Non-Corrodible Pontoon and Saddle Assemblies
The subject disclosure presents assemblies, devices and methods to float a structure over a body of water by using a saddle fastened to a pontoon, whereby the saddle remains above the water line. The saddle includes a plurality of external clamp plates outside a pontoon sidewall, and fastened to one or more internal clamp plates placed inside the pontoon sidewall, thereby clamping the sidewall between them. Attachment points for the external and internal clamp plates are situated at a height that is relatively higher than a water line anticipated when the pontoon is under a load. This ensures that corrodible components are maintained above a water level while the pontoon is floating the structure, reducing corrosion.
This application is a national stage application of PCT/US2012/053713, filed Sep. 4, 2012; which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/530,301, filed Sep. 1, 2011; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety into this disclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSURE1. Field of the Subject Disclosure
The present subject disclosure relates to flotation devices. More specifically, the present subject disclosure relates to non-corrodible pontoon and saddle assemblies.
2. Background of the Subject Disclosure
Pontoons are devices used for flotation. Pontoons may be used to float structures above a body of water. Pontoons may be of any shape and size, and may include attachment points to attach the structure to be floated, among other components. Frequently, a saddle is used to couple the structure to the pontoon. The saddle may be fastened to the pontoon, and the structure coupled to the saddle.
Being immersed in several different environments for extended periods of time, pontoons, saddles, and fastening mechanisms (hereinafter referred to as a pontoon assembly) are subject to constant wear and tear. A prime source of wear is corrosion caused by electrolysis and exposure to salt water. For instance, the United States Navy used to employ steel pontoons to float barriers for purposes of national security. Steel may rust with exposure to salt water. Further, electrolysis caused by environmental conditions causes corrosion to metallic components over time. Fixing these issues required a high level of maintenance, including disassembly, removal of paint and external layers by sandblasting, cleaning, and reinstalling the pontoon assembly.
To get around the corrosion of the pontoon itself, navies and other entities started using plastic pontoons. Plastic proved to be a better pontoon design because it is far less dense than water (and steel), and is able to be molded for several different applications. However, plastic is too weak to use to couple heavy structures to pontoons, and therefore the typical saddle and fastening mechanisms cannot avail of this approach. A typical pontoon assembly today consists of a plastic pontoon with a saddle assembly comprising several corrodible steel components (including one or more steel bands wrapped around an outside of the pontoon to capture the pontoon, and steel fasteners such as nuts and bolts).
Consequently, corrosion issues still exist. General environmental conditions such as electrolysis cause the steel bands to corrode. Electrolysis may be avoided by applying an anode to the submerged portions of the saddle assembly. However, this is expensive and involves additional equipment and maintenance.
SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT DISCLOSUREWhat is being described in this subject disclosure is a pontoon assembly that maintains any corrodible components above a water level.
The subject disclosure addresses the above-identified deficiencies in the state of the art by coupling a saddle to a pontoon using fastening mechanisms positioned at attachment points on the pontoon sidewall at a height greater than a water line when the pontoon is under a load. A saddle, including a plurality of external clamp plates, resides on the outside surface of the pontoon sidewall. The external clamp plates align with attachment points on the pontoon sidewalls. One or more internal clamp plates are placed along an inside surface of the pontoon sidewall. The internal clamp plates align with the attachment points on the pontoon. The external clamp plates are fastened to the internal clamp plates, thereby clamping the sidewall of the pontoon between the internal clamp plate and the external clamp plate. The attachment points are positioned at a height greater than a water line while the pontoon is floating a structure. In this manner, the corrodible components (including the fastening mechanisms and the saddle with the external clamp plates) are also maintained above the water line. Consequently, their contact with the water is minimized, reducing corrosion. Further, plastic components may be welded on top of the pontoon, and the saddle fastened to the welded plastic on the pontoon. The presented devices and methods may be applied not only to pontoons but also to submersible ballast tanks.
In one exemplary embodiment, the subject disclosure is a pontoon assembly for floating a structure above a water line. The pontoon assembly includes a pontoon having a sidewall and a plurality of attachment points along the sidewall, a plurality of internal clamp plates on an inner surface of the sidewall and aligned with the attachment points, a saddle on an outer surface of the sidewall, the saddle being aligned with the attachment points, and a plurality of fasteners to couple the saddle to the plurality of internal clamp plates such that the sidewall is clamped between the internal clamp plates and the saddle. The attachment points are at a location such that the saddle is entirely above the water line when the pontoon is providing support.
In another exemplary embodiment, the subject disclosure is a saddle assembly for coupling a structure to a pontoon having a sidewall. The saddle assembly includes a plurality of internal clamp plates on an inner surface of the sidewall, a saddle on an outer surface of the sidewall and aligned with the plurality of internal clamp plates, and a plurality of fasteners to fasten the saddle to the plurality of internal clamps such that the sidewall is clamped between the plurality of internal clamp plates and the saddle. The plurality of internal clamp plates is located such that the saddle is entirely above a water line when the pontoon is floating a structure.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the subject disclosure is a method for floating a structure above a water line. The method includes placing a plurality of internal clamp plates on an inner surface of a sidewall of a pontoon, placing a saddle on an outer surface of the sidewall, the saddle being aligned with the plurality of internal clamp plates, and fastening the saddle to the plurality of internal clamp plates using a plurality of fasteners such that the sidewall is clamped between the plurality of internal clamp plates and the saddle. The plurality of internal clamp plates is located such that the saddle is entirely above a water line when the pontoon is floating the structure
The subject disclosure presents devices and methods to float a structure over a body of water by using a saddle coupled to a pontoon, whereby the saddle and fastening mechanisms remain above a water line. This ensures that corrodible components are maintained above water while the pontoon is floating the structure. A pontoon is provided having attachment points positioned along one or more sidewalls of the pontoon at a height greater than a water line when the pontoon is under a load. A saddle including a plurality of external clamp plates resides on an outside surface of a sidewall of the pontoon. The external clamp plates align with the attachment points on the pontoon sidewall. One or more internal clamp plates are placed along an inside surface of the pontoon sidewall and in alignment with the attachment points. The external clamp plates are fastened to the internal clamp plates, thereby clamping the sidewall of the pontoon between them. The attachment points are positioned at a height greater than a water line while the pontoon is floating a structure. In this manner, the corrodible components (including the external and internal mounting plates and the fastening mechanism) are also maintained above the water line. Consequently, their contact with the water is minimized, reducing corrosion.
“Pontoon”, as used herein and throughout this disclosure, refers to a flotation device used to assist in maintaining and supporting structures above water. Pontoons consist of one or more sidewalls defining the external surface of the pontoon, and possibly a filler material, such as foam. The sidewalls may be constructed of any material suitable for floating structures such as plastic, HDPE, etc., and may be filled with any fluid or solid with a density that is substantially less than that of water, such as polyurethane foam. A pontoon may support boats/rafts, barriers, drilling equipment, measuring instruments, domiciles, laboratories, and any combinations thereof. Further, a pontoon may be made submersible by varying the density of the filler material. Such a pontoon may also be referred to as a ballast tank.
Any welded components, such as the saddle components, internal clamp plates, etc. may conform to AWS D1.1 structural welding codes. All welds may be 0.25″ continuous welds. Clamp plates and other components may be ASTM A36 or equivalent, with fastening mechanisms such as bolts being ASTM A325 galvanized. With regards to dimensions, provided tolerances for 2 decimal places are +/−0.06″, and for three decimal places are +/−0.010″. Tolerances for angles are +/−one degree. Foam filling may be type 1, closed cell, polystyrene, preformed foam logs, or equivalents thereof. Any plastic parts may be full surface fusion welded.
In this manner, the corrodible components (including the internal mounting plates and the saddle with the external mounting plates) are also maintained above the water line. Consequently, their contact with the water is minimized, reducing corrosion. Further, plastic components may be welded on top of the pontoon, and external clamp plates of a saddle fastened to the welded plastic on the pontoon. The presented devices and methods may be applied not only to pontoons but also to submersible ballast tanks.
The foregoing disclosure of the exemplary embodiments of the present subject disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the subject disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the subject disclosure is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.
Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present subject disclosure, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present subject disclosure as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present subject disclosure should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present subject disclosure.
Claims
1. A pontoon assembly for floating a structure above a water line, the pontoon assembly comprising:
- a pontoon having a sidewall and a plurality of attachment points along the sidewall;
- an internal clamp plate coupled to an inner surface of the sidewall and aligned with one of the attachment points;
- a saddle on an outer surface of the sidewall, the saddle including bolt holes aligned with the plurality of attachment points; and
- a fastener to couple the saddle to the internal clamp plate at the one of the attachment points;
- wherein the attachment points are situated such that the saddle is entirely above a water line when the pontoon is floating a structure.
2. The pontoon assembly in claim 1, wherein the fastener is a bolt inserted through a bolt hole of the saddle, the one attachment point in the sidewall of the pontoon, and the internal clamp plate.
3. The pontoon assembly in claim 2, further comprising a nut to receive the bolt, the nut being coupled to the internal clamp plate on a side of the internal clamp plate opposite the inner surface of the sidewall.
4. The pontoon assembly in claim 1, wherein the saddle includes a plurality of external clamp plates, each external clamp plate including a means for coupling with the internal clamp plate via the attachment points.
5. The pontoon assembly in claim 1, wherein the pontoon is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
6. The pontoon assembly in claim 1, wherein the saddle and the plurality of internal clamp plates are made from steel.
7. The pontoon assembly in claim 1, wherein the plurality of attachment points is located at any point along the sidewall that is higher than three-fifths of a height of the pontoon.
8. The pontoon assembly in claim 1, wherein the sidewall is cylindrical.
9. The pontoon assembly in claim 8, wherein the plurality of attachment points is located at any point along the sidewall that is less than sixty degrees away from the top of the sidewall.
10. A saddle for coupling a structure to a pontoon, the saddle comprising:
- a cross beam coupled to an external clamp plate, the external clamp plate including a bolt hole that is placed adjacent an attachment point on an outer surface of a sidewall of a pontoon; and
- a fastener inserted into the bolt hole of the external clamp plate and mating with a receiving portion of an internal clamp plate situated on an inner surface of the sidewall of the pontoon and aligned with the attachment point such that the sidewall is clamped between the external clamp plate and the internal clamp plate;
- wherein the internal clamp plate is situated such that the saddle is entirely above a water line when the pontoon is floating a structure, the structure being coupled to the saddle.
11. The saddle in claim 10, wherein the fastener is a bolt going through the bolt hole, the sidewall of the pontoon, and the internal clamp plate.
12. The saddle of claim 11, wherein the receiving portion of the internal clamp plate include a nut being coupled to an inside surface of the internal clamp plate.
13. The saddle in claim 11, further comprising a saddle mount that is coupled to a structure to be floated by the pontoon.
14. The saddle in claim 10, wherein the internal clamp plate is aligned with a plurality of attachment points on the sidewall of the pontoon.
15. The saddle in claim 10, wherein the internal clamp plate is located at any point along the inner surface of the sidewall that is higher than three-fifths of a height of the pontoon.
16. The saddle in claim 10, wherein the sidewall is cylindrical.
17. The saddle in claim 16, wherein internal clamp plate is located at any point along the internal surface of the sidewall that is less than sixty degrees away from the top of the sidewall.
18. A method for floating a structure above a water line, the method comprising:
- placing an internal clamp plate on an inner surface of a sidewall of a pontoon;
- placing a saddle on an outer surface of the sidewall, the saddle being aligned with the internal clamp plate; and
- fastening the saddle to the internal clamp plate using a fastener inserted through the saddle and the sidewall and being received by the internal clamp plate such that the sidewall is clamped between the internal clamp plate and the saddle;
- wherein the internal clamp plate is positioned such that the saddle is entirely above a water line when the pontoon is floating the structure.
19. The method in claim 18, further comprising coupling the structure to be floated to the saddle via a saddle mount.
20. The method in claim 19, further comprising bolting an external clamp plate of the saddle to the internal clamp plate, the bolt being inserted through the sidewall at the attachment point.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 4, 2012
Publication Date: Jul 31, 2014
Applicant: FERGUSON ENTERPRISES, INC. (Newport News, VA)
Inventors: Ralph D. Ford (Washougal, WA), Cesar N. Gallardo (Camas, WA), Jeffrey Brian Terai (Kamuela, HI), Mark S. Vorobik (Bow, WA)
Application Number: 14/342,328
International Classification: B63B 35/34 (20060101);