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Obstruction device for flowing waterways

Obstruction device for flowing waterways description/claims

The invention concerns an obstruction device for flowing waterways and rivulets of all kinds, in particular for torrents and similar river beds, with a flexible barrier element for rocks, flotsam and drifting objects, that can be erected between riverbanks transverse to the flow direction.

An obstruction device of this type is described in the German patent application DE 203 00 821. It is known that devices of this type reduce the energy of the flowing water to serve as a protection against the destructive effects of a flooded torrent, and therefore inhibit riverbank erosion as well as the transport of rocks, flotsam, and drifting objects. The known obstruction device with its catchment net serving as a barrier element forms a flexible blocking system with a large energy absorption capacity, which also remains undamaged when the device is overflowed.

However, if one leaves a filled barrier without emptying the same the continuous water flow across the catchment net and the support ropes serving as holding and tensioning elements will erode the surface protection of these parts, which will result in the destruction of the barrier in the long term due to corrosion and abrasion of the most important elements of the same. In order to prevent a corrosion of the support ropes it is known to use corrosion protection wires made of steel, which are also coated. The catchment net itself remains substantially unprotected against the abrasion and corrosion effect of the continuous water flow.

It is the purpose of the invention to prevent this disadvantage, and to provide an obstruction device of the type described above, the barrier element of which will be protected against long-term corrosion and abrasion effects applied by the overflowing water when the barrier is filled.

This task is solved in accordance with the invention in that the flexible barrier element is deformed in such a way when the barrier is filled that material will overflow the barrier element in a downstream direction only a little when the barrier is filled. In this way it is ensured that the water, fine material, blocks and suchlike overflowing the barrier element in a downstream direction will contact the barrier only briefly, or not at all. In this way the same is safely and permanently protected against corrosion and abrasion effects applied by the overflowing water.

The invention further concerns an obstruction device with a catchment net forming the barrier element installed between a lower and an upper support rope as well as optional interim ropes extending transverse to the flow direction, whereby the support ropes are anchored at the riverbanks with rope anchors or other anchor types attached to their ends.

In order to solve the task of the invention it is envisaged that the rope anchor or the other anchor types of the upper support rope are offset towards the front in flow direction relative to the rope anchors or other anchor types of the lower support rope. In this way the catchment net is given the necessary installation position to enable the same to deform following a subsequent filling of the barrier in such a way that material flowing across the catchment net in a downstream direction will contact the same only briefly, or not at all.

Depending on the degree of flexibility of the catchment net and the operating conditions for the barrier on site it will make sense to offset the rope anchor of the upper support rope so far towards the front relative to the rope anchor of the lower support rope that the non-deformed, level upper catchment net is inclined towards the front at an angle of preferably 10° to 45° in flow direction.

The invention also concerns a further obstruction device of the type described above, the barrier element of which forming the catchment net comprises a middle zone and two riverbank zones projecting further than the same in the direction of the riverside, and installed between a lower and an upper support rope and optionally tensioned with interim ropes transverse to the flow direction, whereby the support ropes are guided by means of two supports delimiting the middle zone in a widthways direction. These supports are preferably jointably affixed and anchored in a backward direction with retaining ropes.

In order to solve the task of the invention it is suggested in this case to position the supports in such a way that the same are inclined in a forward direction relative to the vertical in flow direction. In this way the catchment net is equipped with the necessary installation position in its middle zone to enable the same to deform in this zone when the barrier is filled in such a way that material overflowing in a downstream direction will not contact the same. In this way the catchment net can be protected in that area of the net in a targeted way in which the same would be subject to the highest flow speeds, and therefore the strongest abrasion effects applied by water and rocks when the barrier is overflowed.

According to the degree of flexibility of the net and the operating conditions for the barrier it will make sense here to install the supports at an angle of inclination of preferably 10° to 30° from the vertical.

In order to optimise the permanent protection of the system elements in the upper area of the barrier the invention envisages that an overflow protection can be installed across the upper edge area of the catchment net. The overflow protection has the task of guiding the overflowing material over the barrier in such a way that this material will not contact the catchment net on the downstream side.

According to the invention the overflow protection can be formed by a flattened sheet metal profile or a protective metal sheet attached to the upper support rope, which is preferably fitted to the upper edge of the catchment net when the barrier is full.

Further preferred embodiments of the device of the invention form the subject of the Claims 8 to 10.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, whereby:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of an obstruction device of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematically illustrated cross-section through the device illustrated in FIG. 1 prior to filling the barrier;

FIG. 3 shows the schematic cross-section illustrated in FIG. 2 when the barrier is filled;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-section through an obstruction device according to prior art prior to filling the barrier;

FIG. 5 shows the cross-section illustrated in FIG. 4 when the barrier is filled;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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