Indiana Patent of the Month – April 2021

Drainage systems for manholes have water flowing from an inlet pipe to an outlet pipe.The water carries solids, sediments, and other contaminants. This detritus builds up in the manhole over time and are eventually removed. However, while they are there, they impact the flow rate of water and often get picked back up by the water and get carried downstream – defeating the whole purpose. S&M Precast, Inc. knew they could design an improved drain system which would remove these limitations. 

The design uses a manhole with an inlet and outlet, as well as arcuate baffles. Arcuate baffles are curved devices which can direct or restrain the flow of a fluid. They are positioned within the manhole just past the inlet and just before the outlet forming a type of wall with holes. This disperses and guides the water flow. This guided water flow ensures that the deposited detritus is not picked back up and is unable to flow through the outlet and head downstream. This design provides improved water drainage and reduces the risk of overflowing a manhole.

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