Floating barrier units

• US 20050191129A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trinity Highway Products LLC (Trinity Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trinity Highway Products LLC (Trinity Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yodock, Leo J. Jr., Yodock, Leo J. III, Yodock, Guy C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,351,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/63
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 9/00 Other offensive or defensive arrangements on vessels against submarines, torpedoes, or mines
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 9/02 Means for protecting vessels against torpedo attack armoured hulls B63B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 9/04 Nets or the like net barriers for harbour defence F41H11/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/08 Devices for reducing the polluted area with or without additional devices for removing the material
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 15/0885 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/20 Equipment for shipping on coasts, in harbours or on other fixed marine structures, e.g. bollards tying-up, anchoring B63B21/00, e.g. bollards for shipping B63B21/06; buoys B63B22/00 ; equipment specially adapted for use in locks or dry docks E02C1/10
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/05 Net barriers for harbour defence arrangement of mines F42B22/24; protective nets used with ships B63G9/04

Abstract

A number of individual barrier units form a floating barrier wall each comprising a housing formed in the general shape of a highway barrier having a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed end walls, and, opposed side walls interconnected to form a hollow interior which is preferably partially or completely filled with a foam material. A ballast weight is secured to each barrier unit, either inside or outside of the hollow interior, to maintain them in an upright position in the water. Cables, couplers and/or other connectors are employed to mount adjacent barrier units end-to-end to form a barrier wall which can encircle a vessel or otherwise isolate an area within a seaport or other body of water to provide security.

Claims

1. A floating barrier unit, comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior, said housing being formed with opposed end walls and at least one opening;

a reinforcing member extending through said hollow interior of said housing between said opposed end walls;

a mounting post having an outer portion and an inner portion, said inner portion of said mounting post being inserted through said opening in said housing into engagement with said reinforcing member, said outer portion of said mounting post being adapted to mount at least one accessory item; and

a ballast weight connected to said housing, said ballast weight being effective to maintain said outer portion of said mounting post out of the water when said housing is placed in the water.

2. The floating barrier unit of claim 1 in which said housing is formed in the shape of a highway barrier having a top wall, a bottom wall and opposed side walls interconnected with said opposed end walls to form said hollow interior.

3. The floating barrier unit of claim 1 in which said hollow interior is at least partially filled with a foam material.

4. The floating barrier unit of claim 3 in which said foam material encases said reinforcing member and said at least one mounting post.

5. The floating barrier unit of claim 1 in which said ballast weight is located within said hollow interior of said housing.

6. The floating barrier unit of claim 1 in which said ballast weight is located outside of said hollow interior of said housing.

7. A floating barrier unit, comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior, said housing being formed with opposed end walls and at least one opening;

a reinforcing member extending through said hollow interior of said housing between said opposed end walls;

a mounting post having an outer portion and an inner portion, said inner portion of said mounting post being inserted through said opening in said housing into engagement with said reinforcing member, said outer portion of said mounting post being adapted to mount at least one accessory item;

a ballast weight connected to said housing, said ballast weight being effective to maintain said outer portion of said mounting post out of the water when said housing is placed in the water; and

a connector secured at a first end to said mounting post and at a second end to said ballast weight.

8. The floating barrier unit of claim 7 in which said connector is an all-thread rod, said lower portion of said mounting post having a lowermost end which mounts a nut, said first end of said all-thread rod being received within said nut of said mounting post.

9. The floating barrier unit of claim 8 in which said ballast weight is located externally of said hollow interior of said housing, said second end of said all-thread rod extending exteriorly of said housing and through said ballast weight where it is connected to said ballast weight.

10. The floating barrier unit of claim 9 in which said ballast weight is a slab of concrete.

11. The floating barrier unit of claim 8 in which a nut is secured to said reinforcing member, said all-thread rod being received by said nut to connect said all-thread rod to said reinforcing member.

12. The floating barrier unit of claim 7 in which said ballast weight is a layer of concrete located within said hollow interior of said housing, said second end of said connector being embedded within said layer of concrete.

13. The floating barrier unit of claim 7 in which said hollow interior is at least partially filled with a foam material.

14. The floating barrier unit of claim 13 in which said foam material encases said reinforcing member and said at least one mounting post.

15. A floating barrier wall, comprising:

a number of individual floating barrier units arranged end-to-end, each of said barrier units including;

(i) a housing having a hollow interior, said housing being formed with opposed end walls and at least one opening;

(ii) a reinforcing member extending through said hollow interior of said housing between said opposed end walls;

(iii) a mounting post having an outer portion and an inner portion, said inner portion of said mounting post being inserted through said opening in said housing into engagement with said reinforcing member, said outer portion of said mounting post being adapted to mount at least one accessory item; and

(iv) a ballast weight connected to said housing, said ballast weight being effective to maintain said outer portion of said mounting post out of the water when said housing is placed in the water;

a coupling device extending between said reinforcing members of adjacent barrier units which connects said floating barrier units end-to-end.

16. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 in which said coupling device includes a first shackle connected to one end of said reinforcing member of one floating barrier device, a second shackle connected to one end of said reinforcing member of an adjacent floating barrier device, and, a third shackle connected between said first and second shackles.

17. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 in which said coupling device includes a first bolt connected to one end of said reinforcing member of one floating barrier device, a second bolt connected to one end of said reinforcing member of an adjacent floating barrier device, each of said first and second bolts having a first end and a second end, a first bar connected between a first end of each of said first and second bolts and a second bar connected between said second end of each of said first and second bolts.

18. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 in which said coupling device is an element chosen from the group consisting of rope, cable and chain, said element having one end connected to said reinforcing member of one barrier unit and an opposite end connected to said reinforcing member of an adjacent barrier unit.

19. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 in which said housing of each of said floating barrier units is formed in the shape of a highway barrier having a top wall, a bottom wall and opposed side walls interconnected with said opposed end walls to form said hollow interior.

20. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 in which said hollow interior of each of said floating barrier units is at least partially filled with a foam material.

21. The floating barrier wall of claim 20 in which said foam material encases said reinforcing member and said at least one mounting post of each of said floating barrier units.

22. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 in which said ballast weight of each of said floating barrier units is located within said hollow interior of said housing thereof.

23. The floating barrier wall of claim 15 further including a connector secured at a first end to said mounting post and at a second end to said ballast weight of each of said floating barrier units.

24. The floating barrier wall of claim 23 in which said connector is an all-thread rod, said inner portion of said mounting post having a lowermost end which mounts a nut, said first end of said all-thread rod being received within said nut of said mounting post.

25. The floating barrier wall of claim 24 in which said ballast weight is located externally of said hollow interior of said housing of each of said floating barrier units, said second end of said all-thread rod extending exteriorly of said housing and through said ballast weight where it is connected to said ballast weight.

26. The floating barrier wall of claim 25 in which said ballast weight is a slab of concrete.

27. The floating barrier wall of claim 24 in which a nut is secured to said reinforcing member, said all-thread rod being received by said third nut to interconnect said all-thread rod with said reinforcing member.

28. The floating barrier wall of claim 23 in which said ballast weight is a layer of concrete located within said hollow interior of said housing of each of said floating barrier units, said second end of said connector being embedded within said layer of concrete.

29. A floating barrier unit, comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior;

a ballast weight including a porous ballast medium located within said hollow interior, said ballast weight having a substantially water impervious surface which defines a cavity within said hollow interior;

said housing being formed with at least one opening which, when said housing is placed in water, permits water to enter said hollow interior and impregnate said porous ballast medium, said water impervious surface being effective to prevent water from entering said cavity, said ballast weight impregnated with water being effective to maintain said housing in a predetermined orientation in the water.

30. The floating barrier unit of claim 29 in which said housing is formed in the shape of a highway barrier having a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls interconnected to form said hollow interior.

31. The floating barrier unit of claim 30 in which said cavity is formed in the area of said hollow interior between said top wall and said water impervious surface of said ballast weight.

32. The floating barrier unit of claim 29 further including a second ballast weight connected to said housing.

33. The floating barrier unit of claim 32 in which said second ballast weight is a layer of concrete located within said hollow interior, said ballast weight including a porous ballast medium being positioned between said cavity and said second ballast weight.

34. The floating barrier unit of claim 32 in which said second ballast weight is connected to said housing outside of said hollow interior.

35. The floating barrier unit of claim 29 in which said housing has opposed ends, said floating barrier unit further including a coupling device located at each of said opposed ends of said housing.

36. A floating barrier unit, comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior;

a layer of foam material located within said hollow interior which defines a cavity therein;

said housing being formed with at least one opening which, when said housing is placed in water, permits said cavity to be filled with water thus forming a ballast weight, said ballast weight being effective to maintain said housing in a predetermined orientation in the water.

37. The floating barrier unit of claim 36 in which said housing is formed in the shape of a highway barrier having a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls interconnected to form said hollow interior.

38. The floating barrier unit of claim 37 in which said layer of foam material extends from said top wall toward said bottom wall, said cavity being formed between said layer of foam material and said bottom wall.

39. The floating barrier unit of claim 36 further including a second ballast weight located within said hollow interior of said housing, said cavity being positioned between said layer of foam material and said second ballast weight.

40. The floating barrier unit of claim 39 in which said second ballast weight is a layer of concrete.

41. The floating barrier unit of claim 36 further including a second ballast weight connected to said housing exteriorly of said hollow interior.

42. The floating barrier unit, comprising:

a housing having a top wall, bottom wall, opposed end walls and opposed side walls connected to form a closed, hollow interior;

a tray having opposed side walls, opposed end walls and a bottom wall connected to form an open interior, said bottom wall having an outer surface formed in the shape of the hull of a boat; and

said housing being inserted within said open interior of said tray.

43. A floating barrier unit, comprising:

a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls connected to form a hollow interior;

a body of foam material located within said hollow interior;

at least one cable connected to said housing and extending between said opposed end walls;

a ballast weight being effective, when said housing is placed in the water, to maintain said at least one cable out of the water.

44. The floating barrier unit of claim 43 in which said at least one cable is located within said hollow interior and embedded in said body of foam material.

45. The floating barrier unit of claim 43 in which at least one of said side walls is formed with at least one seat located externally of said hollow interior, said at least one cable being mounted in said at least one seat.

46. The floating barrier unit of claim 43 in which said at least one cable has opposed ends each of which protrude from one of said end walls of said housing, said opposed ends each being adapted to connect to a coupling device.

47. A floating barrier unit, comprising:

a body of foam material formed in a shape of a highway barrier including a top wall, a bottom wall, opposed side walls and opposed end walls;

at least one cable connected to said foam body and extending between said opposed end walls; and

a ballast weight connected to said foam body, said ballast weight being effective, when said foam body is placed in the water, to maintain said at least one cable out of the water.

48. The floating barrier unit of claim 47 in which said at least one cable is embedded within said foam body.

49. The floating barrier unit of claim 47 in which said foam body is formed with at least one seat extending along at least one of said side walls, said at least one cable being mounted within said at least one seat.

50. The floating barrier unit of claim 47 in which said at least one cable has opposed ends each of which protrude from one of said end walls of said foam body, said opposed ends each being adapted to connect to a coupling device.