Patent Application
20100282155
The present invention relates to floating structures for docks and breakwaters, and more particularly, to floating modules and a system for interconnecting floating modules to form docks and breakwaters.
Floating structures such as docks, decks, wharfs, breakwaters, walkways, boat slips and other structures are known in the art. These floating structures are typically interconnected using tie rods and side wales extending along the sides of the floating structures and fastened together. Other structures use hinges to connect the ends of adjacent floating structures. Still other structures use cables and rods which pass through the floating structures lengthwise and use rubber pads or resilient members between the structures for a cushion.
Some of these floating structures, while acceptable for relatively small interconnected structures, are not suitable for applications encountering rougher waters. Many of these systems do not allow sufficient pivoting motion between interconnected floats when fairly large waves are encountered. As a result, the interconnection system often fails. Other of these systems are not sufficiently strong to endure the pivotal motion over an extended period, or when encountering large storms. The resilient members of some of these structures are exposed to high shear forces. Additionally, the resilient members degrade over time due to exposure to sunlight.
The present invention provides a system for interconnecting floating structures to form breakwaters and other integrated floating structures. The interconnection system includes one or more cables or other securing lines extending longitudinally through a row of floating structures and fastened at the ends of the row. Two or more socket members, through which the cables pass, are secured in and project outwardly from each end wall of the floating structures. Each of the socket members defines a recess, which extends into the end walls of the floating structures. Opposed socket members projecting from adjacent floating structures are sized so that an end of a first of the socket members fits within an opposed end of a second of the socket members. A resilient member or cushion having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the recesses in the opposed socket members may be received within adjacent recesses of overlapping first and second socket members.
The resilient members include a longitudinally extending bore through which the cables pass. The socket members extending from adjacent end walls interfit or overlap to encase the resilient members and provide protection from exposure to sunlight. The overlapping socket members further protect the resilient members from excessive twisting, bending and shear forces at the connection.
Fingers or slips may be formed by securing one or more modules perpendicularly to a main structure of modules with cables extending longitudinally through the slip structures and laterally through the main structure.
Referring to the figures, an interconnecting system for flexibly securing together one or more floating structures or modules 10 is disclosed. The modules 10 may conventionally include a rigid shell 12 formed from concrete or other moldable cementitious materials including polymer plastics surrounding and encasing a buoyant core 14 such as a foam core for example. The modules 10 include a top 16, sides 18 and 20, and end walls 22 and 24. The end walls 22 and 24 each include two or more male and female interconnecting assemblies or socket members 26 and 28 respectively, and a utility recess 29. As shown in
The buoyant core 14 may include grooves running laterally across the top surface 17 and vertically along the side surfaces 19 to provide additional structural strength to the module 10 when encased in concrete or other material. Two sets of two longitudinal grooves 56, are formed in the top surface 17 of the foam core 14 running parallel to and proximate to the sides 19 of the foam core 14. A cable receiving conduit 64 is positioned within the trough of each longitudinal groove 56. The conduits 64 are sized shorter than the foam core, such that the ends of each conduit 64 are recessed in the foam core 14. Side walers 21 with conduits 23 extending through the side walers 21 also allow two or more modules 10 to be connected in a perpendicular configuration, as discussed in more detail hereafter, to form fingers or boat slips, for example.
As best seen in
The base tube 36 may be welded or otherwise secured or attached to the base plate 32, which may be welded or otherwise secured to the side wall 30. The base tube 36 may be approximately four to twelve inches long, and preferably six inches long with a diameter of approximately one to two inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The aperture 34 may be sized to match the base tube 32.
The female interconnecting assembly 28 may be similar in construction to the male interconnecting member but slightly larger. The female interconnecting member includes a cylindrical side wall 42, a base plate 44 with an aperture 46 formed centrally therein, and a base tube or sleeve 48 axially aligned with the aperture 46. The assembly 28 may be embedded in the end wall 24 with the base tube 48 extending inward and an opposite end presenting an outwardly opening recess or socket 50. The depth of the recess 50 may be approximately one to four inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The side wall 42 of assembly 28 extends outward past the end wall 24 to present a collar 52. The length of the collar 52 extending past the end wall 24 is approximately one-quarter to one and one-half inches, and preferably three-quarters of an inch. The side wall 42 has a length of approximately five to twelve inches, and preferably six inches. The side wall 42 has a diameter of approximately six to twelve inches, and preferably ten inches.
The base tube 48 may be welded or otherwise secured or attached to the base plate 44, which may be welded or otherwise fastened to the side wall 42. The base tube 48 may be approximately four to twelve inches long, and preferably six inches long with a diameter of approximately one to two inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The aperture 46 may be sized to match the base tube 48.
Each module 10 may be formed in a mold not shown. One of the cable receiving conduits 64 may be inserted in each of the four longitudinal grooves 56 in the foam core 14. In a preferred embodiment, two male interconnecting members 26 may be positioned on one end toward one of the corners of the foam core 14 with a distal end of an associated base tube 36 abutting against or receiving an end of one of the cable receiving conduits 64. The base tube 36 may be preferably welded to the conduit 64 with the internal apertures aligned. Two additional male interconnecting members 26 are positioned on the other end toward the opposite diagonal corner of the foam core 14.
Two female interconnecting members 28 may be positioned at each end of the foam core 14 at opposite corners from the male interconnecting members 26. A distal end of the associated base tube 48 may be abutting against or receiving an opposite end of one of the cable receiving conduits 64. The base tubes 48 are preferably welded to the conduit 64 with the internal apertures aligned.
Before positioning the side wales 21 in position along the sides of the foam core 14, the side wales 21 are first connected together by extending a plurality of conduits 23 through aligned bores in the side wales 21 so that the conduits 23 extend transverse to the side wales 21 to form a side rail assembly 25. The side rail assembly 25 may then be set on top of the foam core 14 with the conduits 23 resting on an upper surface thereof and the side wales extending along the sides of the foam core 14. Concrete or other plastic material may then poured into the mold around the foam core 14, the cable receiving conduits 64, the side rail assembly 25, and the male and female interconnecting assemblies 26 and 28 and allowed to set. The utility recess 29 are formed in each module 29 by the mold.
In the modules 10 formed in this manner, end wall 22 has two male interconnecting assemblies 26 and two female interconnecting assemblies 28 projecting therefrom. The opposite end wall 24 has two female interconnecting assemblies 28 and two male interconnecting assemblies 26 projecting therefrom. The modules 10 could be formed in alternative configurations with fewer or more interconnecting assemblies 26 or 28 formed in and projecting from each end wall 22 and 24. It is to be understood that the type of interconnecting assembly 26 or 28 projecting from each end wall 22 and 24 can be varied. For example, with four interconnecting assemblies per end, four male interconnecting assemblies 26 may be projecting from one end wall and four female interconnecting assemblies 28 may be projecting from the other end wall. Other variations may be utilized. However, the interconnecting assemblies or socket members 26 and 28 directly opposite each other on each module 10 are of the opposite type, i.e. for each male socket member 26, the axially aligned socket member on the other end of the module 10 is a female socket member 26.
Two or more modules 10 may be connected together by cables 54 threaded through aligned sets of male and female interconnecting assemblies 26 and 28 and the conduits 64 embedded in the foam core 14. The resilient member 58 is also threaded onto each cable 54 between adjacent modules 10. The resilient member 58 is sized and shaped to be received in overlapping interconnecting assemblies 26 and 28 as described hereafter.
Each resilient member 58 is preferably cylindrically-shaped although other shapes may be utilized, with a length of two to twelve inches, preferably four to six inches, and a diameter of four to ten inches, preferably six to eight inches. Each resilient member 58 includes an axially-extending cylindrical bore 60 through which the cable 54 passes. A rigid tube 62 lines the bore 60 to prevent the cable from damaging the resilient member 58. The length of the tube 62 may be less than the length of the resilient member 58 to allow for compression of the resilient member 58 when the modules 10 are assembled and during use. The cables 54 also pass through conduits 64 which extend longitudinally through the modules 10.
When abutting modules 10 are aligned and male and female sockets 26 and 28 are opposed and axially aligned, the collars 40 of the male sockets 26 extend from end walls 22 and 24 and nest within the collars 52 of the female sockets 28 which extend from end walls 22 and 24 opposite collars 40. When the cables 54 are tightened to a predetermined tension the resilient members 58 are compressed between the base plates 32 and 44 of the overlapping male and female sockets 26 and 28. In addition, the collars 40 and 52 of opposed and overlapping sockets 26 and 28 preferably overlap at least one half inch or more. A lateral gap 66 formed between abutting modules 10 has a width of approximately one-half to two inches. The overlapping collars 40 and 52 shield the resilient members 58 from direct exposure to the environment.
The rigid tube 62 embedded in each resilient member 58, in combination with the nesting collars 26 and 28 limit the shear, bending and twisting forces, and stresses exerted on the resilient member 58. For normal loads, the resilient members 58 have sufficient shear strength to prevent excessive horizontal and vertical transverse movement of one module 10 with respect to an adjacent module 10. However, if the modules 10 encounter excessive forces, the interlocking sockets 26 and 28 limit the forces transferred to the resilient members 58. Additionally, the sockets 26 and 28 shield the resilient members 58 from sunlight to prevent degradation from exposure.
When two or more modules 10 are joined together to form a breakwater or other structure, the structure may be secured to one or more concrete blocks 70 or other suitable anchors, with a chain or cable 72. Referring to
It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof. As used herein the phrase overlapping relationship of two members or other structure is intended to encompass either member or structure overlapping the other. In addition, the term wall or member is not limit to planar, solid structures, but rather is generally intended to encompass structure which separates one region or area from another and may include structures with openings therein such as meshes or grates or the like.
