US3081731A - Mooring device - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1963 yv. T. McEVOY 3,081,731

MOORING DEVICE Filed Sept. 27, 1960 INVENTOR. WILLIAM T. M EVOY United States Patent 3,081,731 MQGRING DEVICE William Thomas McEvoy, 7 8 Elizabeth St., Springdale, Conn. Filed Sept. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 58,693 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 114-230) This invention relates to mooring devices, and, more specifically, to such a device for attaching the stern of an outboard motorboat to a floating dock and which prevents any lateral movement of the boat.

In the past, small pleasure boats have been moored in parallel relationship to a dock by numerous types of mooring arrangements. Parallel mooring utilizes an area, contiguous to a dock, that is at least as long as the length of the boat. Moreover, if the boat has an outboard motor pivotally attached to its stern for movement out of the water when the boat is docked, the docking length must be extended to include approximately the length of the motor.

Parallel mooring has been generally satisfactory in the past. However, as the number of small pleasure boats has increased, usable docking area has not increased proportionately and as a result, there has been a shortage of dockage space for mooring. The shortage of space is aggravated when it is realized. that most boat owners prefer to pull the motor out of the water when moored.

Further, parallel mooring provides no protection, and indeed leaves exposed to possible damage, the pivoted motor. As is well known to the boa-ting enthusiast, a pivoted outboard motor is subjected to considerable abuse by boats approaching and departing from the dock.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for mooring a motorboat to a dock by attaching the stern of the boat to the dock, whereby a minimum length of dockage is required.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mooring arrangement for an outboard motorboat which permits the motor to be pivoted upwardly from the water and inherently provides protection against damage to the motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring arrangement which prevents lateral movement of the boat with respect to the dock whereby boats may be moored closer together.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement for mooring a boat to a floating dock which permits the boat to ride with the dock as the tide rises or falls.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a mooring device coupling the stern end of an outboard motorboat to a floating dock which comprises a pair of rigid bars pivotally connected between the dock and the stern of the boat; the pivotal move ment being in the vertical plane only. The bars are positioned to flank the sides of the motor and are of sufficient length to permit the motor to be pivoted outwardly relative to the stern of the boat without interfering with the dock. The bars are provided with linking means to interlock with cooperative members attached to the stern of the boat for retaining the boat in a moored position with respect to the dock.

The above menioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an outboard motorboat in a moored position with respect to a floating dock; and,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the support bars and accompanying linking arrangements.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the stern 11 of a boat to is shown as being retained by a pair of spaced apart bars Ill-14 to a floating dock, a portion of which is indicated at 12. The boat 10 is of the type which carries an outboard motor Whieh may be pivoted about the transom at the stern of the boat. As shown, the motor 15 is pivoted upwardly out of the water. The support bars 13-14 are spaced apart a distance sufficient to accommodate the width of the motor and are of a length which is at least as long as the motor permitting the motor to be pivoted out of the water. In the upwardly pivoted position, the bars flank either side of the motor.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 2, each bar is mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical direction only about fixed supporting structure which includes a pair of L-angles 1616a and a nut and bolt assembly 18, The L-angles are fixed along one face thereof to the side of the dock and the other face thereof acts as a bracket for supporting the nut and bolt assembly 18. The bolt serves as a shaft for pivotally supporting the bar 13.

Each support bar is made of rigid material, being of V-shape, to increase the rigidity of the bar, and having a flared-out portion at one end and a flared-in portion at the opposite end. The flared-out portion 19 terminates in a circular loop through which the bolt passes. The opposite end 20 is formed inwardly to accommodate in a fixed position a C-shaped shackle 21 having eye loop terminations.

A pair of eye bolts 22, are fixedly mounted in the transom of the boat. The eye bolts are fixed so that the eyes lie in a horizontal plane; the bolts being spaced apart the same distance as the spacing between the pairs of L- angles l616a. The shackles 21 secured to the bar 13 are vertically aligned with the terminating eye loops also lying in a horizontal plane.

When a boat is to be moored to a dock the support bars 13-14 are brought into susbtantially the same plane as that of the eye bolts 22; the bars being pivotal about the bolt so as to be movable in the vertical plane only. Locking bolts 24 are dropped through the eyes of the loops of the shackles 21 and the eye bolts 22 for securing the boat to the floating dock 12.

In this position, the motor 15 may be pivoted upwardly out of the water since the support bars are at least as long as the motor. The motor shaft is therefore protected on all sides against damage from a boat moored adjacently or from an arriving or departing boat. Moreover, due to the rigidity of the support arms the boat is prevented from any lateral excursion with respect to the dock thereby eliminating the possibility of collision with adjacent boats. Furthermore, this arrangement permits the boat and the dock to rise and fall with the tide without placing any undue strain on the boat, or, the mooring arrangement, or, without necessitating the provision of any elaborate mooring arrangement to compensate for the rise and fall in tide.

While the foregoing description sets forth the principles of the invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation of the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims. For eaxmp'le, if this mooring arrangement were to be utilized with a fixed clock, that is, mounted on pilings as opposed to a floating dock, the support bars could be of telescoping or other extendable construction having shackle bolts at the one end thereof which are adapted for pivotal movement. As the tide rises and falls the telescoping arrangement of the support bars With the pivoting of the shackle bolts would permit the boat to rise and fall with the tide.

What is claimed is: 1. A device for mooring an outboard motorboat to a floating dock, comprising a pair of rigid support bars adapted to be connected at one end to said dock and at the other end to the stern of the boat, means pivotally coupled to said one end of each of said bars to permit arcuate movement thereof substantially in the vertical direction only, said means being adapted to be rigidly secured to said dock, said bars being of suificient length to permit the motor to be pivoted vertically about the stern of the boat Without interfering With said dock, and said bars being adapted to be positioned to flank both sides of said motor, linking means rigidly attached to the opposite ends of each of said bars, and means adapted to be rigidly attached to the stern of said boat on both sides of said motor for detachable engagement with said linking means, whereby the boat may be released from the mooring by detaching the means on opposite sides of said motor from said linking means, said support bars having a central V-shaped portion, a flared out portion having a horizontally disposed terminating circular loop at one end for permitting pivotal connection of said bars to said securing means, and a flared in portion at the other end for retaining said linking means. 2. A device lfOi' mooring an outboard motorboat to a floating dock, comprising a pair of rigid support bars adapted to be connected at one end to said dock and at the other end to the stern of the boat, means pivotally coupled to said one end of each of said bars to permit arcuate movement thereof substantially in the vertical direction only, said means being adapted to be rigidly secured to said dock, said bars being of suflicient length to permit the motor to be pivoted vertically about the stern of the boat Without interfering with said dock,

and said bars being adapted to be positioned to flank both sides of said motor,

linking means rigidly attached to the opposite ends of each of said bars,

and means adapted to be rigidly attached to the stern of said boat on both sides of said motor for detachable engagement with said linking means, whereby the boat may be released from the moo-ring by detaching the means on opposite sides of said motor from said linking means,

said means adapted to be rigidly attached to the stern of said boat comprising a pair of eye bolts,

one being rigidly attached to tie stern on both sides of said motor,

said linking means comprising C-shaped shackle bolts having eye loop terminations retained in the opposite ends of each of said bars,

the eyes of said bolts and the loops of said shackles,

respectively, being vertically aligned during moora and means for detachably engaging said eyes and loops, respectively, for preventing any lateral displacement of said boat with respect to said dock,

said suppont bars having a central V-shaped portion,

a flared out portion having a horizontally disposed terminating circular loop at one end for permitting pivotal connection of said bars to said securing means,

and a flared in portion at the other end for retaining said shackles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,456,839 Princell Dec. 21, 1948 2,558,174 Flink June 26, 1951 2,569,783 Smith Oct. 2, 1 2,679, 18 Herbent et al. June 1, 1954 2,920,597 Dick Jan. 12, 1960 2,930,339 Trnka Mar. 29, 1960 2,938,492 Kulick May 31, 1960

Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE FOR MOORING AN OUTBOARD MOTORBOAT TO A FLOATING DOCK, COMPRISING A PAIR OF RIGID SUPPORT BARS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID DOCK AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE STERN OF THE BOAT, MEANS PIVOTALLY COUPLED TO SAID ONE END OF EACH OF SAID BARS TO PERMIT ARCUATE MOVEMENT THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION ONLY, SAID MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BE RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID DOCK, SAID BARS BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO PERMIT THE MOTOR TO BE PIVOTED VERTICALLY ABOUT THE STERN OF THE BOAT WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH SAID DOCK, AND SAID BARS BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED TO FLANK BOTH SIDES OF SAID MOTOR, LINKING MEANS RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH OF SAID BARS, AND MEANS ADAPTED TO BE RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE STERN OF SAID BOAT ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID MOTOR FOR DETACHABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LINKING MEANS, WHEREBY THE BOAT MAY BE RELEASED FROM THE MOORING BY DETACHING THE MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MOTOR FROM SAID LINKING MEANS, SAID SUPPORT BARS HAVING A CENTRAL V-SHAPED PORTION, A FLARED OUT PORTION HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TERMINATING CIRCULAR LOOP AT ONE END FOR PERMITTING PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF SAID BARS TO SAID SECURING MEANS, AND A FLARED IN PORTION AT THE OTHER END FOR RETAINING SAID LINKING MEANS.

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