US3077614A

US3077614A - Buoy for mooring vessels

Info

Publication number: US3077614A
Application number: US44044A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert L Lloyd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-07-20
Filing date: 1960-07-20
Publication date: 1963-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-19

Description

Feb. 19, 1963 R. LLOYD BUOY FOR MOORING VESSEL-S Filed July 20. 1960 INVENTOR. ROBERT L. LLOYD United States Patent Oflflce 3,077,614 Patented Feb. 19, 1963 BUQY FOR MOOREJG VESSELS Robert L. Lloyd, Farm View Road, Fiower Hill, Port Washington, NY.

Filed July 20, 1960, Ser. No. 44,044 8 tilairns. (Cl. -S)

When anchoring a vessel to its mooring it is necessary to gauge speed and direction of travel so that a person in the bow of the boat can reach down into the water and pick up the buoy and anchor line. Great skill is required in maneuvering the boat to pick up the mooring because the line of sight of the helmsman is cut oil as the buoy is approached and the helmsman can only approximate his course. With conventional mooring the anchor line is submerged when not in use and when taken aboard scum, seaweed and other debris is deposited on deck which makes it necessary to clean the deck each time the mooring is used.

In order to overcome these difliculties I have now devised a buoy with an extension or marker which is at all times held in upright position above water level preferably at least as high as the gunwale of a vessel and the marker is provided with means for securing the free end of the anchor line above water level. With this arrangement the person guiding the vessel has a marker which is always visible and which he can accurately approach regardless of wind, tide and weather conditions. The anchor line can be taken off the extension by a person standing on the deck of the vessel and the line is clean and dry so that no objectionable material is brought into the vessel.

In the structure of my invention I employ an underwater weight as a counterbalance which when held in a certain position relative to the float member of the buoy and given a certain weight relative to the buoyancy of the fioat member will successfully hold the marker in substantially upright position regardless of the wind and tide conditions. The counterbalance is attached to the float by means of a rigid rod or rigid pole and the buoyancy of the float member must be at least 2% times greater than the weight of the counterbalance. The counterbalance weight is held in position spaced away from the bottom of the float member and the space between the weight and bottom of the float member is not less than the distance between the center of buoyancy of the buoy and level of the water. The anchor line is attached to the rod in the space between the counterbalance weight and the bottom of the float member at or above the mid-point of the space. With this construction the pull of the moored vessel may be transmitted directly to the anchor and at the same time the high buoyancy to counterbalance weight ratio is effective to prevent tipping the buoy.

The rigid rod which carries the counterbalance weight preferably passes up through the body of the float member to extend above and form the upper extension of the buoy. It is not essential that the rod pass through the body of the float member as two separate rods may be employed, one for the counterbalance weight and one for the extension. The rods may be made an integral part of the float member or they may be removably attached whereby extensions of varying heights may be exchanged depending on the height of the gunwale of the particular vessel to be moored. Preferably the float member is a cylinder made of polyethylene but the float member can be of any shape and various materials such as Wood, metal, and other plastics may be used. There is a particular advantage in using polyethylene for I have found that barnacles or seaweed will not accumulate to any objectionable degree on the polyethylene float member. The free end of the anchor line is removably held on the tip of the upper extension. One convenient way of attaching this end of the anchor line is to provide a U-shaped tip to the upper extension and a ring in the end of the anchor line whereby the ring may be readily picked up or hooked over the U-shaped holder.

As mentioned hereinabove the buoyancy of the float member should be at least 2 /2 times the weight of the counterbalance attached thereto. The term buoyancy as used herein is intended to mean the weight of water displaced by the float member when totally submerged. Greater buoyancies may be used and since the volume of the float member for a given material increases as its buoy ancy increases the point when the size of the float member becomes objectionably bulky is usually the controlling consideration in selecting a high buoyancy.

The term center of buoyancy as used herein is intended to mean the center of gravity of the water actually displaced by the float member when the entire buoy assembly is floating in water.

Further details of my invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the buoy partly fragmentized.

FIG. 2 is a view of the buoy in water with the anchor line in place on the upper extension.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 showing a vessel secured to the anchor line of the buoy.

The preferred embodiment of structure shown in the drawings comprises a float member 10 in the form of a cylinder made from polyethylene. The top and

bottom walls

12 and 14 respectively of the float member have centrally located holes 16 the areas of which are selected to give a snug fit about the rod member 18. Rod member 18 is a solid rigid plastic material. The lower end of the rod member has a counterbalance weight 20 attached thereto. Between the counterbalance and the bottom wall of the float member there is a ring 22 which is integral with rod member 18.

Prior to inserting the upper end of rod member 18 through hole 16 in the bottom wall 14 of the float member, a large washer or flange 24 is slipped on to the rod member and down to the ring 22. Then rod member 18 is inserted through holes 16 up through the float member 16 and a second flange 24 is slipped over the upper end of the rod member. A collar 26 is then slipped over the upper end of the rod member and attached thereto by conventional means such as swedging, welding or screw threads. A waterproof caulking or sealing compound 23 is then applied to the outer surfaces of the top and

bottom Walls

12 and 14 over an area corresponding to the cross sectional area of flanges 24. Flanges 24 are then pressed against the top and bottom walls of the float member and into the sealing compound thereon. If desired pressure can be maintained on flanges 24 until the sealing compound has set to form a permanent waterproof barrier around the holes 16 and join flanges 24 to the top and bottom walls of the float member.

The lower end of a rigid upper extension 30 extending above the top of the float member is now inserted into the top of collar 26. The extension can be permanently attached to the collar as by welding or if desired it can be removably attached with screw threads whereby extensions of varying height may be exchanged. The tip of the upper extension terminates in a generally U-shaped member 32 which is adapted to hold the free end of the anchor line. The length of the upper extension will vary according to the height of the gunwale of the particular vessel to be moored.

Although the buoy structure I have now described includes an empty float member which may be used as such, in the event the float member were accidentally punctured it would fill up with water and sink. In order to prevent this I prefer to foam a plastic material such as polystyrene or polyurethane in situ within the float member so that the entire float member is filled with plastic foam 33. The light weight plastic foam having minute discontinuous air pockets throughout will readily maintain the buoyancy of the float member in case of puncture. The air pockets should of course be discontinuous or unconnected in order to prevent water from permeating the entire plastic foam should the float member be punctured. I have achieved excellent results with foamable pellets of polystyrene sold under the trade name Pelaspan by the Dow Chemical Company. These pellets when contacted with live steam explode into a rigid foam many times their original size. If foam is employed the plastic pellets are placed inside the float member through holes 16 prior to the assembly of rod 18. The float member is then turned on its side and a rigid rod long enough to pass through and extend away from the top and bottom walls of the float member is inserted through holes 16. This rod acts as a probe which creates a hollow core in the plastic foamthrough which rod member 18 can later be inserted. After the probe .rod is in place live steam is injected into the float member with a small nozzle inserted into the slight clearance between the probe rod and one of the holes 16. Almost immediately the polystyrene pellets will expand and fill up the entire float member with rigid plastic foam. Thereafter the probe rod is withdrawn and the buoy is assembled in the same way as described heretofore for the empty float member.

FIG. 2 shows the buoy anchored in water and the arrow above the water points in the direction of the prevailing wind, tide or current. There is an anchor 34 in the sea bed from which an anchor line 36 extends to the ring 22. Preferably the end of the anchor line is slideably attached to ring 22 as for example with a closed loop or shackle so that the anchor line is free to move on the ring as the buoy Changes its position due to tide, wind or current. One end of a second line 38 which I refer to as a pennant is attached to the ring 22 preferably in the same manner as described for the anchor line. The other end of the pennant 38 is removably held on U-shaped member 32 Where it is readily accessible to one standing on the deck of the vessel to be moored. As can be seen the pennant 38 is always held well above the Water and as a result the vessel is secured to a dry line. This is very advantageous particularly in salt water since the corrosive effects of salt water on the vessel are minimized. Also, the helmsman has an upright visible marker to steer to no matter how close to the buoy his vessel is.

FIG. 3 shows the bow of a vessel 40 secured to pennant 38 with the arrow above the water having the same significance described for FIG. 2. It will be seen that the pull of the vessel is transmitted through the pennant and the anchor line directly to the anchor with very little strain, if any, being put on the float member itself. This plus the high buoyancy-to-counterbalance Weight ratio maintains the entire buoy in substantially upright position when the vessel is secured thereto. As mentioned herein above the buoyancy of float member should at least be 2 times greater than the weight of the counterbalance 20. I have achieved excellent results with a float member having a buoyancy of 333 lbs. to which a counterbalance of 25 lbs. is attached. However, higher or lower weight ratios than this may be used if desired but in all cases the ratio should be such that the buoyancy of the float is at least 2 /2 times greater than the weight of the counterbalance.

It will be understood that shape of the float member shown is not critical and that other shapes may be used. For example, the lower portion of the float member can taper to a point in the form of a cone in which case the anchor line can be attached to the bottom tip of the float member. Also one anchor line extending up to the tip of the upper extension may be used in place of the separate pennant and anchor line. In such case one of the links in the anchor line or some other means would be used for attaching the anchor line to ring 22 and of course a sufiicient length of the anchor line would be left free to extend up to the tip of the upper extension. If desired rod member 18 may extend through the float member all the way up to the height of the gunwale of the vessel to be moored and in such case U-shaped member 32 is attached to the tip of the rod member with screw thread, by weld, 'swcdge or other conventional means.

It will be further understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the preferred embodiment of the invention herein chosen for purposes of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A buoy for securing a vessel floating in water which comprises a buoyant float member having two rigid rod members extending out from opposite sides and along a central axis thereof, one of such rod members having a counterbalance weight spaced away from said float member, means positioned onsaid one .rod member intermediate the float member and the counterbalance, Weight adapted to hold an anchor line for securing the vessel, an anchor line, said anchor line being secured to said means at a point spaced away from one free end thereof, means on the second rod member for removably holding said free end of the anchor line when not in use for securing the vessel, the buoyancy of the float member being at least two and one half times the weight of the counterbalance.

2. The structure as specified in claim 1 in which the float member is in the form of a closed cylinder of polyethylene.

3. The structure as specified in claim 2 in which the chamber of the float member is filled with foamed plastic material.

4. The structure as specified in claim 3 in which the buoyancy of the float member is approximately 3-33 lbs.

5. A buoy for securing a vessel floating in water which comprises a buoyant float member having a rigid rod member extending through the float member out from opposite sides and along a central axis thereof, a counterbalance weight carried on the rod member in a position spaced away from one side of the float member, means positioned on said rod member intermediate the float member and the counterbalance weight adapted to hold an anchor line for securing the vessel, an anchor line, said anchor line being secured to said means at a point spaced away from one free end thereof, means on the rod member spaced away from the opposite side of the float member for removably holding said free end of the anchor line when not in use for securing the vessel, the buoyancy of the float member being at least two and one half times the weight of the counterbalance.

6. The structure as specified in claim 1 in which the anchor line terminates at said first mentioned means and is secured thereto and in which a separate line is provided for securing the vessel, sa-id separate line being secured at one end portion thereof to said first mentioned means and the opposite end portion of said separate line being removably held at said second mentioned means when the line is not in use for securing the vessel.

7. Structure of claim 1 wherein said means for removably holding said free end of the anchor line when not in use is a U shaped extension on the end of the second rod over which the free end of the anchor line may be looped.

8. Structure of claim 1 wherein said means for securing an anchor line is a ring and said anchor line is in two portions, one portion for connecting to an anchor and another portion for connecting to a boat, each of said portions being movably attached to said ring so that they are free to move on the ring to permit the buoy to remain upright as it changes position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,921,500 Blake Aug. 8, 1933 2,456,254 Caruso Dec. 14, 1948 2,819,476 Dodge Jan. 14, 1958 2,955,561 Andersen Oct. 11, 1960 2,961,194 Thorness Nov. 22, 1960

Claims

1. A BUOY FOR SECURING A VESSEL FLOATING IN WATER WHICH COMPRISES A BUOYANT FLOAT MEMBER HAVING TWO RIGID ROD MEMBERS EXTENDING OUT FROM OPPOSITE SIDES AND ALONG A CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF, ONE OF SUCH ROD MEMBERS HAVING A COUNTERBALANCE WEIGHT SPACED AWAY FROM SAID FLOAT MEMBER, MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID ONE ROD MEMBER INTERMEDIATE THE FLOAT MEMBER AND THE COUNTERBALANCE WEIGHT ADAPTED TO HOLD AN ANCHOR LINE FOR SECURING THE VESSEL, AN ANCHOR LINE, SAID ANCHOR LINE BEING SECURED TO SAID MEANS AT A POINT SPACED AWAY FROM ONE FREE END THEREOF, MEANS ON THE SECOND ROD MEMBER FOR REMOVABLY HOLDING SAID FREE END OF THE ANCHOR LINE WHEN NOT IN USE FOR SECURING THE VESSEL, THE BUOYANCY OF THE FLOAT MEMBER BEING AT LEAST TWO AND ONE HALF TIMES THE WEIGHT OF THE COUNTERBALANCE.