Abstract:
A floating module and fastening system for interconnecting a row of modules while allowing relative movement of the modules resulting from wave action. The present invention provides a system for interconnecting floating structures to form breakwaters and other integrated floating structures. The interconnection system includes one or more cables or other securing lines extending longitudinally through a row of floating structures and fastened at the ends of the row. Two or more socket members, through which the cables pass, are secured in and project outwardly from each end wall of the floating structures. Each of the socket members defines a recess, which extends into the end walls of the floating structures. Opposed socket members projecting from adjacent floating structures are sized so that an end of a first of the socket members fits within an opposed end of a second of the socket members. A resilient member or cushion having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the recesses in the opposed socket members may be received within adjacent recesses of overlapping first and second socket members.

Description:
FIELD 
     The present invention relates to floating structures for docks and breakwaters, and more particularly, to floating modules and a system for interconnecting floating modules to form docks and breakwaters. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Floating structures such as docks, decks, wharfs, breakwaters, walkways, boat slips and other structures are known in the art. These floating structures are typically interconnected using tie rods and side wales extending along the sides of the floating structures and fastened together. Other structures use hinges to connect the ends of adjacent floating structures. Still other structures use cables and rods which pass through the floating structures lengthwise and use rubber pads or resilient members between the structures for a cushion. 
     Some of these floating structures, while acceptable for relatively small interconnected structures, are not suitable for applications encountering rougher waters. Many of these systems do not allow sufficient pivoting motion between interconnected floats when fairly large waves are encountered. As a result, the interconnection system often fails. Other of these systems are not sufficiently strong to endure the pivotal motion over an extended period, or when encountering large storms. The resilient members of some of these structures are exposed to high shear forces. Additionally, the resilient members degrade over time due to exposure to sunlight. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a system for interconnecting floating structures to form breakwaters and other integrated floating structures. The interconnection system includes one or more cables or other securing lines extending longitudinally through a row of floating structures and fastened at the ends of the row. Two or more socket members, through which the cables pass, are secured in and project outwardly from each end wall of the floating structures. Each of the socket members defines a recess, which extends into the end walls of the floating structures. Opposed socket members projecting from adjacent floating structures are sized so that an end of a first of the socket members fits within an opposed end of a second of the socket members. A resilient member or cushion having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the recesses in the opposed socket members may be received within adjacent recesses of overlapping first and second socket members. 
     The resilient members include a longitudinally extending bore through which the cables pass. The socket members extending from adjacent end walls interfit or overlap to encase the resilient members and provide protection from exposure to sunlight. The overlapping socket members further protect the resilient members from excessive twisting, bending and shear forces at the connection. 
     Fingers or slips may be formed by securing one or more modules perpendicularly to a main structure of modules with cables extending longitudinally through the slip structures and laterally through the main structure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective end view of a floating module. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial sectional view of the interconnection between two floating modules. 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of a floating module. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective sectional and exploded view of the interconnection between two floating modules. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the figures, an interconnecting system for flexibly securing together one or more floating structures or modules  10  is disclosed. The modules  10  may conventionally include a rigid shell  12  formed from concrete or other moldable cementitious materials including polymer plastics surrounding and encasing a buoyant core  14  such as a foam core for example. The modules  10  include a rectangular top  16 , sides  18  and  20 , and end walls  22  and  24 . The end walls  22  and  24  each include two or more male and female interconnecting assemblies or socket members  26  and  28  respectively, and a utility recess  29 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28  are used to connect the modules  10  in an end to end alignment to form a floating structure. However, it is to be understood that the interconnecting assemblies could be used to connect one module  10  perpendicularly to another module to form boat slips or fingers. 
     The buoyant core  14  may include grooves running laterally across the top surface  17  and vertically along the side surfaces  19  to provide additional structural strength to the module  10  when encased in concrete or other material. Two sets of two longitudinal grooves  56 , are formed in the top surface  17  of the foam core  14  running parallel to and proximate to the sides  19  of the foam core  14 . A cable receiving conduit  64  is positioned within the trough of each longitudinal groove  56 . The conduits  64  are sized shorter than the foam core, such that the ends of each conduit  64  are recessed in the foam core  14 . Side wales  21  with conduits  23  extending through the side wales  21  also allow two or more modules  10  to be connected in a perpendicular configuration, as discussed in more detail hereafter, to form fingers or boat slips, for example. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the male interconnecting assembly  26  includes a cylindrical side wall  30 , a base plate  32  with an aperture  34  formed centrally therein, and a base tube or sleeve  36  axially aligned with the aperture  34 . The male interconnecting assembly  26  may be embedded in the end wall  22  with the base tube  36  extending inwardly to the end wall  22  recess or socket  38 . The depth that the socket  38  extends into the surface of end wall  22  may be approximately one to four inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The depth of the socket  38  is the distance from the surface plane of the end wall  22  to the base plate  32 . The side wall  30  of male interconnecting assembly  26  extends outwardly from the end wall  22  to present a collar  40 . The height of the collar  40  extending from the end wall  22  may be approximately three-quarters to one and one-half inches, and preferably one and one-quarter inches. The height of the collar  40  is the distance from the surface plane of the end wall  22  to the exposed free end of the cylindrical side wall  30  extending from the end wall  22 . The cylindrical side wall  30  has a length of approximately five to twelve inches, and preferably six inches. The cylindrical side wall  30  has a diameter of approximately six to ten inches, and preferably eight and five-eighths inches. 
     The base tube  36  may be welded or otherwise secured or attached to the base plate  32 . The base plate  32  may be welded or otherwise secured to the cylindrical side wall  30 . The base tube  36  may be approximately four to twelve inches long, and preferably six inches long with a diameter of approximately one to two inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The aperture  34  may be sized to match the base tube  36  diameter. 
     The female interconnecting assembly  28  may be similar in construction to the male interconnecting member  26  but slightly larger in diameter. The female interconnecting member includes a cylindrical side wall  42 , a base plate  44  with an aperture  46  formed centrally therein, and a base tube or sleeve  48  axially aligned with the aperture  46 . The female interconnecting assembly  28  may be embedded in the end wall  24  with the base tube  48  extending inwardly to the end wall  24 . The base plate  44  and cylindrical side wall  42  combine to form a recess or socket  50  with a depth and diameter. The depth of the socket  50  may be approximately one to four inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The side wall  42  of female interconnecting assembly  28  extends outwardly from the end wall  24  to present a collar  52 . The height of the collar  52  extending from the end wall  24  is approximately one-quarter to one and one-half inches, and preferably three-quarters of an inch. The height of the collar  52  is the distance from the surface plane of the end wall  24  to the exposed free end of the cylindrical side wall  42  extending from the end wall  24 . The cylindrical side wall  42  has a length of approximately five to twelve inches, and preferably six inches. The cylindrical side wall  42  has a diameter of approximately six to twelve inches, and preferably ten inches. 
     The base tube  48  may be welded or otherwise secured or attached to the base plate  44 . The base plate  44  may be welded or otherwise fastened to the side wall  42 . The base tube  48  may be approximately four to twelve inches long, and preferably six inches long with a diameter of approximately one to two inches, and preferably one and one-half inches. The aperture  46  may be sized to match the base tube diameter  48 . 
     Each module  10  may be formed in a mould not shown. One of the cable receiving conduits  64  may be inserted in each of the four longitudinal grooves  56  in the foam core  14 . In a preferred embodiment, two male interconnecting members  26  may be positioned on one end toward one of the corners of the foam core  14  with a distal end of an associated base tube  36  abutting against or receiving an end of one of the cable receiving conduits  64 . The base tube  36  may be preferably welded to the conduit  64  with the internal apertures aligned. Two additional male interconnecting members  26  are positioned on the other end toward the opposite diagonal corner of the foam core  14 . 
     Two female interconnecting members  28  may be positioned at each end of the foam core  14  at opposite corners from the male interconnecting members  26 . A distal end of the associated base tube  48  may be abutting against or receiving an opposite end of one of the cable receiving conduits  64 . The base tubes  48  are preferably welded to the conduit  64  with the internal apertures aligned. With the conduits  64  and base tubes  48  and  36  aligned and secured together, a tube passes longitudinally through the module  10  from one end  22  to the other end  24 . 
     Before positioning the side wales  21  along the sides of the foam core  14 , the side wales  21  on opposite sides  18  and  20  of the module  10  are first connected together by extending a plurality of conduits  23  through aligned bores in the side wales  21  so that the conduits  23  extend transverse to the side wales  21  to form a side rail assembly  25 . The side rail assembly  25  may then be set on top of the foam core  14  with the conduits  23  resting on an upper surface of the foam core  14  and the side wales extending along the sides  19  of the foam core  14 . Concrete or other plastic material may then poured into the mould around the foam core  14 , the cable receiving conduits  64 , the side rail assembly  25 , and the male and female interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28 , and allowed to set. The utility recesses  29  are formed in each end wall  22  and  24  of the module  10  by the mould. 
     In the modules  10  formed in this manner, end wall  22  has two male interconnecting assemblies  26  and two transversely-spaced female interconnecting assemblies  28  projecting therefrom. The opposite end wall  24  has two female interconnecting assemblies  28  and two transversely-spaced male interconnecting assemblies  26  extending therefrom. The modules  10  could be formed in alternative configurations with fewer or more interconnecting assemblies  26  or  28  formed in and extending from each end wall  22  and  24 . It is to be understood that the type of interconnecting assembly  26  or  28  projecting from each end wall  22  and  24  can be varied. For example, with four interconnecting assemblies per end, four male interconnecting assemblies  26  may be extending from one end wall and four female interconnecting assemblies  28  may be extending from the other end wall. Other variations may be utilized. However, the interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28  directly opposite each other on abutting modules  10  are of the opposite type, i.e. for each male interconnecting assembly  26 , the axially aligned interconnecting assembly on the other end of the module  10  is a female interconnecting assembly  26 . 
     Two or more modules  10  may be abutted and connected together by threading cables  54  through the conduits  64  of one module through aligned sets of male and female interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28  and resilient members  58 , and through the conduits  64  of the abutting module. The resilient member  58  is sized and shaped to be received in overlapping interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28  as described hereafter. 
     Each resilient member  58  is preferably cylindrically-shaped conforming to the cylindrical shape of the male interconnecting assembly  26  socket  38  and the female interconnecting assembly  28  socket  50 , although shapes other than a cylinder may be utilized. The resilient member  58  has a length of two to twelve inches, preferably four to six inches, and a diameter of four to ten inches, preferably six to eight inches. Each resilient member  58  includes an axially-extending cylindrical bore  60  through which the cable  54  passes. A rigid tube  62  lines the bore  60  to prevent the cable from damaging the resilient member  58 . The length of the tube  62  may be less than the length of the resilient member  58  to allow for compression of the resilient member  58  when the modules  10  are assembled and during use. 
     When abutting modules  10  are longitudinally aligned, male interconnecting assemblies  26  and female interconnecting assemblies  28  are opposed and longitudinally aligned. The collars  40  of the male interconnecting assemblies  26  extend from end walls  22  and  24  and nest within the collars  52  of the female interconnecting assemblies  28  which extend from end walls  22  and  24  opposite collars  40 . Cables  54  are threaded through the longitudinal conduits  64  starting at a free end of the first module  10  and out the abutting end. The cable  54  passes out the associated interconnecting assembly through the resilient member  58  and into the aligned abutting interconnecting assembly. The cable  54  passes through the longitudinal conduit  64  of the abutting second module  10  and out the opposite free end. When the cables  54  are tightened to a predetermined tension the resilient members  58  are compressed between the base plates  32  and  44  of the male and female interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28 . In addition, the collars  40  and  52  of opposed abutting interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28  preferably overlap at least one half inch or more, i.e., because height of collar  40  is greater than the height of collar  52 , and the diameter of collar  40  is less than the diameter of collar  52 , collar  40  fits within collar  52  extending one-half inch or more into collar  52 . A transverse gap  66  formed between abutting modules  10  has a width of approximately one-half to two inches. In order for the overlapping collars  40  and  52  to shield the resilient members  58  from direct exposure to the environment, the length of resilient member  58  is between the combined depth of the sockets  38  and  50  and the combined depth of the sockets  38  and  50  and the height of the collars  40  and  52 . In other words, the resilient member  58  has to be long enough to space abutting modules  10  apart so that the abutting end walls  24  and  28  do not touch when stationary and when in motion (encountering waves). The resilient member  58  should be short enough so that when abutting male and female interconnecting assemblies  26  and  28  are positioned together, the corresponding collar  52  of the female interconnecting assembly  28  overlaps the collar  40  of the male interconnecting assembly  26 . 
     The rigid tube  62  embedded in each resilient member  58 , in combination with the nesting collars  40  and  52  limit the shear, bending and twisting forces, and stresses exerted on the resilient member  58 . For normal loads, the resilient members  58  have sufficient shear strength to prevent excessive horizontal and vertical transverse and longitudinal movement of one module  10  with respect to an adjacent abutting module  10 . However, if the modules  10  encounter excessive forces, (i.e., large waves caused by a storm or a passing boat), the nesting collars  40  and  52  limit the forces transferred to the resilient members  58 . Additionally, the collars  40  and  52  shield the resilient members  58  from sunlight to prevent degradation from exposure. 
     When two or more modules  10  are joined together to form a breakwater or other structure, the structure may be secured to one or more concrete blocks  70  or other suitable anchors, with a chain or cable  72 . Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a temporary post  74  may be attached to a bracket  76  which may be secured to either of the sides  18  or  20  of the module  10 . The anchor chain  72  may be attached to a come-along  78  mounted to the post  74  and extended through an aperture  80  in the side  18  or  20  of module  10  to the anchor  70  to secure the modules  10  in position. Once the modules are positioned in a desired location, the chain  72  may be bolted or otherwise fastened to the bracket  76  and the come-along  78 , post  74 , and excess chain  72  may be removed. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof. As used herein the phrase overlapping relationship of two members or other structure is intended to encompass either member or structure overlapping the other. In addition, the term wall or member is not limit to planar, solid structures, but rather is generally intended to encompass structure which separates one region or area from another and may include structures with openings therein such as meshes or grates or the like.