Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Modular Panel For A Liquid Containment Barrier And A
Liquid Containment Barrier
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a modular panel for a
liquid containment barrier and a liquid containment barrier
made from such panels.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A liquid containment barrier is deployed around a liquid
storage tank to form an enclosure as a precautionary measure
in the event the tank should rupture. The presence of the
liquid containment barrier serves to contain any liquids which
escape from the tank within the perimeter of the enclosure,
thereby limiting environmental damage. Such liquid containment
barriers are generally formed from a series of modular panels
made from either metal or concrete. The modular panels are
secured in end to end relation to form a rectangular enclosure .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is an alternative form of modular panel
for a liquid containment barrier.
According to the present invention there is provided a
modular panel for a liquid containment barrier which includes
a planar metal body having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first
end, a second end, a first side and a second side. A
stabilizing flange projects outwardly from the first side along
the bottom edge. At least two supporting legs are angled
outwardly and downwardly from the second side. A coupling is
provided at each of the first end and the second end. The
coupling at the second end is adapted to connect with the
coupling at the first end whereby the body can be connected
with adjacent bodies end to end to form an enclosure.
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According to another aspect of the present invention there
is provided a liquid containment barrier consisting of a
plurality of modular panels, as described above, joined end to
end to form a rectangular enclosure.
The modular panel, as described above, can rapidly be
deployed as a free standing liquid containment barrier.
Support legs are used instead of posts. This eliminates the
time consuming and labour intensive effort of driving posts
into the ground. The system is ideal for environmentally
sensitive areas as there is minimal ground disturbance.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the
use of the modular panel, as described above, with the
supporting legs projecting outwardly from the body, the modular
panels are bulky to transport. Even more beneficial results
may, therefore, be obtained when at least two leg attachment
brackets are positioned along the second side and the at least
two supporting legs are detachably secured to the at least two
leg attachment brackets. There are different engagements which
are viable. Beneficial results have been obtained through the
use of a tongue and groove engagement. Each of the at least
two leg attachment brackets define laterally spaced grooves.
Each of the at least two supporting legs have opposed sides
with outwardly extending longitudinal tongues that are adapted
to engage the laterally spaced grooves on the at least two leg
attachment brackets. This form of engagement is preferred as
it enables the leg to move up and down. This is important as
in some places the ground level will fall due to settling and
in other areas the ground level with rise due to frost heaves.
The leg moves up and down to adjust to changing ground
conditions, so the leg is always in contact with the ground.
Without this ability to adjust, some supporting legs would be
suspended in the air as a result of a fall in the ground level
and other legs would be transmitting forces exerted by heaving
ground directly to the panel.
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There are different types of couplings which can be used
to connect the modular panels. Beneficial results have been
obtained through the use of a pin style of coupling. The
coupling at the first end includes several first engagement
members, each of which has a first pin receiving aperture. The
coupling at the second end includes several second engagement
members, each of which has a second pin receiving aperture.
The first engagement members are connected to the second
engagement members by aligning the first pin receiving aperture
of one of the first engagement members with the second pin
receiving aperture of one of the second engagement members and
inserting a pin.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the
use of the modular panel, as described above, even more
beneficial results may be obtained when the support legs firmly
engage the ground to avoid any sliding movement. Even more
beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when each
supporting leg has a ground engaging end with downwardly
extending gripping teeth.
Although beneficial results may be obtained through the
use of the modular panel, as described above, such systems are
intended for use with liners and it is preferred that provision
should be made for retaining the liners in position. Even more
beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when the body
has a liner retaining cap that engages the top edge.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAV~INGS
These and other features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following description in which reference is
made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose
of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit
the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or
embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a modular
panel for a liquid containment barrier constructed in
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accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view of the modular panel
illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is a detailed side elevation view of coupling
detail of the modular panel illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is a detailed bottom plan view of leg attachment
detail of the modular panel illustrated in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 5 is a liquid containment barrier constructed using
a plurality of the modular panels illustrated in FIGURE 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a modular panel for a liquid
containment barrier generally identified by reference numeral
10, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through
5.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIGURE 1 there is provided a modular panel
10 which includes a planar metal body 12 that has a top edge
14, a bottom edge 16, a first end 18, a second end 20, a first
side 22 and a second side 24. Referring to FIGURE 2, a
stabilizing flange 26 projects outwardly from first side 22
along bottom edge 16. Referring to FIGURE 1, leg attachment
brackets 28 are positioned along second side 24. Referring to
FIGURE 4, leg attachment brackets 28 have laterally spaced
grooves 30. Referring to FIGURE 1 supporting legs 32 are
detachably secured to leg attachment brackets 28. Referring to
FIGURE 4, supporting legs 32 have opposed sides 34 with
outwardly extending longitudinal tongues 36 that are adapted
to engage laterally spaced grooves 30 on leg attachment
brackets 28. Supporting legs 32 are capable of moving up and
down with longitudinal tongues 36 travelling along grooves 30.
Referring to FIGURE 1, supporting legs 32 are angled outwardly
and downwardly from second side 24. Each supporting leg 32 has
a ground engaging end 38 with downwardly extending gripping
teeth 40.
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A coupling 42 is provided at each of first end 18 and
second end 20 of body 12. Referring to FIGURES 3 and 5,
coupling 42 at second end 20 is adapted to connect with
coupling 42 at first end 18 whereby body 12 can be connected
5 with adjacent bodies 12 end to end to form an enclosure
generally referenced by numeral 44. Referring to FIGURE l, in
the illustrated embodiment, coupling 42 at first end 18
includes several first engagement members 46 each of which has
a first pin receiving aperture 48. Coupling 42 at second end
20 includes several second engagement members 50, each of which
has a second pin receiving aperture 52. First engagement
members 46 are connected to second engagement members 50 by
aligning first pin receiving aperture 48 of one of first
engagement members 46 with second pin receiving aperture 52 of
one of second engagement members 50 and inserting a pin 54.
Body 12 has a liner retaining cap 56 that engages top edge 14.
Operation:
The use and operation of modular panel for a liquid
containment barrier generally identified by reference numeral
10, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through
5. Referring to FIGURE l, a plurality of panels 10 can be
transported to a site where enclosure 44 is desired to be
assembled. Supporting legs 32 are then detachably secured to
leg attachment brackets 28 on second side 24 of each body 12
by engaging outwardly extending longitudinal tongues 36 on
opposed sides 34 of supporting legs 32 with laterally spaced
grooves 39 on leg attachment brackets 28. Referring to FIGURE
2, when secured to body 12 of panel 10, supporting legs 32 will
angle outwardly and downwardly from second side 24.
Referring to FIGURE 5, after supporting legs 32 have been
detachably secured to each body 12, bodies 12 are assembled in
end to end relation to form rectangular shaped enclosure 44,
with first side 22 of each body 12 facing inward and second
side 24 of each body 12 facing outward from enclosure 44.
Referring to FIGURES 1 and 3, in order to secure bodies 12 in
end to end relation, second end 20 of each of body 12 is
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aligned with first end 18 of adjacent body 12 so that first
engagement members 46 are connected to second engagement
members 50 by aligning first pin receiving aperture 48 of one
of first engagement members 46 with second pin receiving
aperture 52 of one of second engagement members 50 and
inserting pin 54 as described above.
Referring to FIGURES 2 and 5, once panels 10 have been
secured to form rectangular enclosure 44, a liner 58 may be
positioned on first side 22 of body 12 and secured to liner
retaining cap 56 that engages top edge 14 of body 12. Referring
to FIGURE 5, rectangular enclosure 44 serves as a precautionary
measure in the event an enclosed tank 60 should rupture. If
tank 60 ruptures, enclosure 44 will contain any liquids which
escape from tank 60 within enclosure 44, thereby limiting
environmental damage. Referring to FIGURE 2, as rising liquid
within enclosure 44 increases pressure on panels 10, gripping
teeth 40 on ground engaging end 38 of support legs 32 dig into
an underlying ground surface 62 to prevent any movement of
panels 10 thereby maintaining the integrity of enclosure 44.
As the ground underlying enclosure 44 rises due to frost
heaves and falls due to settling, support legs 32 adjust to the
changing ground by sliding up and down. This adjustment takes
place without human intervention, with longitudinal tongues 36
travelling along grooves 30. This ensures that ground engaging
end 38 of support legs 32 is always in contact with the ground.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in
its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word
are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article
"a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the
element is present, unless the context clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without
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departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
hereinafter defined in the Claims.
