Hydraulic and earth engineering – Marine structure or fabrication thereof – Structure protection
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2002-12-31
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Marine structure or fabrication thereof
Structure protection
C405S211000, C114S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499915
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices interposed between boats and pilings to which the boats are moored. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices especially adapted to prevent boats from being damaged by the pilings as the boats rise and fall in the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a boat is in the water and moored to a pile or piling, there is a risk that the boat may be damaged by the piling as the boat rises and fall in the water. The risk of damage is especially acute in times of rapidly rising and falling water, such as occurs in storms. Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to devices which help prevent a boat from being damaged by pilings during times of rising and falling water, and the following patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,598 of Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,209 of Giese, U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,779 of Jaynes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,576 of Mills, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,757 of Diagiacomo.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,598 of Soderberg discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, a pair of poles that are driven into earth under a body of water are fitted with floats that ride up and down on the poles as the boat rises and falls. in the water. The boat is moored to the floats. Driving poles into the earth under a body of water requires considerable effort. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not require driving poles into the earth under a body of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,209 of Giese discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, an upward extender is attached to the side of a dock, and a descending tube is attached to the upward extender. The boat is moored to the descending tube, and the boat rises and falls in the water with its mooring roped sliding up and down on the descending tube. With the Giese device, each dock must be equipped with a device. As a practical matter, most docks are not actually equipped with such a device. In terms of practicality, it would be desirable if a device that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water can be portable and carried along in the boat so that the device would be readily available each time the boat is ready to dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,779 of Jaynes discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, a C-shaped upward/downward extender is attached with U-shaped clamps to the side of a dock, and a cable is attached between opposite ends of the C-shaped upward/downward extender. A sleeve slides on the cable, and a boat is moored to the sleeve. Portions of the C-shaped upward/downward extender can be disassembled when not in use. When the boat rises and falls in the water, the sleeve rises and falls along the cable. With this device, a sleeve is constantly riding up and down on a cable. There is a degree of frictional contact between the sleeve and the cable, and each time the sleeve rides on the cable, the frictional contact causes wear and tear on the sleeve and the cable. To avoid such wear and tear, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not use a sleeve that rides up and down on a cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,576 of Mills discloses a device with which a boat can be moored and float up and down in water. With the device, a tripod is attached to the top of a dock, and a descending post is attached to the tripod. A carriage is supported on the descending post, and a boat is moored to the carriage. When the boat rises and falls in the water, the carriage rises and falls along the descending post. With this device, a carriage is constantly riding up and down on a descending post. There is a degree of frictional wear and tear between moving parts within the carriage each time the carriage rides on the descending post. To avoid such wear and tear, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not employ a carriage which has internal moving parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,757 of Diagiacomo discloses a piling extender in FIGS. 11 and 12. The piling extender appears to be received telescopically on the piling. The piling extender is not strapped onto the piling. The piling extender is a one-piece structure that is not collapsible. A top bracket is located at the top of the piling extender, and a bottom bracket is attached to a portion of the piling below the level of the dock. Cables extend between the top bracket and the bottom bracket. A pulley assembly is carried by the cable, and a boat is moored to the pulley assembly. When the boat rises and falls in the water, the pulley assembly rises and falls along the cable. The pulleys in the pulley assembly have moving parts as the pulley assembly rises and falls along the cable as the boat rises and falls in the water. As discussed above in relation to U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,576, there is frictional wear and tear between moving parts as the parts move as the boat rises and falls in the water. To avoid such wear and tear, it would be desirable if a device were provided that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and falling water which does not employ a pulley assembly which has internal moving parts.
In addition, it is noted that U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,757 employs a piling extender that fits onto the top of a piling in a substantially permanent way. In this respect, that piling extender is not portable. Moreover, that piling extender is not collapsible, and as such, is not suitable for being carried on a boat for use on docks and pilings wherever the boat docks.
In addition to the patents discussed above, the following patents may also be of interest: U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,363 of James and U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,364 of Darder-Alomar.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,363 of James discloses a mooring fender that straps onto a portion of a piling that extends above a dock. The fender does not extend above the top of the piling. The boat is not moored to the fender.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,364 of Darder-Alomar discloses a protective fender that straps onto a portion of a piling that extends above and below a dock. The fender does not extend above the top of the piling. The boat is not moored to the fender.
With respect to the patents discussed above, it is noted that none of those patents discloses a piling extender which is collapsible for portability and storage. In this respect, these are key features of the present invention.
Still other features would be desirable in a portable piling extender apparatus. For example, for a portable piling extender apparatus, it would be desirable if the apparatus were easily attached to and removed from a piling. In addition, for securing the straps to a piling, it would be desirable if strap buckles or clamps are provided for strongly securing the straps to the piling. In addition, when a piling extender portion is attached to a unit is attached to the piling, it would be desirable if the piling extender portion and the piling-attached unit were locked together.
A piling, in a horizontal cross-sectional plane, is generally round in cross-section. On the other hand, in a horizontal cross-sectional plane, the rubrail of a boat is generally linear in cross-section. With this in mind, to be more compatible with the linear horizontal cross-section of the rubrail, it would be desirable if the horizontal cross-section of a piling extender provides a generally linear contact region with the rubrail of the boat.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use a device that prevents a boat from being damaged during times of rising and fall
Pechhold Alexandra
Pezzuto Robert E.
Towsend Marvin S.
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