GB2226998A

GB2226998A - Mooring apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2226998A
Application number: GB8926068A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kent Joseph Ruffin
Original assignee: ROBOAM Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ROBOAM Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1988-11-17
Filing date: 1989-11-17
Publication date: 1990-07-18
Also published as: GB8926068D0

Abstract

Mooring apparatus 10 includes a mooring post 11, anchor means 13 for pivotally supporting the mooring post and at least one transverse arm 12 for supporting a mooring line 18. Preferably the arm member is adjustably attached to the mooring post so that a projecting part of the arm member on one side of the mooring post may be selectively varied in length. Various embodiments of hinge springs and a ball and socket arrangement are described. The anchor means suitably includes an anchor plate and an upstanding mounting spindle for accommodating a hollow bottom end portion of the mooring post. Suitably the spindle has a reinforcing spring located therein and the mounting spindle is formed from natural or synthetic rubber. <IMAGE>

Description

MOORING APPARATUS This invention relates to improvements in or relating to mooring apparatus for boats and the like at wharves, docks, jetties, marinas and other boat mooring locations.

Hitherto boat mooring apparatus utilized at marinas included an upright normally formed from wood or metal such as aluminium which was rigidly attached to the top surface of the marina. There was also rigidly attached to the upright a horizontal arm or cross member which normally supported a loop of mooring cable or rope which was anchored to the top surface or floor of the marina by a suitable anchor means adjacent the upright. In another variation the upright was formed from flexible plastics material such as poly vinyl chloride (PVC) tube which was also rigidly mounted to the top surface of the marina or in some cases only wedged in a crack or groove in the top surface of the marina.

One disadvantage of such conventional mooring devices as described above concerned the fact that when the loop of mooring cable was attached to a bollard or suitable anchoring device on the boat the upright was often impacted by the boat and this subsequently caused the upright to lean at an angle or be broken thereby rendering it inoperative.

This chain of events was also likely to occur when a storm broke loose or in a time of gusty winds when the boat was caused to impact against the mooring upright by lateral movement thereof.

Thus when a top part of the mooring upright or post was broken away from the remainder thereof this made it necessary to remove the remainder of the post and install a new mooring post which was time consuming and relatively expensive.

It also was to be appreciated that precise location of the mooring upright or post was in some cases difficult to determine to avoid impact from adjacent boats. Thus in some cases the mooring post or upright was located closely adjacent to the marina edge whereby impaction from boats was facilitated and in other cases the mooring upright or post was located a substantial distance from the marina edge thereby hindering the effective utility of the mooring post.

Prior art mooring apparatus is relatively complicated and may use a winch operated mechanism (e.g. U.S.

Patent 4,708,082), a hydraulic ram mechanism (e.g. U.S.S.R.

Patent 800,019), a plurality of rotatable or fixed bollards or uprights (e.g. U.S.A. Patent 1,054,188), or the use of annular members rotatably mounted to axles associated with an open side casing of a mooring post (e.g. U.S. Patent 4,067,283).

However, in U.S.S.R. Patent 918,386 there is disclosed a flexible mooring post or pile which is mounted in a deformable casing associated with a sealed cavity filled with viscous fluid. This arrangement is meant for installation in earth or seabed and is relatively complicated and difficult and expensive to instal.

In French Patent 2,388,946 there is disclosed a mooring post having a horizontal arm having a hook on the free end of the horizontal arm. The base of the mooring post is mounted rigidly in a quay superstructure. The arm may be telescopically adjustable for length as well as the post for height adjustment. However, in this arrangement if the post was impacted by a boat it would break and thus this would suffer from the same disadvantages already described previously as a new post would have to be installed which required rigid attachment to a base which was anchored to the quay.

In U.K. Patent 2,073,688 there is disclosed a vertical mooring post with a retaining arm pivotally attached to the top of the post adapted to be pivoted between a rope eye horizontal retaining position and a rope eye vertical release position. However, such an arrangement was still meant to be fixedly mounted to a drilling rig or wharf and thus the same disadvantages referred to above were applicable.

U.S. Patent 4,437,427 disclosed a break bollard having a weakened fracture section which upon impact would break thereby requiring a new upright to be installed.

However, the break bollard was adapted to be rigidly mounted to a stationary support and again the same disadvantages as described above in regard to the prior art were relevant.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide mooring apparatus which reduces the aforementioned disadvantages associated with the prior art.

The mooring apparatus of the invention therefore includes (i) a mooring post; (ii) anchor means for pivotally supporting the mooring post; and (iii) at least one arm member for supporting a mooring line wherein said at least one arm member is attached to the mooring post and extends transversely thereof.

Preferably the said at least one arm member is adjustably attached to the mooring post whereby a projecting part of said at least one arm member on one side of the morring post adjacent a boat to be moored may be selectively varied in length.

The mooring post may be of any suitable type and thus may be solid or tubular. Suitably however it is of cylindrical cross sectional profile although it would be appreciated that this is not necessary and any suitable cross sectional profile can be utilised such as triangular, rectangular or polygonal for example.

The anchor means may be of any suitable type but may include an anchor plate having a mounting member attached thereto whereby the mounting member may resiliently or releasably mount a bottom end of the mooring post. Suitably the mounting member may be a mounting socket although if desired the mounting member may comprise a mounting projection which may engage with a suitable or complementarily shaped lower end of the mooring post in plugsocket or male-female inter-relationship.

If desired when the mounting member is in the form of a mounting socket a suitable biassing means may be employed to resiliently mount the mooring post in the mounting socket so that upon impact and after bending the mooring post may spring back to its original upright position. In one form a suitable biassing means for this purpose may include one or more coil springs interconnecting the mounting socket and mooring post.

In another arrangement the mooring post may be simply knocked out of the mounting socket and readily replaced therein after impact. If desired a retaining member or tether may be utilised to stop the mooring post from becoming completely free or being dislodged from the mounting socket.

When the mounting member is in the form of a mounting projection it may engage in the lower end of the mooring post in a ball-socket engagement so as to provide a suitable universal joint.

In yet another possible arrangement the mounting member may comprise a mounting spindle which is elongate and which extends upwardly from a base suitably formed from natural or synthetic rubber or other suitable elastomeric material. In this arrangement the mounting. spindle may engage with a hollow lower end of the mooring post.

If desired a plurality of arm members may be utilised which are releasably or adjustably attached to the mooring post. However more suitably only a single arm member is employed which may be adjustably or releasably attached to the mooring post in any suitable fashion such as by the use of a mechanical attachment means by way of a telescopic arrangement or alternatively wherein the arm member is insertable through opposed apertures in the mooring post which in this embodiment of the invention is suitably tubular and retained in a desired position by suitable retaining means such as a threaded fastener.

In another possible arrangement the arm member may form a piston rod locatable in a mating cylinder which may be pressure actuated to vary the effective length of the abovementioned projecting part.

It also will be appreciated that the mooring apparatus of the invention may be attached or be supported on any suitable stationary support or substrate such as a wharf, pier or marina or alternatively it may be supported in the seabed or on a mooring buoy. In another possible arrangement the mooring apparatus of the invention may be supported on board a boat or vessel.

Reference may now be made to a preferred embodiment of the invention as described in the attached drawings wherein: FIGS 1 - 2 represent alternative perspective views of the mooring apparatus of the invention supported on a marina; FIG 3 represents a plan view of a marina having incorporated therein mooring apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; FIGS 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent alternative uses of the mooring apparatus of the invention in regard to choice of stationary support; FIGS 8-14 represent alternative forms of anchor means that may be adopted for supporting the mooring post; FIGS 15-16 represent a perspective and sectional view of one form of arm member releasably attached to the mooring post; and FIG 17 represents another form of arm member that may be employed in the mooring apparatus of the invention.

In the drawings and especially in FIG 1 there is shown mooring apparatus 10 having a mooring post 11 and horizontal arm 12 adjustably attached thereto. Mooring post 11 is supported by anchor means 13 which includes anchor plate 14 attached by bolts 15 to top surface 16 of marina 17.

There is also shown mooring line 18 having a loop 19 which in normal inoperative position is supported by arm 12 as shown.

However, in the operative position as shown by the dotted line the mooring line 18 may be releasably attached to a bollard 20 on boat 21. There is also included boat fenders 22. There is also shown mounting bollard 23 for line 18.

In FIG 2 two assemblies of mooring apparatus 10 are shown wherein one assembly 10A is used for attachment to the bow 24 of boat 21 and the other lOB is used for attachment to the side 25 of boat 21. In mooring assembly 10A a mounting bollard 23A is located in front of mooring assembly 10A and this shows how the projecting part 26 of arm 12 may be effectively varied to avoid impact with boat 21. The mooring line 18 may be in the form of a rope or cable as will be apparent to the man skilled in the art.

In FIG 3 a plurality of mooring assemblies 10 of the invention are shown wherein one mooring assembly 16 is used at the bow of the boat 21 and two adjacent mooring assemblies are used on each side of boat 21. Also shown are pylons 27 supporting fingers 28 of marina 17 which has a main deck 29.

In FIG 4 it will be seen that mooring apparatus 10 may be used in combination with a fender 22 as shown in FIG 4 wherein line 18 is anchored to mounting bollard 23B.

In FIG 5 as another alternative it will be seen how mooring apparatus 10 may be mounted to a pylon 30 which is supported in the seabed or sea 31.

In FIG 6 the mooring apparatus 10 may be attached to mooring buoy 32 while in FIG 7 the mooring apparatus 10 may be supported on boat 21.

In FIGS 8-9 one form of mounting member. 33 is shown including a mounting socket 34 wherein lower end 35 of mooring post 11 has a bulbous end 36 which may be retained in socket 34 which is of complementary or mating shape.

Mounting member 33 may be formed from rubber or other suitable elastomeric material and upon impact may be dislodged from engagement in mounting socket 34 as shown in FIG 9. However, it may still be secured by tether 36A to prevent becoming completely free of mounting member 33.

Alternatively as shown in FIGS 10-11 the mounting member 33 may include a mounting socket 34 which is provided with retainers 3i for coil springs 38 which are each attached to securing lugs 39 located in base 40 of mooring post 11 as shown. Upon impact the mooring post 11 may be dislodged from normal orientation as shown in FIG 10 to an inclined orientation as shown in FIG 11 whereafter mooring post 11 may be resiliently returned to the orientation shown in FIG 10.

In FIG 12 another form of mounting member is shown in the form of a mounting spindle 41 which locates mooring post 11 as shown. Spindle 41 may be attached to a support base 42 of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material which is attached to anchor plate 14. Anchor plate 14 may include a steel or metal plate 43 and a supporting rubber plate or base 44. If desired spindle 41 may also include appropriate reinforcing means such as a coil spring, spiral member or a wire frame contained therein to increase its inherent rigidity or strength.

In FIGS 13-14 the mounting member 33 may in this case be in the form of a mounting projection 45 which engages with mooring post 11 as shown. In this arrangement the base 40 of mooring post 11 is provided with a bearing member 46 having a bottom recess 47 of complementary or corresponding shape to projection 45 which is in the shape of a ball or sphere as shown. There is also shown retaining plate 48 attached to flange 49 of post 11 by bolts 50. Member 46 may be provided with a central passage 51 as shown. Again FIG 13 shows the mooring post 11 in the normal upright orientation and FIG 14 shows an inclined or tilted orientation achieved after impact by a boat. Projection 45 may also be provided with support stem 45A.

The horizontal arm 12 may be adjustable and/or releasably attached to mooring post 11 in any suitable fashion. In the specific arrangement shown in FIGS 15-16 arm 12 is inserted through co-aligned apertures 52 of post 11 and retained in desired position by grub screw 53 having handle 54. Arm 12 is also provided with rubber retainers 55 for preventing dislodgement of mooring line 18.

In FIG 17 there is shown horizontal arm 12A in the form of a tube which extends through opposed apertures 52 of mooring post 11. Arm 12 is adjustable to an infinitely variable degree by the use of a compression ring 56 which clamps arm 12A firmly in position when required. The clamping means for this purpose includes clamping member 57 including an overcentering cam 58 which when moved in the direction indicated by the arrow moves from a locked position to an unlocked position. In this embodiment compression ring 56 is split at 59 and loop 60 associated with cam 58 engages with upturned part 61 of ring 56 which is attached to post 11 by angle brackets 62.

From the foregoing it therefore will be appreciated that the mooring apparatus of the invention is extremely simple in construction and efficient in operation and in the most preferred form employs a resilient mounting spindle in combination with a hollow or tubular mooring post together with an adjustable horizontal arm that may be releasably or adjustably attached to the mooring post so that a projecting part located on one side of the mooring post is variable in length as described previously. Such a combination of features is certainly not described in the prior art.

In another embodiment of this invention another form of suitable retaining means which may be utilized for the arm member may be a pair of resilient sealing rings or O- rings which may be attached to the arm member on each side of the mooring post adjacent a respective aligned aperture for insertion or passage of the arm member and in resilient engagement with the mooring post. This allows the arm member to be adjusted when required in a quick and efficient manner.

The most preferred anchor means for use in the present invention comprises an arrangement as shown in the attached FIG 18 wherein there is included a spring 63 in mounting spindle 41 so as to increase the internal resilience of the spindle. It is also found that suitably the spindle is formed from natural rubber and has a hardness of from 5090 duro and more preferably 50 - 80 duro in regard to the present invention.

Preferably the height of the mounting spindle 41 is from one third to one fifth the height of mooring post 11 and more preferably approximately one quarter the height of mooring post 11. Suitably also as shown in FIG 20 the spring 63 has a height approximately the same as mounting spindle 41.

In the actual experimental mooring post that has been tested in accordance with the present invention the spring used was 4.5 mm spring steel wire to AS1472. OD was 26.7 mm and the length was 280 mm. Upon testing the tension or load was 50.2 kg at 25 mm extension.

In fact when using a spring having a 25mm extension a range of suitable spring tensions was found by experiment to be between 45 and 60 kgs. However, it will be appreciated that the spring tension will be different having regard to different spring extensions.

The natural rubber utilized was obtained from BTR Industrial Products Pty Ltd in New South Wales and was formed from that company's 1716 specification. This is a high zinc oxide bonded natural rubber formulation and has the following physical properties: Hardness (Shore A) 75 - 850 Tension Strength 14 MPa Elongation at Break 230% It will also be appreciated from the foregoing that upon pivotal movement of the mooring post the arm member which is rigidly but releasably or adjustably attached thereto will also move as a natural consequence and this in some cases will provide additional clearance for a craft about to be moored utilizing the mooring apparatus of the invention. In some circumstances the mooring post may also be rotated relative to its mounting spindle or other suitable anchor means and this will also change the position of the arm member if required.

In a further embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS 19-20 the arm 12 may be rigidly attached if desired to the post 11 and this may be accomplished by a suitable fastening member such as a bolt or screw 64. In this embodiment there may also be included tethering cable 65 which is shown in FIG 19 which can be loosely coiled within the internal bore of tubular mooring post 11 as shown. The tethering cable 65 can be attached to the horizontal arm 12 in any appropriate manner such as by being coiled around arm 12 as shown in FIG 19. The tethering cable 65 may also be attached to a spring 63 provided in the mounting spindle 41 which is in the form of a rubber block.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. Mooring apparatus including: (i) a mooring post; (ii) anchor means for pivotally supporting the mooring post; and (iii) at least one arm member for supporting a mooring line wherein said at least one arm member is attached to the mooring post and extends transversely thereof.

2. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm member is adjustably attached to the mooring post whereby a projecting part of said at least one arm member on one side of the mooring post adjacent a boat to be moored may be selectively varied in length.

3. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the anchor means includes an anchor plate having a mounting member attached thereto wherein the mounting member may resiliently or releasably mount a bottom end of the mooring post.

4. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the mounting member is a mounting socket.

5. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the mooring post is attached to the mounting socket by one or more springs.

6. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the mounting member is a mounting projection.

7. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the mounting projection has a height of between one third and one fifth of the height of the mooring post.

8. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the mounting projection has a height of approximately one quarter of the height of the mooring post.

9. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein the mounting projection is formed from natural or synthetic rubber which is reinforced by an elongate metal member.

10. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the elongate metal member is a spring having approximately the same height as the mounting projection.

11. Mooring apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein there is provided a tethering member attached to the arm member and also attached to the anchor means.

12. Mooring apparatus including: (i) a mooring post; (ii) anchor means comprising an anchor plate having an upright mounting projection or spindle attached thereto wherein the mounting spindle has a height of from one third to one fifth of the height of the mooring post whereby said mounting spindle is formed from natural or synthetic rubber and has a reinforcing spring encased therein which extends substantially the length of the mounting spindle; (iii) at least one arm member for supporting a mooring line wherein said at least one arm member is attached to the mooring post and extends transversely thereof; (iv) a tethering member attached to the mounting spindle and also attached to said at least one arm member wherein said tethering member is located within a hollow interior of the mooring post.

13. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said at least one arm member is adjustably attached to the mooring post whereby a projecting part of said at least one arm member on one side of the mooring post adjacent a boat to be moored may be selectively varied in length.

14. Mooring apparatus as substantially hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying figures 1 to 3; figures 1 to 3 as modified by figures 8 and 9, 10 and 11, 12, 13 and 14, 15 and 16, 17, 18; or figures 19 and 20.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Mooring apparatus including: (i) a mooring post; (ii) a mounting member for releasably retaining the mooring post whereby said mounting member functions as a universal mount for said mooring post enabling said mooring post to be pivoted away from the longitudinal axis defined by the mooring post in an upright position and wherein said mooring post is also rotatable relative to said mounting member; and (iii) at least one arm member for supporting a mooring line wherein said at least one arm member is attached to the mooring post and extends transversely thereof.

12. Mooring apparatus including: (i) a mooring post having a hollow lower end; (ii) anchor means comprising an anchor plate having an upright mounting projection or spindle attached thereto wherein the mounting spindle has a height of from one third to one fifth of the height of the mooring post and is insertable within said hollow lower end whereby said mounting spindle is formed from natural or synthetic rubber and has a reinforcing spring encased therein which extends substantially the length of the mounting spindle; (iii) at least one arm member for supporting a mooring line wherein said at least one arm member is attached to the mooring post and extends transversely thereof; and (iv) whereby said mounting spindle functions as a universal mount for said mooring post wherein said mooring post is releasably retained by the mounting spindle and is pivotable away from the longitudinal axis defined by the mooring post in an upright position, and wherein said mooring post is rotatable relative to said mounting spindle.

14. Mooring apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein there is also provided a tethering member attached to the mounting spindle and also to said at least one arm member wherein said tethering member is located within a hollow interior of the mooring post.

15. Mooring apparatus as substantially hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying figures 1 to 3; figures 1 to 3 as modified by figures 8 and 9, 10 and 11, 12, 13 and 14, 15 and 16, 17, 18; or figures 19 and 20.