Title:
STREAM TABLE STUDY CENTER
United States Patent 3827290
Abstract:
A portable stream table for simulating the effect of waves on a land mass and for measuring and recording the resulting erosion of the land mass.
US Patent References:
HYDRAULIC MODELS
Bugg - November 1969 - 3475834
OCEAN CURRENT AND WAVE GENERATOR
Presnell et al. - November 1969 - 3478444
EXPERIMENTAL BASIN AND MEANS FOR TESTING BEHAVIORS OF OFFSHORE MARINE STRUCTURES
Arita et al. - January 1972 - 3633419
EDUCATIONAL FLUID FLOW SYSTEM
Wright et al. - March 1970 - 3673705
HYDRAULIC MODELS
Bugg - November 1969 - 3475834
OCEAN CURRENT AND WAVE GENERATOR
Presnell et al. - November 1969 - 3478444
EXPERIMENTAL BASIN AND MEANS FOR TESTING BEHAVIORS OF OFFSHORE MARINE STRUCTURES
Arita et al. - January 1972 - 3633419
EDUCATIONAL FLUID FLOW SYSTEM
Wright et al. - March 1970 - 3673705
Application Number:
05/338505
Publication Date:
08/06/1974
Filing Date:
03/06/1973
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Assignee:
E. H. Sheldon and Company (Muskegon, MI)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
434/126, 434/299, 73/148, 73/865.600
International Classes:
G09B23/12; G09B23/40; G09B23/00; G01M10/00
Field of Search:
73/86,148,432SD 35/19R,10,41,42
Other References:
"Instrumentation In Tidal Model and Waterway Research" by Henley, From Instrument Practice Dec. 1951, pages 89-96.
Primary Examiner:
Gill, James J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Dawson, Tilton, Fallon & Lungmus
Claims:
I claim
1. Apparatus comprising: a tub for holding a land mass and water and including a bottom and first and second pairs of opposing side walls, at least one pair of said side walls being transparent, a measuring grid including a first plurality of equally spaced lines on at least one of said transparent side walls extending parallel to said bottom and a second plurality of equally spaced lines on said one side generally perpendicular to said first lines and intersecting therewith, said bottom being marked with a similar grid for measuring land movement, said tub defining a drain end and a water inlet end; drain means in the drain end of said tub for metering the outflow of water therefrom; water separation means receiving the drain water from said tub for separating the water from particulate matter; pump means communicating with said water separation means for recirculating the separated water into said tub at the water inlet end thereof.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a dam including a plate formed in the shape of an L for fitting into a groove transversely formed in said bottom of said tub adjacent the water inlet end thereof and spaced from an opposing side wall to form a trough for receiving and storing the inlet water from said recirculating pump, said tub adapted to hold said land mass immediately downstream of said trough whereby water passing over said dam will pass over the surface of said land mass to said drain end of said tub; and means for selectively tilting the water inlet end of said tub upwardly relative to the drain end thereof.
3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an open-top cabinet for housing said water separation means in said pump; and means for hingedly mounting the drain end of said tub to said cabinet.
4. The system of claim 2 further comprising a source of air including a fan and a flexible hose provided with a nozzle at its discharge end for simulating wind over the body of water held to the drain end of said tub.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an open-top cabinet; means for hingedly connecting the drain end of said tub to said cabinet to cover the open top thereof; means for selectively raising the water inlet end of said tub relative to the drain end thereof by reaction with said cabinet; and caster means mounted beneath said cabinet whereby said entire unit is mobile.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising heat lamp means mounted above said tub for lighting the study area of said tub and for selectively heating said land mass over a period of time.
7. The system of claim 5 further comprising a pair of articulated panels connected respectively to the water inlet end and the drain end of said tub for covering said tub when it is not in use, said articulated panels being selectively movable to a use position uncovering said tub, at least one of said panels being selectively positionable in the third position to form a horizontal shelf adjacent the drain end of said tub.
1. Apparatus comprising: a tub for holding a land mass and water and including a bottom and first and second pairs of opposing side walls, at least one pair of said side walls being transparent, a measuring grid including a first plurality of equally spaced lines on at least one of said transparent side walls extending parallel to said bottom and a second plurality of equally spaced lines on said one side generally perpendicular to said first lines and intersecting therewith, said bottom being marked with a similar grid for measuring land movement, said tub defining a drain end and a water inlet end; drain means in the drain end of said tub for metering the outflow of water therefrom; water separation means receiving the drain water from said tub for separating the water from particulate matter; pump means communicating with said water separation means for recirculating the separated water into said tub at the water inlet end thereof.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a dam including a plate formed in the shape of an L for fitting into a groove transversely formed in said bottom of said tub adjacent the water inlet end thereof and spaced from an opposing side wall to form a trough for receiving and storing the inlet water from said recirculating pump, said tub adapted to hold said land mass immediately downstream of said trough whereby water passing over said dam will pass over the surface of said land mass to said drain end of said tub; and means for selectively tilting the water inlet end of said tub upwardly relative to the drain end thereof.
3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an open-top cabinet for housing said water separation means in said pump; and means for hingedly mounting the drain end of said tub to said cabinet.
4. The system of claim 2 further comprising a source of air including a fan and a flexible hose provided with a nozzle at its discharge end for simulating wind over the body of water held to the drain end of said tub.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an open-top cabinet; means for hingedly connecting the drain end of said tub to said cabinet to cover the open top thereof; means for selectively raising the water inlet end of said tub relative to the drain end thereof by reaction with said cabinet; and caster means mounted beneath said cabinet whereby said entire unit is mobile.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising heat lamp means mounted above said tub for lighting the study area of said tub and for selectively heating said land mass over a period of time.
7. The system of claim 5 further comprising a pair of articulated panels connected respectively to the water inlet end and the drain end of said tub for covering said tub when it is not in use, said articulated panels being selectively movable to a use position uncovering said tub, at least one of said panels being selectively positionable in the third position to form a horizontal shelf adjacent the drain end of said tub.
Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a system for simulating the effect of waves on a land mass; and it is particularly useful in measuring and recording the resulting erosion of the land mass. Such a system may be used in a classroom or laboratory.
It has been suggested that the effects of erosion on a land mass may be studied by placing the land mass in a large container with a flat bottom, together with water, and inducing wave motion in the water by means of a hand-operated paddle. The resulting erosion of the land with continued wave motion is then observed visually.
The present invention constitutes an improvement over elementary apparatus of the type described above. Certain types of land, such as hard packed clay, erode over a very long time, and it becomes impractical to study erosion of this type of land with a hand-actuated mechanism because of the long periods of time involved. Further, it is known that waves which are mechanically induced as with a paddle, do not have the same characteristics as wind-induced waves, and they are therefore likely to produce different effects on a land mass.
The present system includes a generally rectangular tub which is pivotally connected at one end to a cabinet mounted on casters. Thus, the entire system is portable and self-contained. A dam is provided at one end of the tub, together with beams for filling the dam with water. The other end of the tub is provided with a drain system with an adjustable slide for metering the outflow of water. The hinge connection of the tub is at the drain end so that the dam end of the tub may be raised and water overflowing the dam will pass over the land mass and thence be drained into a first bucket housed within the cabinet.
A second bucket is provided in the cabinet for catching overflow water from the first bucket--whereby sand or earth is separated from the water in the first bucket, and only water is fed into the second bucket. A recirculating pump takes water from the second bucket and pumps it back into the dam.
The cabinet also houses a fan for generating a flow of air which is coupled by means of a flexible hose to the top of the tub for simulating wind-induced wave motion on the body of water.
The sides of the tub are made of a transparent material, such as safety glass, and the bottom as well as the sides of the tub are marked with a metric grid so that a three-dimensional measurement may easily be made of the effects of erosion on the land mass under study.
Incandescent lamps are provided over the tub, and they perform a dual function. That is, they both illuminate the study area, and if left on, they may be used to speed up the drying of the land mass so that the effects of intermittent surface water flow followed by periods of drying out may be simulated.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing wherein identical reference numerals will refer to like parts in their various views.
THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portable study center constructed according to the present invention with portions of the tub and cabinet broken away;
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the sight line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring then to the drawing, reference numeral 10 generally designates a cabinet which is equipped with lockable forecasters 11 and a pair of front doors 12 which may be opened to gain access into the interior. The central upper portion of the cabinet 10 is open, as at 13 in FIG. 2. Covering the opening 13 and located above the cabinet 10 is a tub generally designated by reference numeral 14. The tub 14 has a water inlet 15 and a drain end 16. The drain end 16 of the tub 14 is connected by means of hinges, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 and designated 17, to the top of the cabinet 10. At the water inlet end of the tub 15, there is provided a mechanism generally designated by reference numeral 18 for raising that end of the tub about the hinges 17. The height-adjusting mechanism 18 includes a handle 19 connected to a horizontal rod 20 which, in turn, is connected to vertical rods 21 pivotally attached to the bottom of the tub 14 by means of flanges, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 and designated 22.
The tub 14 includes a flat bottom 23, first and second shorter upright sides 24 and 25, and first and second elongated side panels 26 and 27. Preferably, the bottom 23 and shorter sides 24 and 25 are integrally formed, as by molding, into a single piece of opaque plastic. On the upper surface of the bottom 23, a metric grid is provided as at 28 in FIG. 3. The grid 28 may be inscribed into the plastic or it may be printed on it. The longer sides 26 and 27 are preferably of a transparent material, such as safety glass with grid lines 29 silk-screened thereon. The combination of grids on the bottom and sides of the tub, together with the transparent sides 26 and 27 has been found to greatly facilitate measuring and recording of movements of the land mass (generally designated by reference numeral 30 in FIG. 3), particularly over longer periods of time.
At the drain end 16 of the tub 14, there are provided first and second drains 32 and 33, each of which is equipped with a flexible hose extending beneath the bottom 28 of the tub 15 (and designated respectively 32a and 33a in FIG. 2). The conduits 32a and 33a drain into a first bucket 34 housed within the cabinet end and provided with an overflow to 35. A second bucket 36 is positioned within the cabinet 10 so as to collect water overflowing from the first or separation bucket 34. That is, any earth, silt or sand that may drain from the tub 14 will fall to the bottom of the first bucket 34, so that only clear water will be collected in the bucket 36.
The draining of water from the tub 14 is metered by means of a plate generally designated 37 and provided with two apertures 38 and 39 which are aligned with the drains 32 and 33 in the tub when the metering plate 37 is in the position shown in FIG. 3--i.e., abutting the side wall 26 of the tub 14. The metering plate may be moved lengthwise to partially or fully cover the drains and thereby minimize water flow from the tub. The stoppage position of the apertures in the metering plate 37 are shown by the dashed circles 38a and 39a respectively.
The bottom of the bucket 36 is provided with a drain 40 which feeds into a tee 41. One end of the tee 41 is connected to a flexible drain conduit 42 provided with a hose clamp 43 so that the contents of the bucket 36 may be drained and discharged, if desired. The other end of the tee 41 is coupled to a recirculating pump 44 by means of a conduit 45. The output of a pump 44 is coupled by means of a flexible conduit 46 to a fitting 47 in the bottom 23 of the tub 14. The top of the fitting 47 is provided with a flexible hose 48 fitted with a hose clamp 49 for recirculating water into the inlet end 15 of the tub 14.
A plate 50 having a cross section (as seen in FIG. 1) in the shape of an L, is press fitted into a transverse groove 51 formed in the bottom 23 of the tub 14. The groove 51 formed in the bottom 23 of the tub 14. The groove 51 is located inwardly of the end wall 24 so as to form a trough 53 at the source end 15. Inlet water is stored in the trough 53, and the plate 50 serves as a dam for simulating ground overflow of water over the land mass 30. As indicated by the dashed showing of 50a, the plate 50 may be inverted so that its shorter side forms the dam wall, thereby reducing the height of the dam relative to the bottom 23 of the tub 14. In either case, the groove 51 holds the dam.
Ordinarily, the land mass 30 is in the position shown-- that is, immediately downstream of the dam 50; and the body of water (if wave motion is desired) is located toward the drain end 16. Adjacent the drain end 16 there is located a hand-actuated paddle generally designated 54 and, as can be seen best in FIG. 2, extending transversely of the tub 14 almost its entire width. The paddle 54 is moved by means of a handle 55 which is connected to a shaft 56 mounted to the side walls 26, 27 of the tub 14 by means of clips 58. As has been mentioned, the simulation of waves by means of a mechanically operated paddle has been found to have a different effect than that which occurs naturally. In order to simulate more closely the natural effect of waves, an air blower generally designated 60 in FIG. 1 is housed within the cabinet 10, and it feeds a flexible hose 61 which may be placed over the top of the tub 14 adjacent the drain end 16. The discharge end of the hose 61 is provided with a nozzle 62, and the discharging air, when directed onto the body of water in the tub simulates a steady wind over the surface of the water.
Articulated cover panels are provided at each end of the tub 14 for covering the same when the study center is not in use. The articulated panel for the drain end 16 is generally designated by reference numeral 65, and the one for the inlet end is generally designated 66 in FIG. 1. Since each of these cover panels is similar, only the panel 65 need be discussed in further detail. The articulated panel 65 includes first and second panel sections 67 and 68 which are joined together by means of a pair of double-pivot hinges 69. The panel 67 is connected to the end wall 25 of the tub 14 by means of a second pair of hinges 70. A lip 71 is connected to the end upright wall of the cabinet 10 so that the articulated panel 65 may be placed in the position shown in solid in FIG. 1 wherein the outer panel section 68 serves as a brace, and the inner panel section 67 forms a horizontal counter surface. In covering position, the panels are extended as shown in dashed line at 65a in FIG. 1 for covering the open top of the tub 14. A third position for the articulated panel 65 is shown at 65b in FIG. 1 wherein the panel sections hang straight down. The articulated panel 66 may similarly have three use positions, although only two are shown in the illustrated embodiment.
Two overhead lamps designated 73 are supported by means of a conduit 74 over the tub 14. The lamps 73 may be heat lamps so as to serve a dual function--namely, to illuminate the land mass under study and, secondly, in order to dry out the land mass more rapidly.
The stream table study center of the present invention has substantial versatility in use, accommodating the study of different types of soil or land as well as different types of wave motion and over-land water flow. Further, different environmental conditions can be simulated by means of the heat lamps 73, and a continuous recirculation of water is possible without the need to attach the apparatus to an exterior water source. That is, the unit is self-contained.
Having thus disclosed a preferred embodiment, persons skilled in the art will be able to modify certain of the structure that has been illustrated and to substitute equivalent elements for those which have been described while continuing to practice the invention; and it is, therefore, intended that all such modifications and substitutions be covered as they are embraced within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
The present invention relates to a system for simulating the effect of waves on a land mass; and it is particularly useful in measuring and recording the resulting erosion of the land mass. Such a system may be used in a classroom or laboratory.
It has been suggested that the effects of erosion on a land mass may be studied by placing the land mass in a large container with a flat bottom, together with water, and inducing wave motion in the water by means of a hand-operated paddle. The resulting erosion of the land with continued wave motion is then observed visually.
The present invention constitutes an improvement over elementary apparatus of the type described above. Certain types of land, such as hard packed clay, erode over a very long time, and it becomes impractical to study erosion of this type of land with a hand-actuated mechanism because of the long periods of time involved. Further, it is known that waves which are mechanically induced as with a paddle, do not have the same characteristics as wind-induced waves, and they are therefore likely to produce different effects on a land mass.
The present system includes a generally rectangular tub which is pivotally connected at one end to a cabinet mounted on casters. Thus, the entire system is portable and self-contained. A dam is provided at one end of the tub, together with beams for filling the dam with water. The other end of the tub is provided with a drain system with an adjustable slide for metering the outflow of water. The hinge connection of the tub is at the drain end so that the dam end of the tub may be raised and water overflowing the dam will pass over the land mass and thence be drained into a first bucket housed within the cabinet.
A second bucket is provided in the cabinet for catching overflow water from the first bucket--whereby sand or earth is separated from the water in the first bucket, and only water is fed into the second bucket. A recirculating pump takes water from the second bucket and pumps it back into the dam.
The cabinet also houses a fan for generating a flow of air which is coupled by means of a flexible hose to the top of the tub for simulating wind-induced wave motion on the body of water.
The sides of the tub are made of a transparent material, such as safety glass, and the bottom as well as the sides of the tub are marked with a metric grid so that a three-dimensional measurement may easily be made of the effects of erosion on the land mass under study.
Incandescent lamps are provided over the tub, and they perform a dual function. That is, they both illuminate the study area, and if left on, they may be used to speed up the drying of the land mass so that the effects of intermittent surface water flow followed by periods of drying out may be simulated.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing wherein identical reference numerals will refer to like parts in their various views.
THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portable study center constructed according to the present invention with portions of the tub and cabinet broken away;
FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the sight line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring then to the drawing, reference numeral 10 generally designates a cabinet which is equipped with lockable forecasters 11 and a pair of front doors 12 which may be opened to gain access into the interior. The central upper portion of the cabinet 10 is open, as at 13 in FIG. 2. Covering the opening 13 and located above the cabinet 10 is a tub generally designated by reference numeral 14. The tub 14 has a water inlet 15 and a drain end 16. The drain end 16 of the tub 14 is connected by means of hinges, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 and designated 17, to the top of the cabinet 10. At the water inlet end of the tub 15, there is provided a mechanism generally designated by reference numeral 18 for raising that end of the tub about the hinges 17. The height-adjusting mechanism 18 includes a handle 19 connected to a horizontal rod 20 which, in turn, is connected to vertical rods 21 pivotally attached to the bottom of the tub 14 by means of flanges, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 and designated 22.
The tub 14 includes a flat bottom 23, first and second shorter upright sides 24 and 25, and first and second elongated side panels 26 and 27. Preferably, the bottom 23 and shorter sides 24 and 25 are integrally formed, as by molding, into a single piece of opaque plastic. On the upper surface of the bottom 23, a metric grid is provided as at 28 in FIG. 3. The grid 28 may be inscribed into the plastic or it may be printed on it. The longer sides 26 and 27 are preferably of a transparent material, such as safety glass with grid lines 29 silk-screened thereon. The combination of grids on the bottom and sides of the tub, together with the transparent sides 26 and 27 has been found to greatly facilitate measuring and recording of movements of the land mass (generally designated by reference numeral 30 in FIG. 3), particularly over longer periods of time.
At the drain end 16 of the tub 14, there are provided first and second drains 32 and 33, each of which is equipped with a flexible hose extending beneath the bottom 28 of the tub 15 (and designated respectively 32a and 33a in FIG. 2). The conduits 32a and 33a drain into a first bucket 34 housed within the cabinet end and provided with an overflow to 35. A second bucket 36 is positioned within the cabinet 10 so as to collect water overflowing from the first or separation bucket 34. That is, any earth, silt or sand that may drain from the tub 14 will fall to the bottom of the first bucket 34, so that only clear water will be collected in the bucket 36.
The draining of water from the tub 14 is metered by means of a plate generally designated 37 and provided with two apertures 38 and 39 which are aligned with the drains 32 and 33 in the tub when the metering plate 37 is in the position shown in FIG. 3--i.e., abutting the side wall 26 of the tub 14. The metering plate may be moved lengthwise to partially or fully cover the drains and thereby minimize water flow from the tub. The stoppage position of the apertures in the metering plate 37 are shown by the dashed circles 38a and 39a respectively.
The bottom of the bucket 36 is provided with a drain 40 which feeds into a tee 41. One end of the tee 41 is connected to a flexible drain conduit 42 provided with a hose clamp 43 so that the contents of the bucket 36 may be drained and discharged, if desired. The other end of the tee 41 is coupled to a recirculating pump 44 by means of a conduit 45. The output of a pump 44 is coupled by means of a flexible conduit 46 to a fitting 47 in the bottom 23 of the tub 14. The top of the fitting 47 is provided with a flexible hose 48 fitted with a hose clamp 49 for recirculating water into the inlet end 15 of the tub 14.
A plate 50 having a cross section (as seen in FIG. 1) in the shape of an L, is press fitted into a transverse groove 51 formed in the bottom 23 of the tub 14. The groove 51 formed in the bottom 23 of the tub 14. The groove 51 is located inwardly of the end wall 24 so as to form a trough 53 at the source end 15. Inlet water is stored in the trough 53, and the plate 50 serves as a dam for simulating ground overflow of water over the land mass 30. As indicated by the dashed showing of 50a, the plate 50 may be inverted so that its shorter side forms the dam wall, thereby reducing the height of the dam relative to the bottom 23 of the tub 14. In either case, the groove 51 holds the dam.
Ordinarily, the land mass 30 is in the position shown-- that is, immediately downstream of the dam 50; and the body of water (if wave motion is desired) is located toward the drain end 16. Adjacent the drain end 16 there is located a hand-actuated paddle generally designated 54 and, as can be seen best in FIG. 2, extending transversely of the tub 14 almost its entire width. The paddle 54 is moved by means of a handle 55 which is connected to a shaft 56 mounted to the side walls 26, 27 of the tub 14 by means of clips 58. As has been mentioned, the simulation of waves by means of a mechanically operated paddle has been found to have a different effect than that which occurs naturally. In order to simulate more closely the natural effect of waves, an air blower generally designated 60 in FIG. 1 is housed within the cabinet 10, and it feeds a flexible hose 61 which may be placed over the top of the tub 14 adjacent the drain end 16. The discharge end of the hose 61 is provided with a nozzle 62, and the discharging air, when directed onto the body of water in the tub simulates a steady wind over the surface of the water.
Articulated cover panels are provided at each end of the tub 14 for covering the same when the study center is not in use. The articulated panel for the drain end 16 is generally designated by reference numeral 65, and the one for the inlet end is generally designated 66 in FIG. 1. Since each of these cover panels is similar, only the panel 65 need be discussed in further detail. The articulated panel 65 includes first and second panel sections 67 and 68 which are joined together by means of a pair of double-pivot hinges 69. The panel 67 is connected to the end wall 25 of the tub 14 by means of a second pair of hinges 70. A lip 71 is connected to the end upright wall of the cabinet 10 so that the articulated panel 65 may be placed in the position shown in solid in FIG. 1 wherein the outer panel section 68 serves as a brace, and the inner panel section 67 forms a horizontal counter surface. In covering position, the panels are extended as shown in dashed line at 65a in FIG. 1 for covering the open top of the tub 14. A third position for the articulated panel 65 is shown at 65b in FIG. 1 wherein the panel sections hang straight down. The articulated panel 66 may similarly have three use positions, although only two are shown in the illustrated embodiment.
Two overhead lamps designated 73 are supported by means of a conduit 74 over the tub 14. The lamps 73 may be heat lamps so as to serve a dual function--namely, to illuminate the land mass under study and, secondly, in order to dry out the land mass more rapidly.
The stream table study center of the present invention has substantial versatility in use, accommodating the study of different types of soil or land as well as different types of wave motion and over-land water flow. Further, different environmental conditions can be simulated by means of the heat lamps 73, and a continuous recirculation of water is possible without the need to attach the apparatus to an exterior water source. That is, the unit is self-contained.
Having thus disclosed a preferred embodiment, persons skilled in the art will be able to modify certain of the structure that has been illustrated and to substitute equivalent elements for those which have been described while continuing to practice the invention; and it is, therefore, intended that all such modifications and substitutions be covered as they are embraced within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.