Drainage support apparatus

Abstract

A drainage support apparatus and culvert drain inlet adapter. In accordance with one embodiment, the drainage support apparatus includes a substantially rigid conduit support member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces and an open channel slot running the length of the conduit support member. The apparatus further includes water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of the conduit support member such that the water-permeable barriers substantially prevent aggregate material contained within the apparatus from passing through the open longitudinal ends of the conduit support member. In an alternate embodiment, a culvert pipe inlet adapter of the present invention includes a frame member having a raised drain orifice, and further includes sheet members extending in a saddle-like manner from each of the two lateral sides of the frame member. The inlet adapter can be fitted lengthwise onto a suitably apertured culvert pipe section in a manner such that the culvert pipe is backfill buried while the drain inlet orifice remains above ground.

1 . A culvert inlet adapter for a longitudinally extensive culvert pipe having a longitudinally extensive slot orifice disposed therein, said adapter comprising: 
 a longitudinally extensive frame member having a raised drain inlet orifice; and    sheet members extending in a saddle-like manner from each of two lateral sides of said frame member to position said frame member on top of a longitudinally extensive culvert pipe,    whereby fluid passes down through said culvert inlet adaptor and into said culvert pipe.    
   
   
       2 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 1 , further comprising coupling straps for securely coupling said frame member and sheet members to the surface of a culvert pipe.  
   
   
       3 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 1 , wherein each of said sheet members extends downwardly in a flexible manner on opposing lateral sides of said frame member in a curved wing-like manner.  
   
   
       4 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 3 , wherein said sheet members extend from the base of or below the opposing lateral sides of said frame member.  
   
   
       5 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 1 , wherein said sheet members comprise corrugated sheet metal.  
   
   
       6 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 1 , wherein said frame member includes a drain cavity defined by said raised drain inlet orifice supported by lateral side support surfaces.  
   
   
       7 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 1 , wherein said raised drain inlet orifice is capped by a liquid permeable member.  
   
   
       8 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 7 , wherein said liquid permeable member comprises a perforated cap member.  
   
   
       9 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 7 , wherein said liquid permeable member comprises a drain grate.  
   
   
       10 . The culvert inlet adaptor of  claim 1 , further comprising aggregate material disposed within said frame member.  
   
   
       11 . The culvert inlet adaptor of  claim 10 , wherein said aggregate material comprises a loosely clustered mass of individual mineral-based particles.  
   
   
       12 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 11 , wherein said aggregate material comprises inert polystyrene particles.  
   
   
       13 . A culvert drain apparatus comprising: 
 a culvert pipe section having a longitudinally extensive slot orifice; and    a culvert inlet adapter longitudinally fitted onto said culvert pipe section over said slot orifice, said culvert drain inlet adapter comprising: 
 a frame member having a raised drain inlet orifice; and  
 a liquid permeable member disposed across said drain inlet orifice.  
   
   
   
       14 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said culvert inlet adapter further comprises two lateral sides and sheet members extending in a saddle-like manner from each of said two lateral sides of said frame member.  
   
   
       15 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said liquid permeable member comprises a perforated cap member.  
   
   
       16 . The culvert inlet adapter of  claim 13 , wherein said liquid permeable member comprises a drain grate.  
   
   
       17 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said frame member comprises a filtration drain box having liquid permeable upper and lower surfaces and liquid impermeable side support surfaces.  
   
   
       18 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising aggregate material contained within said filtration drain box.  
   
   
       19 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said aggregate material comprises a loosely clustered mass of individual mineral-based particles.  
   
   
       20 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said aggregate material comprises inert polystyrene particles.  
   
   
       21 . The culvert drain apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said frame member comprises a plurality of vertically stacked drain boxes having liquid permeable upper and lower surfaces and liquid impermeable side support surfaces.  
   
   
       22 . A method of installing a culvert drain apparatus comprising the steps of: 
 providing a longitudinally extensive slot orifice in a culvert pipe, said culvert pipe being partially buried such that the upper portion of the culvert pipe remains exposed;    positioning a culvert inlet adapter onto said culvert pipe section to cover said slot orifice, said culvert drain inlet adapter comprising a frame member having a raised drain inlet orifice and a liquid permeable member disposed across said drain inlet orifice; and    depositing backfill material about said culvert inlet adaptor such that the surface of said backfill material is equal to or above said liquid permeable member such that fluid will drain into said drain inlet orifice.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising the step of disposing an aggregate material within said frame member.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising securing said culvert inlet adaptor to said culvert pipe.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step of providing a longitudinally extensive slot orifice in a culvert pipe is performed prior to burial of the culvert pipe.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step of providing a longitudinally extensive slot orifice in a culvert pipe is performed after burial of the culvert pipe.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising the step of removing a portion of the backfill material covering said culvert pipe prior to said step of providing a longitudinally extensive slot orifice in said culvert pipe.