Temporary and removable floating slipway

Abstract

A temporary and removable floating boat ramp for launching trailered watercraft. The invention relates to the design and construction of a temporary and removable floating boat ramp. It consists of two parts: the floating part, which is in the water and on the beach, made of HDPE tubing (3), floats (14), and stainless steel grating (1) with stops (5) and (6); and the land-based part, which is made of HDPE tubing (3) and wooden grating (2), and can be extended to the top of the beach (13). The device according to the invention is intended for launching boats less than 6 meters in length, allowing optimal launching for anyone wishing to launch their watercraft.The invention will allow the user to reverse by driving over it with their trailer (15) (12) until they reach the water level and be able to launch or retrieve their boat (11). Abbreviated figure: fig. 5.

Description

Title of the invention: Temporary and removable floating slipway

[0001] The invention relates to the design and construction of a temporary and demountable floating slipway intended for launching watercraft on trailers. Previous technique

[0002] The creation of a slipway or launching ramp on the sea, river or lake is highly regulated and its implementation remains difficult, particularly due to the existence of coastal or environmental laws.

[0003] This type of construction is often created with prefabricated concrete slabs which are placed on a slope extending into the water, which can be permanent or removed when there is no longer any use. In this case, installing this type of structure is very complicated, requiring the use of heavy machinery (PPM crane, backhoe loader, etc.), especially in sheltered areas along the beach. Furthermore, this type of infrastructure leads to changes in the area due to waves and currents. Under these conditions, the slabs can become buried in sand or shift; if these slabs need to be removed, a hole will remain and will have to be filled. Therefore, it will be necessary to carry out a restoration of the site which will have been damaged by the weight of these slabs, erosion due to currents and waves as well as by the passage of heavy machinery. Two other types of implementation, lighter in scale, consist of installing roll-out access mats or modular plastic tiles, but these stop at the edge of the wetland area by the sea. In the case of using the mat, it is possible to extend access to the first few meters of the sea, but it is necessary to remove it when it is no longer in use because in case of rough seas there is a risk of it getting stuck in the sand and it will then be very difficult to retrieve it. Furthermore, both types of installations prove relatively fragile if misused and do not solve the problem of the small, very soft step at the edge of the beach where the trailer wheels sink in, requiring considerable pulling force to extract the trailer and boat from the water. The towing vehicle frequently damages the mat and paving stones as it spins.

[0004] The device according to the invention overcomes the drawbacks of these types of installations: from an environmental perspective, the device does not degrade sites and does not require restoration thanks to its lightweight and demountable design. The tube-float and grating section, which has near-neutral buoyancy and enters the water, solves the problem of the soft edge. Thanks to its robustness, the invention is easily usable by all users with optimal water entry.

[0005] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:

[0006] [Fig-1]: is a top plan view of the floating wedge system according to a mode of realization of the present invention; the floating part is made of thick HDPE tube whose diameter is studied in relation to the weight of the entire grating assembly.

[0007] [Fig.2]: is a side view of the floating wedge system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] [Fig.3]: is a plan view from below of the floating wedge system according to an embodiment of the present invention; the additional float part is made of thick HDPE tube whose diameter is studied in relation to the weight of the grating assembly.

[0009] [Fig.4]: is a view of the elements heat-welded to the HDPE tube which are used to fix the stainless steel grating.

[0010] [Fig.5]: is a side plan view of the empty floating hold system.

[0011] [Fig.6]: is a side plan view of the floating wedge system in operation with trailer + boat.

[0012] [Fig.7]: is a side plan view of the floating wedge system in operation with Empty boat trailer.

[0013] With reference to these drawings, the device comprises a marine-grade stainless steel grating step, closed on the sides (1) and thick-walled, sealed and foamed HDPE tubes (3) serving as floats fixed by bolts to the plate (10) allowing the creation of the rolling passage for the trailer; an upper part composed of wooden grating (2) fixed to HDPE tubes creating the rolling path in the upper part and an access ramp (4) to this upper part. A float tube serving as a wheel stop for the trailer (5) whose function is to prevent the trailer from exceeding the bottom limit of the launching ramp. On the sides of the floating slipway, the edges (6) prevent exiting the slipway during an incorrect maneuver. The floating slipway is fixed on its land side by anchor bolts, piles, and a mooring block (7) and fixed on its water side by underwater anchors (sand screw, anchor, sealed ring, underwater mooring block) (8). The connection between the anchor and the floating slipway is made by means of chains and elastic tensioners (9). The floating slipway is intended for vehicles <3T5 (12) and for boats with a length of less than 6 meters (11). The upper part can be extended as needed depending on the width of the beach (13).

Claims

Demands

1. Floating slipway with near-neutral buoyancy, temporary and demountable allowing the launching of watercraft (11) on trailer (15) with a length of less than 6 meters.

2. Floating launching ramp according to claim 1, comprising a stainless steel grating part closed on the sides (1) and capped and foamed HDPE tubes (3) serving as floats fixed by bolts on a plate.

3. Floating launching ramp according to claim 1, comprising an upper part composed of wooden grating (2) fixed on HDPE tubes creating the rolling path.

4. Floating launching ramp according to claim 1, having edges (6) on the sides to prevent it from coming out during an incorrect maneuver.

5. Floating launching ramp according to claim 1, comprising a float tube(5) serving as a bottom stop for the wheels of the trailer(15).

Images