Abstract:
A temporary trap having baskets and optionally filters in the baskets used in conjunction with inlets for sewer systems to keep debris, oils or chemicals from being washed into the sewer during construction of roads and sewers. The trap is a box, typically rectangular, square or round, with baskets having a plurality of holes therein for allowing water to pass therethrough while trapping debris therein. The trap is inserted into a inlet by lifting the grate off the inlet frame, inserting the trap and then replacing the grating. After a rain the baskets and filters may be cleaned out and reused or replaced. When the construction project is finished the grate is lifted off the inlet frame and the trap removed. The trap has an overflow opening in case the trap becomes clogged.

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/960,582 filed Oct. 7, 2004. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to traps and filters for insertion under an inlet grating for a sanitary, storm or catch basin. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     When streets are under construction the catch basins for the sewers can fill up with all kinds of debris during rains. Since the construction of the area is not complete, there are many objects in the area that can be washed into the newly installed sewer and clog it up, whereas after construction, when the area is in finished condition, landscaped, fully paved, and construction-related debris is removed, fewer objects are present that can be washed into the catch basin and clog up the sewer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An insert for an inlet frame is installed to catch debris and prevent sewers from being clogged during construction projects. The insert can then be removed when no longer needed. 
     The insert has the same shape and size as the inlet frame such that it fits inside and conforms to the road grade and curb cuts as does the inlet frame. A grate fits over the insert and holds it in place within the inlet frame. The insert has a housing for holding matter-catching members such as baskets, baskets with filters or filter frames for holding filters. The baskets have a plurality of holes to let water through while catching debris by preventing the debris from passing through the holes. The insert has overflow apertures for letting water pass into the sewer. An overflow may occur if the holes in the baskets or filters are blocked by debris or the water flow into the insert is higher than the restricted flow out. The basket can be easily removed from the insert to remove debris caught therein. In addition to a basket holding a filter, a filter frame may be used to hold a filter in place. A filter made out of a cloth or oil or chemical absorbing material can be placed in the baskets to catch smaller debris, sand, salts, oils and chemicals. The filter can be easily removed by hand and cleaned or replaced by another filter while the insert and or the basket remains in place, or the entire basket or filter frame can be removed. Alternatively the baskets and or filters can be vacuumed out to clean them while in the inlet frame. 
     During cold weather the baskets, filters, or baskets with filters may be removed from the inserts to avoid freezing and clogging of the catch basin by ice or ice and debris mixtures. 
     The filters may be made to collect sand, salt, oil, or other chemicals. The filters may be made in the shape of bags with ties and or drawstrings to secure the filters to the baskets, frames or wire frames which are installed in the inserts. 
     Debris collectors provide protection for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits and for storm water pollution prevention programs. 
     Inserts made out of plastics to keep costs down may need reinforcing materials or be designed with shapes to withstand the forces placed on the inserts. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a temporary insert for insertion into an inlet frame or other storm water pollution orifice to capture debris preventing it from clogging a storm sewer. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a filter insert for the insert to capture smaller particles and debris from clogging a storm sewer. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an insert for an inlet frame to capture smaller particles and debris from clogging a storm sewer and to meet storm water pollution program requirements. 
     It is an object of the invention to match the temporary insert to the shape and size of the permanent curb box and grate for efficient operation. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a basket from an insert in a curb box frame with apertures for capturing large debris and for easily removing the basket for cleaning it out by hand or by vacuum. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a low cost insert made out of plastics with reinforcements to allow the insert to keep its shape while in use. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide baskets and filters, which may be easily removed during freezing temperatures to prevent blockages due to freezing. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide filters for capturing sand, salt, oil, or other chemical and solid wastes from entering storm sewers. 
     It is an object of the invention to secure a filter to a basket or frame. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top front perspective view of an insert housing with baskets installed. 
         FIG. 2  is a top front perspective view of an insert housing with a support frame prior to insertion. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a basket for the insert housing. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a filter holding frame for the insert housing. 
         FIG. 5  is a wire filter frame. 
         FIG. 6  is a wire filter frame with a filter thereon. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a inlet housing, grate and curb box inlet frame. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a curb box inlet frame with an insert housing installed. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a square insert housing for two baskets. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a inlet insert for two baskets inset in a square curb box inlet frame. 
         FIG. 11  is bottom perspective view of a round insert housing. 
         FIG. 12  is top perspective view of a round inlet insert housing in a round curb box inlet frame. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     During street construction and at other times there is an added need for traps and filters to remove debris, sand, salt, oil or other chemicals from the water flow from the street into storm drains. The larger pieces of debris can clog up sewer systems, which then need to be cleaned out. It is preferred to have a trap for catching the larger pieces of debris and optionally a filter for catching smaller objects, sands, salt, oils and or chemicals. Debris can be expected in larger quantities during construction of a road, during some maintenance projects or at other times when more than the normal amount of debris is present in the area, which can be washed into storm drains during rains. 
     When extra debris is present a temporary trap  100 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , can be added to an inlet  50  as shown in  FIG. 8 . The temporary trap  100  has trap insert housing  10  with a flange  11  around its perimeter to engage the curb box inlet frame flange  59  (see  FIG. 7 ) so as to secure insert housing  10  therein. Grate  52  is then placed on top of flange  11  to hold the temporary trap  100  in place. 
     The temporary trap  100  in  FIG. 1  has an insert housing  10 , and three baskets  40 , including a center basket, and two end baskets. The baskets  40  (see  FIG. 3 ) have apertures  42  on the front walls  46 , rear walls  45 , right side walls  47 , left side walls  48 , and bottoms  49 . The apertures  42  allow water to pass though but block larger pieces of debris from passing therethrough. Baskets  40  also have a flange  43  around the perimeter at the top of the basket with an upstanding wall  41  on top of and at the edge of flange  43  and a handle  44  extending from the top of the upstanding wall  41 . The insert housing  10  may employ a support frame  80 , preferably made of stainless steel. The support frame  80  having a front flange  81  and a rear flange  82  held apart by connector rods  83  and attached to the front wall  13  and rear wall  14  of the insert housing  10  by nuts  84  securing the rods  83  to the walls  13  and  14  after the rods pass though apertures  85  in the walls  13  and  14 . The support frame  80  gives extra strength to the insert housing  10  and keeps the opening shape of the top portion of the insert housing  10  from being distorted. A bar  70  may optionally be used across the top of mouth  95  to add strength to the insert housing. Supports  86  and  87  on the rear of insert housing  10  help space the insert housing  10  inside of the inlet  50  and support it therein, while adding strength to the rear wall  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  there are overflow openings  18  at the top of each end wall  16 ,  17  and in the front wall  13  in the insert housing  10  to allow large flows of water through when the apertures  42  in the baskets  40  do not allow sufficient flow therethrough during heavy rains or for allowing water through as the apertures  42  in baskets  40  get blocked by debris. 
     The walls  16  and  17  of insert housing  10  have a slope along the top sloping downward from the front wall  13  to the back wall  14  to match the slope of the sloped curb box inlet frame wall  55 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . The curb box inlet frame  50  has such a sloped wall to match the slope of the street  57  near the curb  56  to channel water off the street  57  into the curb box inlet frame  50 . The design as shown in the figures has a lower center basket  40  allowing for the center basket  40  to fill first, if needed, and the end baskets  40  to fill last, if needed, with the overflow passing through overflow openings  18 . In alternative embodiments the slope of the walls  16  and  17  may be different. In another alternative embodiment all baskets  40  may be at the same height in box inlet frame  50 . 
     The trap insert housing  10  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) has a curb box blocker  19  for blocking water flows though the curb box  53  (as seen in  FIG. 7 ) so that the water flow must pass though the apertures  42  in the baskets  40  or through overflow ports  18  in inset housing  10 . In some embodiments there is no curb box  53  so no curb box blocker  19  is required on insert housing  10 . 
     The trap insert housing  10  has frame flanges  24 ,  25 ,  26  for supporting the center basket and end baskets  40 . The flange  43  on center basket  40  engages flange  25 , flange  43  on the left basket engages flange  24  on the trap insert housing  10  and flange  26  engages flange  43  on the right end basket  40 . Handles  44  on baskets  40  allow the baskets to be quickly and easily removed from the trap insert frame  10  for cleaning out the baskets  40  and then replacing the baskets. To clean out the baskets first the grate  52  is removed and then the baskets  40  can be removed. Alternatively the baskets  40  may be vacuumed out rather than removed. If silt filters, salt filters, oil filters or chemical filters  30  have been installed in the baskets  40  the filters  30  can be removed and cleaned or removed and replaced with new filters  30 . These filters  30  may be bag filters with ties  35  on the base for extending though apertures  42  in the bottom or the sides of baskets  40  and then tied together or tied to the basket  40 . The bag filters  30  may have draw strings  37  at the throat of the filter bags to tie the filter bags  30  around the base of the wire frame  31  or underneath the flange  43  of basket  40  or under the flange  143  of frame  140  to secure the bag filters  30  thereto. The ties  35  and or draw strings may be used to secure the bag filters  30  to the baskets  40  such that when vacuumed out the bags remain attached to the baskets  40 . Alternatively any means for attaching the filters to the baskets may be used. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  8  the center basket  40  is held by flange frame  25 , which is lower than flange frames  24  and  26 . This positions center basket  40  lower than the left or right baskets  40  and allows water to flow into the center basket  40  and fill it first, then end baskets  40  are filled. The center basket  40  has the base lower than the other baskets allowing extra flow out of the apertures  42  at the base on the sides adjacent the left and right baskets for extra drainage from the center basket  40 . 
     In an alternative embodiment the trap insert housing  10  and the baskets  40  have uniformly the same height flanges  24 ,  25 ,  26  so the baskets  40  are all at the same height. 
     A filter  30  such as a cloth  31  for filtering small particles, or material for absorbing oils, salt, or other chemicals is shown in  FIG. 6 . The filter  30  has a wire frame  31 , as in  FIG. 5 , with handles  33 . The wire frame  31  allows the filter  30  to be set in baskets  40  with the wire frame resting on flanges  43 . The filters  30  with handles  33  and can be easily removed from baskets  40  and cleaned or replaced. 
     In an alternative embodiment as shown in  FIG. 4  a filter frame  140  resembling the top portion of a basket  40  may be used to support a filter  30 . The filter frame  140  has walls  145 ,  146 ,  147  and  148  with a flange  143  running around the top perimeter. The filter frame  140  also has handles  144  attached to the top of the flange for easily removing the filter frame  140  from the insert housing  10 . Filter  30  with its wire frame  31  can be supported on flange  143 . The filters  30  may thus be easily removed and cleaned or replaced. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7  an inlet  50  has a inlet frame  51  with a grate  52  thereon. An optional curb box  53  allows water to enter curb inlet  54  along the curb wall  56  when water carrying debris is running down the street  57 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  the grate  52  is lifted out of the inlet frame  51  and insert housing  10  can then be dropped into the inlet frame  51 . The grate  52  can then be placed on top of the flange  11  of the insert housing  10  to hold the insert housing in place. When it is desired to remove the temporary trap  100  the grate  52  is removed and the insert housing  10  is lifted out of the inlet frame  51 . In this manner the temporary trap  100  may be temporarily added to the inlet  50  to prevent debris from entering the sewer. The grate  52  can be lifted and the debris removed, on a regular maintenance schedule, after each rainstorm, or when the baskets  40  become clogged. Alternatively a filter  30  can be inserted into the baskets  40  or filter frame  140  to trap smaller pieces of debris, oils, salts or chemicals by removing the grate  52 . The filters  30  may be easily removed and cleaned or replaced. 
     In other embodiments the shapes of the inlet frame  50  may vary from rectangular to square or round and may be moved from adjacent to the curb to the middle of the street. The inlet frame  51  and baskets  40  and silt filter  30  will change shape accordingly. For example in  FIGS. 9 and 10  a square two basket insert housing  90  is shown inserted in inlet frame  200 . In this embodiment there is a large mouth  95  for overflow into the sewer. The mouth  95  has a base at base plate  98 , which is even with the top of baskets  40 . The large area of the mouth  95  weakens the insert housing  90  as compared with the front and side walls which have smaller overflow ports  18 . A support rod  92  is therefore attached between the base plate  98  and the face plate  96  to add strength to insert housing  90  at the mouth  95 . Similarly  FIGS. 11 and 12  show a round insert housing  110  having a basket flange  111  for holding baskets  40 . A large mouth area  115  is used for overflow. The mouth  115  has a base  114  and a roof mouth  116 . As shown, inlet insert  120  is a separate piece added the insert housing  110 . The inlet insert  120  has legs  121  for fitting into receiving portion  122  of insert housing  110 . The inlet insert  120  fits into inlet frame  130 . 
     In some embodiments a casting curb inlet  91 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , is used to allow water running along a curb into the sewer. The water enters curb inlet opening  93  in casting curb inlet  91  and then flows through large mouth  95  in the two basket square insert  90  and into baskets  40  which may have filters  30  therein to separate out debris, silts, sand, oils, salts or chemicals. 
     The filters  30  may be bags, which can be removed and tied off at the top to trap the debris, oils, salts, or chemicals inside. 
     The temporary trap  100  is preferably made out of a plastic material or other material, which is inexpensive and disposable. 
     Although a wire frame  31  or a suitable connection to the handles on the basket is used to support the cloth filter  32  any kind of a frame or support for the cloth filter  32  can be used to keep the cloth in a shape for use with the insert housing  10 . 
     In the embodiments shown the baskets  40  and the filter frames  140  have a rectangular shape however they could be circular or any other shape. 
     Although the specification above refers to catch basins, the invention can be used with storm, sanitary and catch basins. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.