Pontoon systems and methods
OwnerLawrence Donald Sporinginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments include a retrofit pontoon system including a pontoon, the pontoon having a pontoon body defining a first cavity, a retrofit assembly, the retrofit assembly including a tube, wherein the tube is sized to pass through a first aperture formed in the pontoon body and a selectively fillable container, where the tube is operably coupled with the selectively fillable container, and a pump, the pump being coupled with the tube such that operation of the pump selectively fills and drains water from the selectively fillable container, where filling the selectively fillable container lowers the profile of the pontoon in the water and emptying the selectively fillable container raises the profile of the pontoon in the water.
Claims20
A retrofit pontoon system comprising:
- a. a pontoon, the pontoon having a pontoon body defining a first cavity;
- b. a retrofit assembly, the retrofit assembly including;
- a. a tube, wherein the tube is sized to pass through a first aperture formed in the pontoon body;
- b. a selectively fillable container sized to pass through the first aperture, wherein the selectively fillable container is in the first cavity of the pontoon and the tube is operably coupled with the selectively fillable container;
- c. a pump, the pump being coupled with the tube such that operation of the pump selectively fills and drains water from the selectively fillable container, wherein filling the selectively fillable container lowers the profile of the pontoon in the water and emptying the selectively fillable container raises the profile of the pontoon in the water.
A method for retrofitting a pontoon comprising:
- providing a pontoon, the pontoon having a pontoon body defining a first cavity;
- forming a first aperture in the pontoon body;
- providing a retrofit assembly, the retrofit assembly including a tube, wherein the tube is sized to pass through the first aperture formed in the pontoon body, and a selectively fillable container, wherein the tube is operably coupled with the selectively fillable container;
- inserting the selectively fillable container through the first aperture into the first cavity of the pontoon body;
- providing a pump, the pump being coupled with the tube;
- and
- operating the pump such that the pump selectively fills and drains water from the selectively fillable container, wherein filling the selectively fillable container lowers the profile of the pontoon in the water and emptying the selectively fillable container raises the profile of the pontoon in the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.