said curvilinear edges, a notch which is formed in the flank flange portion defined by said one curvilinear edge and extends in a direction parallel to said one curvilinear edge to an extent no less than overlapping between the plate and a transversely adjacent identical plate, said overlapping depending on positions of said first and second apertures relative to said longitudinal edges.

Claim 8

A rectangular curvilinear structural plate for the construction of a flexible curvilinear segmented structural plate pipe, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and aRranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, said first apertures and second apertures being located in positions midway between said crest portion planes and valley portion planes on the convex face and concave face respectively of the corrugations and said third apertures and fourth apertures being located on a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations on said convex male face and concave female face respectively.

Claim 9

A rectangular curvilinear structural plate for the construction of a flexible curvilinear segmented structural plate pipe, said plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and aRranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, said first apertures and second apertures being located in positions midway between said crest portion planes and valley portion planes on the convex face and concave face respectively of the corrugations and said third apertures and fourth apertures being located on a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations on said convex male face and concave female face respectively.

Claim 10

A flexible curved-section segmented structure comprising a plurality of curvilinear plates assembled in adjacent relation to one another, so as to have edge portions thereof in overlapping relation to edge portions of adjacent plates, each plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions of the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, and fastening elements extending through the coaxial apertures in the abutting male and female flank portions and in the overlapping longitudinal edge portions and fastening together the assembled plates, said fastening elements being capable of transmitting force from said plates to adjacent plates.

Claim 11

A flexible curved-section segmented structure comprising a plurality of curvilinear plates assembled in adjacent relation to one another, so as to have edge portions thereof in overlapping relation to edge portions of adjacent plates, each plate being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions of the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, and fastening elements extending through the coaxial apertures in the abutting male and female flank portions and in the overlapping longitudinal edge portions and fastening together the assembled plates, said fastening elements being capable of transmitting force from said plates to adjacent plates.

Claim 12

A flexible curved-section structure as claimed in claim 6, comprising in each plate a notch in a corner of the plate defined by one of said longitudinal edges and one of said curvilinear edges, said notch being formed in one of said male flank and female flank portions and extending transversely of said plate along said one flank portion to an extent no less than the extent of the overlapping between edge portions pertaining to said longitudinal edges of said adjacent plates.

Claim 13

A flexible segmented structural plate pipe comprising a plurality of coaxial annular pipe sections in end-to-end relation to one another, each annular section comprising a plurality of curviliNear plates in peripherally adjacent relation to one another, each of said plates being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, a longitudinal edge portion defined by said second longitudinal edge of each plate being in overlapping relation to a longitudinal edge portion defined by said first longitudinal edge of a peripherally adjacent plate in each annular pipe section, the male flank portions and female flank portions of the plates in axially adjacent annular pipe sections being in abutting relation to one another, and fastening elements extending through coaxial first apertures and corresponding second apertures and coaxial third apertures and corresponding fourth apertures of said plates and rigidly interconnecting said plates.

Claim 14

A flexible segmented structural plate pipe comprising a plurality of coaxial annular pipe sections in end-to-end relation to one another, each annular section comprising a plurality of curviliNear plates in peripherally adjacent relation to one another, each of said plates being defined by a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, a first transverse curvilinear edge and an opposed second transverse curvilinear edge and comprising corrugations having crest portions and valley portions which are curvilinear in parallel transverse planes intersecting said plate and extend to said longitudinal edges and flank portions interposed between said crest portions and said valley portions and inclined with respect to said planes, each flank portion having a convex face and a concave face, said first curvilinear edge defining a male corrugation flank portion whose convex face constitutes a tapered male assembly face and said second curvilinear edge defining a female corrugation flank portion whose concave face constitutes a flared female assembly face, said plate comprising means defining assembly apertures in said corrugation flank portions, said apertures having axes perpendicular to said flank portions and comprising first apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said first longitudinal edge and second apertures adjacent and arranged alongside said second longitudinal edge, third apertures in said male flank portion and fourth apertures in said female flank portion, said first apertures having positions relative to one another and relative to said planes of said crest portions and valley portions on the convex faces of said flank portions which are identical to the positions of said second apertures on the concave faces of said flank portions, and said third apertures having positions on said convex male face relative to one another and relative to a neutral axis of the cross section of the corrugations which are identical to positions of said fourth apertures on said concave female face, a longitudinal edge portion defined by said second longitudinal edge of each plate being in overlapping relation to a longitudinal edge portion defined by said first longitudinal edge of a peripherally adjacent plate in each annular pipe section, the male flank portions and female flank portions of the plates in axially adjacent annular pipe sections being in abutting relation to one another, and fastening elements extending through coaxial first apertures and corresponding second apertures and coaxial third apertures and corresponding fourth apertures of said plates and rigidly interconnecting said plates.