Ship fender

Claim 1

A SUBMERSIBLE FENDER FOR SHIPS, WHARVES OR THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELASTIC RUBBER CUSHIONING ANNULUS HAVING AN AXIAL LENGTH SEVERAL TIMES ITS DIAMETER AND A RADIUS SEVERAL TIMES ITS RADIAL THICKNESS, SAID ANNULUS HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF CONTINUOUS CIRCUMFERENTIAL HOLLOW PORTIONS WHICH ARE CLOSELY SPACED IN AXIAL CROSS SECTION, THE CAVITIES OF SAID ANNULUS BEING SPACED RADIALLY FROM THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SURFACES OF SAID ANNULUS, A THIN OUTER WALL OF FABRIC-REINFORCED RUBBER VULCANIZED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULUS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH AND CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF, AND A THIN INNER WALL OF FABRICREINFORCED RUBBER VULCANIZED TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULUS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH AND CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF, SAID ANNULUS BEING FORMED BY WINDING A HOLLOW VULCANIZABLE RUBBER STRIP OF UNIFORM EXTERNALLY SQUARE CROSS SECTION AROUND A WIRE-FABRIC-REINFORCED VULCANIZABLE RUBBER LAYER TO FORM A HELIX AROUND SAID INNER WALL, AND THEREAFTER VULCANIZING THE FENDER AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, SAID HOLLOW PORTIONS BEING FORMED BY THE TURNS OF SAID HELIX.