Marine fender and method of making the same
OwnerMelvin R. Younginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine fender comprises a sheet of resilient material that is curved in horizontal cross section and that is attached along opposite vertical edges to a support, such as a piling, so as to provide a deflection space between the sheet and the support. An elastomeric core is mounted on the support within the deflection space, spaced from the sheet, so that the sheet may deflect under impact before engaging the core. Multiple curved sheets may be employed so as to provide a deflection space between successive sheets as well as between a sheet and the support.
Claims23
A marine fender adapted to absorb impact loads, comprising a support, a prestressed resilient sheet having a textile fabric carcass impregnated with an elastomeric material, the sheet being bent from a substantially flat state into a configuration that is curved in transverse cross section and that is thereby prestressed for absorbing impact loads, the sheet being attached along opposite longitudinal edges to said support so as to define an unpressurized deflection space between the sheet and the support, and a core of elastomeric material disposed within the deflection space and attached to the support, the core occupying only a portion of the deflection space.
A marine fender adapted to absorb impact loads, comprising a generally rectangular prestressed, resilient sheet of material, such as conveyor belting material, bent from a substantially flat state into a configuration that is smoothly curved in transverse cross section and that is thereby prestressed for absorbing impact loads, the sheet being attached to a support along longitudinal edges so as to define an unpressurized deflection space between the sheet and the support, the material having a woven textile fabric carcass impregnated and coated with an elastomer.
A method of making a marine fender adapted to absorb impact loads, comprising providing a substantially flat resilient sheet having a woven textile fabric carcass impregnated with an elastomer, prestressing the substantially flat resilient sheet by bending the sheet into a configuration that is smoothly curved in transverse cross section, and attaching the curved sheet along opposite longitudinal edges to a support so as to provide a deflection space between the prestressed sheet and the support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.