Modified soil-filled revetment

Abstract

Soil-filled barriers, normally filled with heavy equipment, can be made quickly effective against small arms fire by modifying each cell of a barrier line (wall) with internal closeable gates that allow users to manually shovel fill a small arms security position in 65% less time than manually filling a standard barrier. Select embodiments of the present invention include gates that are inexpensive and lightweight compared to alternatives and readily fielded, in some instances as a field expedient modification. In select embodiments of the present invention the gates may be integrated into fielded conventional barriers, including employing field expedient means, as well as incorporated into production lines of new barriers specifically for use by light military units that operate in restrictive terrain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved soil-filled revetment cell structure of interconnected panels, said improved cell structure comprising:
 a.) first and second end panels;   b.) a friendly side panel; and   c.) a hostile side panel;   wherein said cell structure is transformable between a flattened condition and an erected condition, wherein said erected condition of said cell structure defines an upright cell having corners with said first and second end panels forming first and second end walls and said friendly and hostile side panels forming friendly and hostile side walls, said end walls and said side walls being interconnected at said cell corners;   said side panels and said end panels are pivotally interconnected in both said flattened condition and said erected condition so as to allow said cage structure to be transformed from said flattened condition to said erected condition by relatively pivoting said end panels and said side panels;   wherein each said side panel is made up of pivotally interconnected side panel sections which lie folded in said flattened condition, and   d.) an interior panel section oriented in a plane substantially parallel to said side panels and between said side panels and comprised of at least two connectable gates, a first of said at least two gates pivotally interconnected to said first end panel and a second of said at least two gates pivotally interconnected to said second end panel, said interior panel interconnections to said end panels being at a distance closer to said friendly side panel than to said hostile side panel and, when said at least two connectable gates are in a connected condition, defining a friendly side section volume and a hostile side section volume of the cell, said friendly side section having a lesser volume than the hostile side section.   
     
     
         2 . The cell structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising a spacer element connecting said interior panel said friendly side panel. 
     
     
         3 . The cell structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said friendly side volume is filled with dirt or sand. 
     
     
         4 . A revetment wall formed from a plurality of the cells of  claim 3 . 
     
     
         5 . The revetment wall of  claim 4  wherein the end panels are shared between adjacent cells. 
     
     
         6 . The revetment wall of  claim 4  wherein the cell is field-assembled from a plurality of (n+1) cells supplied with no interior panels, and the interior panel is formed from pieces of a side panel from an (n+2) cell which is not used in said wall. 
     
     
         7 . The cell structure according to  claim 1  wherein the distance between the friendly side panel and the interior panel is at least one foot. 
     
     
         8 . The cell structure according to  claim 1  wherein the distance between the friendly side panel and the interior panel is approximately one foot. 
     
     
         9 . The cell structure according to  claim 1  wherein the friendly side section takes at least 65% less time to shovel fill than the entire volume of the cell, that is, the volumes of both the friendly side and the hostile side. 
     
     
         10 . The cell structure according to  claim 9  providing ballistic protection from a weapon selected from the group consisting of an AK-47 (7.62×39), a 7.62×63 sniper rifle, the Dragunov sniper rifle (7.62×54) and the FN M240 machine gun (7.62×51NATO). 
     
     
         11 . A method of constructing an improved soil-filled revetment cell structure of interconnected panels, said improved cell structure comprising:
 a.) providing first and second end panels;   b.) providing a friendly side panel; and   c.) providing a hostile side panel;   wherein said cell structure is transformable between a flattened condition and an erected condition, wherein said erected condition of said cell structure defines an upright cell having corners with said first and second end panels forming first and second end walls and said friendly and hostile side panels forming friendly and hostile side walls, said end walls and said side walls being interconnected at said cell corners;   said side panels and said end panels are pivotally interconnected in both said flattened condition and said erected condition so as to allow said cage structure to be transformed from said flattened condition to said erected condition by relatively pivoting said end panels and said side panels,   wherein each said side panel is made up of pivotally interconnected side panel sections which lie folded in said flattened condition, and taking said transported cell and placing said transported cell into an erected condition;   d.) providing an interior panel section oriented in a plane substantially parallel to said side panels and between said side panels and comprised of at least two connectable gates, connecting a first of said at least two gates pivotally to said first end panel and connecting a second of said at least two gates pivotally to said second end panel, said interior panel interconnections to said end panels being at a distance closer to said friendly side panel than to said hostile side panel and, when said at least two connectable gates are in a connected condition, defining a friendly side section volume and a hostile side section volume of the cell, said friendly side section having a lesser volume than the hostile side section; and connecting said at least two gates to form said interior panel section.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of using a spacer element to connect said interior panel said friendly side panel. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of filling said friendly side volume with dirt or sand. 
     
     
         14 . A method of forming a revetment wall by placing a plurality of the cells of  claim 13  together in an end to end relationship. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the end panels are shared between adjacent cells. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the cell is field-assembled from a plurality of (n+1) cells supplied with no interior panels, and the interior panel is provided by taking pieces of a side panel from an (n+2) cell which is not used in said wall. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the distance between the friendly side panel and the interior panel is at least one foot. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the distance between the friendly side panel and the interior panel is approximately one foot. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the friendly side section of a cell takes at least 65% less time to shovel fill than the entire volume of said cell, that is, the volumes of both the friendly side and the hostile side. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein said cell provides ballistic protection from a weapon selected from the group consisting of an AK-47 (7.62×39), a 7.62×63 sniper rifle, the Dragunov sniper rifle (7.62×54) and the FN M240 machine gun (7.62×51NATO).