Floating platform

Abstract

 The invention relates to floating equipment designed for specific purposes, namely, to pontoons, floating docks, rafts and other floating structures.
The invention is aimed at in extending the operational capabilities through increasing the full load weight and bearing capacity through increasing the operating volume yet preserving overall dimensions of the platform, as well as through excluding unauthorized platform disassembling and making its top surface even without extra elements due to the concealed fastening elements provided, in increasing reliability due to improving the floating elements horizontal fixing and transferring the vertical loads from the vertical cavities supported surfaces to the vertical projections supporting surfaces with no eyes having stress concentrators used in the structure, as well as in simplifying the whole structure through standard profile fastening elements being used.
The floating platform comprising at least two floating elements linked by means of at least one fastening element, each floating element consisting of two lateral faces with at least one vertical projection, and two lateral faces with at least one vertical cavity on each corresponding to the vertical projection; of a top face and a bottom face forming together a hollow body, wherein each vertical projection is configured with a constricted portion, extending to an expanded to the periphery portion of the corresponding lateral face thus forming a supporting surface, and each vertical cavity is configured with a constricted portion, extending to an expanded to the center potion of the corresponding floating element in the portion of the corresponding lateral face thus forming a supported surface, wherein one of each floating element lateral faces comprising a vertical projection is is provided with the flanges supporting each fastening element and placed on both sides of said vertical projection, the flanges being portions of the corresponding fastening elements mating parts, and the second of each floating element lateral faces comprising a vertical projection is provided with at least a projection surrounding the corresponding fastening element from above and placed on one sides of said vertical projection and with at least a projection supporting the corresponding fastening element and placed on the other sides of said vertical projection, the projections being portions of the corresponding fastening elements mating parts.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to floating equipment designed for specific purposes, namely, to pontoons, floating docks, rafts and other floating structures.

[0002] The closest in technical essence to the invention proposed is a floating platform chosen as a prototype, comprising at least two floating elements linked by means of at least one fastening element, each of two floating element consisting of two lateral faces with at least one vertical projection and of two lateral faces with at least one vertical cavity corresponding to the vertical projection provided on each of the lateral faces; of top and bottom faces forming together a hollow body.

(Russian Federation patent Nº 2322549, dated on 30.09.2005).

[0003] The prototype disadvantages are the unreliability of the design caused by the increased stress effecting the eyes having stress concentrators, in the course of the vertical loads and the platform floating elements imbalances through their unreliable fixation because of the emerging forces leading to the wavelike or angular projections mutual displacement relative to the wavelike or angular cavities in the course of their interaction, while the fastening elements being placed in sight does not exclude possibility of unauthorized platform disassembling and making its top surface uneven, and also causes the necessity of their producing in special shape, wherein the presence of the eyes won't allow for using a larger operating volume yet preserving overall dimensions of the platform, that reduces full load weight and bearing capacity of the latter.

[0004] The technical result of the invention as provided consists in extending the operational capabilities through increasing the full load weight and bearing capacity through increasing the operating volume yet preserving overall dimensions of the platform, as well as through excluding unauthorized platform disassembling and making its top surface even without extra elements due to the concealed fastening elements provided, in increasing reliability due to improving the floating elements horizontal fixing and transferring the vertical loads from the vertical cavities supported surfaces to the vertical projections supporting surfaces with no eyes having stress concentrators used in the structure, as well as in simplifying the whole structure through standard profile fastening elements being used.

[0005] The technical result as stated is achieved with a floating platform comprising at least two floating elements linked by means of at least one fastening element, each floating element consisting of two lateral faces with at least one vertical projection, and two lateral faces with at least one vertical cavity on each corresponding to the vertical projection; of a top face and a bottom face forming together a hollow body, wherein each vertical projection is configured with a constricted portion, extending to an expanded to the periphery portion of the corresponding lateral face thus forming a supporting surface, and each vertical cavity is configured with a constricted portion, extending to an expanded to the center potion of the corresponding floating element in the portion of the corresponding lateral face thus forming a supported surface, wherein one of each floating element lateral faces comprising a vertical projection is provided with the flanges supporting each fastening element and placed on both sides of said vertical projection, the flanges being portions of the corresponding fastening elements mating parts, and the second of each floating element lateral faces comprising a vertical projection is provided with at least a projection surrounding the corresponding fastening element from above and placed on one side of said vertical projection and with at least a projection supporting the corresponding fastening element and placed on the other side of said vertical projection, the projections being portions of the corresponding fastening elements mating parts. Besides, the third lateral face of each floating element comprises a vertical cavity, wherein the lateral face may comprise at least some abutments for corresponding fastening element provided on both sides of said vertical cavity, wherein each vertical projection and each vertical cavity may have a dovetail cross section with rounded corners.

Fig. 1 shows an isometric general view of a floating platform consisting of two floating elements,

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the three floating elements being linked with a fastening element,

Fig. 3 is an isometric general view of a floating platform consisting of four floating elements,

Fig. 4 is an isometric rear view of a separate floating element,

Fig. 5 is a plan view cross-section of a separate floating element.

[0006] A floating platform comprises at least two floating elements 2 linked by means of at least one fastening element 1, performed, for example, as a pipe (rf. Fig. 1 and 2) or a cylindrical pin, each floating element 2 consisting of two lateral faces 3 and 4 with at least one vertical projection 5 on each and two lateral faces 6 and 7 with at least one vertical cavity 8 on each corresponding to the vertical projection 5, of top and bottom faces 9 and 10 forming together a hollow body 11. Each vertical projection 5 is configured with a constricted portion 12 extending to an expanded to the periphery portion 13 of the corresponding lateral face 3 (4) thus forming a supporting surface 14, and each vertical cavity 8 is configured with a constricted portion 15, extending to the expanded to the center potion 16 of the corresponding floating element 2 in the portion of the corresponding lateral face 6 (7), thus forming a supported surface 17, wherein one of each floating element 2 lateral faces 3 comprising the vertical projection 5 is provided with flanges 18 and 19 supporting each fastening element 1 and placed on both sides of said vertical projection 5, the flanges being portions of corresponding fastening elements mating parts, and the other of each floating element 2 lateral faces 4, comprising a vertical projection 5 is provided with at least a projection 20 surrounding the corresponding fastening element 1 from at least above and placed on one side of said vertical projection 5 and with at least a projection 21 supporting the corresponding fastening element 1 and placed on the other side of said vertical projection 5, the projections being portions of corresponding fastening elements mating parts. Each floating element 2 third lateral face 6 comprising a vertical cavity 8, may comprise at least some abutments 22 and 23 (limit stops) for the corresponding fastening element 1, provided on both sides of said vertical cavity 8, wherein each vertical projection 5 and each vertical cavity 8 may have a dovetail cross section 24 with rounded angles 25.
Furthermore, each of the third and the second lateral faces 6 and 7 provided with a vertical cavity 8 may have additional cavities 26 formed on both sides thereof. Whereby, the height h1 of the portions of lateral faces 3 and 4 from the top face 9 to the vertical projections 5 supporting surfaces 14 may be made equal to the height h2 of the portions of the lateral faces 6 and 7 from the top face 9 to the vertical cavities 8 supported surfaces 17, thus ensuring uniform vertical loads bearing over the top faces 9 of the floating elements 2. In each floating element 2 performed in the hollow body 11 through extrusion blow molding it is provided an access hole locked with a plug 27.
The floating platform operates as follows:

The floating platform is assembled into an integrated construction, for example of two floating elements 2, (rf. Fig. 1) through linking the lateral face 6 vertical cavity 8 with the lateral face 3 vertical projection 5 of the adjacent floating element 2 and subsequent horizontal fixing the floating elements to each other through a dovetail connection 24. Whereby, after the floating elements 2 being linked, the supported surface 17 of the vertical cavity 8 rests (with vertical load bearing capability larger than that one of the prototype) upon the supporting surface 14 of the adjacent floating element 2 vertical projection 5, thus securing the floating elements 2 from mutual vertical displacement much more reliably, than for example the eyes of the prototype. Extra vertical fixation of the two floating elements 2 is provided with a fastening element 1 inserted up to the abutment 22 into the mating part, formed with one of the supporting flanges 18, by means of a surrounding projection 20 and a supporting projection 21. If the floating platform is to be assembled into an integrate construction of three or more floating elements 2 (rf. Fig. 2, 3), first, the vertical cavity 8 of the consequent floating element 2 lateral face 7 links (surrounds) the vertical projection 5 of the consequent floating element 2 lateral face 4, and then the floating elements 2 are horizontally fastened to each other through a dovetail connection 24. The three floating elements 2 are further vertically fixed through inserting the fastening element 1 up to the abutment 22 into the corresponding fastening element mating part formed by the second supporting flange 19, the first supporting flange 18, the surrounding projection 20 and the supporting projection 21 (rf. Fig. 2). The fourth floating element 2 is inserted with its lateral faces 6 and 7 vertical cavities 8 and surrounds corresponding vertical projections 5 of the lateral faces 3 and 4, securing the fastening element 1 from displacement (rf. Fig. 3) by means of the abutment 23.

The technical solution allows for increased full load weight and bearing capacity through increasing the operating volume yet preserving overall dimensions of the floating platform, excluding unauthorized platform disassembling, making its top surface even without extra elements due to the concealed fastening elements 1 provided, and also for improving the floating elements 2 horizontal fixing 2 due to the type of connection like dovetail 24 and transferring the vertical loads from the vertical cavities 8 supported surfaces 17 to the vertical projections 5 supporting surfaces 14 with no eyes needed in the construction, as well as for simplifying the whole structure through standard profile fastening elements 1 being used.

Claims

1. A floating platform comprising at least two floating elements linked by means of at least one fastening element, each floating element consisting of two lateral faces with at least one vertical projection on each and two lateral faces with at least one vertical cavity on each, corresponding to the vertical projection; of top and bottom faces forming together a hollow body, wherein each vertical projection is configured with a constricted portion, extending to an expanded to the periphery portion of the corresponding lateral face thus forming a supporting surface, and each vertical cavity is configured with a constricted portion, extending to an expanded to the center potion of the corresponding floating element in the portion of the corresponding lateral face thus forming a supported surface, wherein one of each floating element lateral faces comprising a vertical projection is provided with flanges supporting each fastening element and placed on both sides of said vertical projection, the flanges being portions of corresponding fastening elements mating parts, and the second of each floating element lateral faces comprising a vertical projection is provided with at least a projection surrounding the corresponding fastening element from above and placed on one side of said vertical projection and with at least a projection supporting the corresponding fastening element and placed on the other side of said vertical projection, the projections being portions of the corresponding fastening element mating parts.

2. The floating platform of claim 1, characterized in that each floating element third lateral face comprising a vertical cavity is provided on both sides of said vertical cavity with at least abutments for the corresponding fastening element.

3. The floating platform of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each vertical projection and each vertical cavity have a dovetail cross section with rounded corners.

Drawing