US 6,205,945 B1 · Floating dock including buoyant wharf modules and method of making such modules

Abstract

Buoyant wharf modules of a floating dock include a rotary molded polyethylene structure having a lower shell portion filled with a steamed polystyrene foam and an upper portion that is a permanent mold form for a concrete aggregate-water mixture. The foam has sufficient compressive strength so that when the mixture is poured into the form over a reinforcing mesh, the form remains stable. The form includes troughs and mesas shaped so that the water flows by gravity to sumps adjacent walls of the form. The walls have openings so the water can flow from modules. Lined tunnels in the set concrete include removable rods having threaded ends which extend through openings in wales extending along longitudinal walls of the modules. Nuts and washers threaded on the rods abut exterior side walls of the wales to hold the modules together. Short spacer tubes having straight side walls abut wales of side-by-side modules. Rods of the side-by-side modules extending through openings of the tubes and walls connect the side-by-side modules to each other by a thread, nut and washer arrangement. Utility lines extending through the tubes extend to a utility tower on an outboard edge of one of the modules via a transverse opening in that module and a depression on that module under the tower. Notches in a bottom face of the modules enable forklift trucks to move the modules on land.

Claims78

Dependent claims

A buoyant wharf structure comprising

a first upper portion fixedly and permanently secured to a second portion that is generally below the first portion, the second portion having a volume and density causing the structure to be buoyant, the first portion including (a) a deck and (b) a mold form fixedly and permanently secured to the second portion,
the mold form having walls and a floor, the floor being fixedly and permanently secured to the walls,
and a molded mass having a density greater than water substantially filling the mold form.

A method of making and using a stable buoyant wharf structure from a shell having a first upper portion fixedly and permanently secured to a second portion that is generally below the first portion, the first portion having exterior walls and a water impervious floor, the method comprising

feeding a filler having a density less than water into the second portion,
then pouring a settable plastic mass into the first portion so the settable plastic mass engages the walls and the floor and the floor rests on the filler without being substantially deformed,
causing the settable plastic mass to set against the floor and walls,
then, putting the structure in water to function as a wharf structure with the floor and walls in situ.

1 more element

A floating dock comprising

an assemblage of buoyant wharf structures,
each of the wharf structures including:
(a) a first upper portion fixedly and permanently secured to a second portion that is generally below the first portion, the second portion including a foam mass having a volume and density causing the structure to be buoyant, the first portion including (a) a deck and (b) a mold form fixedly and permanently secured to the second portion,
(b) the mold form having walls and a floor, the floor being fixedly and permanently secured to the walls,
(c) a molded mass having a density greater than water substantially filling the mold form;
and
structural members attached to and joining the buoyant wharf structures.

4 more elements

A floating dock comprising

an assemblage of buoyant wharf structures,
each of the buoyant wharf structures including an upper portion including a molded mass forming a deck and a lower portion, the upper and lower portions being arranged for causing the deck to be in a freeboard condition while the assemblage is in a body of water, molded masses of first and second adjacent pairs of the buoyant wharf structures respectively having first and second openings extending from a first wall of the structures to a second wall of the structures that is opposite to and generally parallel to the first wall, first and second rods respectively extending through the first and second tunnels, at least one spacer in a gap between facing sides of the first and second buoyant wharf structures, the spacer having opposite first and second wall portions, the first and second rods respectively extending through the first and second openings, and a fastener arrangement holding the first rod in situ in the tunnel of the first buoyant wharf structure and in the first wall portion and holding the second rod in situ in the tunnel of the second buoyant wharf structure and in the second wall portion of the spacer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Floating dock including buoyant wharf modules and method of making such modules

Life of this patent

Floating dock including buoyant wharf modules and method of making such modules

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims78