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US 6,152,065 AGranted
Apparatus for launching and recovery of boats
OwnerJan Gronstrandinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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OwnerJan Gronstrandinventor
Estimating the term…
A dock, for launching and recovery of a lifeboat, rescue boat or like small boat on a vessel, a floating platform or a fixed installation. The boat (14) is normally stored on the dock. The dock is provided with buoyant elements (1) fixed to a frame (3). The boat (14) is supported in a cradle (2) within the frame (3). On launching and recovery of the boat (14), the dock is lowered to a floating position on the surface of the water. In order to fix the boat (14) to the dock, a locking device (9, 15) is provided. By modifying the configuration and size of the buoyant elements, the dock is given rolling and pitching periods which coincide as closely as possible with those of the boat (14). The dock and the boat (14) will thereby behave in approximately the same manner in the water, which makes it relatively simple to run the boat (14) into the dock even in a very heavy sea. When the boat (14) has been introduced into the dock, it is in contact with the dock at least two points, and the boat (14) and the dock are then fixed to one another by a locking device (9, 15) to form a cohesive unit.
Apparatus for launching and recovering a boat in water, said apparatus comprising means for providing a space into which said boat can be introduced and from which said boat can be launched by a slidable movement of said boat into and from said space, said means comprising a device for supporting the boat from below when the boat is introduced into said space, said boat being buoyant in the water, said device including buoyant elements to keep said device in floating state in the water, said buoyant elements providing seakeeping properties for said device including pitching and rolling characteristics, said boat having its own respective seakeeping properties including pitching and rolling characteristics, said buoyant elements being configured and disposed to provide said seakeeping properties of said device substantially corresponding to said seakeeping properties of the boat so that the boat and the device will have the same pattern of movement in the water while the boat is being slidably introduced into and launched from the device, said buoyant elements of said device providing reserve buoyancy for said device corresponding to the weight of said boat when fully loaded to keep the apparatus afloat when the boat has been introduced and secured in the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.