Shouldered ramp for streetwork cover and method of use

Abstract

A road plate ramp strip has a ramp portion and a shoulder portion, preferably integral to one another, such as by integral casting or molding. The ramp strip preferably has a plurality of traction enhancing variations in an upper surface of the ramp, such as buttons grooves, dimples, holes or the like. As an environmental enhancement and to reduce costs, the ramp strip preferably has a constituent composition of a substantial admixture of post-consumer vehicular tire rubber. The ramp strip preferably has a spring lip extending from an upper portion of the ramp portion out over the shoulder portion and downward toward it at an angle .alpha.. The lip is preferably integral to the ramp portion and depends from an upper portion of the ramp out over the shoulder. There is also a method of covering an excavated work place or other surface irregularity with one or more cover plates and ramp strips.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 277,797 filed Mar. 21, 2001.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002] The invention relates to methods and devices for temporary coverage of road and streetwork excavations; more particularly it relates to a shouldered ramp for streetwork cover and method of excavation coverage.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003] Road and street excavations are a common sight; such work is usually the result of needed access to buried utilities or actual repair or new construction of road and street surfaces. So that drivers are minimally impacted by the work, and also for safety and so that material in the excavation is not unreasonably exposed to the elements or to risks of theft or mischief, such excavations are usually required to be covered when work is not actually taking place, and the covers, at least in most parts of the United States are typically plate steel, anywhere from {fraction (3 / 4)} inch to 11 / 2 inches in thickness.[0004] Lay...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] The disclosed road plate ramp is a rubber product which preferably clips onto a steel road plate, thereby providing a quick, safe, and reliable transition from the road surface onto and off of the plate. Contractor costs are substantially decreased by eliminating the need to apply cold mix to the edge of the steel road plates and remove it on a daily basis, as is presently the conventional practice. The objective is to decrease contractor costs by eliminating the need to apply cold mix to road plates every evening and to remove the cold mix every morning. A road plate ramp such as disclosed herein can pay for itself in two weeks or so of use. Ramp strips come in 4 foot and other convenient lengths. Shorter lengths, outside corners, and inside corners can all be cut from stock lengths or prefabricated.

[0011] The ramp strip preferably has one or more of a number of various traction enhancements over some or all of the upper surface of the ramp, such as buttons grooves, dimples, holes or the like. As an environmental enhancement and to potentially reduce costs, the ramp strip preferably has a constituent composition of a substantial admixture of ground or shredded post-consumer vehicular tire rubber.

[0017] In this method, daily removal and reuse of the cover materials generally follows a reverse course of raising the cover plate(s) that are in place over the excavation, and storing them in a suitable location for later replacement at the end of the day or transport at the end of the job. Optionally, the strips may be removed and stored during the workday as well, but it is envisioned that, work requirements permitting, leaving the strips or most of them in place will effect a labor savings.

[0028] In any case, when the desired number or amount of ramp strips are laid, and optionally anchored to the pavement via pavement attachment devices engaged for such purposes through the optional apertures provided as attachment points, the cover is laid onto the shoulder(s) of the ramp strip(s) and seated thereon or therein. This seating acts to weight and hold down the ramp strip(s) generally, and also to cushion the cover plate somewhat and act also as an optional sound dampening or deadening medium to reduce or eliminate the accompanying clanking sounds of using such covers. With the ramp strips held in place by the weight of the plate, and optionally by supplemental anchors, vehicles are enabled to approach the cover plate, ride up the short ramp and onto the plate, and off the plate on the other side without substantially dislodging any ramp from its proximity to the edge of the cover plate either on the wheel approach to the plate top or the wheel take off on the other side, thereby imparting little or no appreciable impact to the plate.

[0029] A method of effecting a removable and reusable work site excavation cover includes some or all of the following steps: determining a suitable cover size and an optimal position and arrangement of cover plate(s) to effect the desired cover size; laying one or more rubber strips each having a relatively flat shoulder portion and a triangular or wedge cross-sectioned ramp portion (preferably integrally cast or otherwise permanently joined to one another) about the periphery of the cover size so as to form a bed or seat comprised of the combined shoulder portions of the ramp strips; lowering into the bed or seat formed thereby the selected cover plate(s) to complete the excavation cover closure. Removal and reuse of the cover materials generally follows a reverse course, or as follows: raise the cover plate(s) that are in place and store in suitable location for later replacement or transport. At this point in the method, the excavation is ready for a day's work. and the installation procedure at day's end is simply to replace the plate(s). Optionally every day, or at the end of the job, remove (first pulling up optional anchors) the ramp strip(s) and store them in suitable location for later replacement or for transport to new job. This method leaves little if any debris, either during work or afterwards, and effects a great savings in time and money overall.

Problems solved by technology

Laying such thick and potentially sharp-edged plates over excavation work generally accomplishes the cruder goals outlined above, but introduces a new problem, which as yet has not been satisfactorily addressed.

As vehicles approach, and then ride over, the plate, the vehicle wheels are compelled to jump, anywhere from a hardly noticeable distance in a shock insulated suspension system, to a severe and unpleasant jolt in a hard suspension system.

In addition, undesirable and potentially dangerous impact momentum is imparted to the plate by each wheel impact, the cumulative effect of which may be to move the heavy plate and cause exposure of the work site and / or danger of collapse of the plate, fully or partially, into the excavation, perhaps upon a very next vehicle wheel impact.

In addition, each impact is part of a cumulative road hazard effect on the performance and longevity of the vehicle tire and of the vehicle suspension as well.

All of this makes a large cumulative impact on the cost of vehicle driving, road maintenance, and quality of life for drivers in general.

This less than satisfactory solution is time consuming and expensive and also results in environmentally unfriendly and unsightly litter, and typically the ad hoc "ramp" thus formed fails to function effectively as a ramp at all, it being felt as just another bump.

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