US3807183A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Underground culverts for pipelines and method for making same
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-02-09
•
Granted: 1974-04-30
•
Expires: 1991-02-09
Abstract
Abstract An insulating and protective underground culvert for one or more pipelines carrying heating fluid at elevated temperatures adapted to be laid in a trench and covered with the material removed from the trench in the usual manner. The pipelines are of a noncorroding material such as stainless steel or a suitable plastic material, and are also substantially non-insulated. The pipelines are positioned on a base member of heat insulating material which is also previous to water, for instance, ROCKWOOL at the bottom of the trench. The pipelines and the base member are then covered by a vaultshaped member, of a heat insulating material, but which is impervious to water. An air-space is provided between the inner surface of the cover and the pipeline or pipelines, for preventing direct heat conduction to the cover. The combination of a heat insulating base member pervious to water, substantially non-insulated pipelines in direct heat transfer contact with the base member, a vault-shaped cover of a heat insulating but impervious to water material straddling the base member and the pipelines, and out of direct heat transfer contact with the pipelines, provides for a self-drying culvert possessing excellent heat insulating properties. The culvert will be efficient also at high ground moisture content, and will even tolerate comparatively large quantities of water occasionally but it may not be laid below the ground water level. In practice, this is no serious limitation, and the present culvert may generally be used in place of an hermetically sealed culvert of heavier and much more expensive design, used up to the present time for insulating and protective purposes.
Inventors
- 👤 I Wolff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 10:26
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L1/00; F16L1/024; F16L1/026
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A self-drying underground non-watertight culvert comprising, a base member of a heat insulating material pervious to water, an arcuate cover member over said base member to define therebetween a space, the arcuate cover member being of a heat insulating material having a higher insulation capacity than the base member, at least one heat radiating pipeline situated in said space between said base member and said cover member, and passage means between the base member and cover member providing communication between the space and the environment of said culvert to allow water, aNd/or vapor generated by the radiated heat acting on water in the culvert, to pass out into the environment by and through the base member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A self-drying underground non-watertight culvert comprising, a base member of a heat insulating material pervious to water, an arcuate cover member over said base member to define therebetween a space, the arcuate cover member being of a heat insulating material having a higher insulation capacity than the base member, at least one heat radiating pipeline situated in said space between said base member and said cover member, and passage means between the base member and cover member providing communication between the space and the environment of said culvert to allow water, aNd/or vapor generated by the radiated heat acting on water in the culvert, to pass out into the environment by and through the base member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
174 words
A self-drying underground non-watertight culvert situated in a trench and comprising at least one layer of heat insulating material pervious to water placed over the bottom of the trench, at least one pipeline conveying heating fluid at elevated temperature situated above, and in thermal contact with said at least one layer constituting a base member for said at least one pipeline, and a plurality of serially arranged arcuate cover members forming a vault-shaped protective cover over said base member and said at least one pipeline, the cover members being of a heat insulating material having a higher insulation capacity than the one layer of heat insulating material constituting the base member, and passage means between the base member and cover providing communication between the interior of said base member and protective cover and the environment thereof to allow water, and water vapor generated by radiated heat from said at least one pipeline acting on water in said culvert, to pass out into the environment by and through said one layer of heat insulating material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
174 words
A self-drying underground non-watertight culvert situated in a trench and comprising at least one layer of heat insulating material pervious to water placed over the bottom of the trench, at least one pipeline conveying heating fluid at elevated temperature situated above, and in thermal contact with said at least one layer constituting a base member for said at least one pipeline, and a plurality of serially arranged arcuate cover members forming a vault-shaped protective cover over said base member and said at least one pipeline, the cover members being of a heat insulating material having a higher insulation capacity than the one layer of heat insulating material constituting the base member, and passage means between the base member and cover providing communication between the interior of said base member and protective cover and the environment thereof to allow water, and water vapor generated by radiated heat from said at least one pipeline acting on water in said culvert, to pass out into the environment by and through said one layer of heat insulating material.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
200 words
A method of providing an underground non-watertight culvert for at least one pipeline conveying a heating fluid at an elevated temperature, with said culvert having a substantially flat base member situated under a substantially vault-shaped cover member to enclose a space between the upper surface of said base member and the inner surface of said cover member, comprising the steps of digging a trench in the ground where the culvert is to be laid, placing at the bottom of said trench at least one layer of a heat insulating material pervious to water, placing on the upper surface of said at least one layer at least one substantially non-insulated pipeline of non-corroding material, and covering said at least one layer of insulating material and said at least one pipeline with vault-shaped, cover members of heat insulating material substantially impervious to water and having a higher insulation capacity than the said one layer of heat insulating material pervious to water, refilling said trench above and on the sides of said cover members, and feeding heating fluid at an elevated temperature through said at least one pipeline at a rate high enough to provide a drying of the interior of the culvert.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
200 words
A method of providing an underground non-watertight culvert for at least one pipeline conveying a heating fluid at an elevated temperature, with said culvert having a substantially flat base member situated under a substantially vault-shaped cover member to enclose a space between the upper surface of said base member and the inner surface of said cover member, comprising the steps of digging a trench in the ground where the culvert is to be laid, placing at the bottom of said trench at least one layer of a heat insulating material pervious to water, placing on the upper surface of said at least one layer at least one substantially non-insulated pipeline of non-corroding material, and covering said at least one layer of insulating material and said at least one pipeline with vault-shaped, cover members of heat insulating material substantially impervious to water and having a higher insulation capacity than the said one layer of heat insulating material pervious to water, refilling said trench above and on the sides of said cover members, and feeding heating fluid at an elevated temperature through said at least one pipeline at a rate high enough to provide a drying of the interior of the culvert.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the step of providing drainage means under said at least one layer.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
224 words
A method of providing an underground culvert for at least one pipeline conveying a heating fluid at an elevated temperature, with said culvert having a substantially flat base member situated under a substantially vault-shaped cover member to enclose a space between the upper surface of said base member and the inner surface of said cover member, comprising the steps of digging a trench in the ground where the culvert is to be laid, placing at the bottom of said trench at least one layer of a heat insulating material pervious to water, placing on the upper surface of said at least one layer at least one substantially non-insulated pipeline of non-corroding material, covering said at least one layer of insulating material and siad at least one pipeline with vault-shaped, heat insulating cover members substantially impervious to water, refilling said trench above and on the sides of said cover members, feeding heating fluid at an elevated temperature through said at least one pipeline at a rate high enough to provide a drying of the interior of the culvert, and selecting the thickness of insulating material in relation to the heat radiated from said at least one pipeline so as to generate around the outer surfaces of said culvert a comparatively dry region in which a comparatively steep temperature gradient prevails constituting a protective heat shield.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
224 words
A method of providing an underground culvert for at least one pipeline conveying a heating fluid at an elevated temperature, with said culvert having a substantially flat base member situated under a substantially vault-shaped cover member to enclose a space between the upper surface of said base member and the inner surface of said cover member, comprising the steps of digging a trench in the ground where the culvert is to be laid, placing at the bottom of said trench at least one layer of a heat insulating material pervious to water, placing on the upper surface of said at least one layer at least one substantially non-insulated pipeline of non-corroding material, covering said at least one layer of insulating material and siad at least one pipeline with vault-shaped, heat insulating cover members substantially impervious to water, refilling said trench above and on the sides of said cover members, feeding heating fluid at an elevated temperature through said at least one pipeline at a rate high enough to provide a drying of the interior of the culvert, and selecting the thickness of insulating material in relation to the heat radiated from said at least one pipeline so as to generate around the outer surfaces of said culvert a comparatively dry region in which a comparatively steep temperature gradient prevails constituting a protective heat shield.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US384948A
Cited
CA664824A
Cited
US1904001A
Cited
US2663323A
Cited
US2862367A
Cited
US2857648A
Cited
US3355572A
Cited
US3563503A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-04-29 | 1977-10-29 | 1978-04-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-04-29 | 1981-10-29 | 1982-04-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-04-29 | 1985-10-29 | 1986-04-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |