Patent ID: 7478801

Claim:
A fender assembly adapted for attachment to a fixed support surface of a dock structure at a predetermined height above the ground, said fender assembly comprising: a pair of laterally spaced apart parallel fender sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly comprising: a vertical guide track which, in use, is fixed with respect to the support surface, a vertically disposed elongate fender guided for slidable movement along said guide track by a longitudinally extending keeper portion co-operable with the guide track, and spring loaded fender restraining means co-acting with and adapted to resist movement of the fender when displaced downwards from a normal at rest position by an externally applied force, said fender restraining means being movable between a retracted position wherein the fender is supported in its said normal at rest position and an extended position wherein the fender is displaced downwards from said at rest position, the fender restraining means comprising a vertically slidable U-shaped rod which has a pair of upstanding legs extending along opposite sides of the fender, and a transversely extending bridging portion interconnecting the legs, said bridging portion having a forwardly projecting abutment secured thereto and abutting the fender whereby any downwards movement of the fender causes simultaneously downward movement of the U-shaped rod, and wherein said restraining means includes a pair of compressible coil springs each supported on a respective said upstanding leg and extending along its length, wherein each fender sub-assembly is operable independent of the other of the pair.