GB2121732A

GB2121732A - Marine fender

Info

Publication number: GB2121732A
Application number: GB08314956A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shinichi Kajigaya; Ikutoshi Yamaguchi
Original assignee: Bridgestone Corp
Current assignee: Bridgestone Corp
Priority date: 1982-06-08
Filing date: 1983-05-31
Publication date: 1984-01-04
Also published as: AU544766B2; JPS58189228U; JPS6220487Y2; GB8314956D0; GB2121732B; AU1523383A

Abstract

A marine fender comprises a shock receiving portion, a supporting portion and a base portion united with each other. In this marine fender, a shock receiving plate (5) is detachably fitted to the shock receiving portion, and a plurality of step members (6) extending laterally are disposed at the sidewall(s) of the shock receiving plate so as to form a ladder. The step members may have an outer guide rail (8), or have upturned ends, or have rectangular form. The step members may extend between side walls in a recess. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Marine fender This invention relates to a marine fender for mitigating shock produced during the berthing of vessels, and having step members attached thereto.

Heretofore, a ladder or the like has been directly installed on a quay wall for ascending and descending. However, the ladder is usually made of metal and is exposed directly to the atmosphere, so that it is apt to be corroded. Further, there is a strong danger of damaging a vessel by collision with the ladder during berthing or mooring.

In order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, two spaced, square cross-sectioned marine fenders a may be secured to the quay wall and connected to each other by a plurality of chains b each covered with rubber and arranged at intervals in the lengthwise direction of the fender to form a ladder as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, which are respectively a front and a side view of a conventional ladder-type marine fender.

However, metal fittings c for fixing the chains b are disposed in the hollow parts of the fenders a, so that not only are the shock absorbing characteristics of the marine fenders a poor, but also the durability thereof is reduced.

Furthermore, two marine fenders a are arranged in two rows and connected to each other by a plurality of chains b, so that the installation area required becomes undesirably large. Moreover, the core member such as chain b or the like is passed through the rubber portion of the fender, so that the durability of such rubber portion may be adversely affected.

It is, therefore, the aim of the present invention to overcome or at least mitigate the above mentioned drawbacks of the conventional ladder-type marine fender and to provide an inexpensive marine fender with a ladder portion and having excellent shock receiving characteristics and durability.

According to the invention, there is provided a marine fender comprising a shock receiving portion, a supporting portion united with the shock receiving portion and extending therefrom toward a quay wall and a base portion united with the supporting portion and securable to the surface of the quay wall, wherein a shock receiving plate is detachably fitted to the shock receiving portion, and a plurality of step members extending laterally are disposed at at least one sidewall of the shock receiving plate.

In the marine fender according to the invention, the shock receiving plate is removably fitted to the shock receiving portion through any suitable means and a plurality of step members are disposed in the sidewall(s) of the shock receiving plate so as to extend from the sidewall toward the lateral direction, so that the shock receiving plate provided with the step members can develop the function of a ladder without adversely affecting the shock absorbing characteristics of the marine fender.

Since the marine fender according to the invention itself possesses the function of a ladder as mentioned above, it is sufficient to have an area for securing only the marine fender and consequently the installation area becomes small.

Furthermore, it is not required to use metal in the inside of the marine fender in order to develop the function of the ladder, so that the durability is considerably improved. Moreover, even if the shock receiving plate and step members are damaged by accident, it is sufficient to merely replace the damaged shock receiving plate with a new shock receiving plate.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 3 is a front view of one embodiment of a marine fender having a shock receiving plate with a ladder, according to the invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of the marine fender shown in Figure 3; Figures Sto 13 are each front and plan views of other embodiments of the shock receiving plate with a ladder or marine fenders according to the invention, respectively; Figures 14 and 15 are plan views illustrating deformation modes of a marine fender according to the invention during the berthing of a vessel, respectively; Figures 16to 19 are plan views of still other embodiments of the shock receiving plate of marine fenders according to the invention, respectively; and Figure 20 is a front view of the embodiment shown in Figure 19.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a marine fender 1 comprises a shock receiving portion 2, a supporting portion 3 united with the shock receiving portion 2 and extending therefrom toward a quay wall (not shown), and a base portion 4 united with the supporting portion 3 and secured to the quay wall. In the shock receiving portion 2 is embedded an iron plate 2a.

A shock receiving plate 5 is provided with a plurality of step members 6 disposed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the shock receiving plate 5 to extend from the sidewalls of the plate 5 in the lateral direction and serve as a ladder. Moreover, each of these step members 6 may be made of a metal rod coated with rubber or may be a rod of rubber or resin body having a high hardness.

Such a shock receiving plate 5 is detachably fitted to the front surface of the shock receiving portion 2 through the iron plate 2a and bolts 7.

Although the simplest form of the step members 6 of the shock receiving plate 5 is shown in Figures 3 and 4, various functions may be given to the shock receiving plate 5 by changing the form of the step members 6.

In Figures 5 to 13 are shown various modified forms of the step members 6, respectively.

Figure 5 shows two sets of step members 6 disposed in both sidewalls of the shock receiving plate 5 at different levels in the longitudinal direction of the plate 5 forfacilitating ascending and descending.

Figure 6 is a modified embodiment of Figure 5, wherein the outer end of each step member 6 is bent upward. in this case, the bent portion of each step member 6 serves as a stop when a foot slips outward on the step member 6.

Figures 7 and 8 are modified embodiments of Figures 4 and 5, respectively, wherein each outer end of the step members 6 is connected to each of handrails 8 arranged at both sides of the shock receiving plate 5. The handrails 8 not only serve as stops but also can enhance the strength of the step members 6 and facilitate the production of the shock receiving plate 5.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, each step member 6 can be shaped into a rectangular form. In this case, a foot can be put inside the rectangular step member 6, so that there is caused no forward slipping of the foot. In particular, when the step member 6 is shaped into the rectangular form as shown in Figure 9, the strength of the step member 6 can be enhanced.

In Figures 11 and 12, the step members 6 are disposed at only one side of the shock receiving plate 5.

As shown in Figure 13, when the marine fender is fairly big, the step members 6 can be disposed in a depression of the shock receiving plate 5, wherby damage to the step members 6 can be prevented.

In all the embodiments of Figures 5 to 13, the shock receiving plate 5 is fitted to the shock receiving portion 2 through bolts as previously mentioned.

As apparent from the above, the step members 6 can be disposed without any specific means in the shock receiving plates 5 of Figures 3 to 13, so that the durability of the marine fender 1 is improved without adversely affecting its shock absorbing characteristics.

The step members 6 are disposed in or on the shock receiving plate 5 fitted to the shock receiving portion 2 of the marine fender 1 so as to develop the function of the ladder, so that the installation area required for the marine fender can be reduced sufficiently.

Even if the shock receiving plate 5 and step members 6 are damaged by accident, it is sufficient to replace the damaged shock receiving plate 5 with a new shock receiving plate, so that the maintenance costs of the marine fender are low.

Moreover, the supporting portion 3 of the marine fender 1 is sufficiently far away from the step members 6, so that even if the supporting portion 3 is compressed during the berthing of a vessel 9 as shown in Figures 14 to 15, there is no danger of damaging the supporting portion 3 by direct contact with the step members 6.

Although the step members 6 are fixed to the shock receiving plate 5 in all the illustrated embodiments of Figures 3 to 13, a step member 11 may be retractably inserted into a receiving hole 10 formed in the shock receiving plate 5, as shown in Figure 16.

In this case, if a vessel 9 collides with the step member 11 during berthing, the step member 11 retracts inside the shock receiving plate 5, so that excessive force is not applied to the step member 11 and there is no danger of damaging the step member 11 and that part of the shock receiving plate 5 which supports the step member 11.

As shown in Figure 17, a pivot portion 12 is united with the shock receiving plate 5 and a step member 13 is pivotably connected to the pivot portion 12 through a pin 14. In this way, there is no danger of applying the berthing shock of the vessel 9 to the step member 13, as in the case of Figure 16.

As shown in Figure 18, a through-hole 15 is formed in the shock receiving plate 5, and a step member 16 is slidably inserted into the through-hole 15, and a roller 17 is rotatably connected to each end of the step member 16 through a pin 18. In this case, the same effect as in Figures 16 and 17 can also be obtained.

As shown in Figures 19 and 20, a step member 19 is provided at one end with a spherical bearing portion 19a and shaped into a rectangular form at the other end, whereby the step member 19 is rockablysupported at the spherical bearing portion 19a.

Moreover, a bevelling 20 is formed in the shock receiving plate 5 so as not to regulate the movement ofthe step member 19.

In the illustrated embodiment of Figures 19 and 20, the same effect as in Figurs 16 to 18 can be obtained.

Claims

1. A marine fender comprising a shock receiving portion, a supporting portion united with the shock receiving portion and extending therefrom toward a quay wall, and a base portion united with the supporting portion and securable to the surface of the quay wall, wherein a shock receiving plate is detachably fitted to the shock receiving portion, and a plurality of step members extending laterally are disposed at at least one sidewall of the shock receiving plate.

2. A marine fender according to Claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 3 and 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure7, Figure 8, Figure 9, Figure 10, Figure 11, Figure 12, Figure 13, Figure 16, Figure 17, Figure 18, or Figures 19 and 20 of the accompanying drawings.