Ships – Mooring device – Line type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-23
2001-05-08
Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)
Ships
Mooring device
Line type
C114S230270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227136
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for securing floating objects to a stationary support. More particularly it relates to methods and apparatus for automatically adjusting a floating object restraining system to compensate for the effects of tidal motion upon the floating objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Boats, when not sailing, are typically anchored to the sea floor or moored to a heavy weight on the sea floor, or secured to a dock. In the case of anchoring or mooring there must be slack in the anchor line or mooring line to accommodate tidal motion which raises and lowers the boat relative to the sea floor and to avoid upward forces that could dislodge the anchor or mooring. This slack necessitates that the boat have room to move without colliding into other boats. On the other hand, a boat may be secured to a dock that is not itself subject to tidal motion. It is not desirable to attach the boat to the dock with a slack rope, since that will both allow the boat to take up more space at the dock and to slam into the dock in response to shifting wind and currents. Unless the lines securing the boat to the dock are constantly adjusted to maintain the boat in its safely docked position, the mooring lines will become too loose or too tight with the changing tides, moving the boat around and causing damage as the boat floats into the dock. It is necessary therefore to arrange that as the tide rises and falls the ropes securing the boat to the dock take up their slack in the rope. This has been accomplished in the past by a system of pulleys and weights. That system, however, suffers from the drawback that it requires the boat to carry the weights needed for tying to the dock. Those weights must be heavy enough to provide a tension in the line great enough to restrain the boat. Carrying such weights is a significant inconvenience, especially in a small boat
Thus, it is desirable to provide a lightweight, compact weight and pulley system that automatically adjusts mooring lines to keep floating objects in place against a dock or seawall to accommodate changing water levels.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,972 discloses a mooring device using a rope attached to weight to compensate for tidal motion. U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,884 discloses a boat moored to a floating dock where both the dock and the boat are moored with weight that compensate for tidal motion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,009 shows a weight bag which is water filled. None of these references suggest the combination of water filled weight bags with mooring systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, there is provided an automatically adjusting restraint system for floating objects such as boats or piers comprising water filled weight bags, a pulley system and lines. The pulley is secured either to the stationary dock or to the floating object, such as a pier or boat. The line is run between the stationary object, the floating object and the water filled weight so that any slack in the line caused by the motion of the floating object is taken up by the water filled weight.
The water bag can be filled to various levels to provide different amounts of tension in the line according to the size or desired position of the object to be secured.
The water weight bag is made of a soft, durable and lightweight material that can be folded into a small manageable size for storage in small spaces.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2440972 (1948-05-01), Peltier
patent: 3060884 (1962-10-01), Wood
patent: 4357009 (1982-11-01), Baker
patent: 4690399 (1987-09-01), Hayashi
patent: 5265553 (1993-11-01), Brydges
patent: 6099441 (2000-08-01), Bonnet
Gottlieb Rackman & Reisman P.C.
Swinehart Ed
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