Ships – Fenders
Patent
1987-02-09
1988-12-06
Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
Ships
Fenders
114362, 182196, 182 70, B63B 5902
Patent
active
047889268
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to fenders and has for its object to provide
a fender which may be used also as a life-saving equipment. The inventive concept is based on the following factual circumstances and conclusions.
When a person falls overboard from a boat the usual method of assisting him is from the boat to through out a life-buoy or the one end of a rope. This obviously requires that aboard the boat there is some individual which both becomes aware of the situation and is capable of taking suitable measures. Consequently, these conditions are not satisfied when the person who has fallen into the water was either the only one aboard or accompanied by small children only. It may even occur that the accident is not observed if the other persons aboard are either asleep or the environmental conditions suppress cries for help, e.g. during extreme weather conditions or when there is a high background noise. Such a situation becomes especially critical when the water temperature is low because a person in the water may then become unconscious after 5-10 minutes. Consequently, there exists a need of making it possible for a person, who has fallen overboard from a boat, without any assistance from others to return aboard. The inventive concept is based on the realization that a fender, suspended at the side of a boat, can be given another function in addition to its primary one, namely be arranged so that it may also serve as a ladder. It should already here be underlined that the function of the device may be very different according to different embodiments of the invention and the local conditions, especially the distance of the fender from the water surface, the freeboard of the boat etcetera. However, a device according to the invention always provides a possibility quickly to grip an object which is located between the water surface and the boat deck and which, at least in the majority of cases, makes it possible for the person in the water himself to climb back aboard .
The invention will now be described in greater detail by reference to the drawing illustrating two embodiments thereof.
FIG. 1 shoes diagrammatically a section of the one side of a boat having two fenders according to the first embodiment of the invention. The one fender is shown in its normal position and the other one in its activated state. To the left there is a figure showing, on a greater scale, a vertical section through the fender.
FIG. 2 illustrates the second embodiment of the invention.
In FIG. 1 there have been shown two fenders 1, each suspended in a line 2. The fender to the left is in its normal position, whereas the fender to the right is activated. The fender comprises an upper portion 3 and a lower portion 4 which normally are held together by a snapping action, e.g. in the way that the lower portion has an annular ridge cooperating with a groove in the upper portion as shown at 5 in the enlarged sectional view to the left. According to the embodiment of FIG. 1 the upper portion 3 has an inner cavity housing a rope ladder 6. The upper portion has an aperture 7 for the suspending line 2 and a greater aperture 8 which may serve as a footstep. Also the lower portion 4 has such a footstep aperture 9.
The mode of operation of the device shown in FIG. 1 is as follows. When a person in the water wants to use the device he inserts one hand into the aperture 9 and pulls downwards. This releases the snapping lock 5 whereby the lower portion 4 falls down, now connected with the upper portion by means of the rope ladder 6. The person in distress may then use the aperture 9, the rope ladder 6 and the aperture 8 to climb back aboard. It should be observed that it is not necessary for component 6 to be shaped like a conventional rope ladder. Thus, it may alternatively consist of a single line having loops or other suitable means which may serve as footsteps.
In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 the fender 1 is not divided into two portions as was the case in FIG. 1. It may actually to a great extent be of conventional design. H
REFERENCES:
patent: 2072387 (1937-03-01), Sneed
patent: 2722359 (1955-11-01), Craft
patent: 3026548 (1962-03-01), Dollinger
patent: 3411166 (1968-11-01), Kimmel
patent: 4376419 (1983-03-01), Heilskov
patent: 4494474 (1985-01-01), Saito
Aust Fredrik
Ullman Johan M.
Peters Jr. Joseph F.
Swinehart Edwin L.
Ullman Johan
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