Buoy for storing line connected to underwater object
OwnerKenneth Saulnier, Hubert J. Van Leeuweninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A buoy is provided for storing a line connected to an underwater object, having a hollow casing formed of resilient plastics material and having two side portions each with bearings. A reel for carrying the line has shaft portions rotatable in the bearings. The reel is a buoyant hollow body also formed of flexible plastics material and is provided with a fluid inlet for inflation from an axially collapsed state, in which the reel and its shaft portions can be fitted between the side portions, to an inflated state wherein the shaft portions are rotatably held in the bearings.
Claims6
A buoy for storing a line connected to an underwater object, of the type having two spaced side portions each with a bearing means and a reel for carrying the line which has shaft portions rotatable in said bearing means, wherein said reel is a buoyant hollow body formed of flexible material and is provided with a fluid inlet for inflation from a relatively axially collapsed state, wherein the reel and its shaft portions can be fitted between the side portions, to an inflated state wherein the reel is axially expanded so that its shaft portions are rotatably held in the bearing means.
A buoy for storing a line connected to an underwater object, having a hollow casing formed of resilient plastics material and having two side portions each with bearing means, and a reel for carrying the line having shaft portions rotatable in said bearing means, said casing having a lower guide outlet for line carried by the reel;
- and
- wherein said reel is a buoyant hollow body also formed of flexible plastics material and is provided with a fluid inlet for inflation from an axially collapsed state, in which the reel and its shaft portions can be fitted between the side portions, to an inflated state wherein the shaft portions are rotatably held in the bearing means.
A buoy for storing a line connected to an underwater object, having a hollow casing formed of resilient plastics material and having two side portions each with bearing means, and a reel for carrying the line having shaft portions rotatable in said bearing means, said casing having a lower guide outlet for the line, said reel being a buoyant hollow body also formed of flexible plastics material and having, in its interior, a foamed plastics which maintains the shape of the reel so that its shaft portions remain in engagement with the bearing means, the reel acting both as buoyancy for the buoy and acting to rigidify the casing against compressive forces;
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- wherein the ends of the reel have convex surfaces which are sufficiently close to similarly shaped concave inner surfaces of the casing that the reel can support the casing if the latter is subjected to large compressive forces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.