Portable floating apparatus
OwnerJames S. Myersinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Portable floating apparatus is disclosed herein having a plurality of floatable platforms arranged in end-to-end hingable relationship so as to provide a continuous, extendible bridge. Each platform includes inflatable buoyant tubes carried on the sides thereof and having a rigid support member disposed between and coupled to the side buoyant tubes. The sides of the support member are provided with recesses for storage of the tubes in their deflated conditon. The buoyant tubes of each platform are in fluid communication with the buoyant tubes of adjacent platforms whereby a common inflation device not only inflates the tubes but deploys the plurality of platforms in a selected direction.
Claims9
An extendable portable bridging apparatus adapted to be supported on the surface of water comprising:
- a plurality of individual platform units arranged in an end-to-end relationship so as to provide a continuous and uninterrupted passageway across a body of water wherein the underside of the platform units are supported on the surface of the water body;
- inflatable means carried on the opposite sides of each of said platform units and said inflatable means includes expandable tubes carried on opposite sides of each of said individual platform units;
- strap means retaining said tubes to their respective platform unit sides so that when inflated, said tubes rest on the surface of the body of water;
- hinge means pivotally coupling adjacent ends of said individual platform units;
- and
- inflation means operably connected to said inflatable means for inflating thereof and said inflatable means being responsive to inflation so as to expand and forceably urge said plurality of individual platform units towards a desired direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.