Floating element, floating assembly, and connecting bolt

Claim 2

A connecting member for linking together a plurality of floating elements of generally polygonal horizontal outline with rounded corners and with eye lugs horizontally projecting from said corners at different levels for alignment of respective bores thereof upon juxtaposition of several floating elements with their eye lugs overlapping, each eye lug being overlain by a downwardly converging concave edge portion and by a recess beneath said edge portion; said member comprising a bolt with a frustoconical head, a substantially cylindrical neck below said head, and a shank beneath said neck insertable into the aligned bores of said eye lugs; said head being receivable in a seat formed by the concave edge portions of adjoining floating elements interconnected by the bolt; said neck being provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced projections adapted to enter from above between the rounded corners of said adjoining floating elements and fit into the recesses thereof upon rotation of the bold about its axis.

Claim 3

A connecting member as defined in claim 1 wherein said bolt is provided with a formation engageable by a tool for facilitating rotation of the bolt about its axis.

Claim 4

A connecting member as defined in claim 2 wherein said formation comprises a set of openings in a top surface of said head.

Claim 5

A connecting member as defined in claim 1 wherein said projections have a substantially crescent-shaped horizontal outline.

Claim 6

In combination, a floating element and a connecting member for interlinking a plurality of such elements; said element comprising a floatable, substantially prismatic body of generally polygonal horizontal outline with rounded corners, said body being provided at said edges with eye lugs horizontally projecting from said corners at different levels for overlapping with eye lugs of identical adjoining elements to be linked therewith, each eye lug having a bore, said body being further provided above each eye lug with a downwardly converging concave edge portion and with a recess beneath said edge portion; said member being a bolt with a frustoconical head, a substantially cylindrical neck below said head, and a shank beneath said neck insertable into said bore, said neck being provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced projections positionable at the level of said recess upon introduction of said shank from above into said bore with said head coming to rest against said edge portion, any of said projections being receivable in said recess upon rotation of the inserted bolt for locking same against upward withdrawal.

Claim 7

In combination, a floating element and a connecting member for interlinking a plurality of such elements; said element comprising a floatable, substantially prismatic body of generally polygonal horizontal outline with rounded corners, said body being provided at said edges with eye lugs horizontally projecting from said corners at different levels for overlapping with eye lugs of identical adjoining elements to be linked therewith, each eye lug having a bore, said body being further provided above each eye lug with a downwardly converging concave edge portion and with a recess beneath said edge portion; said member being a bolt with a frustoconical head, a substantially cylindrical neck below said head, and a shank beneath said neck insertable into said bore, said neck being provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced projections positionable at the level of said recess upon introduction of said shank from above into said bore with said head coming to rest against said edge portion, any of said projections being receivable in said recess upon rotation of the inserted bolt for locking same against upward withdrawal.

Claim 8

The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said body has a generally rectangular outline, said eye lugs extending substantially diagonally from the corners thereof.

Claim 9

The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said recess is an arcuate groove of rounded vertical cross-section, said projections having a substantially crescent-shaped horizontal outline and a vertical cross-section complementAry to that of said groove.

Claim 10

A floating structure comprising: a plurality of floating elements each having a floatable, substantially prismatic body of generally polygonal outline with rounded corners, said body being provided at said corners with eye lugs horizontally projecting therefrom at different levels, the eye lugs of adjoining elements overlapping and being provided with registering bores, said body being further provided above each eye lug with a downwardly converging concave edge portion and with a recess beneath said edge portion; and a set of connecting members interlinking said elements, each connecting member comprising a bolt with a frustoconical head, a substantially cylindrical neck below said head, and a shank beneath said head passing through the registering bores of overlapping eye lugs of several adjoining floating elements whose concave edge portions form a seat for said head, said neck being provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced projections received in the recesses of the floating elements linked thereby, said bolt being rotatable to disengage said projections from said recesses and aligning said projections with gaps between the rounded corners of the linked elements for facilitating upward withdrawal of the bolt.

Claim 11

A floating structure comprising: a plurality of floating elements each having a floatable, substantially prismatic body of generally polygonal outline with rounded corners, said body being provided at said corners with eye lugs horizontally projecting therefrom at different levels, the eye lugs of adjoining elements overlapping and being provided with registering bores, said body being further provided above each eye lug with a downwardly converging concave edge portion and with a recess beneath said edge portion; and a set of connecting members interlinking said elements, each connecting member comprising a bolt with a frustoconical head, a substantially cylindrical neck below said head, and a shank beneath said head passing through the registering bores of overlapping eye lugs of several adjoining floating elements whose concave edge portions form a seat for said head, said neck being provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced projections received in the recesses of the floating elements linked thereby, said bolt being rotatable to disengage said projections from said recesses and aligning said projections with gaps between the rounded corners of the linked elements for facilitating upward withdrawal of the bolt.

Claim 12

A structure as defined in claim 8 wherein said floating elements are of generally rectangular horizontal outline, said eye lugs extending substantially diagonally therefrom.

Claim 13

A structure as defined in claim 8 wherein said bolts are provided atop their heads with formations engageable by a tool for facilitating rotation thereof.