Dockside protective device for boats

A generally cylindrical member and a vertically extending H-member with mounting brackets for fixed mounting relative to a support member such as a piling in a boat docking area are provided, the H-member is fixed as by bolts in a vertical relation to the side of a piling which would normally contact a boat, docked adjacent thereto. The cylindrical member includes a normally deformed T-slot vertically along a vertical inner side thereof for frictional sliding engagement over the outer T-portion of the H-member. One or more of the cylindrical members may be supported in an end to end relation to extend to any desired depth in the water and distance above the water surface on a single elongated H-member to accommodate the depth of the water as well as the extremes of tidal flow and wave action in any particular locale.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The provision of adequate protective devices for boats of all sizes in 
commercial marinas as well as in private docking areas has been an 
increasing problem with the very rapid increase in the number of pleasure 
boats ranging from small open boats to large yachts. Many lake and seaside 
resorts, hotels, restaurants, etc., provide private docking areas, for 
example, to lure boating enthusiasts to their establishments. In such 
establishments, the owners assume responsibility for the safety of the 
boats in regards to their own facilities. Particularly in seaside areas, 
where the tides as well as widely varying degrees of wave action must be 
reckoned with, the bumpers or protective devices on pilings which are 
deeply embeded in the bottom of the water area must be frequently replaced 
to provide adequate protection, particularly for larger boats. The pilings 
generally define boat slips as well as being rather closely spaced along 
the lengths of docking piers, and the rub rails, generally around the top 
edges of boat hulls, beat constantly against the bumpers on protective 
devices which are designed to cushion the constant impacts to prevent 
damage to the boats. 
Consequently, the protective devices currently in general usage are quite 
expensive and relatively short lived because of the constant beatings they 
receive. Their replacement requires their complete removal from the 
pilings from well below the water level to a substantial distance above 
water level and new protective devices must be fastened in palce, 
resulting in a substantial labor cost which must be added to the cost of 
the protective devices. 
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to 
provide a protective device for docked boats for vertical attachment 
relative to support means such as a piling which includes a carriage means 
such as an elongated H-beam which is permanently fixed to a piling from a 
point well below the water level to a desired elevation above the water 
level, and protective means such as a cylindrical member provided with a 
T-slot along one side thereof for sliding reception of an outer T-portion 
of the H-beam. 
Another principal object of the present invention is to provide cylindrical 
protective members constructed in a manner whereby two or more of said 
members may be slidingly engaged on a single H-beam in an end to end 
relation to accommodate any desired extensions beneath and above water 
level. 
A further object of the instant invention is to provide protective means 
for docked boats which can be replaced in a minimal amount of time by 
simply sliding the old protective members vertically upwardly from the 
H-beam and replacing them by sliding new protective members vertically 
downwardly onto the H-beam. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to form the tubular 
protective members of a suitable inexpensive high impact semi-flexible 
plastic material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to the drawings, in which like reference characters 
designate like or corresponding elements throughout the various views and 
with particular reference to FIG. 1, the boat protective device is 
indicated generally at 10, fixed to a piling member P, the water level 
being indicated at W and the bottom at B. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, a cylindrical member indicated 
generally at 14 is carried on an H-beam 16, preferably formed of a metal 
such as aluminum, which carries at least two generally semi-circular 
fastening brackets 18 and 20, welded thereto adjacent its respective ends. 
If desired similar intermediate brackets may be provided. In a typical 
installation, the H-beam is of a substantial length and two cylindrical 
members 14 and 14' are carried thereon. For example, the H-beam may be 
approximately eleven feet long and the members 14, 14' mounted in an 
end-to-end relation are each six feet long. An outwardly extending finger 
22, welded across the bottom of the H-beam supports cylindrical members 
14, 14'. In this manner, the members 14, 14' extend from a point adjacent 
the bottom B in relatively shallow water to a substantial distance above 
water level W, and somewhat, approximately one foot, above the H-beam 16. 
These dimensions, of course, can be varied to accommodate existing water 
levels as well as known tidal and wave conditions. The brackets 18, 20 are 
fixed to the piling by fastening means 24. 
With particular reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, each cylindrical member is 
formed as by molding of a suitable high impact plastic material and 
includes a back wall 26, side wall 28, 30 and a rounded front wall 32 for 
contact with the rub rail R of a boat Y as at 34. Walls 26, 28, 30 and 32 
define an inner chamber 36 which is enclosed by opposed end walls 38 and 
40, FIG. 2, which are provided with relatively small holes such as 42, 44 
to permit them to fill with water. 
With further reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a distorted T-slot 46 bisects the 
back wall 26 along the vertical length of each cylindrical member such as 
14. The T-slot 46 is deformed as best illustrated in FIG. 7 by the natural 
drying process after its removal from the mold. As best seen in FIG. 5, 
the end walls 38, 40 support the end portions 50, 52 of the back wall 26 
against deformation causing lead in separations or slots 54, 56 for 
receiving a central connecting web 58 of H-beam 16. Along the main central 
portion of the back wall 26 outer edges 60, 62 of T-slot 46 are in general 
contact as in FIG. 5, and when inserted on the outer T-portion of an 
H-beam, FIG. 4, said edges 60, 62 embrace the center web 58 of H-beam 16 
and one side flange portion 64 thereof is nested in the cross portion 66 
of T-slot 46. Opposed flange portion 68 of H-beam 16 carries the fastening 
brackets 18, 20. 
In tests, the cylindrical members 14 have proven to be very durable and are 
very inexpensive to produce. Replacement labor costs have been reduced to 
a point of virtual elimination as the old cylindrical members are simply 
slid off of the H-beam 16 and new ones slid into place as opposed to the 
task of removing attachment means along both the underwater and above 
water lengths of conventional boat protective devices of this nature, and 
replacing same with similar attachment means.