INFLATABLE PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR DOCKS

SYSTEME DE PROTECTION GONFLABLE POUR QUAIS

English Abstract

An inflatable dock protection system includes a plurality of adjacent inflatable tubes mounted to each other in closely adjacent parallel. arrays. The array may be disposed either horizontally, vertically, or inclined therebetween. Each inflatable tube in the array includes at least one inflatable inner tube journalled snugly within an outer flexible fabric sleeve. The outer sleeves of each tube and the entire array may be formed by front and back fabric sheets stitched along substantially parallel and spaced apart stitch lines or otherwise formed as seam-lines so as to define fabric sleeves therebetween into the inner sleeves of which may be inserted the inflatable inner tubes, and the outermost sleeves of which may be used as mounting flanges for mounting the array to a dock so that the array provides a resilient bumper for water-craft mooring along side the dock.

French Abstract

Un système de protection de quai gonflable comprend une pluralité de tubes gonflables adjacents fixés les uns aux autres en des ensembles parallèles étroitement adjacents. Lensemble peut être disposée à lhorizontale, à la verticale ou être incliné entre les deux. Chaque tube gonflable dans lensemble comprend au moins un tube intérieur gonflable tourillonné étroitement à lintérieur dun manchon en tissu flexible extérieur. Les manchons extérieurs de chaque tube et lensemble entier peuvent être formés par des feuilles de tissu avant et arrière cousues le long de lignes de couture essentiellement parallèles et espacées, ou être formés différemment, en tant que lignes de couture de manière à définir des manchons en tissu entre celles-ci dans les manchons intérieurs à lintérieur desquels les tubes intérieurs gonflables peuvent être insérés. Les manchons situés le plus à lextérieur peuvent servir de brides de fixation pour fixer lensemble à un quai afin que lensemble serve de butoir élastique pour une embarcation amarrée le long du quai.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. An inflatable dock protection system comprising a plurality of adjacent
inflatable tubes
mounted to each other in closely adjacent parallel arrays, wherein said array
includes
inflatable inner tubes contained within one or more outer flexible fabric
sleeves, and
wherein said outer sleeves of said array are formed by front and back fabric
sheets
stitched along substantially parallel and spaced apart stitch lines to form
seam-lines
defining said outer sleeves therebetween, and wherein said inflatable inner
tubes are
inserted into said outer sleeves and wherein said outer sleeves provide
mounting flanges
for mounting said array to an edge of a dock whereby said array provides a
resilient
bumper for water-crafting mooring alongside the dock.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more inner fabric
sleeves interleaved
between said inner tubes and corresponding said outer fabric sleeves for each
said
inflatable tube in said array.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein each said tube in said array is
independently
pneumatically sealed from other said tubes in said array, and each said array
is
independently pneumatically sealed from other said arrays protecting other
portions of
the dock, and further comprising an automatic inflation system include air-
compressor
connected to said arrays.
4. The system of claim 3 further comprising of air hoses and a splitter,
wherein said splitter
includes a manifold separating air feeding into separate said hoses and
corresponding said
arrays.
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Description

CA 02672456 2015-11-23
INFLATABLE PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR DOCKS
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of inflatable dock bumpers and in
particular to an
inflatable protection system for mounting to docks and the like.
Background of the Invention
In the prior art applicant is aware United States Patent No. 4,920,907 for a
Boat Dock
Bumper which issued to Richter on May I, 1990, wherein Richter states that
because of the
unstable nature of boats, particularly in rough waters, and the fixed
structures to which such
boats are normally docked, costly damage to the body or hull of the boat can
occur without
adequate protection. Even when the boars are securely tied to the docking
facility, the wake
from passing boats and waves due to weather can cause a docked boat to be
repeatedly thrown
against the docking facility. Since most docks are securely constructed of
steel, concrete and
wood to withstand the constant pounding of the water and the boats are subject
to the movement
of the water, the fiberglass material of most modern boats will be easily
damaged by direct
contact with the dock. In an attempt to protect the boats, various covering
materials are applied
to the docking facilities to prevent contact between the boat and fixed
structure. Simple and
inexpensive materials such as spare tires and carpeting have been utilized
although they require
frequent replacement and car mar the boat surface. More
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sophisticated cushions have been developed from foam rubber or vinyl which
secure directly
to the dock structure. Still others may be filled with air or water prior to
being mounted to the
dock for added cushioning. However, these cushions can lose their resilient
medium requiring
= removal and/or replacement.
In response Richter teaches a boat dock bumper which includes an elastic body
which is configured to conform to a specific portion of the docking facility,
the elastic body
forming a chamber adapted to be filled with air. The body including a valve
formed in the side
wall thereof such that the bumper can be reinflated even while secured to the
dock. The
bumper body includes at least one tubular opening through the chamber and
sealing formed
with the body to receive the fastening bolts for the bumper.
In the prior art applicant is also aware of United States Patent No. 4,970,980
for
a Inflatable Bumper System for Water Craft which issued to Eisner on November
20, 1990,
United States Patent no. 5,215,031 for Protect a Boat which issued to Inman et
al on June 1,
1993, United States Patent No. 6,161,494 for Bumper Device for Boats, Which is
Extremely
Simple to Use to Pontevolpe et al on December 19. 2000, United States Patent
No. 7,143,714
B1 for a Water Craft Inflatable Fender System to Schmidt on December 5, 2006,
and United
States Patent No. 7,182,034 B2 for a Offshore Floating Dock to Brine on
February 27, 2007.
Summary of the Invention
The inflatable dock protection system according to the present invention may
be characterized in one aspect as including a plurality of adjacent inflatable
tubes mounted to
each other in closely adjacent parallel arrays, and where the array may be
disposed either
horizontally, vertically, or inclined therebetween. Each inflatable tube in
the array includes at
least one inflatable inner tube journalled snugly within an outer flexible
fabric sleeve. The
outer sleeves of each tube and the entire array may be formed by front and
back fabric sheets
stitched along substantially parallel and spaced apart stitch lines or
otherwise formed as seam-
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lines so as to define fabric sleeves therebetween into the inner sleeves of
which may be
inserted the inflatable inner tubes, and the outermost sleeves of which may be
used as
mounting flanges for mounting the array to a dock along its edge so that the
array provides a
resilient bumper for water-craft mooring along side the dock.
In a preferred embodiment a further fabric sleeve is interleaved between the
inner tube and corresponding outer flexible fabric sleeve for each inflatable
tube in the array.
In the preferred system, each tube in the array is independently pneumatically
sealed from other tubes in the array, and each array is independently
pneumatically sealed
from other arrays protecting other portions of the dock, and an automatic
inflation system such
as an air-compressor set to for example lOpsi is connected to the arrays via
at least one air
hose. In one embodiment the air hose from the compressor is split by a
splitter such as a
manifold into separate air lines feeding separate tubes and separate arrays.
Brief Description of the Drawings
In the following figures similar characters of reference to note corresponding
parts in each view, wherein:
Figure I is, in perspective view, a conventional dock and prior art dock
bumper
system.
Figure 2 is, in partially cut-away plan view, a dock having a plurality of
fingers.
Figure 3 is, in an elevation view, a boat moored along side a dock equipped
with the inflatable bumpers according to the present invention.
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Figure 4 is the view of figure 1 wherein the dock is equipped with the
inflatable
bumpers according to the present invention.
Figure 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 in figure 4.
Figure 6 is, in plan view, the stitched sleeves when laid flat, according to
the
embodiment of figure 5.
Figure 7 is the sectional view of figure 8 in partially cut-away exploded
view.
Figure 8 is a cross sectional view along line 8-8 in figure 4.
Figure 9 is, in partially cut-away plan view, the tapered ends of the tube
sleeves
when laid flat and before the ends are folded over.
Figure 10 is, in partially cut-away perspective view, the interior corner of a
dock equipped with the inflatable bumpers according to the present invention.
Figure 11 is, in plan view, the interior corner of figure 10 with the addition
of
pressurized pneumatic hoses for maintaining air pressure in the inflatable
bumpers.
Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention
As seen in figure I, a dock 10 which may also include the fingers 12 of a dock
10 as seen in figure 2, extend outwardly over the surface 14 of a body of
water so as to moor a
boat 16 against the dock such as seen by way of example in figure 3.
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As seen by the several examples given above, conventionally many systems
exist to buffer a boat from rubbing against the edge of the dock. For example,
as seen in figure
1, rubber tire sections 8 may be mounted along the dock edge 10a to fend off
the sides 16a or
gunwales 16b of boat 16.
In the present invention at least one inflatable tube is provided for mounting
to
dock edge 10a or finger edge 12a so as to provide a pneumatic bumper disposed
between dock
and boat 16. In the illustrated embodiment which is not intended to be
limiting as vertically
or diagonally etc disposed tubes will work, a pair of horizontally disposed
inflatable tubes 18
10 and 20 are mounted in closely adjacent array along the length of dock
edge 10a. In the
illustrated embodiment, tube 18 is the upper tube mounted with its upper edge
18a to the upper
edge of dock edge 10a, where dock edge 10a intersects along the upper surface
10b of dock
10. The upper edge 20a of tube 20 abuts along the lower edge 18b of tube 18.
Separate
inflatable bumpers 21, which are made from the same inflatable tubing as tubes
18 and 20 but
in shorter lengths for example three or four feet, may be provided for
suspension in the
conventional manner from the gunwales 16b of boatl 6. Bumpers 21 may also be
used when
tying one boat to another in open water. When used in the docking system of
the present
invention they may be pneumatically connected by capillary hoses to the
pressurized air
supply system described below which maintains air pressure in the dock-mounted
inflatable
bumpers
As seen in figure 4, the upper edge 18a of tube 18 may be affixed to the outer
edge of the upper surface 10b of dock 10 by a flange 22 running the length of
upper edge I 8a
of tube 18. Flange 22 is secured to the dock by means of a row of fasteners 24
as better
described below.
As better seen in the cross section of figure 5, tubes 18 and 20 may be
mounted
to a facing board 10c, where facing board 10c may be for example a 2 inch by
12 inch cross
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sectional dimension length of finished lumber mounted to the side of dock 10.
In such an
embodiment, dock edge 10a is the outer surface of facing board 10c.
Tubes 18 and 20 may each include an inflatable rubber inner tube 26 having for
example a nominal 6 inch diameter when inflated to an operational pressure of
approximately
lOpsi and extending for example 24 feet in length. Within tubes 18 and 20,
rubber inner tube
26 may be contained with in a flexible non-elastic inner skin 28, for example
constructed of
marine grade polyester fabric, which constrains rubber inner tube 26 when
inflated to its
approximately 6 inch diameter.
Inner skins 28, containing their corresponding rubber inner tubes 26, are
mounted within outer skins 30. As seen in figure 6, outer skin 30 may include
a back sheet
34a of marine grade polyester stitched along stitch lines 32 to a front sheet
34b of similar or
identical marine grade polyester. The front and back sheets of marine grade
polyester and
stitch lines 32 define flange 22, wall envelope 36, an upper tube sleeve 30a,
a lower tube
sleeve 30b, a lower wall 38, and a lower flange 40.
Air hoses 42, as better described below, may be inserted so as to run along,
and
be contained within, wall envelope 36. Tube 18 may be contained within upper
tube sleeve
30a. Tube 20 may be contained within lower tube sleeve 30b. Lower wall 38
attaches tube 20
to lower flange 40, which its self is folded upwardly for mounting flush
against a lower edge
of facing board 10c. A further backing sheet 44 of marine grade polyester may
extend
between the stitch lines 32 adjacent to flanges 22 and 40 so as to further
protect the tubes
where they lie flush against dock edge 10a.
Fasteners 24 mount flanges 22 and 40 to the upper and lower edges of facing
board 10c, in one embodiment oriented as seen in figure 5, by means of
fasteners 24 bearing
against wane washers 46 and passing through apertures 22a and 40a in flanges
22 and 40
respectively. Stiffening bars 48, which may be for example % inch wide flat
bar aluminum,
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may be inserted into flanges 22 and 40 in the envelope created between back
sheet 34a and
front sheet 34b so as to extend substantially the length of flanges 22 and 40.
Where stiffening
bars 48 are employed, they also have apertures corresponding to apertures 22a
and 40a so that
fasteners 24, for example 1 1/4 inch number 6 wood screws, may be inserted
therethrough.
As seen in figures 7 and 8, the ends of tubes 18 and 20 may be folded over and
fastened, for example using hook and loop strip fasteners such as Velcro TM
fasteners to make
a tidy end of the tubes when mounted to dock 10. Thus as seen in the exploded
partially
cutaway view of figure 7, each rubber inner tube 26 is folded over at its ends
onto itself and
sealed, for example by means of vulcanizing, as would be known to one skilled
in the art. The
rubber inner tubes 26 are sealed at their ends by such means and inserted into
the sleeves 30a
and 30b, and the ends of the sleeves folded over. Hook and loop strips 50 are
mounted
between front sheet 34b and inner skin 28, and between inner skin 28 and back
sheet 34a, and
between the end of back sheet 34a where it folds back onto itself. The ends of
inner skins 28
are stitched together by stitching 52.
In the view of figure 8, the front and back sheets 34b and 34a, and the inner
skins 28, and the rubber inner tubes 26 are given finite thicknesses and
shown, although not to
scale, compressed together at the folded over ends of tubes 18 and 20. The
folded over ends of
tubes 18 and 20 may be secured to the end surface 10d of dock 10 for example
by means of a
flap 54.
Where back sheet 34a and front sheet 34b are formed from a single folded over
sheet, the single sheet is folded along a fold line corresponding to the upper
most edge 22b of
flange 22. Backing sheet 44 may be secured to sheets 34a and 34b by means of
stitching 44a.
In a preferred embodiment, the folded over sealed ends of rubber inner tubes
26 continue into
the portion of the inner skins 28 which are folded over so as to extend into
the fold for
example by approximately 2 inches where the folded over portion of inner skin
28 and
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corresponding folded over portions sheets 34a and 34b extend from the fold
line approximately 4
inches back along the tubes as better seen in figure 9.
As seen in figures 10 and 11, the ends up tubes 18 and 20 may abut in an
interior corner of a boat
slip, for example, between fingers 12 as seen in figure 2. Thus for example in
an interior corner
12b the tapered ends 18a and 20a of tubes 18 and 20 respectively form a wedge
mounted into the
vertical seam 12c in interior corner 12b so that separate tubes 18 and 20 may
extend outwardly
from the corner 12b and yet dovetail into the corner by abutting corresponding
ends 18a and
corresponding ends 20a adjacent to one another.
In a preferred embodiment, each tube section is approximately 24 feet long,
although longer or
shorter sections may be made to accommodate the different dimensions of docks.
Further, in the
preferred embodiment, a compressor 56 may be provided on the dock or in the
vicinity of the
dock so as to feed pressurized air via trunk line 58 to feeder lines 60 which
feed individual
sections of tubes 18 and 20. Individual sections of tubes 18 and 20 may be fed
for example by
the use of a manifold such as bar manifold 62 which splits pressurized air
from feeder lines 60
into capillary lines 64 via one-way check valves 66. Thus pressurized air for
example at I- psi is
maintained in each individual section of tubes 18 and 20. One-way check valves
66 are adapted
so as to cut off air flow upon massive pressure loss in a particular section
of tube for example
upon a rupture or tear 68. Thus the pressurized air feeding the corresponding
capillary tube and
the corresponding inlets 70 is cut off.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing
disclosure, many
alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention
without departing from
the scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed
in accordance with
the substance defined by the following claims.
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Representative Drawing