Abstract:
A plurality of closable and removable containment berm wall supports are preferably each made from three flexible coated fabric layers and preferably each wall support incorporates three reinforcing members and incorporates a closure means that selectively can close the support into a closed triangular frame. Each berm wall support is designed to cooperate with a sleeve attached to a flexible sidewall of a containment berm unit and when the wall support is in a closed condition to hold the sidewall in an erected condition and when the wall support is in an open condition to allow the sidewall to assume a let down condition. The let down condition allows a wheeled vehicle or other object to conveniently transit over the wall for placement on a floor of the containment berm unit within the perimeter established by the sidewall.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    In modern society, efforts are ongoing to prevent or lessen environmental impacts resulting from leaking of petroleum products and other chemicals into the environment. Efforts are made by petroleum industry workers, chemical industry workers, transportation industry workers, military personnel, governmental workers, and other workers involved in liquid containment to guard against environmental contamination resulting from undesired release into the environment of various liquids and chemicals. Various portable containment berm units and systems have been developed as tools in the ongoing efforts by society to contain liquids and other flowable materials. Many containment berm units are constructed from petroleum and chemically resistant flexible coated fabrics including polyester yarn fabrics coated with polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride or other suitable coating material and many of these containment berm units have flexible sidewalls held in an erect condition by sidewall supports with the sidewall supports retained in sidewall support sleeves. 
         [0002]    An object of the present invention is to provide an easily removable closable containment berm wall support that is more convenient and easier to use and that makes a containment berm unit having at least one flexible sidewall and the sidewall having a sidewall support sleeve for receiving and retaining a wall support more secure than the containment berm unit would be if equipped with prior art open ended wall support members. 
         [0003]    Preferably, a plurality of removable closable berm wall supports are used to selectively hold a flexible berm sidewall in an erected condition or selectively let the sidewall down to a let down condition. The invention allows easy removal and replacement of damaged wall supports. 
         [0004]    Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of containment berm wall supports that can be quickly opened flat to permit a sidewall to be lowered to a let down condition and then quickly folded and closed to raise and hold the sidewall in an erect condition. 
         [0005]    The present invention relates to a novel containment berm wall support that improves the utility of a portable containment berm used to contain liquids and chemicals and that helps protect against release of the liquids and chemicals into the environment. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A principal objective of this invention is to help a person who uses a flexible portable containment berm unit to place more easily the containment berm unit in an erected condition; selectively to maintain the unit in the erected condition; selectively to let down a sidewall, sidewalls, or portions of sidewalls of the containment berm unit; and to selectively reestablish the erected condition. The invention is a novel removable closable containment berm wall support designed to improve the utility of a containment berm unit and thus help lessen the likelihood of environmental contamination by liquids and chemicals contained within the containment berm unit. 
         [0007]    When open, the berm wall support has a generally long and flat shape. When folded and then closed, the berm wall support forms a closed triangular frame. When used, the wall support is removably and securely attached to the sidewall of the containment berm unit. 
         [0008]    Preferably and optimally, a plurality of containment berm wall supports are removably attached to a flexible sidewall of a containment berm unit to support and hold the sidewall in a desired position. 
         [0009]    The wall support may be sized in a range of sizes to accommodate the various sizes and dimensions of containment berm units having sidewalls of various sizes and dimensions in use in our society. 
         [0010]    The wall support is preferably made with flexible coated fabric layers joined around three generally rigid and generally rod shaped reinforcing members. 
         [0011]    A further object of the invention is making available to users a berm wall support that is durable, easy to use, easy to secure to a sidewall, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is easy to replace. 
         [0012]    Additional and various other objects and advantages attained by the invention will become more apparent as the specification is read and the accompanying figures are reviewed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0013]      FIG. 1   a  is an exploded perspective view of a prior art berm open ended wall support; 
           [0014]      FIG. 1   b  is a perspective view of the prior art berm open ended wall support (shown in  FIG. 1   a ) having a first free end and a second free end; 
           [0015]      FIG. 1   c  is a perspective view of the prior art berm open ended wall support shown in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  and showing the first free end and the second free end in close proximity; 
           [0016]      FIG. 1   d  is a partial perspective view of a portion of a prior art containment berm unit showing a sidewall having a sidewall support sleeve and showing a skirt having a skirt sleeve (the prior art berm open ended wall support not shown); 
           [0017]      FIG. 1   e  is a partial perspective view of a portion of a prior art containment berm unit shown in  FIG. 1   d  showing the first free end of the prior art berm open ended wall support inserted in the sidewall support sleeve; 
           [0018]      FIG. 1   f  is a partial perspective view of a portion of a prior art containment berm unit shown in  FIG. 1   e  showing the first free end of the prior art berm open ended wall support inserted in the sidewall support sleeve and the second free end of the prior art berm open ended wall support inserted in the skirt sleeve; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a prior art containment berm unit shown in an erected condition and showing a plurality of prior art berm open ended wall supports inserted and retained in a plurality of cooperating pairs of sidewall support sleeves and respective skirt sleeves; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a containment berm wall support showing the preferred embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the containment berm wall support shown in  FIG. 3  in an open extended condition; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the containment berm wall support shown in  FIG. 4  in a transitional condition between the open extended condition and a closed condition and with a curved arrow A illustrating a direction in which a fold may be made in a flap portion of the containment berm wall support to bring a snap button socket attached to the flap portion for engaging with a cooperating snap button stud attached to the main portion near the opposite end of the containment berm wall support; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the containment berm wall support shown in  FIG. 4  inserted into and retained within a sidewall support sleeve and within a cooperating respective skirt sleeve and showing a berm sidewall in an open let down condition; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the containment berm wall support shown in  FIG. 6  inserted into and retained within the sidewall support sleeve and the cooperating respective skirt sleeve, showing the berm sidewall in an erected condition, and showing the berm wall support in a closed condition with the flap portion located near the top of the sidewall; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a containment berm wall support inserted into and retained within a sidewall support sleeve and within a cooperating respective skirt sleeve, showing a berm sidewall in an erected condition, and showing the berm wall support in a closed condition with the flap portion located near the outer edge of a sidewall skirt of the containment berm unit; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a containment berm wall support showing a second embodiment of a containment berm wall support in a transitional condition between an open extended condition and a closed condition and with a curved arrow B illustrating a direction in which a fold may be made in an alternative flap portion of the berm wall support to bring a hook pad attached to the alternative flap portion for engaging with a cooperating loop pad attached near the opposite end of the berm wall support; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of a containment berm wall support showing a third embodiment; 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of a closing pin and a pin securing element; 
           [0029]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the containment berm wall support shown in  FIG. 10  in a closed condition; 
           [0030]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a containment berm unit shown in an erected condition and showing a plurality of the third embodiment of the containment berm wall supports inserted, closed, and retained in a plurality of cooperating pairs of sidewall support sleeves and respective skirt sleeves; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a containment berm wall support showing a fourth embodiment of a containment berm wall support having a side release buckle in a transitional condition between an open extended condition and a closed condition. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    Prior art as shown in  FIGS. 1   a  to  2 , teaches a containment berm unit  10  comprising a flexible liner  20  having a floor  22 , the floor peripherally surrounded and connected to at least one berm sidewall  24 , a berm sidewall skirt  26  attached to the outer portion of the liner with a plurality of berm sidewall support sleeves  28  attached to exterior portions of the sidewall, each sidewall support sleeve having an upper opening  30  and a lower opening  32 , a plurality of berm sidewall skirt sleeves  34  attached to the skirt in cooperating relationship to the plurality of berm sidewall support sleeves, each skirt sleeve having an outer opening  36  and an inner opening  38 , and a plurality of berm support members  40  received in the upper openings and the outer openings and retained in the sleeves. 
         [0033]    Each prior art open ended berm support member  40  has a first section  42  having a first section reinforcing member  43 ; the first section pivotally connected to a middle section  44  having a middle section reinforcing member  45 ; and the middle section pivotally connected to a second section  46  having a second section reinforcing member  47 . 
         [0034]    Each prior art open ended support member  40  can be made by securing a first flat layer member  50  to an opposing intermediate flat layer  52  having three open reinforcing member registration windows  54 ,  56 , and  58  with the registration windows in serial sequence; by registering the reinforcing members  43 ,  45 , and  47  each respectively in position within one of the respective windows; and by securing the intermediate flat layer to an opposing second flat layer  60  about the reinforcing members. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 through 14 , the present invention is a novel improved removable closable containment berm wall support  70 ,  170 ,  270 , or  370 . 
         [0036]    Each berm wall support  70  of the preferred embodiment has a first flat outer stay layer  72  having a main portion  74  with the main portion connected to a flap portion  76 ; the first flat outer stay layer is secured to an opposing flat intermediate stay layer  78 ; the flat intermediate stay layer is sized to generally overlay the main portion; the flat intermediate stay layer having a first leg portion registration window  80 , a second leg portion registration window  82 , and a third leg portion registration window  84 ; a first leg portion reinforcing member  86  registered in the first leg portion registration window; a second leg portion reinforcing member  88  registered in the second leg portion registration window; and a third leg portion reinforcing member  90  registered in the third leg portion registration window; the flat intermediate stay layer secured to an opposing second flat outer stay layer  92  about the reinforcing members; and at least one closure means. Each closure means has a first closure element selectively engaging a second closure element. In the preferred embodiment of the wall support  70 , the first closure element is a snap button socket  94  and the second closure element is a snap button stud  98 . 
         [0037]    The preferred embodiment of the containment berm wall support  70  has a first flat outer stay layer  72  having a main portion  74  connected to a flap portion  76 ; the main portion underlaying in facing opposing relationship a flat intermediate stay layer  78  and secured by a joining means to the intermediate stay layer; the intermediate stay layer having a first leg portion registration window  80  located near one end, having a second leg portion registration window  82  located near its midpoint, and having a third leg portion registration window  84  located near the other end; the flap portion extending beyond said overlaying intermediate stay layer and said flap portion having at least one first closure element (a snap button socket  94 ) attached to the flap portion near its outward end on the flap portion surface adjacent said intermediate stay layer; a first leg portion reinforcing member  86  registered in the first leg portion registration window; a second leg portion reinforcing member  88  registered in the second leg portion registration window; a third leg portion reinforcing member  90  registered in the third leg portion registration window; a second flat outer stay layer  92  overlaying in facing opposing relationship the intermediate stay layer and overlaying the reinforcing members and secured by a joining means to the intermediate stay layer; and at least one second closure element (a snap button stud  98 ) attached to the main portion on the main portion surface away from the intermediate stay layer and located near the end of the main portion away from the flap portion. 
         [0038]    Joining means include radio frequency welding, heat fusing, ultrasonic welding, gluing with an adhesive, or another suitable method of joining known in the art. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 3 and 4  best show the preferred embodiment of the containment berm wall support  70 . Preferably, the snap button socket  94  is attached to the flap portion  76  by a pressing together of the socket in a manner well known in the art with a cooperating snap button cap  96  mounted in a transverse bore through the flap portion. Preferably, the snap button stud  98  is attached to the main portion  74  by a pressing together of the stud in a manner well known in the art with a cooperating snap button post  100  mounted in a transverse bore through the three layers of the berm wall support and located near the end of the main portion away from the flap portion. 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  shows a berm wall support  70  having a flap portion  76  connected to a first leg portion  102  having a first leg portion reinforcing member  86 , the first leg portion pivotally connected to a second leg portion  104  having a second leg portion reinforcing member  88 , and the second leg portion pivotally connected to a third leg portion  106  having a third leg portion reinforcing member  90 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 9  shows a second embodiment of a closable containment berm wall support  170  that incorporates a hook and loop closure as a closure means to selectively close the berm wall support in place of the snap button closure of the preferred embodiment.  FIG. 9  shows the wall support  170  having a first alternative first flat outer stay layer  172  having a main portion  74  connected to an alternative flap portion  176 , an alternative first closure element (a hook pad  178  of a hook and loop closure) is attached to the flap portion  176  in place of a snap button socket  94 , an alternative second closure element (a cooperating loop pad  182  of the hook and loop closure) is attached to the main portion  74  surface away from the intermediate stay layer  78  and located near the end of the main portion away from the flap portion  176  in place of a snap button stud  98 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the alternative flap portion  176  may have a flap gripping portion  180  that extends beyond the hook pad  178  to provide a user with a gripping portion of the flap that can be gripped by the user during opening and closing of the hook and loop closure. 
         [0042]      FIG. 10  shows a third embodiment of a closable containment berm wall support  270  that in place of the snap button closure of the preferred embodiment incorporates cooperating closed loop endpieces attached to or formed in each end of a main assembly of the containment berm wall support that may be selectively closed together by a closing pin or a closing cable. 
         [0043]      FIG. 10  shows a third embodiment of the closable containment berm wall support  270  having a second alternative first flat outer stay layer  272  in place of the first flat outer stay layer  72  of the preferred embodiment. The third embodiment of the closable containment berm wall support  270  having a main assembly having two ends and said main assembly comprising a first outer stay layer  272  underlaying in facing opposing relationship an intermediate stay layer and secured by a joining means to said intermediate stay layer, said intermediate stay layer having a first leg portion registration window located near one end, having a second leg portion registration window located near its midpoint, and having a third leg portion registration window located near the other end; a first leg portion reinforcing member registered in said first leg portion registration window; a second leg portion reinforcing member registered in said second leg portion registration window; a third leg portion reinforcing member registered in said third leg portion registration window; and a second outer stay layer overlaying in facing opposing relationship said intermediate stay layer and overlaying said reinforcing members and secured by said joining means to said intermediate stay layer; a first leg portion female endpiece  274 , said female endpiece attached to one end of said main assembly, said female endpiece having a first closed loop portion  276  and a second closed loop portion  278  coaxial to and spaced from one another; and a cooperating third leg portion male endpiece  280 , said male endpiece attached to the other end of said main assembly, said male endpiece having a male closed loop portion  282  sized to be received coaxially between said first closed loop portion and said second closed loop portion; and a closing pin  284  for securing said male closed loop portion in position between said first closed loop portion and said second closed loop portion, said closing pin removably receivable and retainable in said loop portions when said loop portions are coaxially aligned with said male closed loop portion between said first closed loop portion and said second closed loop portion. 
         [0044]    The third embodiment of the closable containment berm wall support  270  has a first leg portion female endpiece  274  attached to a free end of the first leg portion  102 , the female endpiece having a first closed loop portion  276  and a coaxial second closed loop portion  278  spaced one from the other and with the longitudinal axis of the closed loop portions aligned transversely across the free end of the first leg portion; a cooperating third leg portion male endpiece  280  attached to a free end of the third leg portion  106 , the male endpiece having a male closed loop portion  282  aligned transversely across the free end of the third leg portion and sized to be received coaxially between the closed loop portions  276  and  278 , and a closing pin  284  or a closing cable  292  sized to be selectively received and retained coaxially in and through the closed loop portions  276 ,  282 , and  278  to close the berm wall support. 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , the closing pin  284  can have a first transverse closing pin securement bore  286  near one end and a second transverse closing pin securement bore  288  near the other end sized to receive and retain a pin securing member  290  to secure the closing pin within the closed loop portions when in place within the closed loop portions. The pin securing member  290  can be a wire, a plastic quick tie or a suitable length of cordage. 
         [0046]      FIG. 12  shows a closing pin  284  inserted into and retained in the closed loop portions  276 ,  278 , and  282  thereby closing the berm wall support  270 . 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 13 , a flexible closing cable  292  can be substituted for the closing pin  284  to serially close a plurality of berm wall supports  270  to hold erect a sidewall  24  of a containment berm unit  310 . The free ends of the closing cable  292  shown in  FIG. 13  can be secured one to another to make the containment berm unit  310  more secure by tying the free ends together or by using a lock mechanism known in the art to selectively lock the free ends together. The flexible closing cable  292  can be a wire cable, a nylon rope, a plastic rope, or a length of cordage made from another suitable material. 
         [0048]      FIG. 14  shows a fourth embodiment of a closable containment berm wall support  370  that incorporates at least one commonly known side release buckle in place of the snap button closure of the preferred embodiment.  FIG. 14  shows the fourth embodiment  370  having a second alternative first flat outer stay layer  272  in place of the first flat outer stay layer  72  of the preferred embodiment and further comprises a first strap member  294  attached to the first leg portion  102  near its free end, the first strap member having a free strap end  296 , a side release probe  298  is adjustably threaded onto the first strap member, a second strap member  300  is attached to a side release receiver  302  and the second strap member is attached to the third leg portion  106  near its free end. The side release probe  298  can be selectively joined to the side release receiver  302  to close the berm wall support  370 . 
         [0049]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 to 8 , closure of a containment berm wall support  70  in the preferred embodiment is effected after the wall support is inserted and retained through an upper opening  30  of a sidewall support sleeve  28 , through the sidewall support sleeve, out through a lower opening  32  of the sidewall support sleeve, and then through an inner opening  38  of a sidewall skirt sleeve  34 , through the sidewall skirt sleeve, out through an outer opening  36  of the sidewall skirt sleeve, and folded together and closed by two snap button sockets  94  engaging two snap button studs  98 , see  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         [0050]      FIGS. 3 to 14  show closure means that may include at least one snap button socket  94  and at least one cooperating snap button stud  98 ; a hook and loop closure device (a hook pad  178  and a cooperating loop pad  182 ); cooperating closed loop endpieces  274  and  280  attached to or formed in each end of the containment berm wall support and selectively joined together by a closing pin  284  or a closing cable  292 ; or at least one side release buckle attached between the ends of the containment berm wall support. 
         [0051]    In  FIG. 5 , arrow A shows a direction that a flap portion  76  having a snap button socket  94  attached may be folded to secure the snap button socket to a snap button stud  98  attached to a portion of the outer surface of the containment berm wall support  70 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 9  shows a containment berm support  170  which is a second embodiment of a containment berm support that differs from the first embodiment by the replacement of the flap portion  76  of the first embodiment with a differently shaped flap portion  176 , the replacement flap portion having a hook pad  178  attached on its surface adjacent the intermediate stay layer  78  and by the replacement of the snap button stud  98  of the first embodiment with a loop pad  182  attached to the outer surface of the main portion  74  away from the intermediate stay layer. The hook pad  178  and the loop pad  182  can be removably pressed together and engaged to one another to close the containment berm wall support  170 . 
         [0053]    The stay layers  72 ,  78 ,  92 ,  172 , and  272  and the endpieces  274  and  280  can be made in part from a suitable flexible material such as a coated fabric made of polyester yarn or other suitable yarn coated with a polyurethane coating, a polyvinyl chloride coating, or another coating material that will remain impervious to the transmission of contamination through the material. 
         [0054]    Preferably the reinforcing members  86 ,  88 , and  90  are made of generally rigid, nonconductive fiberglass rods or another suitable material such as wood, metal, or ceramic material. 
         [0055]    The snap button sockets  94 , caps  96 , studs  98 , and posts  100  can be made of metal or a suitable plastic or another suitable material. 
         [0056]    The strap members  294  and  300  can be made from a common nylon webbing or another suitable strap material. 
         [0057]    The side release probe  298  and the side release receiver  302  can be made of metal or plastic or another suitable material. 
         [0058]    The preceding description and exposition of the invention is presented for purposes of illustration and enabling disclosure. It is neither intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications or variations in the invention in light of the above teachings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted to the breath to which they fairly, legitimately and equitably are entitled.