The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 21, 1997
Philip C Whitener, Bainbridge Island, WA (US);
Other;
Abstract
The subject system includes a ramp subsystem and a mooring subsystem and is intended for use with single and multi deck ferry boats with ramp service directly to each deck. The ramp subsystem is carried on a float which is connected to the shore by a ramp hinged to the shore and to the float. A second ramp is hinged on the float and is adjustable to serve each deck of a multi deck boat in sequence. In an alternate embodiment, there are as many decks on the float as there are decks on the boats and no adjustment is needed. The mooring subsystem involves mechanism which connects an end of the boat to the float and allows lateral translation of the boat relative to the float, enabling the boat to be moored at one location on the float for unloading and to be moved to a second location for loading. This allows for one boat to be loading while a second is unloading simultaneously. There is a mooring mechanism at each side of the end of the boat and each mechanism includes at least one roller at a fixed center which engages one face of the rail and at least one roller controllable to engage and disengage the opposite face of the rail.