A method of arranging edgings as kerb elements for demarcation of roadway edges and the like

Abstract

 The invention concerns a method of arranging edgings as kerb-forming elements to demarcate roadway edges, pavements, footpaths and similar areas. The kerb element is in the form of an extruded hollow profile section (1, 1'), preferably made from aluminium. The section (1, 1') consists of a bottom portion (2), a front portion (3) and a top portion (4). Its back (5) is open. The bottom portion (2) is arranged to be secured to a support (6, 14, 17) and the hollow profile section (1, 1') is arranged to be filled with a fill (8) serving as ballast.

Description

[0001] The present invention concerns a method of arranging edgings as kerb elements to demarcate roadway edges, pedestrian pavements, footpaths and the like.

[0002] Traditionally kerb-stones made from hewn rock or concrete have been used as demarcation members to separate from each other areas used for different purposes, such as roadways with vehicle traffic from pedestrian footpaths or pavements, or terraced paths from flowerbeds in gardens. Rock stones, primarily granite, are generally used for this purpose, particularly for kerb-stones. Considering today's circumstances, this kind of stone does, however, suffer from several drawbacks. For instance, it is expensive to produce, partly because a great deal of the work thereon, such as the hewing, necessarily must be performed manually. The environmental disadvantages connected with for instance the various hewing and stone cutting operations are considerable, because the stone dust generated during these operations is detrimental to the health of the stone workers.

[0003] For these reasons, kerb-stones made from concrete have replaced hewn rock stones in many cases. Kerb-stones made from this material are less expensive to manufacture, calculated per linear meter, while at the same time they do not have the above-mentioned environmental drawbacks. However, in order to make the production profitable, heavy investments in machinery and equipment must be made for the casting of the kerb-stones. Kerb-stones made from concrete are, however, liable to crack and in this respect they therefore are less favourable than kerb-stones made from hewn rock.

[0004] In the use of both types of kerb-stone outlined in the aforegoing it is necessary to excavate a channel between the two areas that are to be separated, to stretch an alignment rope along the intended line of deposition, to deposit a bed of sand in the bottom of the excavated channel, to position the kerb-stones one by one in a successive row, butt end to butt end, to hammer each stone in position and finally to arrange fill around the row of kerb-stones thus formed and pack the fill firmly about the row of kerb-stones for stabilization.

[0005] The present invention provides a method that may be performed in a manner which is both much simpler and less expensive than the prior-art method described in the aforegoing and consequently results in a considerable reduction of labour costs. The characterizing features of the method appear from the main claim attached hereto.

[0006] The invention will be described in closer detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 shows a kerb element in accordance with the invention in a view obliquely from behind,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a kerb element positioned so as to separate for instance a pedestrian footpath from a grass-covered slope, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a particular application of the inventive object using curved kerb elements.

[0007] In accordance with the invention, the edging serving as a kerb element is an extruded hollow profile section 1, preferably made from a noncorrosive material, such as aluminium. The hollow profile section 1 is formed with a bottom portion 2, a front portion 3 and a top portion 4. The hollow profile section 1 has an open back 5 and the bottom portion 2 preferably projects rearwardly, past the open back. The hollow profile section 1 is extruded in lengths of one meter or more. The bottom portion 2 which could have any suitable cross-sectional configuration but which preferably is straight, is secured to the support 6 by means of nails 17 or similar fastening means.

[0008] The hollow profile section 1 is easy to transport to the site of deposition, since it weights a great deal less than kerb-stones of rock or of concrete. At the site of deposition no excavation need to be made. Instead, the support 6 - in this case e.g. a roadway - is paved with tarmac to a width slightly exceeding the width of the roadway proper. The hollow profile section 1 is then deposited on the flat tarmac surface and is secured thereto by nailing. Into the interior of the hollow profile section 1 fill 8 is then poured from the back of the section so as to fill the cavity therein entirely, which, in conjunction with the fastening effect provided by the nails, results in firm anchorage of the kerb element. A permanent surface layer, such as a layer of asphalt or tarmac 9, could thereafter be applied on top of the fill 8 in order to form e.g. a pedestrian pavement or footpath.

[0009] The material thickness of the hollow profile section 1 is comparatively small and this makes the profile section 1 easy to carry and handle in the deposition thereof in a row, one after the other. The fill 8 fills up the interior of the hollow profile section 1 and stabilizes the latter whereby it will be able to withstand subsequent pressure and impact without buckling or cracking. In accordance with one further development of the invention it may, however, be advisable to position vertical support stays 10 at equal spacings along one hollow profile length, these stays 10 supporting the top portion 4 of the hollow profile section 1 while the hollow profile interior thereof is being filled with fill 8. In this way, downwards sagging or bending of this portion is eliminated.

[0010] For further support, the support stays 10 preferably are provided with a further stay in the form of a cross bar 11 extending obliquely downwards from the upper part of the support stay to the rear part of the bottom portion 2, where it abuts against an upwardly bent edge 12 of that portion. A third reinforcement stay 13 forming a triangle together with the other two stays 10 and 11 could be attached between the latter.

[0011] The hollow profile lengths 1 are interconnected butt end to butt end, for instance with the aid of a simple flat bar which may be riveted to end portions of two adjoining hollow profile sections 1.

[0012] Fig. 2 shows an embodiment according to which the hollow profile section 1, like the one in accordance with the embodiment in Fig. 1, is deposited on a tarmac-paved surface 14 which may be e.g. a footpath, the hollow profile section forming the kerb or edge support against a grass- covered slope 15 or similar terraced grounds.

[0013] Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment according to which curved hollow profile lengths 1' are used. These lengths 1' are formed in direct connection with the manufacture thereof by extrusion and they keep this configuration from then on. A number of such curved hollow profile lengths 1' may, together, form a circular kerb edging which separates a cultivated area 16, e.g. in a park, from the surrounding asphalt-covered area 17.

[0014] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the aforegoing and illustrated in the drawings but several modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the appended claim. For instance, the hollow profile section 1, l' could be given a number of different cross-sectional shapes and in principle could also be given any desired curvature to serve as kerbing along a curved roadway edge or a road corner.

Claims

1. A method of arranging edgings as kerb-forming elements for demarcation of roadway edges, pedestrian pavements, footpaths and similar areas, said kerb element consisting of an extruded hollow profile section (1, 1'), preferably of aluminium, comprising a bottom portion (2), a front portion (3), a top portion (4) and an open back (5), characterized in that the bottom portion (2) is attached to a flat, or essentially flat, support, such as an asphalt-covered surface (6, 14, 17), and in that the hollow interior of the profile section (1, 1') is filled up with fill (8), such as earth, sand and gravel, after securement of the bottom portion (2) against the support.

Drawing