Patents Assigned to Fern Investments Limited
  • Publication number: 20050158562
    Abstract: A composite structural laminate plate suitable for building maritime vessels or for building civil structures such as double hull oil tankers, bulk carriers, barges decks for roll-on roll-off ferries, orthotropic bridge decks or for building any structural application in which the traditional method of construction uses stiffened steel plates. The laminate has two facing metal layers that are structurally bonded to a polyurethane elastomer core which may have steel or rigid foam void sections embedded within. The laminate provides equivalent inplane and transverse stiffness and strength, reduces fatigue problems, minimizes stress concentrations, improves thermal and acoustical insulation, and provides vibration control. The laminate provides a structural system that acts as a crack arrest layer and that can join two dissimilar metals without welding or without setting up a galvanic cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Publication date: July 21, 2005
    Applicant: Fern Investments Limited
    Inventor: Stephen Kennedy
  • Patent number: 6706406
    Abstract: A composite structural laminate plate suitable for building maritime vessels or for building civil structures such as double hull oil tankers, bulk carriers, barges decks for roll-on roll-off ferries, orthotropic bridge decks or for building any structural application in which the traditional method of construction uses stiffened steel plates. The laminate has two facing metal layers that are structurally bonded to a polyurethane elastomer core which may have steel or rigid foam void sections embedded within. The laminate provides equivalent inplane and transverse stiffness and strength, reduces fatigue problems, minimizes stress concentrations, improves thermal and acoustical insulation, and provides vibration control. The laminate provides a structural system that acts as a crack arrest layer and that can join two dissimilar metals without welding or without setting up a galvanic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Fern Investments Limited
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 6630249
    Abstract: A composite structural laminate plate suitable for building maritime vessels or for building civil structures such as double hull oil tankers, bulk carriers, barges decks for roll-on roll-off ferries, orthotropic bridge decks or for building any structural application in which the traditional method of construction uses stiffened steel plates. The laminate has two facing metal layers that are structurally bonded to a polyurethane elastomer core which may have steel or rigid foam void sections embedded within. The laminate provides equivalent inplane and transverse stiffness and strength, reduces fatigue problems, minimizes stress concentrations, improves thermal and acoustical insulation, and provides vibration control. The laminate provides a structural system that acts as a crack arrest layer and that can join two dissimilar metals without welding or without setting up a galvanic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Fern Investments Limited
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kennedy
  • Publication number: 20010035266
    Abstract: A composite structural laminate plate suitable for building maritime vessels or for building civil structures such as double hull oil tankers, bulk carriers, barges decks for roll-on roll-off ferries, orthotropic bridge decks or for building any structural application in which the traditional method of construction uses stiffened steel plates. The laminate has two facing metal layers that are structurally bonded to a polyurethane elastomer core which may have steel or rigid foam void sections embedded within. The laminate provides equivalent inplane and transverse stiffness and strength, reduces fatigue problems, minimizes stress concentrations, improves thermal and acoustical insulation, and provides vibration control. The laminate provides a structural system that acts as a crack arrest layer and that can join two dissimilar metals without welding or without setting up a galvanic cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Applicant: FERN INVESTMENTS LIMITED
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 6050208
    Abstract: A composite structural laminate comprise two outer metal, e.g. steel, layers and an intermediate elastomer core, e.g. of unfoamed polyurethane. The elastomer has a modulus of elasticity of greater than about 250 MPa and tensile and compressive strengths of at least 20 MPa. The strength of the bond between metal and elastomer is at least 3 MPa. The composite structural laminate member acts a single member under load, buckling globally, not asymmetrically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Fern Investments Limited
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 5778813
    Abstract: A composite laminate panel suitable for building containment vessels, and in particular, suitable for building double hull oil tankers. The laminate has two facing metal layers structurally bonded to a polyurethane elastomer core. The laminate is used in various hull components, such as the hull plates, longitudinal girders, transverse frames and bulkheads. The laminate is used to build the inner hull and the outer hull, and may be used to build the structural supports between the inner and outer hulls. The innermost layer of inner hull contains the ship's cargo. The elastomer core of the inner hull laminate isolates the innermost hull skin from cracks, thereby preventing a loss of cargo such as oil into the environment, when the outer hull is pierced, penetrated or ruptured in an accident or grounding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Fern Investments Limited
    Inventor: Stephen J. Kennedy