Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a marine bumper. More specifically, the marine bumper can be engaged to a dock or suspended from a cleat of a boat and is rotatable between a vertical and horizontal orientation, as required. 
   2. Prior Art 
   Heretofore various marine bumpers and fenders have been proposed for producing adequate spacing between a boat and a dock, pier or piling, to protect the boat from being damaged by such structures which a boat, inherently, must come into contact with from time to time. 
   However, none of the prior art embodiments provide the versatility or ease of use which, as will be described hereinbelow, the marine bumper of the present invention provides. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the invention there is provided a marine bumper comprising a bumper body rotatably mounted to a mounting base for the bumper. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view through the marine bumper of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the bumper. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the bumper. 
       FIG. 4  is another cross sectional view through the bumper, taken perpendicularly to that of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of a boat cleat. 
       FIG. 6  shows the bumper of the present invention mounted to and depending from the boat cleat by an extension arm. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated therein a marine bumper made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and generally identified by the reference numeral  10 . 
   As shown, the bumper  10  includes a bumper body  12  and a mounting base  14  for same. 
   The bumper body  12  comprises a pair of wing like structures or wings  16  which extend laterally outwardly and upwardly from a center depression  18 . The body  12  engages the base  14  along the center depression  18 . 
   The base  14  includes a mounting plate  20  having mounting bores  22  therein for use in mounting same to a dock (not shown) or, if desired to an extension arm ( FIG. 6 ) which engages a cleat  23  of a boat (not shown), if it is desired to engage the bumper  10  to a boat rather than a dock or piling (not shown). 
   Positioned along the mounting plate  20  at a centered position between the mounting bores  22  is an elevated neck  24  which includes an inwardly stepped elevation  26 , which is square in cross section, extending upwardly from a top surface  28  of the neck  24 , upon which the body  12  engages. 
   The elevated neck  24  is hollow, having a cavity  30  therein within which a distal end  32  of a fixation device  34  such as a bolt  34  is received. Fixed onto the distal end  32  is a nut  36  and washer  38 , the washer  38  and nut  36  ensnaring a biasing spring  40  positioned about the distal end  32  between the washer  38  and an inner top surface  42  of the elevated neck  24 . 
   In order to allow for seating of the above structures in the cavity  30 , the base plate  20  is provided with a centered bore  44  therein, through which the structures are passed into the cavity  30 . 
   The elevation  26  above the neck  24  includes a bore  46  therein which aligns with a bore  48  in the top surface  28  of neck  24 , as well as with a bore  50  in the depressed center  18  of the body  12 . The bolt  34 , of which the terminal end  32  is received and maintained within the cavity  30  of the neck  24 , is passed downwardly through the aligned bores  50 ,  46  and  48 , with a head  52  thereof thus holding the depressed center  18  of the body  12  to the base  14 . 
   In a preferred embodiment, the depressed center  18  of the body  12  is provided with a circular indent  54  therein within which the head  52  of the bolt  34  is received in countersunk manner. 
   To produce rotation between the body  12  and the base  14 , a user pulls the body  12  away from the base  14 , releasing same from its seat on the square elevation  26 , against action of the biasing spring  40  and, after rotation of 90°, releases grasp on the body  12 . Under the action of the biasing spring  40 , the body  12  reseats onto the elevation  26  on the neck  24 . 
   It will be understood that vertical and horizontal orientation are the two orientations desired for the body  12 , the vertical orientation being illustrated in FIG.  6  and the horizontal orientation being understandable from perusal of  FIG. 2  which is a head-on view of the bumper  10  when horizontally disposed. 
   The horizontal position is desired for the bumper  10  when near a piling or the like and at a point after a boat is moored against a dock, so as not to interfere with passengers mounting or dismounting. 
   The vertical position is desired for the bumper  10  during the time a boat is being brought up to or leaving a dock or pier, and should provide sufficient clearance in the horizontal orientation when dealing with a piling so no contact is made between the boat and such structure, to keep the boat from being damaged thereagainst. 
   Turning now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , it will be seen that the bumper  10  can also be attached to the cleat  23  of a boat in a manner to be suspended therefrom. 
     FIG. 5  shows the boat cleat  23  to comprise a base  60 , a top rail  62 , and brackets  64  holding the top rail  62  above the base  60 . A void  66  exists in the cleat  24  in the area between the base  60 , top rail  62  and brackets  64 , to which an angled extension arm  68  can be engaged which, when the bumper  10  is engaged to a depending portion  70  thereof, produces a bumper  10  which is easily mounted to and dismounted from the cleat  23 . 
   In this respect, the arm  68  has a horizontally extending portion  72  which is engageable to the cleat  23  by a suitable connector  74 , such as a U-bolt  74  illustrated, the U-bolt passing through the void  66  of the cleat  23  and thus fixing the extension arm  68  thereto. The depending portion  70  of the arm  68  extends a sufficient degree downwardly such that when the bumper  10  is attached thereto, the bumper  10  can serve to keep the boat away from structures which could damage the integrity thereof. This accommodation for mounting to a boat cleat  23  becomes useful when it is not possible or desired to permanently attach the bumper to a dock or the like. 
   As described above, the bumper  10  of the present invention provides a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent therein. Also modifications may be proposed to the bumper  10  without departing from the teachings herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.

Technology Category: 0