SUBMERSIBLE DEVICE FOR LIFTING A BOAT OVER WATER

Abstract

A submersible device for lifting a boat over water has a couple of pneumatic containers and an air compressor for their inflation and deflation through valves arranged in the pneumatic containers. The pneumatic containers of the couple are interconnected by way of flexible cross members supporting the boat when the pneumatic containers are inflated.

Claims

1. A submersible device for lifting a boat over water, comprising a couple of pneumatic containers transversely connected to one another by means of flexible cross members supporting the boat when the pneumatic containers are inflated, an air compressor for the inflation and deflation of the pneumatic containers through valves arranged in the pneumatic containers, wherein a plurality of containment sleeves is circumferentially bound at regular intervals on both pneumatic containers, each containment sleeve has a pair of projecting edges provided with coaxial holes for forming a C-shaped seat, and a connecting band is housed in said C-shaped seat and is kept by means of bolts passing through the coaxial holes of the pair of the projecting edges.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the containment sleeves are made of plastic, and the connecting bands are made of an elastomeric material.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting bands are made of steel.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting band has two end wings that are flanked and coaxially bored.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the flexible cross members are metal strips having opposite ends provided with holes for the connection by bolts with the end wings of the respective connecting bands of the two pneumatic containers, each metal strip being coated with a gasket for the contact with the boat.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein each flexible cross member is formed by at least a pair of metal strips joined together by means of bolts inserted in through holes for adjusting a distance between the pneumatic containers of the couple, as necessary.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein each pneumatic container has laterally a plurality of rings that are integral with it on the side of the pneumatic container opposite to the flexible cross members.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of rings comprises front rings, central rings and rear rings.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein provided for each pneumatic container is a pair of front ropes and rear ropes passing through the front rings and the central rings, and the central rings and the rear rings respectively, a pair of mooring anchors and a buoy, each rope being attached at one end to a mooring anchor and at other end to a handle, the buoy being slidable in tracts of the rope between the handle and the central rings.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one air pipe is connected to at least one valve of each pneumatic container on one side and, on the other side, is secured to a quay with a tap for the connection to the air compressor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] One embodiment thereof is set forth in the detailed description that follows, referring to the attached drawings wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a top plan view and a rear view, respectively, of the device according to the present invention;

[0024] FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and side views of a containment sleeve for a pneumatic container according to the present invention;

[0025] FIGS. 5 and 6 are front and side views of a connecting band designed to be retained by the containment sleeve in FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0026] FIGS. 7 and 8 are top and front views of two enlarged end details of the pneumatic container in FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0027] FIG. 9 is an enlarged exploded partial perspective view of a cross member in FIG. 1; and

[0028] FIGS. 10 to 13 are schematic lateral views of the device in FIG. 1 in operation and at rest with respect to a boat.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Reference is made initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, which are a top plan view and a rear view, respectively, of the device of the submersible device for lifting a boat over water according to the present invention. It comprises substantially two pneumatic containers 1, 2 mutually coupled with flexible cross members generally indicated as 3. The pneumatic containers 1, 2 are inflated and deflated by means of an air compressor 27 through valves 25 arranged in the pneumatic containers 1, 2. In the described and illustrated embodiment, the pneumatic containers 1, 2 are similar in their shape to towing rollers. However, it should be understood that the pneumatic containers may take different shapes depending on the boat being lifted. The flexible cross members 3 will be described in detail below.

[0030] A plurality of containment sleeves 4, made of plastic material, preferably PVC, is preferably glued circumferentially at regular and, preferably, constant distances over both pneumatic containers 1, 2. As shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, which are front and lateral views of a containment sleeve 4, it has a circumferential element 5 and a pair of projecting edges 6, also circumferential, to form a C-shaped seat 7. The projecting edges 6 have a plurality of coaxial holes for inserting bolts 8 adapted to retain a connecting band 9 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, which are front and side views thereof. The connecting band 9, made of rubber or other high strength elastomeric material, but preferably made of steel, is substantially a split ring 10 having two end wings 11 side by side and drilled with coaxial holes 15. The end wings 11 are preferably reinforced with a plate for fixing bolts 12 for the connection with a flexible cross member 3 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which are top and front views of two enlarged end details of the device according to the invention.

[0031] Reference is made also to FIG. 9, which is an enlarged exploded partial perspective view of a cross member in FIG. 1. The flexible cross members 3 are preferably metal strips 13 having opposite ends 14 provided with holes 15 for connection with the end wings 11 of the corresponding connecting band 9 of the two pneumatic containers 1 and 2. The holes 15 are designed to receive the bolts 12 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Each metal strip 13, preferably of steel, is coated with a gasket 16 intended for contact with the boat. The gasket 16 has a cavity 17 for passing the metal strip 13. The cavity 17 has a central extension 17a for allowing a pair of metal strips 13 to be inserted together by means of bolts passing through holes 29 so as to adjust, as necessary, the distance between the pneumatic containers 1 and 2 of the pair of metal strips 13. It should be evident that the distance between the pneumatic containers 1 and 2 differs according to the width of the keel of the boat.

[0032] As shown in the figures, particularly in FIGS. 7 and 8, each pneumatic container 1, 2 laterally has a plurality of rings, generally indicated with 18, preferably of steel, integral with the pneumatic containers 1, 2 by means of ring bases 19 substantially on the side opposite the flexible cross members 3.

[0033] Reference is made now to FIGS. 10 to 13, which are schematic lateral views of the device in FIG. 1 in operation and at rest with respect to a boat I.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 10, the boat I is shown suspended above the free surface of the water P by the device according to the present invention. The device, in addition to the parts already described, comprises, as shown also in FIG. 1, for each pneumatic container 1, 2 a pair of front and rear ropes 20, 21. The plurality of rings 18 comprises front rings 18a, central rings 18c1, 18c2 and rear rings 18p. The pair of front ropes 20 are passed through the front rings 18a and the front center rings 18c1, and the pair of rear ropes 21 are passing through the rear central rings 18c2 and the rear rings 18p.

[0035] Moreover, each pneumatic container 1, 2 has a pair of mooring anchors 22 and a buoy 23. Each rope 20, 21 is attached, at one end thereof, to a mooring anchor, and at the other end thereof to a handle 24, preferably located in the center of the device according to the present invention. The buoy 23 is provided slidable in the rope tracts 20, 21 between the handle 24 and the central rings 18c1, 18c2 so as to keep the handle 24 afloat to be conveniently grasped when mooring.

[0036] In summary, each rope 20, 21 is attached at one end to a mooring anchor 22 for example located at a depth of 3.50 m. Each rope 20, 21, at the other end thereof, is joined in a same handle 24. The buoy 23, sliding in the rope tract between the handle 24 and a central ring 18c1, 18c2 allows the handle 24 to remain afloat even when the pneumatic container 1, 2 goes to the bottom, after its deflation. As said previously, it should be understood that, even if not shown in the figures, the same arrangement of ropes and mooring anchors is provided for the pneumatic container 1.

[0037] At least one air passage tube 28 is connected on one side to a valve 25 of each pneumatic container and on the other side is fixed to the quay B with a tap 26 for connection to the air compressor. The air compressor 27 can be mounted on both the same boat to be lifted or the quay.

[0038] Assume that the boat I, moored to a bollard BT, wants to take off from the raised position shown in FIG. 10. The pneumatic containers 1, 2 (only the pneumatic container 2 is visible in FIGS. 10 to 13) must be sunk by sucking the air therein through the air compressor 27 and the air passage tube 28 which branches off to the valves 25 of each pneumatic container 1, 2. FIG. 11 shows the pneumatic container 2 while being deflated but still on the water surface P. FIG. 12 shows the pneumatic container 2 at half depth, while in FIG. 13, it is completely deflated, on the bottom S. Now, the boat I is free to put out into the deep, after having disconnected the pipe 28 from the air compressor 27.

[0039] It should be understood that the sinking can be accelerated by an adequate ballast not shown in the figures. Furthermore, it is evident that the air compressor 27 could be provided on the quay instead of on the boat I. The device according to the present invention has the advantage of being substantially universal, because it is adaptable to each boat. In fact, as shown in FIG. 9, the length of the cross members can be adjusted by superimposing at least two metal strips 13 joined together by bolts in their coaxial holes 29. The dimensions and the shapes of the pneumatic containers 1, 2, as well as those of the containment sleeves 4 and of the connecting bands 9, can be chosen according to the displacement of the boat to be lifted.

[0040] Obviously, all the suitable materials for the above described components of the device according to the invention can be selected. Given the simplicity of the operations to be performed, it can be the same owner of the boat to use, according to his/her needs, the components and assemble the device according to the present invention alone.