Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B5/00—Hulls characterised by their construction of non-metallic material
  • B63B5/24—Hulls characterised by their construction of non-metallic material made predominantly of plastics
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B3/00—Hulls characterised by their structure or component parts
  • B63B3/02—Hulls assembled from prefabricated sub-units
  • B63B3/04—Hulls assembled from prefabricated sub-units with permanently-connected sub-units
  • B63B3/06—Hulls assembled from prefabricated sub-units with permanently-connected sub-units the sub-units being substantially identical
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B73/00—Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms
  • B63B73/70—Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by using moulds; Moulds or plugs therefor
  • B63B73/72—Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by using moulds; Moulds or plugs therefor characterised by plastic moulding, e.g. injection moulding, extrusion moulding or blow moulding

Definitions

• TITLE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM FOR FLOATING STRUCTURES SUCH AS BOATS
• This invention relates to a modular construction system for floating structures.
• the invention has been arrived at in the course of developing a system for boat construction using components made of synthetic plastics material formed by the rotational moulding process.
• the application of the invention is not limited to boats.
• the invention has application to floating platforms, floating storage vessels and the like.
• Rotational moulding techniques are well understood and need not be described in further detail herein. It is believed that polyethylene is used for the moulding of most of such known craft although other plastics materials may be suitable. The advantages of the use of polyethylene and other such materials for moulding boats and other articles are well known. Such boats are generally perceived, probably with justification, as being inexpensive and tough. Moreover, the density of polyethylene and the other plastics materials used for rotational moulding is less than that of water so that small boats made by this process have greater inherent buoyancy than boats that are made of, for example, aluminium or GRP (glass-fibre reinforced plastics resin).
• GRP glass-fibre reinforced plastics resin
• the present invention is an attempt to address this issue, at least to some extent.
• assembly of mouldings that can be joined together and used as a floating structure, the assembly comprising a first moulding and a second moulding each of which is produced by a rotational moulding process and has an outer face incorporating a first zone and a second zone which zones are so shaped that the first moulding can be joined to the second moulding in a first disposition in which the first zone of the first moulding is in face-to-face relationship with one of the zones of the second moulding or in a second disposition in which the second zone of the first moulding is in face-to-face relationship with one of the zones of the second moulding.
• the assembly of mouldings include a third moulding having an outer face incorporating a first zone and a second zone which zones are so shaped that the third moulding can be joined to the second moulding in a first disposition in which the first zone of the third moulding is in face-to-face relationship with one of the zones of the second moulding or in a second disposition in which the second zone of the third moulding is in face-to-face relationship with one of the zones of the second moulding.
• the first zone and the second zone of each moulding comprise each a flat portion of the outer face of the moulding, the flat portions being disposed at an angle one to the other.
• the mouldings have outer profiles that are substantially similar, one to the other.
• the advantage of this provision is that it is likely to reduce the cost of producing a boat or other floating structure that incorporates the assembly of mouldings.
• Such mouldings can, for example, be produced from a single mould, and the cost of two moulds is avoided.
• mouldings that are produced from a single mould will have substantially identical profiles when they are taken out of the mould.
• the outer profile of a moulding may be modified after it is taken out of the mould.
• holes may be cut in a moulding for the purpose of providing hatches, portholes and the like.
• the alteration of the outer profile of a moulding by the provision of such is not considered to be substantial.
• the three mouldings may have substantially similar outer profiles of hexagonal shape.
• a hexagonal profile will thus be made up of six straight portions with the adjacent portions being disposed at equal angles one to the other.
• Mouldings produced from a single mould, and therefore incorporating substantially similar flat-faced portions can therefore be used to produce a variety of boats and other floating structures.
• At least one moulding has an end face that is disposed in face-to-face relationship with an end face of a fourth moulding to which said at least one moulding is joined. Joining the mouldings together end to end enables boats and other floating structures of increased to length to be produced from rotationally moulded mouldings whose length is limited by the size of the equipment that is available for the moulding process.
• the mouldings are of moulded plastics material.
• Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hull-and-deck assembly of a twin hulled boat, or catamaran, incorporating a number of modular mouldings;
• Figure 2 is a side elevation of a pair of the mouldings shown in Figure 1 in their working disposition
• Figure 3 is a side elevation, on Arrow A in Figure 4, of three of the mouldings shown in Figure 1 , also in their working disposition;
• Figure 4 is a plan view of the hull-and-deck assembly shown in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 5 is a plan view of the pair of mouldings shown in Figure 2;
• Figure 6 is a plan view of the mouldings shown in Figure 3.
• Figure 7 is an isometric view of the two mouldings shown in Figure 2, with one moulding, only part of which is illustrated, detached from the other;
• Figure 8 is an isometric view, similar to higure 7, of two of the mouldings shown in Figure 3;
• Figure 9 is an isometric view of two of the mouldings shown in Figure 3.
• Figure 10 is a rear end elevation (on Arrow B) of the hull-and-deck assembly shown in Figure 1 ;
• Figures 1 1-13 are enlarged details of possible joints between two mouldings;
• Figure 14 is an end elevation of a hull-and-deck assembly for a trimaran-type boat
• Figures 15-16 are views of assemblies of mouldings that can be used as floating platforms
• Figure 17 is a view of an assembly of other mouldings that can be used as a floating structure.
• Figure 18 is a fragmentary view of an optional modification to a moulding.
• FIG. 1 shows, essentially in schematic form, the disposition of the mouldings when they have been assembled together to form examples of floating structures and, more particularly, of boats.
• the mouldings of the type described herein may be of medium density polyethylene but they could be of any other suitable material suitable for being used in rotational moulding techniques. Such materials include PVC, cross-linked polyethylene and even concrete.
• rotational moulding techniques are well understood. No claim is made that the use of a rotational moulding process, or of any materials used in the process, is in itself inventive for producing boats.
• a hull-and-deck assembly 10 that can be fitted out to form a twin-hulled boat or catamaran. To avoid repetition, it will be convenient to refer to this particular boat as boat B even though the finished boat is not shown in the drawings.
• the assembly is made up of eight mouldings, each of which is of polyethylene material and is produced by a rotational moulding process using suitable moulds. It is an inherent feature of any article produced by a rotational moulding process that, when it emerges from the mould, it comprises in essence a hollow shell that is fully closed except for one or more small vent holes necessary for allowing gases evolved in the process to escape.
• One advantage arising from the use of such mouldings for building boats is that they are inherently watertight and thus capable of floating. Holes, some examples of which will be described, may be cut in all of the mouldings in the course of construction of the boat B.
• the mouldings that are produced from any one mould will be mutually identical, at least in the state that they are in when they emerge from the mould.
• the assembly 10 there is one group Ml comprising three mutually identical mouldings produced from one mould; a second group M2 comprising two mutually identical mouldings produced from a second mould; another group M3 comprising two mutually identical mouldings produced from a third mould; and a single further moulding produced from a fourth mould M4. All of these mouldings will be described. Since the mouldings in each group of the groups MI- MS are identical, for most purposes herein only one of the mouldings in each group need be described
• each of the mouldings in the groups M1-M3 comprises a longitudinally extending, cylindrical side wall 12 of hexagonal cross section having six flat, rectangular segments 14 A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 14F that are disposed at 120° one to the other.
• the segments are of equal size and extend in the fore-and-aft direction from one end of the moulding to the other end.
• Each segment has a flat outer face.
• Each moulding 16, 18, 20 in the first group Ml comprises a flat front wall 22 spanning the front end of the moulding and a flat back wall 24 spanning the back end of the moulding.
• the walls 22, 24 are perpendicular to the outer faces of the segments 14A-F.
• the moulding 16 is positioned between the mouldings 18, 20. In this state, the entire outer face of segment 14A of moulding 16 is face-to-face with the entire outer face of segment 14D moulding 18. Similarly the entire outer face of segment 14C of moulding 16 is face-to-face with the entire outer face of segment 14F of moulding 20.
• the mouldings 16, 18 are joined together by suitable fastening means which, in the present case, may include bolts 26 (see Figure 12) that are positioned at intervals around the peripheries of the interfacing segments 14C, 14F and clamp them together. It is of course necessary to provide holes 28 in the wall 12 at the interfacing segments to accommodate the bolts.
• suitable fastening means which, in the present case, may include bolts 26 (see Figure 12) that are positioned at intervals around the peripheries of the interfacing segments 14C, 14F and clamp them together. It is of course necessary to provide holes 28 in the wall 12 at the interfacing segments to accommodate the bolts.
• the mouldings 16, 20 are joined together in the same manner with the interfacing segments 14A, 14D clamped together.
• the mouldings 36, 38 in the second group M2 are positioned in front of, and in alignment with the respective mouldings 18, 20.
• Each moulding 36, 38 also comprises a longitudinally extending, cylindrical side wall 12 * which, at the rear end of the moulding, is of hexagonal cross section and embodies six segments 14A', 14B", 14C, 14D', 14E', 14F', equiangularly disposed one to the other.
• the segments extend forwardly from the rear ends of the mouldings 36, 38 in the fore-and-aft direction.
• Flat rear walls 24' integrally moulded with the walls 12, span the rear ends of the mouldings 36, 38.
• the walls 24' are perpendicular to the wall 12' and more particularly to the outer faces of the segments 14A'-F'.
• the outer faces of the segments 14A'-F' are coplanar with the outer faces of the respective segments 14A- F.
• the profiles of the segments 14A'-F' differ from those of the respective segments 14A-F14 and also differ from each other as will be explained.
• the single moulding 42 produced from the mould M4 is positioned in front of, and in alignment with the moulding 16.
• the moulding 42 also comprises a longitudinally extending, cylindrical side wall 12" which, at its rear end, is of hexagonal cross section and embodies six segments 14 A", 14B", 14C", 14D'", 14E", 14F", equiangularly disposed one to the other.
• the segments extend forwardly from the rear end of the moulding 42 in the fore-and-aft direction.
• An integrally moulded flat rear wall 24" spans the rear end of the moulding 42. At this end, the wall 24" is perpendicular to the wall 12" and more particularly to the outer faces of the segments 14A"-F".
• the outer faces of the segments 14A"-F" are coplanar with the outer faces of the respective segments 14A- F of moulding 16.
• the profile of the segments 14A"-F" differ from those of the respective segments 14A-F14 of moulding 16 and also differ from each other as will be explained.
• the outer face of the segment 14F' has a flat portion that meets a flat portion of the outer face of the segment 14C" (moulding 42) face-to-face.
• the outer face of the segment 14D' has a flat portion that meets a flat portion of the 'outer face of the segment 14A" (moulding 42) face-to-face.
• the mouldings 36, 38, 42 are joined to the respective mouldings 18, 20, 16 by suitable fastenings s ⁇ ch as bolts 44 passing through holes 48 that are formed at intervals around the peripheries of the interfacing walls 24', 24", 22 and clamp them together.
• the mouldings 36, 38, 42 are joined together by bolts 26 around the peripheries of the areas where the flat portions of the outer faces of the respective segments interface. Again it will often be necessary to cut registering holes (such as 30', 30") in the walls of the respective mouldings where they interface.
• bolts or other fastenings may be mounted provided around these registering holes for clamping the walls together.
• each of the mouldings in groups Ml- M3 is 2.05 meters. Due to the nature of the rotational moulding process, each of these mouldings has a uniform wall thickness of about 3 cm all round. Allowing for the wall thickness, the internal vertical height of each moulding is thus 1.99 meters so that there is likely to be plenty of head room in each of the six mouldings, even allowing for the installation of a floor located above the bottom of the moulding when the boat B is fitted out. Any other suitable height could be chosen.
• the assembly 10 is intended to be fitted out as a catamaran type boat B.
• the assemblies comprising the aligned moulding pairs 36. 18 and 38, 20 constitute the two hulls of the boat with the mouldings 36, 38 located at the forward ends of the hulls.
• the segments 14A', 14C of each of these mouldings taper inwardly towards their front ends as shown at 50.
• the horizontal segments 14B' located at the bottoms of the moulding 36, 38 taper upwardly towards their front ends as shown at 52. In both cases this is to promote a clean passage of the hulls through the water.
• the hull assemblies are joined structurally together, and separated by. the assembly comprising the aligned moulding pair 42, 16 which is raised above the water.
• This assembly can be fitted out as a saloon with a steering- and control station at its forward end.
• the moulding 42 is formed with a steeply sloping portion 54 that is disposed athwartships and extends between the segments 14D" and 14F".
• a hole 56 can be cut in this portion for accommodating a windscreen.
• the horizontal upper segments 14E, 14E' and 14'" conveniently constitute substantial deck areas for the boat B. Access to these deck areas can be gained through, for example, doorways or manholes formed by holes 60 cut in the segments 14D, 14F of moulding 16 and/or in the segments 14D", 14F" of moulding 42. As before, these manholes can be sealed by watertight doors.
• mouldings 64, 66 there are two mouldings 64, 66 in group M3, attached to the rear ends of the respective mouldings 18, 20.
• the mouldings 64, 66 are mutually identical, they differ somewhat from the mouldings in groups M1-M3 in that they are not of hexagonal cross section. Instead, each is of the shape of a half-hexagon of the same size as that of the mouldings in groups M1-M3.
• moulding 64 comprises a longitudinally extending sidewall 12'" incorporating three segments 14A" * , 14B'" and 14C" of the same size as, and coplanar with, the respective segments 14A, 14B and 14C.
• moulding 64 comprises a front wall 70 and a rear wall 72 each of which is perpendicular to the sidewall 68.
• moulding 64 comprises an upper wall 76 that extends between the upper ends of end walls 70, 72 and also between the upper ends of segments 14A"' and 14C". Moulding 64 (and similarly moulding 66) thus comprises a unitary enclosed shell when it is taken out of the mould M3.
• the front wall 70 is disposed face-to-face with the lower half of the rear wall 24 of moulding 18.
• moulding 64 (and also moulding 66) is joined to moulding 18 by suitable fastenings such as bolts 44 that pass through holes positioned at intervals around the peripheries of the interfacing parts of walls 70, 24 and clamp them together.
• suitable fastenings such as bolts 44 that pass through holes positioned at intervals around the peripheries of the interfacing parts of walls 70, 24 and clamp them together.
• a hole for creating a manhole similar to those provided elsewhere, may be cut in the wall 70 and further holes for accommodating fastenings may be
• a hole 78 can be cut into the upper walls to constitute a hatch for giving access to the interior of moulding 64.
• the hatch can be closed by a watertight hatch cover of known type.
• Each moulding 64, 66 can conveniently be designed to accommodate, in known manner, an engine and propeller shaft for boat B.
• Each propeller shaft would pass through a hole cut in the lower segment 14B'" of the mouldings. The hole would be closed by known means fixed to the segment 14B'" for housing a bearing and gland for the propeller shaft.
• Figures 1 -6 are drawn to the same scale and from this it can be seen that the overall length of the particular assembly 10 shown in Figures 1-6 is 13 meters, and the beam is 6 meters. Clearly, two or more sets of three Ml mouldings joined together as described above could be mounted end-to-end to increase the length of the assembly 10.
• mouldings heretofore described and illustrated in the drawings could be used to construct a hull-and-deck assembly 100 for a trimaran-type boat having the cross-sectional shape as shown in Figure 14 which is an entirely schematic end view of the rear of the assembly 100.
• a group of six of the mouldings from mould Ml are joined together as a sub- assembly 102 forming part of a boat with three hulls incorporating Ml mouldings 104, 106, 108. Because of the size of this boat, it may comprise two or more of such sub-assemblies 102 disposed one in front of the other.
• mouldings from mould M2 may be mounted at the front of each of the mouldings 104-108 and a moulding from mould M4 may be mounted at the front of the central upper moulding 1 10.
• a moulding from mould M3 may also be mounted at the back end of each of the mouldings 104, 106,108.
• Figure 15 is a similarly schematic view of an assembly 120 that is one example of a structure that could be used as a floating platform.
• the assembly comprises three floating shells in the form of mouldings 122, 124, 126 from mould Ml .
• the shells are spaced apart by two watertight shells in the form of two mouldings 128, 130 from mould M3 which, in use, are lifted above the water by the mouldings 122-126.
• the assembly 120 could be provided with additional mouldings 128'. 130' from mould M3, located below the respective mouldings 128, 130.
• the assembly 120 could be inverted to act as one variation of the floating platform.
• all of the modules are located at water level and there would be two channel-like spaces 132 between the mouldings 122, 124, 126 which might make the platform particularly useful for some purposes
• Figure 16 shows how a series of modules from moulds Ml , M3 could be joined together to form an assembly 140 for a floating platform of any reasonable size and having a continuously flat upper surface or deck.
• a series of the assemblies could be joined together honeycomb fashion to increase the size of the platform.
• the longitudinal axes of the mouldings are vertically disposed.
• FIG 17 shows modules 150 from a single mould but having a non-symmetrical shape.
• Each module has two wall segments 152, 154 either of which can be brought face-to-face with a corresponding wall segment of the other module when the modules are joined together in the alternative configurations shown.
• Those skilled in the art will be aware that it is necessary to provide elements such as stiffening ribs, gussets and the like at various places in the mouldings to give them adequate strength and also, for example, to prevent distortion of the plastics material as it cools in the mould. As is well known, these elements can be formed during the moulding process as integral parts of the moulding.
• Figure 18 shows a wall segment (segment 14B in this instance) with integrally moulded, longitudinally extending ribs 99. These ribs serve to stiffen the wall segment and also to promote clean flow of water along the outer face of the segment when the moulding is incorporated in a boat hull.
• FIG. 13 One alternative means for joining the mouldings together is shown in Figure 13 and comprises a plate 90, also of plastics material, that overlaps a joint 92 between two mouldings.
• the walls of the mouldings may be provided with recesses 94 formed during the moulding process to accommodate the plate 90 which can be through bolted to the walls by bolts 96 or other fastenings.
• two mouldings can be welded together at the joints therebetween, as shown at 98 in Figures 11 and 12 . It may be difficult to achieve welded joints between two rotationally moulded components that, by themselves, are strong enough for practical purposes. However, such welded joints may be useful to make the joints watertight and also to give the joints a finished appearance.
• the foregoing examples demonstrate that the mouldings described can be joined together in two or more different configurations to make up assemblies that can be used as boats or other floating structures.
• the mouldings are of moulded plastics material.
• Each of the mouldings has an outer face incorporating at least two zones that are so shaped that one moulding can be joined to another in at least two dispositions.
• the first zone of one of the mouldings is in face-to-face relationship with one of the zones of another of the mouldings.
• the second zone of the one moulding is in face-to-face relationship with one of the zones of the other moulding.
• such assemblies can be made up of three or more of the mouldings with outer.faces shaped so that the mouldings can be similarly joined together.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
• Sewage (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=35124944

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2005
  • 2005-03-31 EP EP05722129A patent/EP1732803A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-31 BR BRPI0509614-6A patent/BRPI0509614A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-03-31 US US10/594,581 patent/US20070193494A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-03-31 WO PCT/NZ2005/000063 patent/WO2005097589A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-03-31 CA CA002562056A patent/CA2562056A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-03-31 JP JP2007506099A patent/JP2007531659A/ja active Pending
  • 2005-03-31 AU AU2005231656A patent/AU2005231656A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2006
  • 2006-09-28 ZA ZA200608068A patent/ZA200608068B/en unknown
  • 2006-11-03 KR KR1020067023067A patent/KR20070034989A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (6)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events