Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A COVER
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover, such as a tarpaulin, for covering a
pile (e.g. a pile, stockpile or haystack).
Background
The words "pile", "dump", "stockpile" or "haystack" and all other appropriate
terms will be used interchangeably hereafter, though the word "pile" is
intended to
encompass within its scope the scope of the other terms.
A cover, which will hereinafter be interchangeably referred to as a tarpaulin,
is commonly used to cover and protect a dump from weather or contaminants. A
cover can also assist in digestion and decomposition of material in the dump
(e.g. a
silage bin).
A cover or tarpaulin is, in essence, a large sheet or a plurality of sheets
connected by sewing or welding, that overlays a dump to provide a physical
barrier
to direct impact of weather or contaminants on at least a portion of the dump.
Tarpaulins are typically light-weight and, due to their large surface area,
are
readily blown off the dump or stockpile. Tarpaulins have traditionally been
weighed
down to prevent them from blowing off dumps. However, the tarpaulin can still
billow
when a breeze blows under its edges or across the tarpaulin and thus the
weights
(e.g. tyres), which tend not to be uniformly distributed over the cover, cause
a non-
uniform stress distribution across the tarpaulin, increasing wear and
decreasing the
working life of the tarpaulin. Such a breeze can also result in the tarpaulin
tearing
and/or dislodgement of the weights and the tarpaulin can therefore blow away.
To ensure tarpaulins are securely held in place regardless of breezes, they
have more recently been secured in place by clips, cinches, pegs, sandbags or
soil
fixed along their edges. Such securing mechanisms still allow breezes to
affect the
tarpaulin and as the tarpaulin billows stress is placed on the points at which
the
securing means are connected to the edges of the tarpaulin and cause flex wear
to
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the body of the tarpaulin. The increased stress ultimately results in
premature
wearing of the tarpaulin.
Tarpaulins for fitting over large dumps are typically stored in a folded,
concertina fashion. When being positioned over a dump, such tarpaulins are
pulled
from opposite corners of the tarpaulin along either side of the dump to cover
the
dump. Given the weight of a large tarpaulin, and the height of dumps over
which
large tarpaulins must be dragged, a significant amount of force is required to
drag a
large tarpaulin over a dump. In order to impart the force on the tarpaulin it
is
common to bunch up in the corner of the tarpaulin, tie it to a vehicle using a
rope or
strap as an intermediary, and use the vehicle to tow or pull the tarpaulin
over the
dump.
Using vehicles to tow tarpaulins over dumps often results in the corners of
tarpaulins becoming torn and damaged.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides a cover for covering a pile, comprising:
a sheet to overlay the pile; and
a plurality of restraints attached to the sheet, a free portion of each
restraint
extending from the sheet to be fixed in relation to the pile in use, thereby
to fix the
sheet in relation to the pile, and a sheet contacting portion of each
restraint
extending at least partially over the pile in use.
The present invention also provides a cover for covering a pile, comprising:
a sheet to overlay the pile and comprising an opening through which the pile
is accessible; and
a resealable access point attached to the sheet about the opening, the
access point comprising an access member attached to the sheet and moveable
between an open condition in which the pile can be accessed, and a closed
condition for preventing access to the pile.
The present invention further provides a cover for covering a pile,
comprising:
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a sheet to overlay the pile; and
an anchor system attached to an outer surface of the sheet, to which an
operator can releaseably attach to maintain the operator on the pile when in
use.
The present invention still further provides a cover for covering a pile,
cornprising:
a sheet to overlay the pile; and
a plurality of restraints attached to the sheet, a free portion of each
restraint
extending from the sheet to be fixed in relation to the pile in use, thereby
to fix the
sheet in relation to the pile, and a sheet contacting portion of each
restraint
extending at least partially over the pile in use.
At least one restraint may have two free portions extending from the sheet at
respectively different positions to be fixed in relation to the pile.
The sheet contacting portion of one or more of the restraints may extend over
the pile from at or near one side of the sheet to at or near an opposite side
of the
sheet.
The or each sheet contacting portion may extend into a sleeve.
The or each sleeve may comprise a fixed portion fixed in position relative to
the sheet, and a flexible portion extending from the fixed portion to the free
portion,
the flexible portion being movable with the free portion.
The invention also provides cover for covering a pile, comprising:
a sheet to overlay the pile; and
a pull member comprising:
a free portion from which the pull member can be pulled to pull the
sheet over the pile; and
a sheet-engaging portion attached or attachable to the sheet and
extending away from the free portion along a surface of the sheet so that a
force applied to the free portion during pulling is passed from the pull
member
to the sheet along a length of the sheet-engaging portion.
The pull member may comprise a strip.
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The free portion may be disposed intermediate ends of the strip, and the
sheet-engaging portion comprises two sheet-engaging parts each part extending
from the free portion to a respective end of the strip.
The pull member comprises a substantially V-shaped or U-shaped strip.
The invention also provides a cover resulting from a combination of at least
two of the various covers described above.
Advantageously, embodiments of the present invention enable a cover to be
safely and/or securely held in place regardless of prevailing weather
conditions,
whether the pile is being accessed (e.g. loaded or unloaded), and whether the
pile
changes in size over time.
Embodiments of the present invention may also enable access to the pile or
pile through the cover without requiring a slit or hole to be formed in the
cover for
each time the pile is intended to be accessed via through.
Embodiments of the present invention may also enable a worker to secure
themselves to the cover when working on the cover or pile to prevent the
worker
from tripping or falling from the pile.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of
non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a tarpaulin in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side view of a tarpaulin in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention, formed by joining three separate sheets;
Figure 3A is a close-up view of a restraint of the tarpaulin shown in Figure
2;
Figure 3B is a partial cross-section view of two tarpaulins joined together,
and
a restraint extending within the join;
Figure 4 is a close-up view of an access point or vent in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention, in an open condition;
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Figure 5A shows the vent of Figure 4 in a closed condition;
Figure 5B shows a clamping system for clamping a vent in a closed
condition;
Figure 5C shows a clamped vent on a cover that is in position on a pile;
Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative vent in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention, in a closed and stowed condition;
Figure 7 shows a further closed condition of the vent of Figure 6 before being
stowed in a storage pocket;
Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the vent of Figure 6 in an open
condition with a sampler extending therethrough;
Figure 9 is a plan view of the vent of Figure 6;
Figure 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the vent of Figure 6 in an
alternative open condition;
Figure 11 is a close up view of an anchor point in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 12 is a close-up view of an alternative embodiment of an anchor point
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13 is a close-up plan view of a sleeve and restraint system;
Figure 14 is a plan view of a tarpaulin in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 15 is a close-up view of a corner portion of the tarpaulin of Figure 14
showing a corner pull;
Figures 16 to 18 are close-up views of alternative corner portions of
tarpaulins;
Figures 19 to 24 are close-up views of reinforced corner portions of
tarpaulins; and
Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view of a tarpaulin having a restraint attached
to either surface/side, to enable the tarpaulin to tied down regardless of
which side
of the tarpaulin faces upwardly.
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Detailed Description
A cover 10, as shown in Figure 1, is used for covering a pile (e.g. a dump,
stockpile or haystack). The cover 10 comprises a substantially rectangular
polymeric
sheet or body 12 that is fibre reinforced, though the body 12 may be
fabricated from
any appropriate material and have any desired shape. For the purpose of
illustration, any item that may be referred to as a "sheet 12" or "body 12"
will be
referred to as a "tarpaulin 12" in the detailed description, though it will be
appreciated that products and items falling within the scope of the more
general
term "sheet" are intended to be capable of substitution in place of the term
"tarpaulin" in the present disclosure.
The cover 10 includes a plurality of restraints 14 attached to the tarpaulin
12
at regular intervals along its length, an access point or vent 16 on the
tarpaulin 12,
and an anchor system 18 to which an operator can attach to maintain the
operator
on the dump when the tarpaulin 10 is in use. The restraints 14 can be formed
from
webbing or any other appropriate material.
A cover 19, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a tarpaulin 12 that overlays a
pile to protect the pile from weather and pests. The cover 19 further includes
a
plurality of restraints 14 attached to the tarpaulin 12. A free portion 20 of
each
restraint 14 extends from the tarpaulin 12 (e.g. past the edge 22 of the
tarpaulin 12
¨ see Figure 3A) to be fixed in relation to the pile when the cover 19 is in
use,
thereby fixing the tarpaulin 12 in relation to the pile. Each restraint 14
further
includes a sheet (i.e. "tarpaulin") contacting portion 24 that extends at
least partially
over the pile when the cover 19 is in use.
A tarpaulin 12 may be formed from one or more separate sheets of material.
For ease of description, where there are two or more sheets attached together
to
form a tarpaulin, those two or more sheets will be referred to as "subsheets":
in
other words, they are a sheet that constitutes less than the entirety of the
body of
the tarpaulin. The tarpaulin 12 shown in Figure 2 is formed from three
subsheets 26,
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28, 30 connected together (e.g. by welding or sewing) along connection lines
X.
The subsheets 26, 28, 30 are each 2m wide, though in general subsheets that
form
a tarpaulin need not have the same size or shape.
Any down force applied to the restraints 14 when securing the tarpaulin 12 in
position, and any wind loading during use of the cover 19, will be applied to
the
tarpaulin 12 by the restraints 14 at the point where the restraints 14 are
connected
to the tarpaulin 12. By extending at least partially over the dump when the
cover 19
is in use, the restraints 14 distribute the load applied to the tarpaulin 12
over a
greater portion of the tarpaulin 12 than is achievable using prior art
restraint
systems: prior art restraint systems generally attach only to an edge of a
tarpaulin or
are free straps that are thrown over the tarpaulin and secured down on either
side of
the tarpaulin . In the case of straps sewn into edges of a tarpaulin, there is
a
significant amount of wear at the points at which the straps are tied down as
the
entirety of the tie down force is applied through those points. In the case of
free
straps thrown over the tarpaulin, such straps have no fixed portion, in
contrast to the
restraints 14 of the present disclosure, and can shift back and forward
against the
tarpaulin increasing wear. The restraints 14 of the present embodiment provide
many advantages including a comparative reduction in wear of any particular
portion
of the tarpaulin 12, thereby increasing the working life of the cover 19, and
the ability
to increase the load applied by the restraints 14 to the tarpaulin 12 without
damaging the tarpaulin 12. This latter advantage can be particularly useful
where
the cover 19 is intended to be used in windy conditions or to compress
material (e.g.
silage) covered by the cover 19.
In addition, since the cover 19 will often be unsecured at its edges while
loading product onto or off the pile, the restraints 14 reduce the danger of
the
subsheet(s) 26, 28, 30 billowing up while workers are on the cover 19 since
the
restraints (e.g. straps) 14 can be loosened rather than only being capable of
absolute attachment or detachment (i.e. one or the other, such as is the case
where
straps are directly attached to pegs in the ground).
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With reference to Figure 1, another exemplary method of using the present
cover 10 during addition/removal of material from the pile is to release one
or more
restraints 14' at the end of the pile to/from which material is intended to be
added/removed. The tarpaulin 12 is then folded back over itself, with the fold
being
positioned at or near a second restraint 14". The second restraint 14" is
tensioned
(e.g. by tightening a ratchet connected to its ends) to secure the tarpaulin
12 at the
fold. The tarpaulin 12 is then tensioned open (i.e. secured in an open
position) by
securing the unsecured restraint 14' in a folded back position (e.g. where
restraint
14' is in effect superimposed over restraint 14'). This process reduces the
likelihood that the tarpaulin 12 will move any appreciable amount during
addition/removal of material from the pile, thereby also reducing the
likelihood of
injury to workers.
Restraints 14 are positioned generally centrally on each subsheet 26, 28, 30
between the sides of the subsheet 26, 28, 30. However, since the weakest parts
of
the tarpaulin 12 will typically be where the subsheets 26, 28, 30 have been
connected together, restraints 14 are also positioned on either side of each
join
between the subsheets 26, 28, 30. This can potentially reduce stresses placed
on
those joins. The restraints 14 are substantially equidistantly spaced away
from the
join on either side. Alternatively, there may be a restraint 14 extending
along the
join on top of the subsheets 26, 28, 30 or, as shown in Figure 3B, within the
join.
Similarly, restraints 14 may extend along the cover 10 in a direction
substantially
perpendicular to the joins between the subsheets 26, 28, 30, or in any other
desired
direction and position extending at least partially across the cover 10.
The end subsheets 26, 30 may be tapered or folded towards their respective
outer ends. As the width of the subsheets 26, 30 tapers towards the outer ends
of
the cover 10, the restraints 14 can be shortened towards those outer ends.
Thus
the length of the restraints 14 can be changed to suit the shape and
configuration of
the subsheets 26, 30, and of the cover 10 in general.
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Each of the restraints 14 of Figure 2 has two free portions 20 extending from
the tarpaulin 12 at respectively different positions to be fixed in relation
to the dump.
In particular, each of the restraints 14 extends over the dump from one side
of the
tarpaulin 12 to the other so that the free portions 20 extend away from
opposite
edges of the tarpaulin 12.
In this arrangement the sheet contacting portion 24 of each restraint 14
extends over the dump from at or near one side of the tarpaulin 12 to at or
near an
opposite side of the tarpaulin 12. Thus the sheet contacting portion 24 of
each
restraint 14, being the length of the respective restraint 14 between the two
free
portions 20 thereof, applies a uniform load across the width of the tarpaulin
12.
It will be appreciated that the longer the sheet contacting portion 24 the
greater the area over which force can be applied by the restraint 14 to the
tarpaulin
12.
The restraints 14 may extend from side to side of the tarpaulin 12 as is
presently the case, but may also extend diagonally along the tarpaulin 12 or
in any
other direction. It is, however, preferred that the direction of extension of
each
restraint 14 remains substantially linear (e.g. in a straight line when the
tarpaulin 12
is laid flat on the ground) as bends in the trajectory of the restraint 14
will result in
variations in load applied by the restraint 14 to the tarpaulin 12 along the
length of
the restraint 14.
The shape of the dump, though under the tarpaulin 12 in Figure 2, will be
widely known and need not be discussed herein in detail.
Each restraint 14, as shown in Figure 3A, further includes a sleeve 32 that is
fixed to the tarpaulin 12. The sheet contacting portion 24 of the respective
restraint
14 is received within the sleeve 32. The sheet contacting portion 24 can slide
within
the sleeve 32 so as to enable adjustment of the length of the free portions 20
of the
restraint 14. This is advantageous when the free portions 20 are anchored at
different distances from the tarpaulin 12 as discussed below.
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The sleeve 32 has an opening 34 that delineates the end of the free portion
and the commencement of the sheet contacting portion 24. Unless the free
portion 20 and sheet contacting portion 24 are in exact alignment (i.e. they
form a
straight line at the transition from the free portion 20 to the sheet
contacting portion
24, and are preferably collinear throughout the sheet contacting portion 24)
the
opening 34 will experience greater force, and correspondingly greater wear,
than
other parts of the sleeve 32. The opening 34 is therefore reinforced to
improve its
longevity. The opening 34 may be reinforced by, for example, sewing or welding
webbing material around the opening 34 or anchoring a metal ring to the end of
the
10 sheet contacting portion 24 at the opening 34.
To prevent the free portion 20 from withdrawing or retracting entirely into
the
sleeve 32, the free portion 20 is provided with a stop 36. While any
appropriate type
of stop may be used, the present stop 36 is a piece of rubber stitched (e.g.
using a
polytetrafluoroethylene thread sewn across the free portion 20 at position Y:
such
thread is capable of use in relation to the sewing of other features, such as
patches
50 (discussed below) to the tarpaulin 12) to the webbing of the free portion
20
transversely to the free portion 20. The stop 36 is too wide to retract into
the sleeve
32 and thus the free portion 20 can retract into the opening 34 only as far as
the
stop 36.
20 The tarpaulin 12 and any or all parts of the restraint 14 may be
formed from
any appropriate material but will typically be formed from polymeric materials
that
have high strength with only limited elasticity. Some elasticity is generally
desirable
so as to ensure that spikes in wind loads are damped. The elasticity should
not,
however, be so high as to enable the tarpaulin 12 to drift or be
uncontrollable on the
dump. Materials appropriate for patches, tarpaulins and subsheets described
herein
include polyvinylchloride, polypropylene and polyethylene, along with other
woven
fabrics having waterproof coatings.
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The sleeve 32 may be attached to the tarpaulin 12 in any appropriate
manner, such as by welding or stitching. Similarly, the rubber stop 36 may be
attached to the free portion 20 using any appropriate technique.
The free portions 20 of the restraints 14 may be fixed in relation to the dump
by any known means such as by attaching the free portions 20 to pegs wedged
into
the ground. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2 the free portions 20 at the
opposite ends of each restraint 14 in fact form one part of a ratchet system
39, the
cooperating part of each ratchet system 39 being fixed to a base 38 under the
dump. The operation and connection of such ratchet systems will be well
understood in transport load securing operations, such as when securing a load
to a
flat bed truck, and need not be discussed in detail save to say that the
ratchet
enables the progressive tightening of the restraints 14 onto the dump by
drawing
more of the free portion 20 of each restraint 14 into the ratchet. Similarly,
the
ratchet enables progressive loosening of the restraints 14 to enable addition
of
material beneath the cover 10, or controlled loosening of the cover 10 for
removal
from the pile.
Since the restraint 14 has a free portion 20 at either end, each free portion
20
forms part of a different ratchet system. Tightening of the respective
ratchets
causes more of each free portion 20 to be drawn into the ratchet.
Consequently, the
length of the restraint 14 between the ratchets reduces as the ratchets are
tightened. Tightening of the ratchets therefore increases the down force
applied by
the restraints 14 to the dump.
Depending on the size of the dump and the uniformity or otherwise of its
shape, the free portions 20 may be anchored (e.g. extend into a ratchet) at
different
distances from the tarpaulin 12. Since the sheet contacting portion 24 can
slide
within the sleeve 32 the restraint 14 can readily accommodate such differences
in
anchoring distance.
The restraints 14 may alternatively not include a sleeve 32 but may instead
each comprise a strip of, for example, webbing material extending at least
part way
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over the dump and stitched or welded to the tarpaulin 12 either along the
length of
the strip or at the end of the respective strip remote from the end secured in
relation
to the dump (e.g. the free portion 20). Though such an arrangement is less
ideal
than using restraints 14 that extend over the full width of the tarpaulin 12,
the load
applied by the restraints 14 to the tarpaulin 12 nevertheless remains
distributed
along the length of the respective strip of webbing material that is in
contact with the
tarpaulin 12. In this circumstance, a restraint may comprise a weldable PVC
webbing welded directly to the tarpaulin 12, thereby eliminating the need for
a
sleeve 32.
As a further alternative, the sleeve 32 may instead be formed at the join
between adjacent subsheets 26, 28 that are connected together to form the
tarpaulin 12, as shown in Figure 3B. In this case, the subsheets 26, 28 are
connected (e.g. sewn or welded) along two substantially parallel lines 38',
38". The
restraint 14 thus extends through the sleeve 32, which sleeve 32 is defined by
both
subsheets 26, 28 and the joining lines 38', 38" connecting those subsheets 26,
28.
A cover 40, as shown in Figure 4, is used for covering a pile. The cover 40
comprises a tarpaulin 42 (area surrounding and beneath access point 16,
hereinafter numbered 46) that overlays the pile in use, and comprises an
opening or
slit 44 (shown in broken lines) through which the pile is accessible.
The cover 40 further includes a resealable access point 46 attached to the
tarpaulin 42 about the opening 44. The access point 46 may be positioned
anywhere on the tarpaulin 42: for example, the access point 46 may be
positioned
towards the middle of the tarpaulin 42 so that, when the cover 40 is in
position on a
pile, the access point 46 will be at or near the highest point of the
tarpaulin 42.
Positioning an access point 46 at or near the top of a dump facilitates
venting of
gasses and moisture laden warm air from the dump if necessary.
The access point 46 comprises a flexible member, presently sleeve 48,
attached to the tarpaulin 42 and moveable between an open condition (see
Figure
4) in which the dump can be accessed, and a closed condition for preventing
access
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to the dump (see Figure 5A). The sleeve 48 is in register with the opening 44
(i.e. 'in
alignment' so an implement such as a grain sampler can extend through both the
sleeve 48 and opening 44 simultaneously thereby to access the dump) so that,
when the cover 40 is in use, the dump can be accessed through both the sleeve
48
and opening 44 together. The access point 46 may be positioned anywhere on the
cover 40 as desired, and the cover 40 may include any number of such access
points 46.
The sleeve 48 is a flexible tube that is fixed (e.g. by welding or sewing, for
example, using the polytetrafluoroethylene thread mentioned above) to a
substantially square fabric patch 50 that is in turn fixed to the tarpaulin
42. The join
Z between the sleeve 48 and patch 50 may be reinforced to reduce the
likelihood
that repeated flexing of the sleeve 48 will result in cracks or other faults
being
formed at that join.
As an alternative to using a patch 50 the sleeve 48 may be fixed directly to
the tarpaulin 42. However, the arrangement shown is preferred as it enables
sleeves 48 of a standard size to be used regardless of the size of the opening
44,
since the patch 50 can be tailored to cover the particular opening 44: this
also
enables the access point 46 to be retrospectively fitted to an opening or tear
in an
existing tarpaulin.
While Figure 4 shows the flexible tube 48 in an open condition, to enable
access to the dump, Figure 5A shows the flexible tube 48 in a closed condition
at
the top T of the dump. In the closed condition the flexible tube 48 is at
least partially
flattened (e.g. against the patch 50) to shut the tube 48. While the sleeve 48
may
be flexible, yet heavy, so that it will tend towards laying flat against the
patch 50 the
present sleeve 48 is maintained in the closed condition by a closing member or
clamp 52.
Clamp 52 is formed from a rubber/plastic strip and serves to clamp the end of
the tube 48 against the patch 50. The strip 52 may be flexible so that it can
stretch
to enable an operator to push the end of the sleeve 48 between the strip 52
and
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tarpaulin 42 or patch 50, thereafter to elastically resile to hold the end of
the flexible
tube 48 flat against the patch 50. The strip 52 may instead be rigid and
simply rely
on there being sufficient friction between the tube 48 and clamp 52, and tube
48 and
patch 50 or tarpaulin 42, to prevent the tube 48 from being inadvertently
released
from the clamp 52.
An alternative clamp 53, as shown in figure 5B, includes two metal/plastic
strips 53', 53" between which the flexible tube 48 is sandwiched. The strips
53', 53"
are fastened together by wing nuts 53" and one of the strips 53' is secured to
the
tarpaulin 42 or patch 50 in an appropriate manner (e.g. by positioning a nut
on the
inside of the cover 10, the nut being separated from the tarpaulin 42 by a
small
fabric patch so as not to damage the tarpaulin 42. The clamp 53 may
alternatively
be attached to the sleeve 48 or be freely moveable (i.e. unattached except
when
clamped around the sleeve 48). It will, however, be appreciated that many
different
clamping or closing systems will be suitable for closing the sleeve 48, and
clamping
or closing systems can be made from any suitable material: all such systems
and
materials are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Figure 5C shows a vent or access point 46 in position on a tarpaulin 42 at the
top of a pile or dump when the cover 40 is in use.
The clamp 52, 53 may be attached to the patch 50 by any known method
including those attachment methods mentioned above. In the embodiment of
Figure
5C the sleeve 48 may even extend upwardly from the patch 50 at all times (e.g.
being self-supporting) so that it is in position to enable access to the dump
via the
sleeve 48 upon removal/loosening of the clamp 52, 53. Alternatively, the
configuration shown in Figure 5C may be an intermediate position of the sleeve
48
between a closed condition (e.g. as shown in Figure 5A), and an open condition
enabling access to the dump through the sleeve 48.
An alternative access point 54 is shown in Figure 6 in which a sleeve 56 is
attached to an inner surface of a patch 58 (i.e. the surface of the patch 58
that faces
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the tarpaulin 60). The tarpaulin 60 (comprising subsheets 26, 28, 30) again
includes
an opening 62 (indicated by a dotted line) through which the pile is
accessible.
The patch 58 also includes an opening 64 and defines a pocket 66 for
housing the sleeve 56. The pocket 66 and consequently the sleeve 56, are thus
located between the opening 64 in the patch 58 and the opening 62 in the
tarpaulin
60. The openings 62, 64 are preferably slits and can therefore be sealed using
tape
or any other sealing method after having been used. When arranged as shown in
Figure 6, the opening 62 in the tarpaulin 60 remains on the internal side of
the
tarpaulin 60 (i.e. on the side of the tarpaulin 60 facing the dump) so there
is no need
10 to apply tape to that opening. Instead, only opening 64 in the patch 58
need be
sealed when the sleeve 56 is not in use.
When the sleeve 56 is stowed in the pocket 66 a rubber clamp 68 (or
alternative system such as clamp 52 or 53) is applied to the end of the sleeve
56 to
hold the sleeve 56 in a closed condition. The rubber clamp 68 is formed by two
pieces of rubber connected at their ends (e.g. by a fastener such as a metal
crimp,
or by welding or sewing) and biased towards being parallel with each other.
The
clamp 68 can therefore be opened by moving the two pieces of rubber apart, to
insert the end of the sleeve 56 therebetween, and upon release of the clamp 68
the
two pieces of rubber come together to clamp the sleeve 56 shut either at its
end or
at some position intermediate its ends.
Also when in a stowed condition tape 70 is placed over opening 64 to seal
the opening 64 thereby to prevent ingress of contaminants and animals (e.g.
birds).
Once the tape 70 is removed the sleeve 56 can be drawn through the opening 64
as
shown in Figure 7. The clamp 68 is then removed and the sleeve 56 can be
opened
to (i) in the case of the first occasion on which the access point 54 is used,
cut
opening 62 into the tarpaulin 60 at point 0 (Figure 7 shows the tarpaulin 60
at a
point in time between opening of the pocket 66 by accessing opening 64, and
cutting opening 62 into the tarpaulin 60 ¨ note the clamp 68 is still in
position in
Figure 7 and would need to be removed to access the tarpaulin 60 at a point at
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
16
which opening 62 is to be cut into tarpaulin 60), and (ii) for each subsequent
use of
the access point 54, enable an implement such as a grain sampler 71 to be
extended sequentially through the opening 64, sleeve 56, opening 62 and into
the
dump (e.g. a stockpile of grain) beneath the tarpaulin 60 as shown in Figure
8.
For the purpose of illustration, Figure 9 shows a plan view of the
substantially
square patch 58 stitched or welded to a tarpaulin 60 with tape 72 welded over
the
top of the joins between the patch 58 and tarpaulin 60.
Since the access point 54 will experience use by an operator when accessing
the dump, it is likely that the access point 54 will wear faster than other
portions of
the cover. Increased wear will also occur when, for example, birds peck the
cover
of a grain dump in the region of the patch 58 to collect grain that may have
fallen
when the operator last used the access point 54.
The arrangement shown in Figures 6 to 8 can be turned upside down, as
shown in Figure 10, to enable the other side of the cover to face outwardly.
The
sleeve 56 can thus be selectively extended through either opening 62, 64 to
enable
access to the dump, depending on which side of the tarpaulin 60 is upwardly
facing
at the time access is desired.
When upside down as shown in Figure 10, opening 64 is positioned internally
of the tarpaulin 60 and need not be sealed when the sleeve 56 is not in use,
and
opening 62 must now be sealed to prevent ingress of contaminants and pests.
This
arrangement enables the tarpaulin to be turned over when the patch 58 or one
side
of the tarpaulin 60 becomes worn, thereby increasing the working life of the
cover.
The patches 50, 58 may also be made from a more robust material than the
tarpaulin 42, 60 to ensure that they wear at a rate comparable to that of the
tarpaulin
42, 60 though they experience greater use than the tarpaulin 42, 60. This will
ensure wear of the cover as a whole is substantially uniform.
The opening 44, 62 in the tarpaulin 42, 60 may be cut when the respective
access point 46, 54 is first being used. To achieve this, the sleeve 48, 56 of
the
access point 46, 54 is opened and a knife or blade is inserted through the
open
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
17
sleeve 48, 56 to cut the tarpaulin 42, 60. Alternatively, the opening 44, 62
may be
cut in advance of the access point 46, 54 being positioned on the tarpaulin
42, 60.
The access point 46, 54 is then positioned over the opening 44, 62 and is
attached
(e.g. by sewing or welding, with the stiches or weld being subsequently
covered by
tape). This latter method may be less desirable since it relies on accurate
positioning of the access point 46, 54, whereas cutting the tarpaulin 42, 60
through
an already positioned access point 46, 54 ensures the opening 44, 62 is
accurately
positioned. The latter method, however, may result in damage to the access
point
44, 62 if the operator cutting the respective opening 44, 62 slips with the
cutting
implement.
It will be appreciated that any appropriate vent or access point may be used
and still remain within the scope of the present disclosure. Preferably,
however,
whatever access point is used it should be resealable.
The access point 46, 62 may be supplied in situ on a cover (e.g. cover 10),
but may alternatively be supplied separately for fitting to, for example, an
existing
cover. To that end, a resealable access point 46, 62 may be provided for
attaching
to the tarpaulin 42, 60 at a point at which access through the tarpaulin 42,
60 is
desired, the access point comprising an access member (e.g. sleeve 48, 56)
attached to the tarpaulin 42, 60 and moveable between an open condition in
which
the pile can be accessed, and a closed condition for preventing access to the
pile.
The resealable access point 46, 62 may be positioned over an existing opening
in
the tarpaulin 42, 60, or may be positioned at a point on the tarpaulin 42, 60
at which
access is desired, the opening being cut into the tarpaulin 42, 60 after
positioning of
the resealable access point 46, 62.
Such an access point may constitute part of a kit. For example, a kit for
creating a resealable access point may be provided, the kit comprising an
access
member (e.g. sleeve 48, 56) for attachment to a tarpaulin 42, 60 at a point at
which
access through the tarpaulin 42, 60 is desired. The kit may further include a
sheet
engagement member (e.g. patch 50) to which the access member is attached or
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
18
attachable, the sheet engagement member being for attachment to the tarpaulin
thereby to attach the access member to the tarpaulin. The kit may further
include a
closing member (e.g. clamp 52) attached or attachable to one or more of the
tarpaulin, sheet engagement member and access member, for closing the access
member when not in use. The access member may be flexible so as to be
accessible when the tarpaulin has a first face facing upwards, and to be drawn
through an aperture in the tarpaulin so as to be accessible when the tarpaulin
has
an opposite, second, face facing upwards. To that end, the access member may
be
attached directly to the tarpaulin and/or sheet engagement member (if one is
provided in the kit) on an outer side of the tarpaulin or sheet engagement
member,
or may be attached to the tarpaulin or sheet engagement member at a position
between the tarpaulin and sheet engagement member.
For ease of use, the components of a kit (e.g. access member and sheet
engagement member), or a subset thereof, will be attached to each other in an
appropriate arrangement prior to sale.
In the case of the reversible cover (e.g. as shown in Figures 6 and 10),
anchor systems discussed hereafter, and restraint systems discussed above, may
be attached to one or other side of the cover, or both sides of the cover. In
the
particular example shown in Figure 3B the sleeve 32, and thus also the
restraint 14,
is commonly accessible (i.e. is suitably positioned for use to tie down or
secure the
cover 10) regardless of whether the cover 10 is the right way up or upside
down. In
such configurations the sleeve 32 may extend, between weld or stitching lines
38'
38", to opposite edges of the cover 10 so that the restraint 14 extends from
the
opposite edges. In other words, since the edges of the cover 10 are
conveniently
accessible irrespective of which face of the subsheets 26, 28 faces upwardly,
having
the restraints 14 extend to the edges ensures they are also conveniently
accessible
irrespective of which face of the subsheets 26, 28 faces upwardly.
Restraint systems may also be simply attached to both sides of one or more
of the subsheets 26, 28, 30 so as to enable the tarpaulin 12 formed by those
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
19
subsheets 26, 28, 30 to be readily reversed. Such a system is shown in Figure
25
in which a combination of different types of restraints 14', 14" is used. As
shown,
restraint 14' extends over the cover from one side to the other, with a free
portion
20' at either end of the restraint 14' (only one free portion 20' being shown
in Figure
25) and a sheet contacting portion 24' between the free portions 20'. On the
opposite side or face of the tarpaulin 12', a restraint 14" is provided having
only one
free portion 20", and a fixed sheet contacting portion 24" extend part way
over the
pile in use. In a first configuration a first side 65' of the tarpaulin 12'
will face
upwardly and thus restraint 14' will be accessible and securable to maintain
the
tarpaulin 12' in position over a pile. In a second configuration a second side
65" of
the tarpaulin 12' will face upwardly and thus restraint 14" will be accessible
and
securable to maintain the tarpaulin 12' in position over the pile. It will be
appreciated that, in general, more than one restraint 14" will be necessary to
ensure
that the tarpaulin 12 is secured at both, opposite sides.
For the case where a restraint 14', 14" is not in use it will be in contact
with
material constituting the pile. To prevent the restraint 14', 14" from
degrading when
in contact with that material it may be coated with a water-resistant or
waterproof
coating, housed within a waterproof sleeve as discussed above in relation to
restraints 14, and/or its respective free portion(s) 20', 20" may be received
in a
pocket (not shown) similar to pocket 114 discussed in relation to Figure 17.
Referring now to Figure 11, a cover 74 is shown, the cover 74 being for
covering a pile. The cover 74 comprises a tarpaulin 76 to overlay the pile
when the
cover 74 is in use. Due to the height of some piles and the steepness of the
sides,
operators on piles are at risk of injury if they fall: such is particularly
the case where
the dump is a haystack since the sides are sheer and often a number of metres
high.
To maintain an operator on the dump when the cover 74 is in use, the cover
74 further includes an anchor system 78 attached to the tarpaulin 76, to which
an
operator can releasably attach. The anchor system 78 comprises a fabric patch
80
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
attached (e.g. by welding or sewing) to the tarpaulin 76. The fabric patch 80
is the
same as, or similar to, the patches 50, 58 discussed above.
A strip of webbing material 82 is attached at both ends (e.g. by stitching S)
to
the fabric patch 80. A portion of the webbing material 82 between its ends is
not
attached to the patch 80, thus defining a loop or anchor point 84 to which an
operator can attach e.g. by latching a carabiner of a harness onto the anchor
point
84.
It will be appreciated that the strip of webbing material 82 may be sewn
directly onto the tarpaulin 76. However, the size of the join between the
webbing
10 material 82 and tarpaulin 76 will be small when compared with the size
of the join
between the patch 80 and tarpaulin 76. Therefore the tarpaulin 76 is more
likely to
tear if the webbing material 82 is sewn directly thereto. Such a tear would
enable
ingress of contaminants and animals into the dump. It also means that the main
cover is not compromised by stitching holes.
Since the present strip of webbing material 82 is connected to the patch 80,
tears will more likely form between the material 82 and patch 80 rather than
between the patch 80 and tarpaulin 76. Since the patch 80 is applied on top of
the
tarpaulin 76 (i.e. there is no opening in the tarpaulin 76 below the patch 80)
the
dump will not be accessible through any tear that forms at the join between
the
20 patch 80 and webbing material 82.
The operator may instead connect to a running line 86, as shown in Figure
12, that passes through multiple anchor points 84. The running line 86 extends
in a
substantially straight line between aligned anchor points 84 and is connected
at
either end to the tarpaulin 76, respective anchor points 84 or respective
patches 80.
An operator may mount the dump by attaching a first carabiner or other catch
to the running line 86 and walk up the dump. The first carabiner or catch will
slide
along the running line 86 until the next anchor point 84 is reached. A second
carabiner or catch is then attached to the running line 86 on the side of the
anchor
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
21
point 84 opposite the first carabiner. The first carabiner is then detached
and the
operator can move further up the dump.
A cover 10 may comprise multiple such running lines 86 as shown in Figure
1, extending in different direction across the cover 10. The running lines 86
preferably extend past any vents or access points 14, 46, 54 so as to provide
easy
access to those points 14 46, 54 when an operator is on the dump.
The anchor system 78 may alternatively comprise one or more long strips of
webbing material extending over and/or along the dump in use. The strip may be
secured intermittently (i.e. at intervals, regular or otherwise) to the
tarpaulin 76
thereby creating a plurality of anchor points 84 wherever a portion of the
strip that is
not stitched to the tarpaulin 76 is bounded by portions of the strip that are
stitched to
the tarpaulin 76. This arrangement can be less preferable to the arrangement
previously described since it would, in practice, usually warrant the use of a
continuous patch following the trajectory of the strip to ensure the
likelihood of tears
of the tarpaulin 76 are reduced. By way of contrast, the running line 86 may
only
require patches 82 under the locations of anchor points 84. Also, a running
line may
be connected to a shroud or attachment point (e.g. D-shackle) at opposite
sides of
the tarpaulin, which shroud could be accessed from both sides of the sheet
thereby
enabling the running line to be readily attached to the opposite side of the
tarpaulin
in the event that the tarpaulin is turned over.
As a further alternative, the anchor system may comprise stainless steel D-
rings sewn onto patches on the tarpaulin. However, D-rings will generally be
less
desirable than webbing anchor points since the tarpaulin, when rolled for
storage,
may become damaged by the D-rings.
The anchor system 78 may be provided in situ on a tarpaulin when sold.
Alternatively, an anchor system 78 may be provided in a kit, for retrofitting
to an
existing tarpaulin. Such a kit for an anchor system may comprise one or more
sheet
engagement members (e.g. fabric patch 80) and one or more fixing points (e.g.
a
strip 82 or a 0-ring) attached or attachable to a respective engagement
member, the
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
22
respective engagement member being attachable to the tarpaulin (i.e. sheet)
thereby to attach the respective fixing point to the tarpaulin (i.e. sheet).
The kit may
also include a running line and fixing ends (e.g. loops or clips in the ends
of the
running line) for attachment to an outermost (e.g. closest to an edge of the
tarpaulin)
fixing point, or to a corresponding clip or ring, such as a D-ring, sewn onto
the
tarpaulin. This may similarly be how any such running line could be attached.
It will be appreciated that combinations exist (such as two fixing points for
positioning on a single sheet engagement member) that are intended to fall
within
the scope of the present disclosure.
The kit may further include accessories such as an operator belt or harness,
along with a cord and carabineer or other means for attaching to a fixing
point or
running line.
Each of the components of the covers described herein, above and below,
may be formed from any appropriate material. For example, the webbing
material,
restraints, running lines etc may be formed from 25mm webbing, belt or a rope.
It
will usually be preferable to form the patches 50, 58, 78 from the same
material as
the tarpaulin 42, 60, 76 so as to facilitate attachment of one to the other.
As mentioned above, each of the restraints 14 has two free portions 20
extending from the tarpaulin 12 at respectively different positions to be
fixed in
relation to the dump. In particular, each of the restraints 14 extends over
the dump
from one side of the tarpaulin 12 to the other so that the free portions 20
extend
away from opposite edges 22 of the tarpaulin 12. In so doing, the sheet
contacting
portion 24 extends over the pile from at or near one side 22 of the tarpaulin
12 to at
or near an opposite side 22 of the tarpaulin 12.
The sheet contacting portion 24 of each restraint 14 slides within a sleeve
88.
The sleeve 88 is welded or otherwise attached to the tarpaulin 12 and is open
at
either end so that the sheet contacting portion 24 extends through the
opposite
openings of the sleeve 88 and the free portions 20 of the restraint 14 extend
away
from the sleeve 88 from respective openings therein.
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
23
With reference to Figure 13, the sleeve 88 may comprise a fixed portion 90
that is fixed in position relative to the tarpaulin 12. The sleeve 88 may
further
comprise a flexible portion 92 that extends from the fixed portion 90 of the
sleeve 88
to the free portion 20 of the restraint 14. The flexible portion 92 moves with
the free
portion 20 towards and away from the fixed portion 24.
The flexible portion 92 can be attached to the fixed portion 90 and free
portion 20 by any known means. In the present case, the flexible portion 92 is
attached to be fixed portion 90 and free portion 20 by stitching. However, it
will be
understood that the sleeve 88 may be made from a relatively flexible material
such
that the flexible portion 92 is simply an extension of the same material
forming fixed
portion 90.
The flexible portion 92 ensures that the opening 94 that would otherwise be
formed in the sleeve 88 in the event that the flexible portion 92 is not used,
remains
closed. In the event that the flexible portion 92 is not provided, when the
cover 10 is
used with the surface to which the restraints 14 are attached facing upwardly,
insects and pests can enter the sleeve 88. Since covers 10 will often be
flipped
over from one season to the next, to reduce premature wearing of either side
of the
cover 10, any pests nesting in the sleeve 88 will have access to the dump when
the
cover 10 is flipped over. By way of contrast, since the flexible portion 92
prevents
access to the sleeve 88, or enables the sleeve 88 to be evacuated by pulling
on the
free portion 20 of the restraint 14 to draw more of the restraint 14 out of
the sleeve
88, pests cannot access the inside of the sleeve 88. Thus when the cover 10 is
flipped over there are no pests that can escape the sleeve 88 into the pile.
The flexible member 92 as shown may be replaced by any appropriate
means for preventing access of pests and insects to the interior of the sleeve
88.
For example, the sleeve-shape flexible member 92 may be replaced by an
elasticised patch having a slit therein, with the webbing of the restraint 14
sliding
through the slit, with the slit contacting (e.g. by slidable friction fit)
both sides of the
webbing at all times.
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
24
A restraint 14 may be fitted to a cover 10 as supplied (i.e. in situ).
However,
it may also be convenient to supply restraints 14 for retrospective attachment
to
existing covers 10. To that end, a kit may be provided for forming a restraint
for a
cover. The kit may include a restraint (e.g. restraint 14) and restraint
containment
member (e.g. sleeve 88) for containing a portion of the restraint, or a
plurality of
restraints and restraint containment members. Each restraint containment
member
may include a fixed portion (e.g. fixed portion 90) for fixing to a cover 10,
and a
flexible portion (e.g. flexible portion 92) attached or attachable to one or
both of the
fixed portion and respective restraint. For convenience one end of the
restraint may
be attached to the restraint containment member. It can be useful to supply a
restraint and restraint containment member pair attached together at only one
end,
to facilitate cutting of the restraint and restraint containment member at the
opposite
end to fit a particular cover.
All kits described herein may further include the necessary supplies (e.g.
needle, thread and tape) to facilitate attachment of the respective features
to the
cover 10.
An alternative cover 94 for covering a pile is shown in Figure 14. The cover
94 comprises a tarpaulin 96 to overlay the pile, and a pull member 98. The
pull
member 98 comprises a plurality of corner pulls 100. While a corner pulls 100
has
been provided at each corner, enabling the tarpaulin 96 to be dragged from its
corners in either direction along a pile, a corner pull 100 may instead be
provided at
only one corner, or the corner pulls 100 may be replaced by, or used in
conjunction
with, a central pull 102 (shown in broken lines). It will be appreciated that
any
number and arrangement of pulls may be provided as desired, and all such
arrangements are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
The cover 94 is formed from a plurality of regularly shaped rectangular sub-
sheets 104 welded (or otherwise attached) together along respective long edges
of
the sub-sheets 104. The cover 94 is substantially rectangular in shape to
extend
over a substantially rectangular dump.
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
A corner pull 100 as shown in Figure 15 comprises a free portion 106 from
which the corner pull 100 can be pulled to pull the tarpaulin 96 over the
pile. Each
corner pull 100 further includes a sheet-engaging portion 108 attached or
attachable
= to the tarpaulin 96 and extending away from the free portion 106 along
the surface
of the tarpaulin 96 so that a force applied to the free portion 106 during
pulling is
= passed from the corner pull 100 to the tarpaulin 96 along a length of the
sheet-
engaging portion 108.
The corner pull 100 may be one of many pulls that are positioned anywhere
on the tarpaulin 96 and together constitute a pull member 98 as discussed
above,
10 and comprises a strip 110 of webbing material welded (see reference
112) in a U- or
V-shape to the tarpaulin 96. The welded portions 108 of the strip 110 extend
from
either end of the strip 110 towards the middle of the strip 110, with a free
portion
106 between the welded portions 108.
As the free portion 106 is pulled, force applied to the free portion 106 (e.g.
by
a vehicle attached by a rope to the free portion 106) is transferred from the
free
portion 106 to the welded portions 108, and from the welded portions 108 to
the
tarpaulin 96. Thus the force applied to the free portion 106 is distributed
along the
length of the welded portions 108, reducing the likelihood of tearing or
damage to
the tarpaulin 96 due to force concentrations during dragging of the cover 94
over the
20 pile.
The free portions 106 extend from the fixed portions 108 towards a corner of
the cover 94. However, the free portions 106 may instead extend along the
cover 94
in the direction of which the cover 94 will be dragged, or may have any other
orientation as desired.
Once the cover 94 is in position, the free portions 106 may be anchored (e.g.
by Guy-ropes) to the ground, or otherwise fixed in relation to the pile, to
serve as
anchors for retaining the cover 94 on the pile.
The corner pull 100 is formed from a webbing material that is substantially
inelastic. This is so that, in the event that a corner pull 100 breaks or
comes loose
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
26
during pulling it will not spring back and endanger operators or damage the
cover
94. In some cases, however, elastic or slightly elastic webbing may be used so
that
the free portion 106 can be stretched around a peg or anchor to secure a
corner of
the cover 94 when the cover 94 is in position on the pile.
If it is not desired that the free portions 106 be used to anchor down the
corners of the cover 94, and there is a likelihood that the free portions 106
will
become damaged if left exposed when the cover 94 is in position on a pile, the
cover 94 may be provided with a corner pocket 114 fixed to one side of the
tarpaulin
96 as shown in Figure 16.
The corner pocket 114 comprises a right-angled triangle-shaped patch of
fabric the orthogonal edges of which are parallel to edges of the tarpaulin
96. The
orthogonal edges are welded or otherwise attached to the tarpaulin 96, with
the
diagonal edge of the corner pocket 114 remaining unattached and thereby
forming a
triangular pocket in which the free end 106 is housed when not in use. The
corner
pocket 114 prevents the free end 106 from flapping in the breeze, or rubbing
in the
dirt when the free end 106 is not in use.
The corner pocket 114 also serves to reinforce the corner of the cover 94.
Rather than, or in addition to, corner pocket 114 a reinforcing patch 116 can
be provided as shown in Figure 17. The reinforcing patch 116 is welded or
otherwise attached to the tarpaulin 96 along its edges or alternatively over
its entire
surface. lithe corner of the tarpaulin 96 is scrunched up and tied to a
vehicle so
that the cover 94 can be dragged over a pile, the corner of the tarpaulin 96
is
reinforced by the fabric patch 116 will be less likely to tear when compared
with a
corner that has not been reinforced.
Similar to corner pocket 114, reinforcing patch 116 is in the shape of a right-
angled triangle. However, the corner pocket 114 and reinforcing patch 116 may
be
any appropriate shape as desired, and cover both sides of the tarpaulin 96
rather
than being positioned on only one side thereof.
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
27
The corner pocket 114 and reinforcing patch 116 may be any appropriate
material, and presently are formed from a polymeric sheet.
An alternative pull member or corner retainer 118 is shown in Figure 18. The
corner retainer 118 again comprises a corner pull. In this embodiment, the
corner
pull 118 includes a strip or strips of webbing material 120 that is/are sewn
onto a
respective rectangular strip or patch of fabric 122. The strip or patch of
fabric 122 is
welded onto the tarpaulin 96 of the cover 94.
The U-shaped or V-shaped arrangement of the present pull member 118 is
similar to that of the previous pull member 98
This corner retainer 118 is particularly useful where the webbing material 120
cannot readily be welded to the tarpaulin 96. Since the webbing material 120
is
sewn to the fabric 122, no welding is required of the webbing material 120.
Also,
while the webbing material 120 of the present embodiment has been sewn to the
fabric 122, any other appropriate method can be used in place of sewing.
Corner retainer 118 is also useful where greater tensions are to be placed on
the webbing material 120 than would be expected with the corner retainer 98 of
Figure 15. In this regard, the fabric patch of Figure 18 distributes the force
applied
to the corner retainer 118 over a larger surface area of the tarpaulin 96,
namely the
surface area of patches 122, than is achieved using the corner pull 98 of
figure 15.
Since a significant amount of force will be applied to the corners of the
cover
94 through the corner retainers 100, 118 when drawing the cover 94 over a
pile, the
corners and edges of the cover 94 can be strengthened as shown in Figures 19
to
24: these figures show some of many variations in reinforcement and
strengthening
strips and patches, and all such variations are intended to fall within the
scope of the
present disclosure. In Figure 19, a reinforcing webbing strip 124 has been
welded
to either an underside or on top, or both, of the tarpaulin 96 of the cover
94. It will
be appreciated that such reinforcement may also be supplied in circumstances
where no pull member 98 is provided.
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
28
While reinforcing webbing strip 124 is directly attached to the tarpaulin 96
it
may be instead sewn to a fabric patch that is then welded to the tarpaulin 96.
This
variance will be understood to be applicable wherever webbing material,
reinforcements and similar are used in relation to the tarpaulins described
herein
and those incorporated by reference.
The reinforcing strip 124 extends parallel to the edge 126 of the cover 94,
either along the edge 126 or spaced back from the edge 126 as shown. By
spacing
the webbing 124 back slightly from the edge 126 it is less likely that the
webbing
124 will be damaged when the edges 126 of the cover 94 are damaged (e.g. by
dragging along the ground), and also provides room to attach other securing
means
(e.g. retaining eyelets ¨ not shown) in the cover 94 between the reinforcing
webbing
124 and the edge 126 of the cover 94 by which the cover 94 can be secured over
a
dump. Spacing the webbing 124 back from the edge 126 can also facilitate
clamping of the cover to a bunker wall or other structure, by providing a free
portion
of material between the webbing 124 and edge 126.
An alternative reinforcing arrangement is shown in Figure 20, in which an
edge or side reinforcing strip 124 has been applied similar to that shown in
Figure
19, and an additional strip 128 has been welded to the tarpaulin 96 to extend
substantially diagonally across the cover 94 towards the corner 130. While the
angle of the diagonal strip 128 relative to the edge 126 of the tarpaulin 96
may be
any desired angle, in the present case the diagonal strip 128 extends from the
corner 130 in the general direction of the diagonally opposite corner of the
rectangular tarpaulin 96. The angle of the diagonal strip 128 will depend
inter alia
on the positions of other reinforcements on the tarpaulin 96, where the
tarpaulin 96
is to be tensioned when in position over a dump, and where it is anticipated
that
tensions will arise in the tarpaulin 96 as a result of any prevailing wind.
Yet a further alternative is shown in Figure 21, in which a restraint strap
132
has been welded along an edge 126 of the tarpaulin 96, and the reinforcing
strip
124 intersects the restraint strap 132. The restraint strap 132 runs generally
along
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
29
the entire length of the cover 94 and has free ends 134 extending from
opposite
ends of the cover 94. The free ends 134 of the restraint strap 132 can be
secured
to the ground by any known means (e.g. a peg or as part of a ratchet strap the
cooperating component of which is anchored in relation to the pile) to hold
the cover
94 on the pile. The free ends 134 can also be attached to a vehicle (or
similar) so
that the vehicle can be used to drag a cover 94 over the pile.
The restraint strap 132 is substantially parallel with a lengthwise edge of
the
tarpaulin 96. However, if the cover 94 is to be dragged from the centre of a
particular side (e.g. as would be the case in respect of pull member 102 in
Figure
14) the restraint strap 132 may extend from a side, or a corner, of the
tarpaulin 96 to
a position substantially centred on the side of the tarpaulin 96 from which
the cover
94 is to be pulled over the pile.
Since the reinforcing strip 124 intersects (and is connected to) the restraint
strap 132, there is a continuity of force around the corner 130 of the cover
94. By
way of contrast, if the restraint strap 132 and reinforcing strip 124 were not
to
intersect, any force applied to the reinforcing strip 124 would have a
concentration
about the end of the reinforcing strip 124, thereby weakening the tarpaulin 96
in the
region of the end of the reinforcing strip 124. It will be appreciated that a
similar
interconnecting characteristic can be gained by welding reinforcing strips 124
around or near the entire perimeter edge 126 of the cover 94 so that force
applied to
any edge 126 of the cover 94 will be appropriately distributed.
Figure 22 shows yet a further alternative embodiment in which there are a
plurality of reinforcing strips 136 at various angles radiating from the
corner 130 of
the cover 94. At the point at which the reinforcing strips 136 meet (i.e. at
the corner
130 of the cover 94) there is an eyelet 138 for connecting a guy-rope or like
device
to the cover 94 to secure the cover 94 in position. Moreover, a webbing loop
could
be passed through the eyelet 138, providing a handle for tensioning the cover
94
over a pile, or pulling it into position. It will be appreciated that eyelets
138 may be
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
substituted for any appropriate fixing device, such as a D-ring or 0-ring, and
all such
alternatives are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
In a similar manner, to afford pulling and anchoring of a tarpaulin webbing
loops, or loops made from any other appropriate materials, may be sewn into
one or
more edges of the tarpaulin 96. Such loops may also be formed by
discontinuous/intermittent sewing or welding of a reinforcing strip parallel
to an edge
of the tarpaulin 96: the portions of the strip that are not sewn to the
tarpaulin 96
effectively form loops to which ropes and straps can attached to afford
pulling and
anchoring of the tarpaulin 96. Moreover, the loops may be formed anywhere on
the
10 tarpaulin 96 (not just at the edges or parallel to the edges). For
example, loops or
sleeves may be formed (e.g. by welding or sewing webbing, fabric or polymeric
strips on the tarpaulin 96 ¨ it should be noted that such materials may be
used
herein for any strip, webbing, restraint etc) across the tarpaulin 96 from
side to side
at intervals along the length of the tarpaulin 96. Such a configuration may
result in
loops or sleeves being formed, for example, along the lines of join between
adjacent
sub-sheets 104 as shown in Figure 14. Pipes or structural members can be
inserted through such loops or sleeves (or the loops may be attached, such as
by a
hook and loop fastener system (e.g. Velcro ), about the pipes or structural
members) to form ribs spaced along the tarpaulin 96. The pipes or structural
20 members serve as a support to maintain a shape of the cover 94, and as a
support
for pulling the cover 94 over the dump or holding the cover in position once
installed.
In addition to these substantially linear reinforcing strips 136, the cover 94
of
Figure 22 includes a large quarter-circle fabric reinforcing patch 140 welded
to the
tarpaulin 96 over its entire surface. The radial lines of the quarter-circle
patch 140
are parallel, and coincide with, edges 126 of the tarpaulin 96.
The patch 140 reinforces the corner of the tarpaulin 96 but can also serve to
spread the load (i.e. tensile forces) applied at the corner. Similarly, loops
formed
along the edges of the tarpaulin 96 may be looped around a pipe, or a pipe may
be
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
31
inserted into a sleeve sewn or otherwise formed in the edge of the tarpaulin
96, so
that the pipe facilitates distribution of load along the tarpaulin 96.
The patch 140 may be provided on the same side, or the opposite side, of the
tarpaulin 96 to the reinforcing strips 136, and may also be provided for
reinforcement even where no reinforcing strips are used. The patch 140 may
also
be welded only along its edges or in a pattern as appropriate, and the patch
140
may have any desired shape. For example, rather than having a quarter-circle
shape, the fabric patch may have a rectangular shape as identified by 142 in
Figure
23. Two of the four sides of the patch 142 are, similar to the patch 140,
coincident
with and parallel to sides 126 of the tarpaulin 96.
A further alternative embodiment is shown in Figure 24, in which reinforcing
strips 144 have been welded along substantially the entire length of tarpaulin
96.
From this and the other Figures, it will be appreciated that any number and
arrangement of reinforcing strips and patches, on one or both sides of the
cover 94
or tarpaulin 96, may be used to provide appropriate strength to the cover 94
or
tarpaulin 96 to enable it to withstand being pulled over a pile, and to
withstand
tensions applied to retain the cover 94 or tarpaulin 96 over the pile. For
example,
there may be only one corner pull 98, 118, or side pull 102.
In general, the reinforcing strips and patches serve to distribute forces that
would otherwise be concentrated. For example, in Figure 22 a force applied to
the
loop, ring or eyelet 138 will be distributed by the radiating reinforcing
strips 136
outwardly from the corner 130 across a large area of the cover 94. In another
example, in Figure 21 the side reinforcing strip 124 will distribute along the
respective side 126 of the cover 94 a load applied to a point on that side 126
of the
cover 94.
It will be appreciated that materials described herein, such as webbing used
for strips 124 and 144, and polytetrafluoroethylene thread for sewing members
together, may be substituted for any appropriate material. For example, the
webbing may be substituted for rope welded, sewn or otherwise attached to the
CA 02818147 2013-05-27
32
edge of the sheet or body of the cover. All such variations in materials and
methods
for their attachment together, are intended to fall within the scope of the
present
disclosure.
It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention,
except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or
necessary
implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or
"comprising" is
used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated
features but not
to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various
embodiments of
the invention.
It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to
herein,
such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a
part of
the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.
