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Patent Number: |
7942105 |
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Case ID: |
0 |
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Patent Title:
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Foot operated scupper plug
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Status: |
ACTIVE |
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Status Date: |
11/30/2011 11:07:55 AM |
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Issue Date:
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5/17/2011 |
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Filed Date:
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10/1/2008 |
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Serial #:
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2/243,548 |
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Assignee Name:
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The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
(Washington,
DC)
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Inventor(s):
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Dolton, John A |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Large ships, such as military fleet oilers, often have vertical coamings or bulwarks extending upward from the intersection of the deck and the hull of the ship, which in some cases extend upward from the deck to waist-height of a person
standing on the deck. Such coamings and bulwarks typically include a plurality of openings, known as deck drains or "scuppers" at deck level, to permit controlled drainage overboard of water landing on the deck from waves while the ship is at sea, or
from rainfall while the ship is at sea or in port. Such scuppers may take a variety of shapes including rectangular, round, half-round or ovoid, as is known in the art.
To protect the marine environment from pollution, it is sometimes necessary to temporarily seal the scuppers in a manner which prevents oily deck water from draining overboard. For example, in some ports, oil tankers tied next to a pier are
required to retain all rainwater falling on the deck . . . . More |
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A scupper plug apparatus is foot-operable, by a person standing next to
the scupper, to apply substantially more force for sealing the scupper
than is typically achievable through application of force by the hand or
arm of a person installing a scupper plug. A resilient body of the
scupper plug formed from highly conformable closed-cell foam to closely
match the shape of the scupper. A rolling member is used as a cam
follower in an actuation arrangement for compressing the resilient body.
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What is claimed is:
1. A foot-operable scupper plug (FOSP), for blocking a scupper opening of a ship, wherein the scupper has a scupper wall defining a scupper shape, the FOSP comprising: a
resilient body having a periphery thereof substantially matching the scupper shape and adapted for insertion in to the scupper opening in a relaxed state of the resilient body; and a foot-operable actuating arrangement operatively mounted on and
connected to the resilient body for compressing the resilient body in a manner urging at least a portion of the outer periphery of the resilient body to expand outward in an expanded state, and into operative engagement with the scupper wall when the
resilient body is disposed within the scupper opening with the resilient body in the expanded state, wherein, the foot-operable actuating arrangement comprises a foot-operable lever having proximal and distal ends thereof, the proximal end being mounted
to the resilient body and the distal end being co . . . . More |
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