Abstract:
A curb opening filter apparatus is provided for removably attaching over a curbside opening for a storm drain. The filter apparatus has a frame which can be interconnected with similar frames to adjust for different size storm drain openings. The curb opening filter has a system for vertically attaching a filter apparatus over the curbside opening.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/860,948, filed Nov. 27, 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Curbs along paved roads and highways have openings for storm water to run off from the road into the storm drain or sewer and into a retention pond or into a river or stream. It is important to keep trash, debris, sand, oil and other pollutants out of the water entering the storm drain in order to prevent contamination of the rivers, lakes or streams during construction while the road is being repaired and when machinery or the like is being cleaned or serviced in the area. It is necessary to keep trash, sand and debris from going into the drain. To accomplish this, a temporary curb protecting device is put in place and removed when the service is complete. It therefore becomes desirable to have a temporary curb protector that can be rapidly installed and removed and which filters water or liquids passing through the curb opening into the storm drain. This filters the water passing into the curb opening at a lower portion of the curb opening and still allows some open area above the filter covering the curb opening to allow an overflow in the event of a heavy rain storm or rapid accumulation of water. The water can overflow the filter and go into the storm drain to prevent the street from flooding. Sometimes curb openings for storm drains are short and placement of a device is fairly simple but in the case of a long storm drain opening, such curb opening filters have a tendency to bend inward to allow accumulated debris and trash to pass under the filter. The present curb opening filter is designed to prevent this inward bend. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A curb opening filter apparatus for removably attaching over a curbside opening for a storm drain has a frame having at least one open area therethrough. The frame has two end portions with one or both end portions having a connecting joint member formed thereon for removably connecting one frame to a second frame. A plurality of frames can be connected to expand the curb opening filter for larger curbside openings. A fabric filter mesh covers one side of the frame for filtering solid materials out of the water entering the storm drain. An attaching system is provided for supporting the frame upright over a vertical side curb opening. That includes a frame stiffening post having a pair of fasteners for attaching the post to the frame. The attaching system also includes an elongated strut member having an opening in one end thereof with the frame stiffening post extending through the opening. The frame stiffening post fits loosely in the strut member opening and allows it to tilt and wedge on the post when the strut member other end portion is positioned inside a curb opening against the inside surface. The frame connecting joint member can be a tenon shaped to interlock with a second frame connecting joint member corresponding mortise. The frame may have a tenon formed on one end and a mortise formed on the other so that several frame members can be interconnected, each forming a dovetail type joint. The frame connecting joint member can also have a vertical ridge along one edge for attaching to a vertical groove along one edge of a second frame member. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the written description and the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a curb opening filter in accordance with the present invention placed over a curb opening; 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken through the frame support of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken through a curb opening protector of  FIG. 1  and attached to the curb; 
       FIG. 4  is a cut away perspective of the joint connecting two curb filter frames; and 
       FIG. 5  is a cut away perspective of an alternate embodiment of a joint connecting two curb filter frames. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4  of the drawings, a temporary or semi-permanent curb opening filter is illustrated covering the curb opening  11  for the storm drain or sewer in the curb  12 . The curb  12  opening  11  has opening sides  13  and  14  with the street  15  forming the base of the opening  11 . The curb opening filter  10  has a framework  16  having open areas  19  to allow for the passage of storm water therethrough when covering the opening  11 . The frame  16  is covering with a filter mesh  17  which can be a simple screen or can be covered with a geotextile fabric having a filtered weave high flow monofilament fabric, such as a woven polyethylene fabric. The frame  16  extends over the side edges  13  and  14  and has a connecting joint member  18  on one end with a matching connector  20  on the other end thereof for adding extensions in the manner shown in  FIG. 4  to extend the length of the frame  16  for a wider curb opening  11 . A frame support post  21  is attached to the frame  16  for providing stiffening to the frame and is easily attached to the frame  16  with a pair of snap fasteners  22  and  23 . Each fastener  22  or  23  has a tab  24  on the end thereof for snapping over the frame  16  when the post  21  is attached to the frame  16 . The members  23  and  22  are slid between the upper frame member  25  and lower frame member  26  bending the members  22  and  23 , which may be made of a polymer, so they slide over the members  25  and  26  to lock the post  21  in place. The post  21  has a horizontal radial torsion strut member  27  attached thereto. The strut member  27  has a circular opening  28  in one end thereof for sliding over the post  21  and extends under the curb  12 , as more clearly seen in  FIG. 3 . The strut  27  is slid under the curb  12 . It is positioned to resist torsion forces applied to the bottom of the curb filter  10 , frame  16  from the water pressure applied to an elongated frame  16  covering a wide curb opening  11 . This prevents a loss of integrity of the curb filter  10  by the water flowing beneath the curb filter  10 . It should be noted that the area over the curb filter  10  is opened so that in the event of a heavy rainfall or flooding and the filter portion  17  becoming clogged, the water can still flow over the filter and into the storm drain without flooding the street. 
   Turning to  FIG. 5 , an alternate embodiment of a connection for connecting a pair of curb opening filter frames  30  and  31  is illustrated in which a vertically extending enlarged connector portion  32  engages a vertically extending groove  33  in a tongue and groove manner for connecting a pair of curb filter frames. 
   It should be clear at this time that a temporary or semi-permanent curb filter has been provided which advantageously stiffens or reinforces the curb filter against the forces applied to prevent the frame and snap-in support from rotating to prevent the bottom of the temporary curb filter from pushing in the curb filter. The curb filter filters incoming storm water entering a curb drain opening while allowing a by-pass overflow above the filter in case of a heavy storm. The curb filter  10  is made in snap-together sections for easy storage in a small box for transportation or storage and can be snapped together to any length of curb inlet opening. The curb inlet filter also has a series of supports which apply resistance to the face and underside of a curb to prevent the filter from being washed into the drain. Advantageously, the curb storm water filter  10  can be installed without the use of any tools and can be easily attached and removed as needed. However, the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the forms shown which are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.