US3660856A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mooring buoy
Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc
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Filing: 1969-10-09
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Granted: 1972-05-09
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Expires: 1989-10-09
Abstract
Abstract A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore comprises a buoy anchored to the bottom of the body of water on which it floats, and a turntable carried by the buoy. To prevent icing, a shield in the form of an inverted bowl is carried by the turntable and is heated, either electrically or by a fluid such as sea water, closed circuit fresh water, or the handled fluid itself. The buoy is also heated adjacent the rim of the cover and adjacent the turntable bearings.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Smulders
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 22:41
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02B; E02B3/00; E02B3/20; E02B3/24; B; B63; B63B; B63B22/00; B63B22/02; B63B22/021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the buoy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of elements against environmental conditions, and means for heating the upper outer edges of the body adjacent the margins of the cover.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
154 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the buoy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of elements against environmental conditions, and means for heating the upper outer edges of the body adjacent the margins of the cover.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
202 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the buoy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of elements against environmental conditions, a turntable mounted on and rotatable relative to the upper side of the body, the turntable and the cover being rotatable together as a unit, bearings by which the turntable is mounted for rotation on and relative to the buoy about an upright axis, and heating means carried by the body adjacent the turntable bearings to impede the formation of ice on the turntable bearings.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
202 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the buoy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of elements against environmental conditions, a turntable mounted on and rotatable relative to the upper side of the body, the turntable and the cover being rotatable together as a unit, bearings by which the turntable is mounted for rotation on and relative to the buoy about an upright axis, and heating means carried by the body adjacent the turntable bearings to impede the formation of ice on the turntable bearings.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
179 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the bouy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of elements against environmental conditions, means to heat the cover to impede the formation of ice thereon, said heating means comprising electric heating means including electric conductors on the underside of the cover, and metal channels secured to the underside of the cover aNd surrounding the conductors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
179 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the bouy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of elements against environmental conditions, means to heat the cover to impede the formation of ice thereon, said heating means comprising electric heating means including electric conductors on the underside of the cover, and metal channels secured to the underside of the cover aNd surrounding the conductors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
168 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the buoy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of element against environmental conditions, and means to heat the cover to impede the formation of ice thereon, said heating means comprising means for conveying a heating fluid along at least a portion of the cover.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
168 words
A mooring buoy for transferring fluids between a vessel and the shore, comprising a buoyant body adapted to be anchored to the bottom of a body of water, a plurality of elements secured to the upper surface of said buoyant body, said elements comprising means for the attachment of at least one first pipe from the shore, means for securing a vessel to the buoy and means for the attachment to said first pipe of at least one second pipe leading to said vessel, a shield-shaped protective cover over the mooring buoy, the cover being in the form of an inverted bowl whose margins closely overlie the upper outer edges of the body, said bowl constituting a complete enclosure of the buoy''s upper surface, thereby providing protection for all of said plurality of element against environmental conditions, and means to heat the cover to impede the formation of ice thereon, said heating means comprising means for conveying a heating fluid along at least a portion of the cover.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A mooring buoy as claimed in claim 4, said cover comprising a pair of spaced shells between which said heating fluid flows.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-09 | 1975-11-08 | 1976-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-09 | 1979-11-08 | 1980-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-09 | 1983-11-08 | 1984-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |