Breakwater

Claim 2

A breakwater comprising float means for supporting wave-deflecting elements; and a plurality of vertical elements attached to said float means to deflect oncoming waves back upon themselves, each of said plurality of elements having a concave vertical cross section with the concavity facing in the direction from which waves are coming, said plurality of elements being attached to said float means to maintain the concavity toward oncoming wave fronts, said plurality of elements being attached to said float means in laterally spaced relationship.

Claim 3

A breakwater comprising float means for supporting wave-deflecting elements; and a plurality of vertical elements attached to said float means to deflect oncoming waves, each of said plurality of elements having a concave vertical cross section with the concavity facing in the direction from which waves are coming, said plurality of elements being attached to said float means to maintain the concavity toward oncoming wave fronts, said plurality of elements being attached to said float means in laterally spaced relationship, said breakwater further including a plurality of said vertical elements attached to said float means in spaced relation, one in front of the other.

Claim 4

A breakwater comprising float means for supporting wave-deflecting elements; and a plurality of vertical elements attached to said float means to deflect oncoming waves, each of said plurality of elements having a concave vertical cross section with the concavity facing in the direction from which waves are coming, said plurality of elements being attached to said float means to maintain the concavity toward oncoming wave fronts, said plurality of elements being attached to said float means in laterally spaced relationship, said breakwater further including a plurality of said vertical elements attached to said float means in spaced relation, one in front of the other.

Claim 5

A breakwater comprising the combination of a plurality of breakwater elements, each comprising a substantially rigid member having a surface confronting oncoming waves to deflect said waves back upon themselves, said surface being concave in both horizontal and vertical section, at least one float, and means for attaching said plurality of elements to said at least one float to maintain the concavity toward oncoming wave fronts, said elements being attached in laterally spaced relationship to permit portions of oncoming waves to pass between adjacent elements.

Claim 6

A breakwater comprising the combination of a plurality of breakwater elements, each comprising a substantially rigid member having a surface confronting oncoming waves to deflect said waves back upon themselves, said surface being concave in both horizontal and vertical section, at least one float, and means for attaching said plurality of elements to said at least one float to maintain the concavity toward oncoming wave fronts, said elements being attached in laterally spaced relationship to permit portions of oncoming waves to pass between adjacent elements.

Claim 7

A breakwater according to claim 3 wherein each of said plurality of elements is formed with the lower portion of said surface confronting oncoming waves protruding further than the upper portion thereof in the direction from which waves are coming.

Claim 8

A breakwater comprising the combination of a plurality of breakwater elements, each comprising a substantially rigid member having a surface confronting oncoming waves, said surface being concave in both horizontal and vertical section, at least one float, means for attaching said plurality of elements to said at least one float in laterally spaced relationship to permit portions of oncoming waves to pass between adjacent elements, each of said plurality of elements being formed with the lower portion of said surface confronting oncoming waves protruding further than the upper portion thereof in the direction from which waves are coming, and a stabilizing member attached to the lower portion of each of said plurality of elements, said stabilizing member comprising a concave, cylindrically shaped plate having the concavity facing downwardly.

Claim 9

A breakwater comprising the combination of a plurality of breakwater elements, each comprising a substantially rigid member having a surface confronting oncoming waves, said surface being concave in both horizontal and vertical section, at least one float, means for attaching said plurality of elements to said at least one float in laterally spaced relationship to permit portions of oncoming waves to pass between adjacent elements, each of said plurality of elements being formed with the lower portion of said surface confronting oncoming waves protruding further than the upper portion thereof in the direction from which waves are coming, and a stabilizing member attached to the lower portion of each of said plurality of elements, said stabilizing member comprising a concave, cylindrically shaped plate having the concavity facing downwardly.

Claim 10

A breakwater comprising at least one float, a plurality of substantially vertical elements secured to said at least one float to deflect oncoming waves when said breakwater is installed in an offshore location, said plurality of elements being arranged in side-by-side laterally spaced relationship to permit parts of oncoming waves to pass between adjacent ones of said elements, each of said elements having a U-shaped horizontal cross section, the legs of the U being divergent, each of said elements haVing a C-shaped vertical cross section; and a second plurality of substantially vertical elements secured to said at least one float to deflect waves approaching the breakwater from the opposite direction, the elements of said first and second pluralities of elements being arranged in pairs with the associated ones of said pairs opening in opposite directions.

Claim 11

A breakwater comprising at least one float, a plurality of substantially vertical elements secured to said at least one float to deflect oncoming waves when said breakwater is installed in an offshore location, said plurality of elements being arranged in side-by-side laterally spaced relationship to permit parts of oncoming waves to pass between adjacent ones of said elements, each of said elements having a U-shaped horizontal cross section, the legs of the U being divergent, each of said elements haVing a C-shaped vertical cross section; and a second plurality of substantially vertical elements secured to said at least one float to deflect waves approaching the breakwater from the opposite direction, the elements of said first and second pluralities of elements being arranged in pairs with the associated ones of said pairs opening in opposite directions.

Claim 12

A breakwater according to claim 6 and further comprising a plurality of stabilizing members comprising a concave cylindrically shaped plate having the concavity facing downwardly, pairs of elements in said first and second pluralities of elements being joined by said stabilizing member at their lower portions.