Emergency damage patch and method for boats or the like
OwnerDenny L. Collinsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The specification disclosed an apparatus for covering/patching a breach in a wall of a container such as a ship hull, which comprises: a sealing plate; an anchor comprising an arm that has a collapsed position and an extended position; and a substantially flexible strap fixed to the anchor and able to run through a strap securing device in the sealing plate. The anchor is positioned in its expanded position on one side of the wall, and the strap is passed through the breach to the other side of the wall where the strap rungs through the strap securing device in the plate. The plate is then positioned against the wall, and the strap is pulled until the plate is held tight against the wall to form a seal against a continable fluid.
Claims21
An apparatus for covering breaks, cracks, holes, and other breaches, in a wall means of a container such as a ship hull, comprising:
- a. a plate means adapted to be pressed against said wall means and to cover over said breach in a manner to form a seal against a containable fluid;
- b. a substantially flexible strap means a first free end portion of which is able to be pulled through a strap securing means included in said plate means;
- c. an anchor means being fixed to a second end of said strap means and comprising one or more arm means which are able to be collapsed into a first collapsed position or extended into a second operating position where said arm means extend from a hub means of said anchor means and a spring means of said anchor means urges said arm means into said operating position;
- whereby
- said anchor means may pass through said breach when said arm means are in the collapsed position and said spring means urges said arms into said operating position on the other side of said breach;
- said plate means has substantial freedom of movement relative to said anchor means and is able to be positioned to cover said breach;
- and
- said strap means is able to be pulled through said strap securing means so as to tighten said plate means against said wall means with said plate means forming said seal against said containable fluid.
A method for covering a breach in a wall means of a container such as a ship hull, said method comprising the following steps:
- a. providing a plate means adapted to be pressed against said wall means and to cover over said breach in a manner to form a seal against a containable fluid;
- b. providing a substantially flexible strap means;
- c. providing an anchor means being fixed to a first end of said strap means and comprising one or more arm means which are able to be collapsed into a first collapsed position or extended into a second operating position where said arm means extend from a hub means of said anchor means;
- d. running a second free end portion of said strap means through a strap securing means included in said plate means;
- e. inserting said anchor means in its collapsed position at a first side of said wall means through said breach;
- f. urging said arm means of said anchor means into said extended position on a second opposed side of said wall means;
- g. positioning said plate means against said wall means in a manner to cover over said breach;
- h. pulling said free and portion of said strap means through said strap securing means in a manner to clamp said plate means against said wall means to form said seal against said containable fluid.
An apparatus for covering a breach in a wall of a container such as a ship hull, comprising:
- a sealing plate which has a preforation formed therein and which is adapted to conform to the container wall to seal the breach;
- a catch means which is attached to the sealing plate and which extends into the perforation;
- a flexible strap having at least one ratchet means extending therefrom;
- and
- an anchor means secured to one end of the flexible strap;
- whereby
- the catch means engages the ratchet means to prevent the flexible strap from being drawn in a first direction through the perforation.
An method of covering a breach in a wall of a container such as a ship hull, comprising the steps of:
- providing a perforated sealing plate adapted to conform to the container wall to seal the breach, a catch projection attached to the sealing plate and biased into the perforation, a flexible strap having at least one ratchet projection extending therefrom which engages the catch projection to prevent the flexible strap from being pulled in a first direction through the perforation and which allows the flexible strap to be pulled in a second direction through the perforation, and an anchor secured to a first end of the flexible strap;
- inserting a second end of the flexible strap in the second direction through the perforation;
- passing the anchor through the breach in the container wall;
- positioning the sealing plate against the breach;
- and
- pulling the second end of the flexible strap in the second direction until the anchor engages the container wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.