Floating boom end connectors
AssigneeSlickbar, Inc.
InventorRussell M. Blair
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A floating boom end connector, for joining the end of an elongated floating material containment boom to the juxtaposed end of a similar boom or to a towing or anchoring plate, incorporates a vertically elongated extrusion having a central web portion joined to the vertically arrayed flat boom fin end by means of an enlarged vertical central cavity within which the fin end is firmly anchored by being bent and re-curved around a central core, or is wedged between two flanking wedging bars secured to the fin end inside the cavity. The end connectors are provided with interfitting scraph jaws locking together two mating connectors or one connector and a mating towing plate.
Claims7
A tension transmitting connector for the end of a flat vertically arrayed fin of an elongated floating material containment boom, for joining said end thereof to a tension-applying towing or anchoring plate or to the juxtaposed end of a similar boom, comprising:
- A. a vertically elongated central tow flange portion juxtaposed to said flat fin end and incorporated a distal engaging portion for interlocking engagement with the adjacent distal towing plate or anchoring plate of an adjacent connector, wherein the engaging portion comprises a raked, tension-carrying scarph jaw forming a scarph joint interlocking the tow flange with a mating scarph jaw of a tow flange of the adjacent connector;
- B. two intermediate vertically elongated sidewall portions extending laterally divergingly from the central flange portion to define an enlarged vertical central cavity embracing the vertical fin end and reconverging to form facing proximal end flanges sandwiching the fin end therebetween in a narrow vertical proximal entrance portal slot;
- and
- c. a vertically elongated anchoring core positioned inside the central cavity co-acting with the fin end and blocking its withdrawal through the portal slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.