Watercraft lock
OwnerRichard B. Bishopinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watercraft transport lock includes a walled structure that can be filled and emptied of water received from two separate bodies of water for the purpose of transporting a boat or other watercraft between the two bodies of water. The system prevents the water of one body from mixing with the water of the other body. This is accomplished by removing the water of the first body of water from within the structure prior to filling the structure with the water from the other body. A boat support may be used to support the boat during the emptying and filling processes.
Claims16
A watercraft transport lock operating between two bodies of water, the transport lock comprising:
- a water-retaining chamber having a pair of sidewalls, a first end having an at least one door operating between the chamber and a first body of fresh water, and a second end having an at least one door operating between the chamber and a second body of salt water;
- a watercraft cradle configured to at least partially support an associated watercraft when substantially all of the volume of water has been removed from the water-retaining chamber;
- a first fresh water pump for pumping exclusively fresh water between the water retaining chamber and the first body of fresh water;
- and
- a second salt water pump for pumping exclusively salt water between the water retaining chamber and the second body of salt water.
A method of transporting a boat between a first body of fresh water and a second body of salt water, the method comprising the steps of:
- maneuvering a watercraft into a water-retaining chamber of a lock from a first end of the chamber, the lock including:
- the water-retaining chamber having the first end and a second end, each end including an at least one door that operates between an open and closed position, the first end located between a first body of fresh water and the chamber, the second end located between a second body of salt water and the chamber;
- a first fresh water pump for pumping exclusively fresh water between the water retaining chamber and the first body of fresh water;
- and
- a second salt water pump for pumping exclusively salt water between the water retaining chamber and the second body of salt water;
- closing the at least one door of the first end, thereby maintaining a volume of fresh water and the watercraft within the chamber;
- pumping substantially all of the volume of fresh water from the water-retaining chamber to the first body of fresh water using the first fresh water pump;
- filling the chamber to a desired level with salt water from the second body of salt water using the second salt water pump;
- and,
- opening the at least one door of the second end;
- and
- maneuvering the watercraft from the chamber and into the second body of salt water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.