Method of sealing a curb and gutter roadway gap and sealing assembly therefor

Claim 2

A curb face piece assembly for dynamically sealing a gap between curb and gutter portions of adjacent roadway slabs comprising a pair of elongated parallel side pads adapted for securance to curb portions of adjacent roadway slabs to seal a curb gap portion, an elongate, arched flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pads to prevent the passage of water and debris between the joint membrane and the side pads, an expansive, elastic sealing flap projecting from one end of each of said side pads and of said membrane and extending laterally beyond the outer side edges of said side pads, said sealing flap being sealingly secured to said side pads and membrane adjacent said one end, said sealing flap being proportioned to overlie and bridge the gap between gutter portions of adjacent roadway slabs and to cooperate therewith and with a gutter gap sealing member to seal a gutter gap portion and the intersection of the gap between adjacent curb and gutter portions.

Claim 3

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing flap is integrally molded with said side pads and with said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 4

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing flap is sealingly secured to upper surface portions of said side pads and of said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 5

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said sealing flap is generally flat but defines a downwardly opening concave area adjacent the side pads in the region of the flexible joint membrane, to facilitate its cooperation with a gutter gap sealing member and to facilitate its sealing of a gutter gap portion and a said gap intersection.

Claim 6

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing flap is sealingly secured to lower surface portions of said side pads and of said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 7

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing flap is generally trapezoidal in shape in plan view.

Claim 8

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sealing flap is thinner than, and substantially more flexible than, said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 9

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing flap is generally flat but defines a downwardly opening concave area adjacent the side pads in the region of the flexible joint membrane, to facilitate its cooperation with a gutter gap sealing member and to facilitate its sealing of a gutter gap portion and a said gap intersection.

Claim 12

A method in accordance with claim 9 comprising the step of cutting an end of a gutter gap sealing member to a skewed angle prior to securing it to said gutter slab surfaces.

Claim 13

A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein each of said sealing members comprises a pair of pad members bridged by a central joint membrane positioned over and parallel to the associated gap portion, and wherein said sealing flap is sealingly conformed and secured to the contour of each joint membrane and is sealingly secured to each of said pad members.

Claim 16

A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein said shaping member is a resilient foam member which is compressed to seat it in said gutter gap portion, an uncompressed crowned portion thereof projecting upwardly from said gutter slab surfaces.

Claim 17

A sealing assembly for sealing the gap between curb and gutter portions of adjacent, slightly spaced, relatively movable roadway slabs, and wherein the curb portions extend upwardly from their intersection with the gutter portions, a curb face piece assembly comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pads secured to surfaces of said curb portions at opposite sides of the curb gap, a flexible membrane sealingly secured to the side pads and bridging said curb gap, an expansive, elastic sealing flap member sealingly secured to said side pads and to said flexible membrane, extending across said intersection and bridging the gutter gap, a gutter sealing member comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pad elements each having an upper surface adapted to serve as a roadway surface and each being secured to a gutter surface at a side of the gutter gap, and a flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pad elements for sealingly bridging the gutter gap, said expansive sealing flap member lying in expansive confronting engagement with said side pad elements and joint membrane, and being sealingly secured thereto, and further comprising a shaping member disposed in said gutter gap, said shaping member projecting upwardly from said gutter surfaces, and whereiN said shaping member urges said sealing flap member into said conforming engagement with said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 18

A sealing assembly for sealing the gap between curb and gutter portions of adjacent, slightly spaced, relatively movable roadway slabs, and wherein the curb portions extend upwardly from their intersection with the gutter portions, a curb face piece assembly comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pads secured to surfaces of said curb portions at opposite sides of the curb gap, a flexible membrane sealingly secured to the side pads and bridging said curb gap, an expansive, elastic sealing flap member sealingly secured to said side pads and to said flexible membrane, extending across said intersection and bridging the gutter gap, a gutter sealing member comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pad elements each having an upper surface adapted to serve as a roadway surface and each being secured to a gutter surface at a side of the gutter gap, and a flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pad elements for sealingly bridging the gutter gap, said expansive sealing flap member lying in expansive confronting engagement with said side pad elements and joint membrane, and being sealingly secured thereto, and further comprising a shaping member disposed in said gutter gap, said shaping member projecting upwardly from said gutter surfaces, and whereiN said shaping member urges said sealing flap member into said conforming engagement with said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 19

A sealing assembly in accordance with claim 14 wherein said shaping member is an elongate section of compressible foam, and lower portions of said section are compressed in said gutter gap.

Claim 20

A sealing assembly in accordance with claim 14 wherein said sealing flap is generally flat but defines a downwardly opening concave area adjacent the side pads in the region of the flexible membrane, to facilitate its cooperation with said gutter sealing member and to facilitate its sealing of said gutter gap portion and said gap intersection.

Claim 21

A sealing assembly for sealing the gap between curb and gutter portions of adjacent, slightly spaced, relatively movable roadway slabs, and wherein the curb portions extend upwardly from their intersection with the gutter portions, a curb face piece assembly comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pads secured to surfaces of said curb portions at opposite sides of the curb gap, a flexible membrane sealingly secured to the side pads and bridging said curb gap, an expansive, elastic sealing flap member sealingly secured to said side pads and to said flexible membrane, extending across said intersection and bridging and overlying the gutter gap, said sealing flap member being generally trapezoidal in plan view, a gutter sealing member comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pad elements each having an upper surface adapted to serve as a roadway surface and each being secured to a gutter surface at a side of the gutter gap, and a flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pad elements for sealingly bridging the gutter gap, said expansive sealing flap member lying in expansive confronting engagement with said side pad elements and joint membrane, and being sealingly secured thereto.

Claim 22

A sealing assembly for sealing the gap between curb and gutter portions of adjacent, slightly spaced, relatively movable roadway slabs, and wherein the curb portions extend upwardly from their intersection with the gutter portions, a curb face piece assembly comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pads secured to surfaces of said curb portions at opposite sides of the curb gap, a flexible membrane sealingly secured to the side pads and bridging said curb gap, an expansive, elastic sealing flap member sealingly secured to said side pads and to said flexible membrane, extending across said intersection and bridging and overlying the gutter gap, said sealing flap member being generally trapezoidal in plan view, a gutter sealing member comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart side pad elements each having an upper surface adapted to serve as a roadway surface and each being secured to a gutter surface at a side of the gutter gap, and a flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pad elements for sealingly bridging the gutter gap, said expansive sealing flap member lying in expansive confronting engagement with said side pad elements and joint membrane, and being sealingly secured thereto.

Claim 23

A roadway face piece assembly for dynamically sealing a gap between first portions and second portions at a side of adjacent roadway slabs, said first portions and said second portions being disposed at an angle to each other, said assembly comprising a pair of elongated parallel side pads adapted for securance to said first portions of adjacent roadway slabs to seal a first gap portion, an elongate, arched flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pads to prevent the passage of water and debris between the joint membrane and the side pads, an expansive, elastic sealing flap projecting from one end of each of said side pads and from the end of said membrane, and extending laterally beyond the outer side edge of at least one of said side pads, said sealing flap being sealingly secured to said side pads and membrane adjacent said one end and terminating in an end spaced from said side pads and from said membrane, said sealing flap being generally flat but defining a downwardly opening concave area adjacent the ends of the side pads in the region of the flexible joint membrane, to facilitate its cooperation with a second gap sealing member and to facilitate its sealing of a second gap portion and said gap intersection, said downwardly opening concave area being spaced inwardly of said terminating end, said sealing flap being proportioned to overlie and bridge the gap between said second portions at a side of adjacent roadway slabs and to cooperate therewith and with a second gap sealing member to seal said second gap portion and the intersection of the gap between said adjacent first portions and second portions.

Claim 24

A roadway face piece assembly for dynamically sealing a gap between first portions and second portions at a side of adjacent roadway slabs, said first portions and said second portions being disposed at an angle to each other, said assembly comprising a pair of elongated parallel side pads adapted for securance to said first portions of adjacent roadway slabs to seal a first gap portion, an elongate, arched flexible joint membrane sealingly secured to said side pads to prevent the passage of water and debris between the joint membrane and the side pads, an expansive, elastic sealing flap projecting from one end of each of said side pads and from the end of said membrane, and extending laterally beyond the outer side edge of at least one of said side pads, said sealing flap being sealingly secured to said side pads and membrane adjacent said one end and terminating in an end spaced from said side pads and from said membrane, said sealing flap being generally flat but defining a downwardly opening concave area adjacent the ends of the side pads in the region of the flexible joint membrane, to facilitate its cooperation with a second gap sealing member and to facilitate its sealing of a second gap portion and said gap intersection, said downwardly opening concave area being spaced inwardly of said terminating end, said sealing flap being proportioned to overlie and bridge the gap between said second portions at a side of adjacent roadway slabs and to cooperate therewith and with a second gap sealing member to seal said second gap portion and the intersection of the gap between said adjacent first portions and second portions.

Claim 25

A curb face piece assembly in accordance with claim 18 wherein said sealing flap is sealingly secured to upper surface portions of said side pads and of said flexible joint membrane.

Claim 26

A sealing assembly sealing the gap between first portions and second portions of adjacent, slightly spaced, relatively movable roadway slabs at one side of said slabs, said first slab portions and said second slab portions being angularly disposed with respect to each other to provide therebetweeN a first gap portion and a second gap portion, respectively, and merging in an angular gapped intersection, said sealing assembly comprising an expansive, generally flat elastomeric sealing flap having a first end, a second end opposite said first end and side portions circumscribing said sealing flap and defining a preformed downwardly open, concave region overlying said first portion of said gap and being positioned adjacent said intersection, said concave region being remote and spaced inwardly from said first end and from said side portions of said sealing flap, said concave region being proportioned to facilitate conformance of the sealing flap to said first slab portions adjacent said intersection with a minimum of bunching and wrinkling of said sealing flap and being deformed to conform to shaping means provided at said first gap portion, and shaping means extending upwardly from said first gap portion below said concave region against which said sealing flap is deformed to conform thereto, said second end being secured to said second slab portions and spanning the gap therebetween, and means sealingly securing said second end to said second slab portions and means sealingly securing said first end to said first slab portions.

Claim 27

A sealing assembly sealing the gap between first portions and second portions of adjacent, slightly spaced, relatively movable roadway slabs at one side of said slabs, said first slab portions and said second slab portions being angularly disposed with respect to each other to provide therebetweeN a first gap portion and a second gap portion, respectively, and merging in an angular gapped intersection, said sealing assembly comprising an expansive, generally flat elastomeric sealing flap having a first end, a second end opposite said first end and side portions circumscribing said sealing flap and defining a preformed downwardly open, concave region overlying said first portion of said gap and being positioned adjacent said intersection, said concave region being remote and spaced inwardly from said first end and from said side portions of said sealing flap, said concave region being proportioned to facilitate conformance of the sealing flap to said first slab portions adjacent said intersection with a minimum of bunching and wrinkling of said sealing flap and being deformed to conform to shaping means provided at said first gap portion, and shaping means extending upwardly from said first gap portion below said concave region against which said sealing flap is deformed to conform thereto, said second end being secured to said second slab portions and spanning the gap therebetween, and means sealingly securing said second end to said second slab portions and means sealingly securing said first end to said first slab portions.