Mechanical couplings for multi-section floatable assembly

Claim 1

A COUPLING FOR SECURING TOGETHER FLOATABLE STRUCTURES AND THE LIKE TO PROVIDE A RIGID AND EASILY SEPARABLE ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A BLOCK OF STRONG MATERIAL HAVING A REAR FACE ADAPTABLE FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE SIDE OF A FLOATABLE STRUCTURE, SAID BLOCK HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE FACES, UPPER AND LOWER FACES, AND ON OUTER FACE FOR CONFRONTING A MATING COUPLING BLOCK SECURED TO ANOTHER FLOATABLE STRUCTURE, SAID OUTER BLOCK FACE HAVING GUIDE MEANS THAT RECEIVES GUIDE MEANS ON THE MATING COUPLING TO ALIGN THE MATING BLOCKS AND PREVENT RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE MATING BLOCKS IN THE LATERAL DIRECTION, EITHER VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL, WHEN THE MATING BLOCKS ARE IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, SAID BLOCK HAVING A PASSAGE OPENING TO SAID OUTER FACE, EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER TO THE LOWER BLOCK FACE, AN ELONGATED CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING AN END CONFIGURATION THAT MATCHES THE BLOCK RECESS CONFIGURATION AND PERMITS SAID CONNECTING MEMBER END TO BE INSERTED INTO SAID BLOCK RECESS AND PREVENTS DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER BY PULLING TOWARDS THE MATING BLOCK WHEN THE MATING BLOCKS ARE IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A PIN AND GROOVE SPACED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PASSAGE OPENING ON SAID BLOCK OUTER FACE TO RECEIVE A MATING PIN AND GROOVE ON THE MATING BLOCK SO THAT THE OUTER FACES OF THE MATING BLOCKS CAN BE BROUGHT TOGETHER IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP BEFORE INSERTING SAID ELONGATED MEMBER THAT CONNECTS THE MATING BLOCKS TOGETHER.