435 results about "Pontoon bridge" patented technology

A tension leg platform includes a deck supported on the upper ends of three or more columns interconnected at the lower ends thereof by horizontally disposed pontoons. The columns are battered inwardly and upwardly from the pontoons to the deck. Tendons connected at the columns anchor the platform to the seabed. The footprints of the base of the battered columns and the tendons are larger than the footprint of the deck supported on the upper ends of the columns.

The invention relates to a telescopic floating bridge which comprises a support frame and bridge panels. The support frame comprises two rows of side frames; the side frames are connected with side frame telescopic drive devices; the two side frames are connected integrally through a transverse rod; each row of the side frame is a linked telescopic structure which is formed by sequentially hinging multiple groups of X-shaped hinged components; each component is provided with a foldable connecting rod in a connecting manner; the bridge panels are hinged to the transverse rod; the bridge panels are hinged end to end to form an integral body; the support frame in a telescopic structure is unfolded when being used and shrunk when being out of use, so that convenience is brought to transportation; the support frame can stretch out and draw back, so that the support frame is unnecessary to be set up on site, but can be set up at the usual time and directly transported to the site and unfolded for use. The telescopic floating bridge is fast in set-up speed, can open up traffic of two sides of rivers rapidly, and is suitable for rescue, and disaster relief or military affairs.

A floating solar system having a peripheral buoyant pontoon within which is suspended an array of individual photovoltaic panels each equipped with a float. A stabilizing skirt drops down into the water underneath the pontoon and creates a more placid “moon pool” within the pontoon to reduce turbulence from wave action and therefore enhance the efficiency of the array of photovoltaic panels. A plurality of the floating solar systems may be aggregated to form an island of units. The individual panels or rows or columns thereof may be flat (horizontal) or tilted so that they can be oriented more normally with regard to the sun's rays.

A trailer for transporting a pontoon boat behind a tow vehicle. The trailer is provided with wheel assemblies that can be moved longitudinally on the trailer's frame to adjust the load on the tongue of the trailer and is provided with rails that can be adjusted in width for receiving the pontoons of boats with different pontoon spacing. The trailer frame can be pneumatically raised and lowered on pivoting wheel brackets and each set of pontoon rails is provided with several pneumatically retractable rollers that can be raised and retracted relative to their associated rails to assist in loading and unloading a pontoon boat from the trailer. When the boat is not being transported, the rails and associated rollers can be removed from the trailer so that the trailer can function as a flatbed trailer.

A pontoon with an improved running surface and methods for construction the same are provided. The pontoon comprises an interior concave main running surface formed along the longitudinal centerline of the pontoon which is bounded by two sponsons, which in turn are bounded by two distal concave surfaces, or integrated lifting strakes. The associated methods provide a process for retrofitting prior art pontoons or constructing the pontoon to avoid the need for welds below the waterline of the pontoon. The pontoon provides improved pontoon boat performance by maximizing lift and minimizing leakage. The pontoon also reduces construction costs by lowering the number of welds required to form a pontoon with lifting strakes.

A semi-submersible offshore vessel including a rectangular ring-pontoon having a first transverse pontoon section at a first end of the vessel and a parallel second transverse pontoon section at a second end of the vessel, and two parallel pontoon sections extending between the first and the second end of the vessel. Four support columns extend upwardly from respective edge-portions of the ring-pontoon to support an upper deck structure. The first pontoon section has a vertical mean cross-section area (A) which exceeds the corresponding vertical mean cross-section area (B) of the second pontoon section, and the support columns in the second column pair each has a water-plane area (F) which exceeds the water-plane area (D) of each of the support columns in the first column pair.

A modular personal flotation system comprising, at least in part, rigid, seamless, non-woven modules, such as a seat module and various pontoon modules, formed by the process of rotational molding or blow molding, from a Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), or similar molding resin. The pontoon modules each have a rigid shape, which makes it both unnecessary to inflate and vastly improves the resistance to loss of flotation, creating safer conditions for the user. The pontoon modules are also tolerant of significant relative pressure changes without substantial deformation or change in its shape. Vent hole(s) formed during the molding process are closed to water ingestion via a low-cost bleeder valve assembly. An integral luggage rack can also be molded as part of the center seat module, positioned behind the seat. Open drain holes molded through the seat module double as slots to receive a backpacking harness. The seat module is removably coupled to the pontoon modules by complementary integrally-formed connection interfaces, or by a system of nylon straps with hook and loop fastening sections, eliminating the need for multiple components and fasteners, thus saving weight, complexity, and cost. In an alternative embodiment, a metal frame module may be interposed between oversized pontoon modules and the seat module to configure a flotation system capable of supporting more weight.