MOORING RETRIEVAL DEVICE

Abstract

A mooring retrieval device for retrieving a mooring rope in water, the device comprising a buoyant member adapted to be tethered to the end of the mooring rope. An elongate retrieval member having an end adapted to engage with the buoyant member whereby, in use, the end of a mooring rope tethered to the buoyant member can be more easily retrieved. Advantageously the end of the retrieval member engages with the buoyant member by magnetic attraction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/517,102, filed on Jun. 19, 2012 which is the U.S. national phase of PCT Appln. No. PCT/AU2010/001336 filed on Oct. 11, 2010, which claims priority to AU Patent Application No. 2009904933 filed on Oct. 9, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a mooring retrieval device for a marine craft and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to a mooring retrieval device for attaching a marine craft to a mooring buoy.

BACKGROUND

It is quite common for boat owners to purchase a mooring in a river, lake or ocean bay where their boat may be temporarily moored when not in use. The mooring typically consists of a chain or other tether which is anchored at one end to the riverbed or seabed. The other end is attached to a buoy which clearly marks the location of the mooring and ensures that a boat can be moored to the chain or tether. Typically one of more mooring ropes is connected to the mooring buoy for attaching a boat to the mooring. In practice it is often difficult to retrieve one of these mooring ropes as they do not necessarily float on the surface of the water. Furthermore, it is difficult to maintain the position of the boat relative to the mooring buoy whilst trying to locate the mooring rope, particularly in choppy conditions.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing a mooring retrieval device that simplifies the process of retrieving a mooring rope in water. Clearly the mooring retrieval device will have other applications where it may be necessary to retrieve an object floating in the water.

References to prior art documents in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a mooring retrieval device for retrieving a mooring rope in water, the device comprising:

• • a buoyant member adapted to be tethered to the end of a mooring rope; a retrieval member having means adapted to engage with the buoyant member whereby, in use, the end of a mooring rope tethered to the buoyant member can be more easily retrieved.

Preferably the buoyant member comprises a magnetic means and the means adapted to engage with the buoyant member comprises a magnetic means provided in connection with the retrieval member wherein, in use, the retrieval member engages with the buoyant member by magnetic attraction. Advantageously the magnetic means is provided with a resilient neck for connecting the magnetic means to the retrieval member wherein, in use, the resilient neck permits the magnetic means of the retrieval member to more readily engage with the magnetic means of the buoyant member.

In one embodiment the retrieval member comprises an elongate member having the means adapted to engage with the buoyant member provided at one end. In another embodiment the retrieval member comprises an end piece adapted to be attached to the end of an elongate member.

Preferably the buoyant member is provided with a ballast means adapted to keep the buoyant member in an upright condition in use. Preferably the magnetic means of the buoyant member comprises a permanent magnet provided in an upper portion of the buoyant member that sits above the surface of the water when it is in an upright condition in use.

Typically the buoyant member is of a generally spherical shape, and is formed by joining together an upper hemispherical body and a lower hemispherical body. In a preferred embodiment the upper hemispherical body is formed with a depression in its upper surface, and the permanent magnet is mounted within the base of the depression. The depression aids in locating the magnetic means provided in connection with the end of the retrieval member so that it engages with the permanent magnet in the buoyant member. Preferably the magnetic means provided in connection with the end of the retrieval member also comprises a permanent magnet.

In the preferred embodiment the lower hemispherical body is formed with the ballast means in the lowermost region of the hemispherical body when the buoyant member is in an upright condition. Preferably the ballast means comprises a piece of metal.

Advantageously the buoyant member has an elongate flexible member provided in connection therewith, wherein the buoyant member can be tethered to the end of a mooring rope by means of the elongate flexible member. Preferably the elongate flexible member has a small weight provided in connection therewith whereby, in use, under the force of gravity acting on the ballast the buoyant member is drawn closer to the end of the mooring rope.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a buoyant member for a mooring retrieval device for retrieving a mooring rope in water, the buoyant member comprising a buoyant body adapted to be tethered to the end of a mooring rope, the buoyant body being adapted to engage with an end of an elongate retrieval member whereby, in use, the end of a mooring rope tethered to the buoyant member can be more easily retrieved.

Preferably the buoyant member comprises a magnetic means and the end of the retrieval member also has a magnetic means provided in connection therewith wherein, in use, the end of the retrieval member engages with the buoyant member by magnetic attraction.

Preferably the buoyant member is provided with a ballast means adapted to keep the buoyant member in an upright condition in use. Preferably the magnetic means of the buoyant member comprises a permanent magnet provided in an upper portion of the buoyant member that sits above the surface of the water when it is in an upright condition in use.

Typically the buoyant member is of a generally spherical shape, and is formed by joining together an upper hemispherical body and a lower hemispherical body. In a preferred embodiment the upper hemispherical body is formed with a depression in its upper surface, and the permanent magnet is mounted within the base of the depression. The depression aids in locating the magnetic means provided in connection with the end of the retrieval member so that it engages with the permanent magnet in the buoyant member.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided an end piece for a mooring retrieval device for retrieving a mooring rope in water, the end piece being adapted to engage with a buoyant member tethered to the end of the mooring rope whereby, in use, the end of the mooring rope tethered to the buoyant member can be more easily retrieved.

Preferably the end piece has a magnetic means provided in connection therewith and adapted to engage with a magnetic means provided in the buoyant member wherein, in use, the end piece engages with the buoyant member by magnetic attraction. Advantageously the end piece is formed with a resilient neck for connecting the magnetic means to the retrieval member wherein, in use, the resilient neck permits the magnetic means of the retrieval member to more readily engage with the magnetic means of the buoyant member.

Advantageously the resilient neck with the magnetic means is movable from a refracted position to an extended position. Preferably a steel ring is provided adjacent an outer extremity of the end piece for holding the magnetic means in its retracted position by magnetic attraction. In one embodiment the end piece is in the form of a handle piece. Typically the handle piece is formed with a grip surface on its outer circumference.

Preferably the magnetic means provided in connection with the end piece comprises a permanent magnet. Preferably the end piece is adapted to be received on the end of an elongate member such as a pole or rod so as to form an elongate retrieval member. Advantageously the end piece further comprises a hook member adapted to catch the end of a mooring rope therewith.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as “preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the mooring retrieval device, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of a mooring retrieval device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded section view of a buoyant member for the mooring retrieval device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a first step in the method of retrieving the end of a mooring rope using the mooring retrieval device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second step in the method of retrieving the end of a mooring rope using the mooring retrieval device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of an end piece in a second embodiment of a mooring retrieval device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a section view through the line C-C of the end piece in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the end piece of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the end piece of FIG. 5 shown in an extended condition.

FIG. 9 is a section view through the line D-D of the end piece of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the end piece of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 Illustrates how the mooring retrieval device with end piece of FIGS. 5 to 10 is used for retrieving the end of a mooring rope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

A first embodiment of a mooring retrieval device 10 according to the present invention, for retrieving a mooring rope in water, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, comprises a buoyant member 12 adapted to be tethered to the end of a mooring rope 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The device further comprises a retrieval member 16 having an end 18 adapted to engage with the buoyant member 12 whereby, in use, the end of the mooring rope 14 can be more easily retrieved.

The buoyant member 12 preferably comprises a magnetic means 20 and the end 18 of the retrieval member 16 preferably also has a magnetic means 22 provided in connection therewith. Hence, in use, the end 18 of the retrieval member 16 can engage with the buoyant member 12 by magnetic attraction. Preferably the buoyant member 12 is provided with a ballast means 24 (see FIG. 2) adapted to keep the buoyant member 12 in an upright condition in use. In this embodiment the magnetic means of the buoyant member 12 comprises a permanent magnet 20 in the shape of a disc provided in an upper portion of the buoyant member 12 that sits above the surface of the water when it is in an upright condition in use.

As shown in the drawings, the buoyant member 12 is of a generally spherical shape, and is formed by joining together an upper hemispherical body 26 and a lower hemispherical body 28, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the illustrated embodiment the upper hemispherical body 26 is formed with a depression 30 in its upper surface, and the permanent magnet 20 is mounted within the base of the depression 30. The depression 30 aids in locating the magnetic means provided in connection with the end 18 of the retrieval member 16 so that it engages with the permanent magnet 20 in the buoyant member. Preferably the magnetic means provided in connection with the end 18 of the retrieval member 16 also comprises a permanent magnet 22.

In the illustrated embodiment the lower hemispherical body 28 is formed with the ballast means 24 in the lowermost region of the hemispherical body 28 when the buoyant member 12 is in an upright condition. Preferably the ballast means 24 comprises a piece of heavy metal such as lead. The bulk of the two hemispherical bodies 26 and 28 are filled with a buoyant material such as a blown plastics material, for example, polystyrene foam. The external surfaces of the buoyant member 12 are preferably coloured with a bright iridescent colour so as to be clearly visible in the water.

Advantageously the buoyant member 12 has an elongate flexible member in the form of a line 32 provided in connection therewith. The line 32 enables the buoyant member 12 to be tethered to the end of a mooring rope 14, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The line 32 is tied to the end of the mooring rope 14 on the first occasion when a boat is moored to a mooring 40. Preferably the line 32 has a small weight 34 provided in connection therewith whereby, in use, under the force of gravity, acting on the weight 34, the buoyant member 12 is drawn closer to the end of the mooring rope 14.

The retrieval member 16 is preferably formed by attaching an end piece 18 to the end of an elongate member 36 such as a wooden or aluminium pole or rod. The end piece 18 is adapted to connect by a threaded connection or friction fit to the end of the pole or rod 36, as can be seen most clearly in FIG. 1. The end piece 18 has the permanent magnet 22 provided in connection therewith and is adapted to engage with the permanent magnet 20 provided in the buoyant member 12 by magnetic attraction. Preferably the end piece 18 is formed with a resilient neck 15 connecting the magnet 22 to a body of the end piece 18 wherein, in use, the resilient neck 15 permits the magnet 22 to more readily engage with the permanent magnet 20 of the buoyant member. Advantageously the end piece 18 further comprises a hook member 38 adapted to catch the end of a mooring rope therewith.

A preferred method of retrieving a mooring rope 14 using the mooring retrieval device 10 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. A boat mooring 40 comprises a mooring buoy 42 and one or more mooring ropes 14 for mooring a boat to the mooring 40. Assuming the buoyant member 12 has previously been tethered to the end of one of the mooring ropes 14a, the first step when retrieving the mooring rope is to use the elongate retrieval member 16 to retrieve the buoyant member 12. This is done by reaching out with the retrieval member 16 and locating the end piece 18 of the retrieval member in the depression 30 on the top of the buoyant member 12, as shown in FIG. 3.

The buoyant member 12 may be easily seen floating on the surface of the water, and it is relatively straightforward to locate the end 18 of the retrieval member 16 in the depression 30. Once the magnet 22 on the end 18 of the retrieval member 16 comes into close proximity to the magnet 20 in the buoyant member 12, the magnet 22 of the retrieval member 16 will engage with the buoyant member 12 by magnetic attraction, and the buoyant member 12 attached to the end of the retrieval member 16 can then be hauled into the boat. The resilient neck 15 helps to ensure that the magnet 22 does not disengage from the magnet 20 of the buoyant member while it is being hauled in. It is then a simple matter to secure the mooring rope to the boat. A second mooring rope 14b can be easily drawn from the water using the hook member 38 on the end 18 of the retrieval member.

Clearly multiple buoyant members 12 may be deployed for each mooring rope if desired. Only one retrieval member 16 per boat is required. If the end piece 18 of the retrieval member is inadvertently damaged or lost, a replacement part can be purchased and attached to the pole or rod 36.

FIGS. 5 to 11 illustrate a second embodiment of the mooring retrieval device 50 according to the present invention. Some parts of the mooring retrieval device 50 are substantially the same as that of the mooring retrieval device 10 and therefore the same reference numerals will be used to identify these parts and they will not be described again in detail here. As with the first embodiment, the mooring retrieval device 50 comprises a buoyant member 12 adapted to be tethered to the end of a mooring rope 14 (see FIG. 11). The device 50 further comprises a retrieval member 56 having an end piece 58 adapted to engage with the buoyant member 12 whereby, in use, the end of the mooring rope 14 can be more easily retrieved.

The retrieval member 56 of this embodiment may, for example, be a conventional boat hook comprising an elongate member 36 such as a wooden, fiber glass or aluminium pole or rod having a hook (not visible) provided at one end and a handle at the other end. In this embodiment the end piece 58 is in the form of a handle piece 58 which is adapted to connect by a threaded connection or friction fit to the handle end of the pole or rod 36, as can be seen in FIG. 11. The handle piece 58 would replace the original handle on the handle end of the pole or rod 36. The handle piece 58 has a permanent magnet 60 provided in connection therewith and is adapted to engage with the permanent magnet 20 provided in the buoyant member 12 by magnetic attraction.

Preferably the handle piece 58 is formed with a retractable neck 62 connecting the magnet 60 to a body portion 63 of the handle piece 58. As can be seen most clearly in FIGS. 6 and 9, the retractable neck 62 is adapted to slide within the hollow interior of the body portion 63 of the handle piece 58 and is prevented from falling out of the end of the end piece by an end stop 66. Preferably the retractable neck 62 is made from a resilient material, such as rubber, wherein, in use, the retractable neck 62 permits the magnet 60 to more readily engage with the permanent magnet 20 of the buoyant member.

The body portion 63 is of hollow cylindrical construction, and has a grip surface 64 provided on part of its outer circumferential surface to permit the handle piece to be more readily gripped. On the outer extremity of the grip surface 64 a recessed annulus is provided with six standoffs 68 about its circumference, as can be seen most clearly in FIG. 10. The standoffs 68 are resilient and are each formed with an outwardly protruding hook portion thereon for retaining a steel ring 70 about the outer extremity of the grip surface 64. The steel ring 70 is preferably made of magnetic stainless steel and is designed to interact magnetically with the magnet 60. Magnetic attraction between the magnet 60 and steel ring 70 keeps the magnet 60 in its retracted position, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

A preferred method of retrieving a mooring rope 14 using the mooring retrieval device 50 will now be described with reference to FIG. 11. A boat mooring 40 comprises a mooring buoy 42 and one or more mooring ropes 14 for mooring a boat to the mooring 40. Assuming the buoyant member 12 has previously been tethered to the end of one of the mooring ropes 14, the first step when retrieving the mooring rope is to use the elongate retrieval member 56 to retrieve the buoyant member 12. If the mooring rope cannot be retrieved using the conventional boat hook end of the retrieval member 56, the retrieval member 56 can be reversed so that now the other end with the handle piece 58 is used, as shown in FIG. 11.

This is done by reaching out with the retrieval member 56 and locating the end piece 58 of the retrieval member in the depression 30 on the top of the buoyant member 12, as shown in FIG. 11. The buoyant member 12 may be easily seen floating on the surface of the water, and it is relatively straightforward to locate the end piece 58 of the retrieval member 56 in the depression 30. Advantageously, as the permanent magnet 60 on the end piece 58 comes into close proximity to the magnet 20 in the buoyant member 12, the retractable neck 62 moves to its extended position due to magnetic attraction. The force of magnetic attraction between the permanent magnets 20 and 60 is much stronger than the magnetic attraction between the magnet 60 and steel ring 70.

The resilient nature of the neck 62 makes it easier to bring the magnet 60 of the end piece 58 into engagement with the magnet 20 of the buoyant member 12. Once the magnet 60 engages with the magnet 20 it is relatively straightforward to retrieve the mooring rope 14, since the buoyant member 12 is now attached to the end of the retrieval member 56 and it can then be hauled into the boat. It is then a simple matter to secure the mooring rope to the boat.

Now that preferred embodiments of the mooring retrieval device have been described in detail, it will be apparent that the embodiments provide a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following:

• • (i) It facilitates easy retrieval of a mooring rope in the water, even in choppy conditions.
  • ii) It is easy to use, requiring no specialised training or skills.
  • iii) It is simple to deploy and robust in design.
  • iv) It may be manufactured from inexpensive moulded plastics and/or aluminium materials.
  • v) The retrieval member may be readily stowed on board a marine craft as it does not take up much room.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, it is not necessary for the buoyant member to be of generally spherical shape as in the preferred embodiment. The buoyant member may be of any suitable shape. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is to be determined from the appended claims.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A mooring retrieval device for retrieving a mooring rope in water, the device comprising:

a buoyant member adapted to be tethered to the end of a mooring rope and comprising a first permanent magnet; and

a retrieval member having means adapted to engage with the buoyant member in the form of a second permanent magnet connected to an end of the retrieval member wherein, in use, the end of the retrieval member engages with the buoyant member by magnetic attraction between the first and second permanent magnets.

2. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1 wherein retrieval member is provided with a resilient neck for connecting the second permanent magnet to the end of the retrieval member wherein, in use, the resilient neck permits the second permanent magnet to more readily engage with the first permanent magnet of the buoyant member.

3. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the second permanent magnet is provided with a retractable neck for connecting the second permanent magnet to the end of the retrieval member wherein, in use, the resilient neck permits the second permanent magnet to more readily engage with the first permanent magnet of the buoyant member.

4. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the retrieval member comprises an elongate member having the means adapted to engage with the buoyant member provided at its said end.

5. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the retrieval member comprises an end piece adapted to be attached to an end of an elongate member.

6. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the retrieval member comprises a handle piece adapted to be attached to an end of an elongate member.

7. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the buoyant member is provided with a ballast means adapted to keep the buoyant member in an upright condition in use.

8. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first permanent magnet is provided in an upper portion of the buoyant member that sits above the surface of the water when it is in an upright condition, in use.

9. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the buoyant member is of a generally spherical shape, and is formed by joining together an upper hemispherical body and a lower hemispherical body.

10. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 9, wherein the upper hemispherical body is formed with a depression in its upper surface, and the first permanent magnet is mounted within the depression.

11. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 10, wherein the depression aids in locating second permanent magnet provided in connection with the end of the retrieval member so that it engages with the first permanent magnet in the depression of the buoyant member.

12. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 9, wherein the lower hemispherical body is formed with the ballast means in the lowermost region of the hemispherical body when the buoyant member is in an upright condition.

13. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 1, wherein the buoyant member has an elongate flexible member provided in connection therewith whereby, in use, the buoyant member can be tethered to the end of a mooring rope by means of the elongate flexible member.

14. A mooring retrieval device as defined in claim 13, wherein the elongate flexible member has a small weight provided in connection therewith whereby, in use, under the force of gravity acting on the ballast the buoyant member is drawn closer to the end of the mooring rope.

15. An end piece for a mooring retrieval device for retrieving a mooring rope in water, the end piece being adapted to engage with a buoyant member tethered to the end of the mooring rope, the buoyant member having a first permanent magnet and the end piece having a second permanent magnet provided in connection therewith and adapted to engage with the first permanent magnet provided in the buoyant member wherein, in use, the end piece engages with the buoyant member by magnetic attraction and the end of the mooring rope tethered to the buoyant member can be more easily retrieved.

16. An end piece as defined in claim 15, wherein the end piece is formed with a resilient neck for connecting the second permanent magnet to the retrieval member wherein, in use, the resilient neck permits the second permanent magnet to more readily engage with the first permanent magnet of the buoyant member.

17. An end piece as defined in claim 16, wherein the resilient neck with the second permanent magnet is movable from a retracted position to an extended position.

18. An end piece as defined in claim 17, wherein a steel ring is provided adjacent an outer extremity of the end piece for holding the second permanent magnet in its retracted position by magnetic attraction.

19. An end piece as defined in claim 15, in the form of a handle piece.

20. An end piece as defined in claim 15, wherein the end piece is adapted to be received on the end of an elongate member, such as a pole or rod so as to form an elongate retrieval member.