Self-actuating shoreline flood guard

摘要

A series of self-actuating flood guard units each including a buoyant gate flanked by a pair of the boundary walls and pivotable about a horizontal axis transverse to the flanking boundary walls runs along a shoreline of an adjacent body of water The axis is located at a selected elevation above ground inundated by the body water and is selected to cause the gate to buoyantly rotate upwardly between the boundary walls on rise of water above the selected elevation. The extent of rotation is limited by a restraint acting on the gate. The series of units may be continuous or contiguous and act as a whole to prevent onshore flooding from a rise of the body of water at the shoreline.

主权项

1. A series of self-actuating flood guard units, each unit comprising:
a buoyant gate having proximal, distal, and lateral sides, a height from the proximal to distal sides, and a width between the lateral sides, a first vertical boundary wall transversely connected at an end thereof to an existing upright wall construction running lengthwise along at least a portion of a shoreline of an adjacent body of water, said first boundary wall standing taller than said construction and extending over an adjacent near portion of said body of water, a second vertical boundary wall transversely connected at an end thereof to said construction, said second boundary wall standing taller than said construction and extending over an adjacent near portion of said body of water, longitudinally spaced from said first boundary wall a distance at least sufficient to accommodate the width of said gate, pivotation members comprising a stationary member horizontally and longitudinally connected to said construction and a moveable member moveably joined to said stationary member, said moveable member being connected to said proximal side of said gate and pivotable about a horizontal axis transverse to said boundary walls, said members locating said proximal side of the gate between said boundary walls at an elevation above ground inundated by said body of water selected to cause the said gate to rotationally buoyantly pivot upwardly about said axis between the boundary walls on a rise of said body of water at said shoreline, and at least one restraint acting on said gate and situated to prevent the gate from rotating about said axis more than a predetermined extent when the gate is pivoted upwardly above said elevation, said units being arranged side-by-side to act as a whole responsive to a rise of said body of water at said shoreline to prevent rising waters that otherwise would overtop said water wall construction from flooding the shore.