Ships – Mother ship – floating landing platform – and harbor – Floating boat dock
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2001-10-02
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3617)
Ships
Mother ship, floating landing platform, and harbor
Floating boat dock
C114S230230, C114S230270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295944
ABSTRACT:
U.S. PATENTS REVIEWED
3952684
April, 1976
Ferguson
114/230.2
4028899
June, 1977
Carmichael
61/48
4399959
august, 1983
Godsoe
242/195
4656961
April, 1987
Hellkamp
114/230
4926776
May, 1990
Corbett
114/263
5341757
August, 1994
Digiacomo
114/230
5657832
August, 1997
Stevens
182/1
4488501
December, 1984
Kratt
114/230
4493283
January, 1985
Elliott
114/263
5165823
November, 1992
Cupples
405/219
5173067
December, 1992
Biba
441/26
5265553
November, 1993
Brydges
114/230
5282435
February, 1994
Chapman
114/263
5819679
October,1998
Bonate
114/230
5944451
August, 1999
Martin
405/218
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to floating boat docks and the means of securing these docks against the action of wind and waves and of maintaining these docks at more or less constant positions relative to a moving shoreline resulting from changes in water level.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Floating boat docks are a very popular means of providing access to boats. In many reservoirs, the water level can vary drastically, changing by as much as 25 ft. In these cases, a fixed boat dock is not practical and a floating boat dock is the only option.
Most floating docks are accessed by means of a bridge or floating walkway. The bridge or floating walkway is typically of a fixed length, say 30 ft. Thus, it is desirable to maintain the floating dock at a fixed distance from the moving shoreline so that the end of the bridge is supported by and accessible from dry land. This requires that the dock move both horizontally and vertically in response to changes in water level. For a reservoir or lake with a bottom grade of 25%, a water level change of 25 ft. would require that the dock move 25 ft. in the vertical direction and 100 ft. in the horizontal direction in order to maintain a constant distance from the shoreline.
Floating boat docks are typically held in place against a shoreline by means of cables and stand-offs. The cables are attached to earth anchors and wound onto take-up winches on the dock. The earth anchors are embedded in the earth above the high water level. The stand-offs are rigid, adjustable legs, typically of structural steel, extending from the dock in the direction of the shore. Cable is taken up onto the winches until the stand-offs are brought into contact with the shore or the bottom of the body of water. In this position, the stand-offs prevent the dock from moving toward the shore and the cables prevent the dock from moving away from the shore. The cables provide tensile elements while the stand-offs provide the balancing compression elements.
This system functions well for maintaining the dock in a constant position relative to the shoreline as long as water level remains constant. When water level changes, however, the dock must be manually adjusted. When water level falls, the stand-offs must be raised, cable must be paid out, the stand-offs must be reset and the cables retensioned. When water level rises, the cables must be taken in until the stand-offs are again in contact with the shore or bottom. Failure to make the adjustments or to make them in a timely manner will result in the floating dock grounding out, i.e. coming to rest on the lake floor, which is damaging to the floatation elements, or developing slack in its mooring cables, which can permit it to swing into other docks, boats or obstacles.
The prior art includes a system for mooring a floating boat dock utilizing cables under constant tension. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,451) This system utilizes cables attached to the floor of the body of water beneath the floating dock and taken up or paid out by constant torque reels mounted under the dock. There is no stand-off or any compression element. This system serves to adjust the floating dock vertically in response to changes in water level. Horizontal motion, however, is prevented by the multiple, downward cables. Indeed, it is stated as an objective of the invention to maintain the dock in its original horizontal position.
The prior art also includes a means of addressing the required horizontal motion of a floating dock. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,435) This system utilizes a cable anchored both on the shore above the high water level and to the floor of the body of water below the low water level. The portion of the cable extending from the dock into the water can, however, pose a hazard to boaters, swimmers, divers, etc. In addition, the ratchet mechanism included to serve as an adjustable stand-off, which must operate in a hostile environment, may present reliability problems due to parts that must move through a wide range of motion and may become mired in the floor of the body of water.
There is a need for a floating boat dock tethering system that would accommodate both vertical and horizontal motion without manual adjustment of cable tension and stand-off position. It is the object of this invention to provide a means of securing a floating boat dock to the shore of a body of water that will automatically and reliably accommodate both vertical and horizontal motion of the dock to maintain the position of the boat dock relative to the moving shoreline, requiring no intervention of the dock owner or operator, utilizing cable attachments to the shore only.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a means of securing a floating boat dock against the action of wind, waves, etc, and of maintaining the floating dock at a more or less constant position relative to the shoreline. Changes in water level produce changes in the location of the shoreline that can cause a floating dock to ground out, a condition in which the dock comes to rest on the floatation elements, or to float freely and possible collide with other docks, boats, etc. It is the goal of the present invention to maintain a floating dock at a more or less constant position and orientation relative to a shoreline without the requirement that the dock owner or operator make adjustments to either the cables that prevent the dock from drifting away from the shore or to stand-offs that prevent the dock from moving too close to shore. Furthermore, it is desired to accomplish these goals reliably and safely, without posing a risk of injury to those around the invention.
The present invention accomplishes these goals by coupling constant force springs to a cable take-up spool and to a rolling ground contact element. Constant force springs are known in the prior art and come in several forms. A commercially available type from Hunter Spring Co. called the Negator takes the form of a thin metal strip, preformed to wrap around a spool. When forced to wrap around a second spool in the opposite direction, a torque is exerted on both spools to rewind the strip in its preferred direction. This provides a constant torque throughout a large range of motion. These springs can be manufactured to provide desired combinations of force and stroke. They can also be combined to provide greater force than could be developed by a single spring.
The rolling ground contact element remains in contact with the floor of the body of water and prevents the cable tension from pulling the dock too close to shore, where floatation elements could contact the bottom or there may not be adequate water depth for boats to approach the dock. The rolling ground contact elements are mechanically coupled to the cable take-up system such that rotation of the take-up spool must be accompanied by rotation of the rolling ground contact element and vice versa. The sense of the connection is such that rotation of the take-up spool to pay out cable is accompanied by rotation of the ground contact element to promote movement of the dock away from the shoreline. Conversely, rotation of the take-up spool to take in cable is accompanied by rotation of the ground contact element to promote movement of the dock closer to the shore.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2952236 (1960-09-01), Moyes
patent: 3050947 (1962-08-01), Burton
patent: 3088287 (1963-05-01), Berry
patent: 3683838 (1972-08-01), Godbersen
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