US5338131A — Arrangement for shoreline construction, maintenan…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of preparing an arrangement for construction, maintenance and protection of a shoreline having a variable level of water which method comprises: a) layering a substrate and emergent aquatic plants onto thick layers of biodegradable non-woven felt; b) covering the layers of non-woven felt, substrate and emergent aquatic plants with a non-woven geotextile; c) surrounding the layers of non-woven felt, substrate, emergent aquatic plants, and stabilizing the non-woven geotextile to retain its shape; d) cultivating said emergent aquatic plants for at least one full vegetation period; and e) stabilizing the non-woven geotextile by reinforcement elements thereby forming a protective shoreline vegetative covering.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 103 words

A method of preparing an arrangement for construction, maintenance and protection of a shoreline having a variable level of water which method comprises: a) layering a substrate and emergent aquatic plants onto thick layers of biodegradable non-woven felt; b) covering the layers of non-woven felt, substrate and emergent aquatic plants with a non-woven geotextile; c) surrounding the layers of non-woven felt, substrate, emergent aquatic plants, and stabilizing the non-woven geotextile to retain its shape; d) cultivating said emergent aquatic plants for at least one full vegetation period; and e) stabilizing the non-woven geotextile by reinforcement elements thereby forming a protective shoreline vegetative covering.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 12 words

The shoreline vegetative covering arrangement produced by the method of claim 1.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 119 words

A method of preparing a floating fiber roll arrangement for construction, maintenance and protection of a shoreline having a variable level of water which method comprises: a) linking a fiber roll means composed of coir material to a supportive buoyancy body; b) affixing the buoyancy body immersed into water to an underwater ballast body, to stabilize the position of the fiber roll means at a surface of the water of the shoreline; c) positioning the fiber roll means in front of construction material means to prevent erosion on the shoreline by means of a flexible fastening; and d) linking a desired number of floating fiber roll means so constructed to form a floating body adaptable to changing water levels.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 119 words

A method of preparing a floating fiber roll arrangement for construction, maintenance and protection of a shoreline having a variable level of water which method comprises: a) linking a fiber roll means composed of coir material to a supportive buoyancy body; b) affixing the buoyancy body immersed into water to an underwater ballast body, to stabilize the position of the fiber roll means at a surface of the water of the shoreline; c) positioning the fiber roll means in front of construction material means to prevent erosion on the shoreline by means of a flexible fastening; and d) linking a desired number of floating fiber roll means so constructed to form a floating body adaptable to changing water levels.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 12 words

The floating fiber roll arrangement produced by the method of claim 3.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 138 words

An arrangement for the protection of a shoreline having a slope and a variable low and high level of water and subject to erosion, which arrangement comprises in combination: a) construction material means on the slope of the shoreline to prevent erosion; b) a plurality of adjacent fiber roll means on the slope and arranged and generally longitudinally positioned parallel to the shoreline, and which fiber roll means comprises slowly decaying coir material in roll form, having an exterior surrounding netting material, to maintain the coir material in roll form, and containing therein a plurality of rooted, precultivated, emergent, aquatic plants; and c) stake means to secure the plurality of fiber roll means onto the slope of the shoreline in an arranged configuration, to aid in preventing erosion of the shoreline in combination with the construction material means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 138 words

An arrangement for the protection of a shoreline having a slope and a variable low and high level of water and subject to erosion, which arrangement comprises in combination: a) construction material means on the slope of the shoreline to prevent erosion; b) a plurality of adjacent fiber roll means on the slope and arranged and generally longitudinally positioned parallel to the shoreline, and which fiber roll means comprises slowly decaying coir material in roll form, having an exterior surrounding netting material, to maintain the coir material in roll form, and containing therein a plurality of rooted, precultivated, emergent, aquatic plants; and c) stake means to secure the plurality of fiber roll means onto the slope of the shoreline in an arranged configuration, to aid in preventing erosion of the shoreline in combination with the construction material means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 26 words

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein the construction material means are selected from the group consisting of stone riprap, piling, walls, sheet pilings and combinations thereof.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

The arrangement of claim 5 which includes a plurality of plant plug means to prevent erosion and implanted along the construction material means and each plant plug means comprising at least one rooted, precultivated, emergent, aquatic plant rooted within a biodegradable, water-permeable, vegetative carrier.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 20 words

The arrangement of claim 7 wherein the aquatic plant has a root length to root diameter of at least 1:1.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 46 words

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein the stake means to secure the fiber rolls means includes a plurality of stakes driven into the slope of the shoreline and generally about and adjacent the fiber roll means to retain the fiber roll means in the arranged configuration.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein a plurality of the fiber roll means are secured generally longitudinally adjacent each other by the interweaving of the netting material of the adjacent fiber roll means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 58 words

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein the construction material comprises stone riprap, wherein the plant plug means are dispersed and implanted among the riprap material and the fiber roll means are disposed on the slope of the shoreline between the low and high water level and secured at a level on the shoreline below the plant plug means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 42 words

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein a plurality of the fiber roll means are positioned longitudinally adjacent each other and secured by a plurality of stakes driven into the slope of the shoreline, on either side of the adjacent fiber roll means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 50 words

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein the stake means to secure the fiber roll means includes a plurality of stakes driven into the slope of the shoreline at inclined angles to one another and one either side of the fiber roll means to form an open-ended, generally trapezoidal space therebetween.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 36 words

The arrangement of claim 13 which includes a layer of brush within the trapezoidal space and a plurality of longitudinal, adjacent fiber roll means placed on top of the brush layer and within the trapezoidal space.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 43 words

The arrangement of claim 12 which includes a water submerged bed of stones on the shoreline and secured, adjacent multiple layers of the fiber roll means, one on top of the other, and extending upwardly on the slope from the bed of stones.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 87 words

The arrangement of claim 5 which includes: a) a supportive, buoyant body in the water and secured to at least one fiber roll means in the water; b) a ballast body in the water and secured to the buoyancy body to stabilize the position of the fiber roll means floating in the water in a selected position to the shoreline and adapted to change with the water level; and c) a flexible fastening buoyancy body to secure the ballast body and fiber roll means in the water.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 48 words

The arrangement of claim 16 which includes a sheet piling on the shoreline as a construction material means, the buoyant body connected by the flexible fastener to the sheet piling to secure the selected position of the buoyant body in the water in front of the sheet piling.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 92 words

The arrangement of claim 5 which includes plant riprap means placed on the shoreline, which plant riprap means comprises: a) non-woven, biodegradable felt material on the bottom and sides to define a space with an open top; b) stone substrate within the open space; c) a plurality of precultivated, emergent, aquatic plants rooted in the substrate; d) a non-woven, geotextile material covering the top surface of the open space; and e) mesh netting material about the non-woven felt and the geotextile material to retain the riprap plant means in a desired shape.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 30 words

The arrangement of claim 18 which includes a plurality of stakes driven into the shoreline and through the plan riprap means to secure the plant riprap means on the shoreline.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

The arrangement of claim 19 wherein the plant riprap means are secured by stakes on the slope of the shoreline at a level above the fiber roll means.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 24 words

The arrangement of claim 20 includes plant plug means to prevent erosion positioned on the shoreline at a level above the plant riprap means.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 34 words

The arrangement of claim 21 wherein the plant riprap means is generally rectangular in shape and ranges in width from about 0.8 to 1.25 meters and has a height of at least 4 cm.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 153 words

An arrangement for the protection of a shoreline having a slope with a base, and a generally flat top level above the slope and a variable low and high water level, which arrangement comprises in combination: a) an underwater brush layer at the base of the slope; b) a layer of stone overlying the underwater brush layer; c) a non-woven, filter layer on the slope; d) a plurality of adjacent rock rolls secured by stakes driven into the slope and through the filter layer; e) plant riprap means on the slope above the rock rolls and extending generally to the top flat level of the slope, and secured by stakes driven into the shoreline; and f) a plurality of plant plug means planted on the flat top level and adjacent the plant riprap means, which plant plug means comprises at least one precultivated, emergent, aquatic plant rooted within a biodegradable, water-permeable, vegetative carrier.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 153 words

An arrangement for the protection of a shoreline having a slope with a base, and a generally flat top level above the slope and a variable low and high water level, which arrangement comprises in combination: a) an underwater brush layer at the base of the slope; b) a layer of stone overlying the underwater brush layer; c) a non-woven, filter layer on the slope; d) a plurality of adjacent rock rolls secured by stakes driven into the slope and through the filter layer; e) plant riprap means on the slope above the rock rolls and extending generally to the top flat level of the slope, and secured by stakes driven into the shoreline; and f) a plurality of plant plug means planted on the flat top level and adjacent the plant riprap means, which plant plug means comprises at least one precultivated, emergent, aquatic plant rooted within a biodegradable, water-permeable, vegetative carrier.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 58 words

The arrangement of claim 23 which includes a plant pallet material on the flat top level of the shoreline and positioned above the plant riprap means, such plant pallet means comprised of a substrate with a plurality of precultivated, emergent, aquatic plants rooted in the substrate, and the substrate surrounding by an external wrapping of netted mesh material.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 1 which includes employing a humus-free gravel material as the substrate.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 1 which includes stabilizing the geotextile material by surrounding the geotextile material with a mesh material as a reinforcement element.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 1 which includes employing a plurality of the shoreline protective vegetative covering on the slope of the shoreline and securing the protective covering to the slope by stakes driven through the protective covering into the slope.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 3 which includes providing a fiber roll means having an exterior mesh netting material thereabout and the fiber roll means containing therein a plurality of rooted, precultivated, emergent, aquatic plants.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1997-08-15	1998-02-14	1998-08-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2001-08-15	2002-02-14	2002-08-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2005-08-15	2006-02-14	2006-08-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Arrangement for shoreline construction, maintenance, and protection, and methods for making and using the same

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