AMENDUNI, Nicola (Via Motton San Lorenzo 32, Vicenza, I-36100, IT)
CLAIMS
1. A fixing assembly particularly for sheet-like cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water, characterized in that it comprises at least one tank which is adapted to be partly immersed in water, at least one duct which protrudes toward the outside of said tank and is adapted to accommodate at least one tool for fixing connecting means of said sheet-like cladding system, and at least one movement means for said tank, said duct and said tank being completely watertight.
2. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1 , characterized in that said tank is adapted to accommodate at least one worker.
3. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1, characterized in that said tank comprises at least one side wall of the transparent type.
4. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 3, characterized in that said tank comprises at least one hole in said transparent side wall.
5. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that a first end of said duct is fixed hermetically to the outside of said tank at said hole. 6. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1 , characterized in that said tank comprises means for the entry and exit of said worker.
7. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 6, characterized in that said entrance and exit means are of the type of a ladder fixed to said tank.
8. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1 , characterized in that said duct is made of resilient material.
9. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 8, characterized in that said duct comprises a wall for positioning said tool for fixing. 10. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claims 1 and 9, characterized in that said fixing tool is connected detachably inside said connecting duct at said positioning wall.
1 1. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 10, characterized in that said positioning wall has at least one unidirectional membrane, which is adapted to render said duct watertight.
12. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1 , characterized in that said fixing tool is of the power screwdriver type.
13. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1 , characterized in that said fixing tool is of the nail gun type.
14. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 1 , characterized in that said movement means is of the floating type.
15. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 14, characterized in that said movement means is a boat which drags said tank. 16. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 15, characterized in that said tank has means for engagement with said movement means.
17. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one element for closing said tank.
18. The fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water according to claim 17, characterized in that it comprises at least one breathing apparatus connected to said closure element and suitable to connect the environment inside said tank to the outside environment above the free surface of the water.
19. The fixing assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tank is provided with ballasting means at its bottom.
20. The fixing assembly according to claim 19, characterized in that it comprises pumping means for loading said ballasting means with water.
21. The fixing assembly according to claim 19, characterized in that said ballasting means comprise an interspace arranged at the bottom of said tank.
22. A method for fixing particularly sheet-like cladding systems for parts immersed in water of architectural structures, comprising the steps of: arranging in the water a waterproof tank provided with walls which rise above the free surface of the water and with at least one duct which is connected hermetically to said tank and protrudes toward the outside of said tank and is adapted to accommodate at least one tool for fixing connecting means of said sheet-like cladding system; and connecting to said tank at least one means for moving said tank. |
FIXING ASSEMBLY PARTICULARLY FOR SHEET-LIKE CLADDING SYSTEMS FOR ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES FULLY OR PARTLY IMMERSED IN WATER Technical Field The present invention relates to a fixing assembly particularly for sheet-like cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water.
The invention is useful particularly but not exclusively for fixing and monitoring cladding systems of architectural structures or other objects fully or partly immersed in water. For these cladding systems, which must preserve existing buildings, bridges and the like against corrosion and erosion caused by water, it is necessary to provide a specific system for assembly while fully or partially immersed. Background Art
Some structures, such as buildings, bridges or roads, in some cities of the world are constantly or frequently exposed to the action of, or even immersed completely in, salt or fresh water. There is, for example, the case of cities located in the vicinity or in the middle of actual lagoons of brackish water or in the vicinity of strips of land which are, however, subject to flooding due to tidal rises or to rises in the level of the water for various reasons.
In all these cases, the problem arises of monitoring these architectural structures and preserving them from water. In particular, these structures are generally made of concrete or reinforced concrete or other material commonly used in the building sector. These materials, even when they are reinforced or coated with an additional protective layer of concrete, as often occurs in these cases, are still not suitable to resist for long periods when they are immersed in water and have limited resistance to mechanical erosion caused by water and augmented by any wave motion.
In the case of cities like Venice, which, as is known, is completely built on water and has a wealth of navigable canals, wave motion is caused
not only by the conditions of the sea in itself but is often increased, especially in the navigable canals that cross the city, by the passage of watercraft. This wave motion exposes to erosion any building, pillar or bridge located close to these canals. It is also known that the water level is not constant in lagoon cities, since it varies often through the year due to natural phenomena.
Accordingly, the preservation and monitoring of the condition of existing or developing architectural resources that are partly or fully immersed in water is an important problem. One of the most effective protection systems for architectural structures immersed in water is to clad the part in contact with water of the building, bridge, pillar or other structure with particular plates or layers of impermeable material, which exhibit in any case a greater resistance than the architectural structure to erosion by moving water and corrosion caused by water.
In any case, these protective devices have to be fitted directly onto the submerged part of the architectural structures to be protected, and since they are auxiliary structures of the building to be protected, it must be possible to monitor them and replace them when needed. Currently, cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water are fixed by specialized workers, who use underwater gear and are equipped with suitable breathing apparatuses and compensation systems and dive to fix such protective claddings to the wall or pillar to be protected.
These known types of system for fixing sheet-like claddings are not free from drawbacks, which include the fact that the worker who must fix the cladding systems, which are immersed in water, must be specialized for diving.
Another drawback lies in the work environment in which the worker is immersed, which is subjected to the interference and limitations that the environment and the diving equipment impose on the worker.
Another drawback left unsolved by known types of system is that the worker, by being subjected to pressures and temperatures which differ from ambient conditions, is forced to perform the work, especially if it consists of large surfaces to be clad, in several work sessions which include pauses suitable to restore the optimum conditions needed for the health of the worker. Disclosure of the Invention
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks noted above in known types of fixing system particularly for claddings of architectural structures immersed in water, by providing a fixing assembly particularly for systems for cladding architectural structures immersed in water which allows the worker to perform fixing in less time and in comfortable work conditions, without thereby requiring a specific specialization as a diver. Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to keep the work area of the worker at ambient pressure and temperature conditions and with sufficient ventilation.
Another object of the invention is to allow the worker who must fix the cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water to have a dry work station and to perform the operation by using ordinary fixing tools. Another object of the present invention is to allow the worker to cover even extensive surfaces with a single work session.
This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present fixing assembly particularly for sheet-like cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water, characterized in that it comprises at least one tank which is adapted to be partly immersed in water, at least one duct which protrudes toward the outside of said tank and is adapted to accommodate at least one tool for fixing connecting means of said sheet-like cladding system, and at least one movement means for said tank, said duct and said tank being completely
watertight.
Brief description of the Drawings
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the fixing assembly particularly for cladding systems for architectural structures immersed in water, shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic and partially sectional side view of the fixing assembly, according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the fixing assembly.
Ways of carrying out the Invention
According to a preferred embodiment, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an entire fixing assembly, which is connected to a fixing tool 30 and floats in the water proximate to a building 3 against which sheet-like claddings 2 are arranged which are to be fixed to the submerged part of the building 3. The fixing assembly 1 is constituted by a tank 10, which in a preferred embodiment has such dimensions as to fully contain at least one worker P in an upright position, standing on the bottom of the tank 10. The tank 10 is for example shaped like a parallelepiped, is completely watertight and comprises at least one side wall 1 1 of the transparent type, made for example of glass or other transparent and waterproof material, and a tough bottom 13, which is suitable to support the worker P and has for example a cladding of antislip material. Entrance and exit means 14, for example of the ladder type, adapted to facilitate the entry and exit from the tank 10 of the worker P, are fixed to the bottom 13 of the tank 10. A through hole 12 is formed in the transparent side wall 1 1; a first end of at least one duct 20, made for example of resilient material, is fixed externally to said wall and proximate to the hole 12 by way of fixing elements and sealing gaskets which are not shown in the figures. The connection between the tank 10 and
the duct 20 is kept watertight by said system of fixing elements and sealing gaskets. The second end of the duct 20 is closed by a positioning wall 23, which is adapted to accommodate at least one fixing tool 30. The connection between the tool 30 and the positioning wall 23 is kept watertight by a unidirectional membrane, not shown in the figure, which occupies the hole 24 formed in the positioning wall 23. The fixing tool 30 is interchangeable, depending on whether the connection means used to fix the cladding 2 to the building 3 are nails or ties; for example, nail guns or power screwdrivers, which are per se known to the person skilled in the art, are in fact used. At least one means 40 for moving the tank 10 is connected by way of engagement means 15 to the ladder 14, which is rigidly coupled to the tank 10. This movement means, in a preferred embodiment, is a boat, which comprises motor means and steering means which are adapted to move the tank 10 and position it proximate to the sheet-like cladding 2 to be fixed to the submerged architectural structure 3. In another embodiment, it is possible to provide an element for closing said tank, not shown in the figure, which contains a hole which is suitable to accommodate an appropriately provided breathing apparatus connected to the outside environment above the surface of the water. Advantageously, it is possible to provide, at the bottom of the tank
10, means for ballasting it, constituted for example by an interspace 50 which is adapted to be filled with water, by way of suitable pumping means, so as to increase the weight of the tank 10 and allow it to reach the chosen depth and stabilize at that depth. Briefly, the invention works as follows.
The fitting of sheet-like cladding panels 2 for architectural structures 3 having parts immersed in water occurs, according to the invention, by partly immersing in water the tank 10, which is connected to the boat 40; the worker P descends into said tank through the entrance and exit means 14. The worker P, thanks to the opening which leads outside, can thus work at
ambient pressure, avoiding the use of compensation equipment. The worker P, having reached the bottom of the tank 10, can grip the fixing tool 30, insert it in the duct 20 and in particular in the hole 24, formed in the positioning wall 23, through said unidirectional membrane, direct it, within a radius of action defined by the physical and geometric characteristics of the duct 20, and finally position it at the chosen work spot. The transparent wall 11 of the tank 10 allows to check easily and quickly the position of the tool 30 and also allows any inspection of the surface being worked. Once work has ended, the worker P is transferred to the next work spot by moving the tank 10, which is rigidly connected to the boat 40. This allows to provide a series of successive work operations continuously, keeping the worker within a substantially dry space and at ambient pressure and temperature conditions.
In practice it has been found that the invention thus conceived fully achieves the intended aim and objects. The device according to the invention allows the worker, without requiring a specific diving specialization for said worker, to perform fixing in a shorter time and in comfortable working conditions, particularly at ambient pressure and temperature conditions. Further, the system according to the present invention allows the worker to have a dry work station and to perform the fixing of the sheet-like cladding system by using ordinary fixing tools.
Another object achieved by the device according to the present invention is to allow the worker to cover even large surfaces with a single work session.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones. In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without
thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2006A001394 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
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