Hinge for floating dock assembly

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly having a first portion releasably connected to the first dock section and a second portion releasably connected to the second dock section such that the first portion can be disconnected from the first dock section and the second portion can be disconnected from the second dock section without separating the dock sections;
• wherein the first portion of the flexible hinge assembly is secured within a recess formed in the first dock section and the second portion of the flexible hinge assembly is secured within a recess formed in the second dock section;
• and
• a first housing disposed in the recess in the first dock section and a second housing disposed in the recess in the second dock section;
• wherein:
• the dock sections are positioned end-to-end such that an end of the first dock section is interconnected to an adjacent end of the second dock section by the hinge assembly;
• and
• the first housing has an opening at one side of the first dock section and the second housing has an opening at one side of the second dock section such that the hinge assembly, when disconnected from the dock sections, can be removed from the housings via the openings in the housings.

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly having a first portion releasably connected to the first dock section and a second portion releasably connected to the second dock section such that the first portion can be disconnected from the first dock section and the second portion can be disconnected from the second dock section without separating the dock sections;
• a first housing secured to the first dock section and having a first bracket;
• a second housing secured to the second dock section and having a second bracket;
• the hinge assembly comprising plural layers of flexible material, and first and second bolts, the first bolt having a first end coupled to the layers of flexible material and a second end coupled to the first bracket within the first housing, and the second bolt having a first end coupled to the layers of flexible material and a second end coupled to the second bracket within the second housing.

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly having a first portion releasably connected to the first dock section and a second portion releasably connected to the second dock section such that the first portion can be disconnected from the first dock section and the second portion can be disconnected from the second dock section without separating the dock sections;
• a first housing secured to the first dock section;
• a second housing secured to the second dock section;
• the hinge assembly comprising plural layers of flexible material, at least one shim assembly disposed in the first housing and at least one shim assembly disposed in the second housing, each shim assembly being coupled to the layers of flexible material and comprising at least first and second shims that are adjustable relative to each other to increase tension in the layers of flexible material.

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• and
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly having a first portion releasably connected to the first dock section and a second portion releasably connected to the second dock section such that the first portion can be disconnected from the first dock section and the second portion can be disconnected from the second dock section without separating the dock sections,
• wherein the hinge assembly comprises:
• plural layers of flexible material;
• first and second, rigid upper plates disposed on top of the layers of flexible material;
• first and second, rigid lower plates disposed below the layers of flexible material;
• a first set of bolts extending through the first upper plate, first ends of the layers of flexible material, and the first lower plate;
• and
• a second set of bolts extending through the second upper plate, second ends of the layers of flexible material, and the second lower plate.

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly comprising plural layers of flexible material, a first set of bolts extending through first ends of the layers of flexible material, a second set of bolts extending through second ends of the layers of flexible material;
• a first hinge mounting member fixedly secured to the first dock section and releasably coupled to the first ends of the flexible layers;
• a second hinge mounting member fixedly secured to the second dock section and releasably coupled to the second ends of the flexible layers;
• first tensioning means coupled to the first hinge mounting member and the first ends of the layers of flexible material for tensioning the layers of flexible material;
• and
• second tensioning means coupled to the second hinge mounting member and the second ends of the flexible material for tensioning the layers of flexible material.

A floating dock assembly, comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• a flexible hinge interconnecting the first and second concrete dock sections, the hinge assembly comprising at least one layer of flexible material extending between the dock sections;
• the first dock section comprising a first housing which houses a first portion of the hinge;
• the second dock section comprising a second housing which houses the second portion of the hinge;
• and
• wherein the first and second housings are configured to retain the first and second portions of the hinge, respectfully, to interconnect the first and second dock sections.

A method comprising:

• providing a first dock section and a second dock section;
• providing a flexible hinge assembly comprising at least one layer of flexible material;
• placing a first end of the flexible hinge assembly in a housing of the first dock section such that the first end is retained within the housing;
• and
• placing a second end of the hinge assembly in a housing of the second dock section such that the second is retained within the housing.

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly having a first portion releasably connected to the first dock section and a second portion releasably connected to the second dock section, such that the first portion can be disconnected from the first dock section and the second portion can be disconnected from the second dock section without separating the dock sections;
• the first dock section comprising a first housing having an opening at one side of the first dock section which houses the first portion of the hinge assembly;
• and
• the second dock section comprising a second housing having an opening at one side of the second dock section which houses the second portion of the hinge assembly, such that the hinge assembly, when disconnected from the dock sections, can be removed from the housings via the openings in the housings.

A floating dock assembly comprising:

• a first concrete dock section;
• a second concrete dock section;
• and
• a flexible hinge assembly interconnecting the first and second dock sections, the hinge assembly having a first portion releasably connected to the first dock section, and a second portion releasably connected to the second dock section, the flexible hinge assembly comprising at least one layer of flexible, elastomeric belting material;
• the first dock section comprising a first recess and the second dock section comprising a second recess;
• and
• a first housing disposed in the first recess in the first dock section and a second housing disposed in the second recess in the second dock section;
• wherein the first portion of the flexible hinge assembly is secured within the first housing and the second portion of the flexible hinge assembly is secured within the second housing.