Abstract: A floating dock and raft system utilizing a non-skid structural surface or deck plate walking surface, without substructure, and which is attached directly to all other components of the dock system such as floats, hinges, splice plates, gangways, etc. A U-shaped rub rail is attached to the edge of the surface plate. The dock surface or deck plate is supported by floats which are attached to the surface plate by bolts or by adhesive materials. The deck plate has the strength and stiffness to meet accepted design standards for docks, which includes the capability of resisting tear-out of fasteners used for assembly. Materials which may be fabricated as a sheet or strip may be utilized as the deck or surface plate, and such includes fiberglass reinforced plastic, aluminum, plastic, and laminated or honeycomb composite panels. Also, galvanized steel may be utilized since it can be formed in a sheet, but the weight is considerably greater than the other types of materials.

Abstract: A hand-held carrier for materials such as lumber and bricks. The carrier includes a riser shaft which is integral with or connected to a foot plate on which the material rests, the foot plate being thin and near-pointed at the toe and thicker at the heel where it is connected to the riser shaft. A housing is slideably mounted on the riser shaft and is adjustably retained along the riser shaft by a retaining pin or clamping assembly which extends into holes in the riser shaft. A lever or pinch handle is pivotably mounted to the housing and includes a handle section at one end and a clamp or pinching section at the other end. The lever can be rotated 180 degrees relative to the housing to enable use by a left-handed or right-handed person. As the lever is pivoted with the handle section being raised, the clamp section thereof contacts the material located on the foot and pinches or retains the material between the foot and the lever clamp section, whereby the material can be readily and easily moved as needed.