US3398540A - Multilevel boat harbor - Google Patents

Description

Aug 27, 1968 R. L. TOBEN 3,3985540 MULT ILEVEL BOAT HARBOR Filed NOV. 17, 1966 INVENTOR ROBERT L.. TOBEN BY MKZ/L ATTO RNEY United States Patent O 3,398,540 MULTILEVEL BOAT HARBOR Robert L. Toben, 226 E. Ontario, Chicago, lll. 60611 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 543,163, Apr. 18, 1966. This application Nov. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 595,230

2 Claims. (Cl. 61-46) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Multilevel boat harbor comprising one or more raised water-filled boat storing levels. A vertical transportation tower is hydraulically connected with each level. A boat enters the tower and is vertically transported between levels by varying the height of the water in the tower. The water height variation is accomplished without using any special pump for the transportation tower.

T he present invention relates to an improved structure for the storage of boats and more particularly to multilevel boat harbor. This is a continuation-in-part from my previously led and now pending U.S. patent application entitled, Multilevel Boat Harbor, Ser. No. 543,163, filed Apr. 18, 1966.

As explained in my copending application, it is a known fact that one of the most serious drawbacks to boating has to do with the unavailability of proper docking or harbor facilities. Many attempts have been made to larrive at a solution to this dilemma. One of the most common expedients used in attempting to solve the problem has to do with providing multilevel storage means wherein the. boats are stored at diiferent levels in drydock. Such systems are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,080,073 :and 3,082,887. In both of these patents, the storage means for the boats necessitate initial removal of the boats from the water mechanically raising the boats to 1an upper level and finally either suspending each boat on some sort of a hanger, or, removing each boat from the mechanical means for raising the boat and thereafter storing the boats in drydock. Thereafter, the same operations in reverse must be undertaken to return the boats to the water if it is desired to use the boats. This, of course, involves several steps and therefore expeditious and convenient storage or removal of the boats is precluded.

The invention in my copending application obviated eXtra operations in storing a boat and thereafter readying the boat for use by providing a multilevel boat harbor having water therein at all of its levels. Still further, the boat harbor has a water filled elevator cab which initially receives the Vboats at the lower level of the boat harbor and raises the boats while retaining the boats buoyed therein with water. After the boats were raised to an upper level in the boat harbor, the elevator cab is opened and water from the upper level communicates with the elevator cab whereupon the boat can be moved to a preselected location by flotation rather than by mechanical handling of the boat. Thus with my new and improved structure I obviated the necessity of mechanically handling the boat several times to store and ready the same for operation in addition to obviating the problems with regard to the lack of harbor space.

In my copending application, I taught a boat harbor that included the raising and lowering of a boat in the harbor by means of liquid thereby obviating the necessity of using an elevator cab.

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In this application I have devised a new and improved system for raising and lowering the liquid by means of utilizing water from the various levels of the boat harbor to raise the boats. This system utilizing the principle that water seeks its own level enables the boats to be raised to a desired level without the aid of `additional pumps.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved multilevel boat harbor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a harboring facility with an increased capacity for a limited harbor area wherein the boats can be docked in the harbor without necessitating their removal from the water.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved harboring facility that has increased area for docking boats wherein entrance and egress to the docking facilities is accomplished expeditiously and conveniently without necessitating removal ofthe vessels from the water.

Other and further objects of this invention will become readily apparent from reading the description and claims in connection with the figures in the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical view of a preferred embodiment of my new and improved multilevel harboring facility in the initial position of receiving a boat; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view similiar to FIG. 1 wherein a boat has been raised from its initial position to one of the upper or raised levels of the harbor.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout, my multilevel boat harbor is generally designated by the character reference 10, as illustrated in FIG. l. In the particular embodiment the boat harbor is illustrated with a rst upper level 10a and a second upper level 10b. The harbor is preferably supported by cement columns i2 which extend upward vertically and are anchored in the bed 14 of the harbor. It should, of course, be realized that I contemplate the use of any number of upper levels in my invention, and although I merely show two levels, the scope of my invention is intended to include any number of levels. Moreover, I contemplate combining my multilevel boat harbor with other structures. For instance, my multilevel boat harbor could `be disposed in the bottom of a building, or it could have a sundeck on the top thereof. Also, the different levels of the harbor can be used for different purposes for seasonal changes such as, for instance, in the winter the levels could be used for ice skating or dry dock and repairs. Still further, the columns 12 of my boat harbor can be of different shapes to accommodate various mechanisms therein, in addition to supporting the diierent levels of the boat harbor.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 it is seen that the different upper levels 10a, 10b ofthe boat harbor are formed respectively with vertical Walls 16, 17. The vertical walls 16, 17 extend around the periphery of their respective levels of the boat harbor for the purpose of `containing water therein. Also the respective levels are provided with means for maintaining the water level thereof at a predetermined level. The float type level controls 18 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as being attached to the walls 16, 17 in order that they can be positioned to contact the water in said upper levels. Valve mechanisms 13 and 14 and a pump 15 can be operatively associated with the oat type level controls to selectively pump or drain water to and from the upr levels when this is desired by means of the conduit 15a.

As `is seen in FIGS. l and 2, `a hollow shaft 19 is preferably anchored in theV bed of the harbor at the bottom 19a thereof and extends vertically upward through each of the upper levels of the boat harbor. As in the oase of the columns and different levels of the boat harbor, the hollow shaft 19 can 'be constructed of cement. However, other well known materials are contemplated for use in the structure. Also, the shaft 19 can :be constructed any number of ways, In the drawings the shaft 19 is illustrated as having a substantially continuous vertical wall 20 which defines the outside of the shaft and forms an enclosure for water so that it can be raised and lowered therein. It will be noted that the vertical wall 20 has openings at each water level for the purpose of allowing vessels t'o enter and leave the shaft. At the regular boat harbor water level which is indicated by the character reference 24, the shaft has an opening 26 formed therein with doors 26a associated therewith which enables the vessels and water to flow therethrough. The ydoors 26a can be constructed in the same fashion las in my previous application except that they completely seal the opening 26 when closed.

As seen throughout, the hollow shaft 19 which I have illustrated in these drawings, is filled with water and the water contained therein can have its level maintained by either being drained through the bottom 30 by a valve shown diagrammatically as 19b or by means of having additional water fed thereto Iby the different vwater levels through the conduits 25 `and 27. With this type of system it can be seen that when it is desired to raise the water level in the shaft -to the water llevel in one of the upper levels of the harbor it is merely necessary to open one of the valves 25a or 27a and the water drained therefrom will seek the same level in the shaft as in t-he level it is drained from. When it is desired to drain the water from the hollow shaft 19 this can 'be done by opening the drain valve 19b in the shaft 19. When the drain valve 19b is opened the water in the shaft drains until it is at the same level as the water level 24 of the harbor. At the upper levels of the harbor the vertical wall 20 has the openings 50 and 52. The openings 50 and 52 also have doors 50a and 52a respectively which are similar to the doors 26a so that they can be opened or closed in a water sealed relationship. In addition the upper levels of the water harbor have the conduits 25 and 26 communicating with the Water of the levels so that the valves 25a and 26a associated therewith can be used to selectively drain water therefrom.

Thus in operation, my multilevel -boat harbor initially receives a boat by having the doors 26a Opened 'and by allowing the boat to be propelled 4through the opening 26 and into the Water in the elevator shaft 19. Thereafter, the doors 26a are closed and the boat can -be raised to one of the levels of the harbor by merely opening one of the valves 25a or 27a. In FIG. 2, the boat is illustrated as being raised to the upper level 10a. As the boat is being raised, the water level in the shaft is being raised by draining the water fro mthis respective level and when the water level in the shaft 19 reaches the level 10a of the harbor the Idoor means 50a which are aligned with the openings 50 of the boat harbor can |be opened. Thereafter the boat can be propelled onto the level a and the door means 50a can be closed. Thereafter when it is desired to lower the boat, the door means 50a merely need to be opened and the water inthe shaft can be drained via the valve19b until the water in the shaft is at the same level as the water level 24 of the 'boat harbor. Thereafter the door 26a can be opened and the boat can be propelled into the main body of water.

As an alternative, I have purovided la system shown in phantom in PIG. 2 that recirculates liquid drained from the hollow shaft 20. This system could be used in lieu of the opening and valve 19b associated with the hollow shaft,19. The system comprises a drain valve 31 and conduit 32 assembled in communication with the pump 15 and conduit a via another valve 33. With such a systemI liq- Auid drained from the hollow shaft 19 can be recirculated to the various levels 10a or 10b instead of being drained into the main |body of water in the harbor. ln operation the liquid can be drained Ithrough the valve 31 conduit 32 and to the upper levels through `the valve 33. When it is-desired to draw liquid from the main body of liquid in the harbor the valve 33 can be closed so that it doesnt drain any liquid from the tower 19 but yet it can be opened to allow liquid torbe pumped up to the upper levels 10a or 10b through the spigot 11. Also liquid can be drained through the spigot 11 by means of adjusting the valve 33 so that liquid does not ow through the cond uit 15a. Since three way valves are well known the valve 33 is shown schematically without detail. This alternate system is particularly advantageous in situations where my multilevel harbor is employed in salt water. By initially stocking the harbor and its multilevels with fresh water, the multilevel harbor can store boats in fresh water and can retain the fresh water by means of recirculation.

It will thus be seen from an explanation of the operation of my invention that I have 'fulfilled the objects of my invention in a remarkably unexpected fashion. By providing a multilevel harbor having water therein at different levels, I am able to solve the long existing problem of -providing additional harbor facilities within a limited harbor area Without mechanically removing a boat from water and thereafter storing the 'boat in drydock. Also, by using the system of draining water from the various upper levels I have here disclosed, I have eliminated the need for an elevator cab and extra pumps. Thus the prior methods and structures used in lattempting to solve the problems herein solved by my invention, have been remarkably improved upon because of the increased convenience and eiciency handling the vessels in addition to increased storage space for the vessels.

Although I have shown specifically an embodiment of my device, I am fully cognizant of the fact that many changes in the shape and contour may be mad-e without affecting the inventions operativeness, and I reserve the right to make such changes as I may deem convenient without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a multilevel 'boat harbor `for conveniently and A expeditiously storing boats in a limited harbor area, said multilevel Iboat harbor comprising a regular harbor at normal water level and a raised harbor having at least one raised level that is formed to contain water therein, supporting means for supporting said raised harbor above said normal water level in said regular harbor, elevating means for raising a Iboat from said normal water level to the level of the water in said raised harbor whereby the Iboat can be removed from said elevating means and stored 'by floating the boat to locations in the raised harbor, said elevating means including a hollow shaft extending vertically `upward from the regular harbor to said raised harbor, said hollow shaft having an entrance and exit openings for `boats at the normal water level of the regular harbor and at the water level of the water in said raised harbor, door means operatively associated with each of said openings in said shaft to selectively open and close said openings, valve means associated with said shaft Iand said raised harbor to selectively drain water from said raised harbor into said hollow shaft to enable a `boat to be raised from said regular harbor to be stored in said raised harbor by opening said door at the normal water level admitting `a boat, thereafter closing said opened door, draining water from said raised harbor into said hollow shaft to raise said boat to said raised harbor whereupon the door at the level of the water in said raised harbor can be opened to allow said boat to be oatingly withdrawn from said shaft and -be stored in one of said upper levels, recirculation means vassociated with said shaft and raised harbor to cause water in said shaft to be restored to said raised harbor when it is desired to lower a boat to the Water level of said regular harbor, References Cited and means insaidjaised harbor for mainteining the UNITED STATES PATENTS water heighth 1n sald at least one of sald raised levels Within a predetermined Iange- 1,680,/22 8/1928 Bennett et al. 61-21 2. In va. multilevel boat harbor -as defined in claim 1 5 18721556 8/1932 Ban' 61-21 wherein said means -for maintaining the Water levels there- 19891142 8/1937 Wlters 61-21 of include a float control associated with cach of said 3L871921 11/1966 Wllson et al' 61-63 raised levels and a pump means having a conduit com- FOREIGN PATENTS municating with the Water in the regular harbor that is 88,100 4/1922 Austria associated therewith to supply water to said at least one 10 of said raised levels. JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner.

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