Abstract:
A dock catway is comprised of a catway frame adapted at a near end to be secured to a dock. The dock catway has a nose piece structure at a far end of the catway frame. At least one dock bumper is secured to a side wall of the catway structure. A platform is provided on a top end of the catway frame. The nose piece is molded with two layers of polyethylene. An inner one of the layers is of a lighter contrasting color than an outer one of the layers, wherein the outer one of the two layers is at least partly machined to form delineations having increased translucency to conduct light from one or more internal light sources secured inside the nose piece.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a dock catway having an improved nose piece structure, a knee brace, side bumpers, as well as a platform structure. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Various dock structures are known and these are usually fabricated from wood deck sections held afloat on flotation casings. The deck sections are interconnected together to form walkways and catways whereby to delineate boat berths between catways. Many of these dock structures are not aesthetically pleasing as the wood quickly deteriorates with varying weather conditions and constant exposure with water and sunlight. Also, many of these docks when impacted by large crafts docking within their berths become damaged. Also, their design often does not facilitate the docking of particularly larger watercrafts. Many of these dock structures also have exposed wiring thereon which is hazardous to user persons and again, is not aesthetically pleasing. Some metal dock structures are also noisy and very costly. There is therefore a need to provide improvements of such known dock structures. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is a feature of the present invention to provide a dock catway which is of an aesthetically pleasing design and which provides safety to boats as they enter a docketing space adjacent the catway. 
         [0004]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a dock catway having a nose piece structure fabricated as a single piece and providing visual assistance for docking a watercraft adjacent thereto. 
         [0005]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a dock catway having an improved dock bumper which is aesthetically pleasing, efficient to abs orb shocks without visual deformation and inexpensive to fabricate. 
         [0006]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a dock catway having an improved platform formed of improved deck panels. 
         [0007]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a dock catway which is provided with a knee brace structure which also assists in the docking of watercraft in a berth and which provides for storage area as well as a reinforcing brace for the catway. 
         [0008]    According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a dock catway comprised of a catway frame adapted at a near end to be secured to a dock. The dock catway has a nose piece structure at a far end of the catway frame. At least one dock bumper is secured to a side wall of the catway structure. A platform is provided on a top end of the catway frame. The nose piece is molded with two layers of polyethylene. An inner one of the layers is of a lighter contrasting color than an outer one of the layers, wherein the outer one of the two layers is at least partly machined to form delineations having increased translucency to conduct light from one or more internal light sources secured inside the nose piece. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dock catway constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top view showing the dock catway connected to a main dock structure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a section view illustrating the construction of the side wall of the catway frame with the dock bumper of the present invention secured thereto; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a fragmented section view showing the construction of a concrete deck panel for use in the dock platform; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5A  is a top view showing the construction of torrified birch deck panel; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5B  is a longitudinal end view of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5C  is a transverse cross-section view of a torrified board used in the construction of the deck panel of  FIG. 5A ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a transverse section view of a section of the co-extruded nose piece. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown generally at  10  a catway constructed in accordance with the present invention. The catway  10  comprises a catway frame formed of extruded structural aluminum profiles including the side wall beam  12  illustrated in  FIG. 3  and interconnected together by bolts or welds to form an elongated substantially rectangular catway as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A nose piece structure  13  is secured at a far end  14  of the catway frame. At least one dock bumper, herein an elongated dock bumper  15 , is secured to the outer side wall  12 ′ of the catway frame side wall beam  12 . A platform  16  is secured on a top side of the catway frame. Cleats  17  are also secured along the outer edges of the platform  16  to provide attachment for boats parked in the berth areas  18  adjacent the catway  10 . 
         [0019]    With additional reference to  FIG. 6 , the nose piece  13  is molded by co-extruding two layers of polyethylene materials  19  and  20 ,  19  being an outer layer and  20  being an inner layer. The inner layer  20  is formed of light colored polyethylene such as white polyethylene or other color lighter than the outer top layer color. It could also have a luminescent color. This permits the outer material  19  of the molded nose piece  13  to be engraved whereby to provide indices, such as the number of the berth as indicated by reference numeral  21  in  FIG. 1  which is machined in the outer layer  19  exposing the inner layer  20  of lighter color. Thus a contrast is formed in the plastic material delineating the indicia  21  to be easily identified. In order to better identify this indicia, a light source, herein LED lights  22  are secured inside the nose piece on suitable support means  23  whereby to provide visibility of the indicia  21  at night or during foul weather. Additionally, lined profiles  24  may be formed in the side wall  25  of the nose piece and this can be accomplished by molding the nose piece with elevated profiles as shown in  FIG. 6  to form ridges  26 . By abrading the top surface of the ridges  26 , as shown at  27 , the inner lighter colored polyethylene layer  20  becomes exposed to form a contrast and for light to shine therethrough thus providing a band of light from the LED lights secured behind this band or ridge. Further, these LED lights may be illuminated in sequence from a forward end  28  of the nose piece to a rear end  29  thereof to provide a guiding visual indication to the pilot of a boat entering the berth  18  to a side of the catway. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the frame side beam  12  is formed of a reinforced profiled aluminum extrusion having elongated formations which are configured to secure thereto the two-part bumper  40  as hereinshown. The dock bumper  40  is comprised of an inner shock absorbing profiled bumper strip formed of EPDM rubber which has a memory and which is relatively inexpensive. The inner shock absorbing bumper strip  41  has an elongated projecting nose section  42  and one or more rear arresting formations  43  which abut against elongated T-flanges  44  of the frame side beam  12 . A high density polyethylene extruded cover  45  is secured over the bumper rubber strip  41  in flush contact with the nose section  42 . The extruded cover has internal restraining formations to retain the rubber bumper strip  41  at a predetermined captive position therebehind and against the flat outer surface  44 ′ of the T-flanges  44 . The cover  45  is further provided with engaging elongated formations  47  for flexible clamping engagement with retention flanges  48  formed with the side beam  12  and extending in the same plane as the abutment wings  49  of the T-flanges  44 . Because the rubber bumper strip  41  is concealed, it is possible to use cheaper EPDM rubber such as black rubber which is approximately one-third the cost as compared to grey rubber bumpers which are intended to be visible. By concealing the cheaper EPDM rubber bumper strip  41  behind the cover  45  a substantial reduction in cost is achieved while providing the shock absorbing feature of exposed EPDM rubber which when of a lighter color is easy to mark when frictionally contacted by docking boats. Also, the design as herein-described provides for the cover strip to be easily removed and interchanged if damaged or if the strip needs to be of a different color or be printed with matter identifying the name of the boat occupying the berth. 
         [0021]    Referring again to  FIG. 2  it can be seen that the side beam  12  has an extruded floor support formation  50  formed longitudinally in a top section thereof. The floor support formation  50  has a horizontal inwardly projecting recessed surface  51  to support opposed edge sections of deck panels, as hereinshown supporting a concrete deck panel  55  formed of a concrete slab  56  casted with lightweight concrete and fiberglass fibers  57  to reduce weight thereof. This concrete panel has a thickness which is less than 1½ inches, preferably 1¼ inch and supported at opposed edge sections on high density polystyrene support boards  58 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the construction of the concrete panel  55  is illustrated and as hereinshown the lightweight concrete panel  56  is secured to the high density polystyrene support boards  58  by bolt fasteners  59  which are inserted into bolt cavities  60  casted in the concrete panel and in which there is disposed a sound-damping nylon sleeve  61 . The polystyrene support boards are non-abrasive to the support surface  51  of the floor support formation  50  and also provide sound damping. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 5A to 5C  illustrate another form of deck panels, herein a deck panel formed of torrified birch boards  66 . This type of wood is known in the art and was developed in Finland and does not rot or twist and is therefore excellent for use as a floor surface of docks which are constantly exposed to water and sun. These panels  55  and  65  usually have a span of 48 inches and a width of approximately 24 inches. The concrete panel  55  has a weight of about 30 lbs. whereby a single person can lift these panels when assembling the catway or decks. The torrified birch boards  66  are glued together along their longitudinal side edges and also secured to transverse members  67  by fasteners. The transverse members  67  may be formed of the same torrified birch material or could also be provided by the high density polystyrene support boards  58  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Each of the torrified birch boards  66  are provided with grooves  68  and a top surface thereof for the evacuation of water and the boards are formed with a tongue  69  along one side edge thereof and a groove  70  along the other side edge thereof for interconnection with one another. 
         [0024]    With reference again to  FIG. 1 , it can also be seen that a knee brace structure  75  is secured in a juncture region of the catway  10  and a main dock or dock arm  76 . The catway frame is secured at right angles to the dock arm  76  and the knee brace structure  75 , which is of triangular configuration, provides added structural stability to the catway  10 . The knee brace structure is hereinshown as being a molded triangular structure having at least an external vertical face wall  77  which is molded with the same two layers of polystyrene as is the nose piece  13 . The external face wall  77  is further molded with one or more elevated ridges  26  as illustrated in  FIG. 6  and as hereinshown a single ridge  78  is provided and abraded at a top portion thereof to expose the inner layer through which light is also visible by having LED lights mounted inside the knee brace structure. This knee brace structure  75  is a hollow structure defining an inner storage compartment  79  accessible through a hinge top door  80  which can also serve as a seat by the provision of a cushion  81  in its inner side surface. As hereinshown, a retractable box frame  82  is mounted in the compartment  79  and houses an electrical utility terminal to provide electricity to the boat which is docked in the berth  18 ′. When the box  82  is retracted and locked into position and the cover brought down to its fully open horizontal position the cushion provides for a seat. 
         [0025]    It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiment described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.