Mooring apparatus
OwnerDavid Ken McDermottinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for mooring that provides an alternative to the chain traditionally used in mooring installations. It provides a flexible tie member to couple vessels to permanently located anchors which simulates the action of a mooring chain, but which is more durable and where the weights used in the apparatus may be reusable. The mooring apparatus comprises or includes, a flexible or articulable elongate member having a first end and a second end, and plurality of weights each secured and spaced along the elongate member, the first end adapted to be connected to an anchor weight and the second end adapted to be connected to a buoy. The method comprises using the mooring apparatus to moor a vessel.
Claims21
Mooring apparatus comprising:
- a flexible elongate member entirely encased within a flexible tube to form a tube encased elongate member having a first end and a second end, and
- a plurality of weights each secured and spaced along said tube encased elongate member, said first end adapted to be connected to an anchor weight and said second end adapted to be connected to a buoy,
- wherein said tube encased elongate member has a plurality of spacing means interspersed between said weights.
A method of forming a mooring apparatus which comprises the steps of:
- a) entirely encasing a flexible elongate member within a flexible tube to form a tube encased elongate member having a first end and a second end and locating a plurality of weights on said tube encased elongate member,
- b) attaching to said first end of said tube encased elongate member an anchor weight, and
- c) attaching to said second end of said tube encased elongate member a buoy.
A method of providing a mooring comprising:
- securing to a line or lines one end of at least one flexible elongate member entirely encased within a flexible tube forming a tube encased elongate member having two ends and a plurality of weights each secured and spaced along said tube encased elongate member,
- securing to the other end of said at least one tube encased elongate member an anchor weight, and
- securing the line or lines to at least one buoy, which upon hauling onto a vessel enables said at least one tube encased elongate member to be secured to the vessel.
A mooring apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of flexible elongate members each entirely encased within a flexible tube forming tube encased elongate members having respective first ends and second ends,
- wherein a plurality of weights is each secured and spaced along each of said tube encased elongate members, and each of said tube encased elongate members each have a plurality of spacing means interspersed between each of said plurality of weights, and
- said first ends of each of said plurality of tube encased elongate members are adapted to be connected to a respective one of a plurality of anchor weights and said second ends of said plurality of tube encased elongate members are adapted to be connected to a vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.