US3195498A - Boat mooring arm arrangement - Google Patents

Description

July 20, 1965 R. A. JOHNS BOAT MOORING ARM ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1964 JFcc/e r6630 @Zvzzldkas July 20, 1965 R. A. JOHNS BOAT MOORING ARM ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1964 3,195,498 BOAT MDGRING ARM ARRANGEMENT Robert A. Johns, Racine, Wis, assignor to Fabricast Manufacturing (10., Woodstock, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 359,601 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-230) This invention relates to an improved mooring arm arrangement and more particularly to an improved arrangement for mooring small boats and the like relative to a dock.

It is a prime object of this invention to provide an improved mooring arm arrangement particularly adapted for mooring small boats to a dock so as to keep the boat in relatively spaced relation from the dock but yet permit the boat to rise and fall with the water level or to accommodate the motion experienced by the waves of the water.

A still further object is to provide an improved mooring arrangement whereby the boat which is moored is constantly spaced from the dock so as to prevent damage to the boat bearing excessive wave action.

A still further object is to provide an improved mooring arrangement wherein the front and rear portions of the boat are securely fastened so as to keep the boat laterally spaced from the dock and yet permit the boat to rise and fall with the water level.

A further object is to provide a greatly simplified and improved boat mooring arrangement comprising arms which are connected to the dock and which have flexibly supported portions which are tied to the front and rear ends of the boat to maintain the boat in laterally spaced position relative to the dock and further including means for securing the boat against relative parallel movement in combination with the mooring arms.

These and further objects will become more readily apparent from a reading of the description when examined in connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View showing a dock arrangement and including a boat moored to the dock by means of an improved boat mooring arm arrangement;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a single mooring arm suitably connected to a dock, the said mooring arm shown in a non-use position and also being shown in a use position connected to a boat in the process of being moored and fastened to the arm;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a portion of a mooring arm showing the said arm secured to the side of a dock;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the two upright members of a mooring arm connected together by means of a coil spring;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged end view of the end of a mooring arm showing the detail connection of the same to a swivel; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail view showing hand grips secured to the upper end of a tubular member forming part of a mooring arm.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 a mooring arm arrangement is generally shown by the reference character It). The mooring arm arrangement 10 is shown in combination with a dock 11 projecting outwardly into the water. The dock 11 has moored thereto a small boat 12 by means of the mooring arm arrangement 19. The boat 12 comprises a top stern plate 13 and a top bow plate 14.

The mooring arm arrangement comprises a pair of mooring arms generally designated at 15. Each mooring arm 15 comprises, as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, an upright tubular member secured to the dock, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 by means of a clamping bracket 17 United States Patent 0 "ice having bolt fasteners 18 secured through a plate 19 forming part of the dock sides.

The upper end of the upright tubular member 16 is provided with an upwardly and outwardly inclined tubular portion 29. The tubular portion 2%) has connected therein a rod 21 having its end 22 projecting a distance into the tubular portion 20 and being secured therein by means of a weld designated at 23. The weld 23 also secures a coil 2 3 of a coil spring 25 which is secured in overlapping relation with respect to the rod to the upper end of the rod 21.

Each mooring arm 15 also includes a second inclined tubular portion 26 which is longitudinally spaced relative to the inclined tubular portion 20 and which is also overlapped by means of the coil spring 2 5 and has secured thereto by means of a weld 28 one of the coils 27 of the spring 25.

As best shown in FIGURE 2 the tubular member 26 also inclines upwardly and outwardly with respect to the dock 11 and the said tubular member 26 is provided at its upper end with a plug 29 having a generally vertically extending bore 31). A weld 31 secures the plug within the upper end of the member 26 as indicated. A swivel hook 32 comprises a looped portion 33 having a swivel section 34 extending through the bore 3t) and be rotatable therein. The swivel portion 34 has rigidly con nected thereto an upper washer 35 and a lower washer 36, the said lower washer 36 being retained by means of an abutment 37 secured to the swivel portion 34.

As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 7 hand grips 38 are suitably welded to the sides of the inclined tubular portion 20 which may serve as marine ties to which marine ropes may be tied. The stern plate 13 and bow plate 14 have suitably secured thereto mooring hooks 40 to which flexible fastening ties connected to the loops 33 may be secured. Also ropes 41 and 4-2 are connected to the hooks 40 and in turn are suitably connected to the dock as indicated at 43 for maintaining the boat against relative parallel movement with respect to the dock 11.

During non-use the arms 15 are in the position indicated in FIGURE 2 where they are out of the way and the spring coil 25 maintains the tubular members 26 in the position indicated. When it is desired to moor the boat 12 in the position shown in FIGURE 1 it is a simple matter for the occupants of the boat to merely reach over and grasp the flexible fastening lines 39 and to secure them in the position shown in FIGURE 1, and in the dotted position of FIGURE 2 to the mooring hooks 40.

After the flexible fastening tics 39 are so tied the ropes 41 and 42 are attached also to the hooks 40 and the boat is now securely moored relative to the dock. As the level of the water may rise or lower the arms the tubular portions 20 may move up and down to accommodate such movement by virtue of the resilient connection of the springs 25. Yet at all times the boat 12 is laterally spaced from the dock and no danger of damage to the sides of the boat can occur. Thus, the normally utilized fenders are completely unnecessary since the boat is safely positioned against any damage occurring. The ropes 41 and 42 also prevent parallel movement of the boat 12 so that the boat is effectively moored and yet may move as a result of the swells of the water or as a result of the waves in a manner desired without any possible engagement of the boat with the dock proper.

It is, of course, obvious that it is a simple matter to untie the arms and the spring lines whereupon the arms again assume the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Thus an improved mooring arrangement has been disclosed and it must be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as disclosed or from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed'is:

1. A mooring arrangement for maintaining a boat in laterally spaced moored position relative to a dock com:

prising: v V 1 (a) a pair of mooring arms; t

r (b) each arm including a first upright member of substantial length; 7 (c) means connecting said upright member to a dock; (d) said upright member having an inclined outwardly of the dock upper end portion of shorter length than said upright member and providing a spring seat; (e) a coil spring supported on said seat and normally projecting in inclined relation with respect to the lower end of said upright member;

(f) a second normally upright member having a lowe end portion connected to said coil spring;

(g) said second member including an upper end having a flexible member connector connected thereto; (h) flexible members connected to said connectors and to longitudinally spaced portions of a boat; whereby saidsecond members are disposed in substantially horizontal positions relative to said first members and said boat may move freely vertically relative to a dock; and said second upright members are returned bysaid springs' to their normal position upon disconnection from said boat.

2. LA mooring'arrangement in accordance with claim 1,

including fiexiblef members connecting the forward and 10 rearward portions of said boat tofsaid dock to secure the boat against parallel movement with respect to said dock.

" References Cited the-Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. 20 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A MOORING ARRANGEMENT FOR MAINTAINING A BOAT IN LATERALLY SPACED MOORED POSITION RELATIVE TO A DOCK COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF MOORING ARMS; (B) EACH ARM INCLUDING A FIRST UPRIGHT MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH; (C) MEANS CONNECTING SAID UPRIGHT MEMBER TO A DOCK; (D) SAID UPRIGHT MEMBER HAVING AN INCLINED OUTWARDLY OF THE DOCK UPPER END PORTION OF SHORTER LENGTH THAN SAID UPRIGHT MEMBER AND PROVIDING A SPRING SEAT; (E) A COIL SPRING SUPPORTED ON SAID SEAT AND NORMALLY PROJECTING IN INCLINED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWER END OF SAID UPRIGHT MEMBER; (F) A SECOND NORMALLY UPRIGHT MEMBER HAVING A LOWER END PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID COIL SPRING; (G) SAID SECOND MEMBER INCLUDING AN UPPER END HAVING A FLEXIBLE MEMBER CONNECTOR CONNECTED THERETO; (H) FLEXIBLE MEMBERS CONNECTED TO SAID CONNECTORS AND TO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF A BOAT; WHEREBY SAID SECOND MEMBERS ARE DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST MEMBERS AND SAID BOAT MAY MOVE FREELY VERTICALLY RELATIVE TO A DOCK; AND SAID SECOND UPRIGHT MEMBERS ARE RETURNED BY SAID SPRINGS TO THEIR NORMAL POSITION UPON DISCONNECTION FROM SAID BOAT.

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