U.S. patent application number 11/983267 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for artificial reef anchor structure.
Invention is credited to Stewart Hardison.
Application Number | 20080112759 11/983267 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39369352 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080112759 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hardison; Stewart |
May 15, 2008 |
Artificial reef anchor structure
Abstract
A container for underwater placement on a sea, lake or river
bottom. The container has openings in the sides, top and bottom and
is filled with ballast of large boulders, cobble, crushed coral,
cast concrete modules or other materials. The openings allow water
and water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely
therethrough. Over time, a wide assortment of marine organisms
infiltrate and colonize the nooks, crevices and cavities of the
ballast, thus utilizing the habitat as they would an artificial
reef. One or more hitch points are provided on the container for
attaching mooring lines for ships, boats, floating wind turbines or
other floating structures, thereby allowing the artificial reef to
anchor such structures.
Inventors: |
Hardison; Stewart; (Oneonta,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Stewart Hardison
37 Elm St.
Oneonta
NY
13820
US
|
Family ID: |
39369352 |
Appl. No.: |
11/983267 |
Filed: |
November 8, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60858188 |
Nov 10, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
405/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02B 3/046 20130101;
E02B 3/24 20130101; B63B 21/29 20130101; Y02B 10/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
405/25 |
International
Class: |
E02B 3/04 20060101
E02B003/04 |
Claims
1. An artificial reef anchor structure for securing mooring lines
to floating structures while simultaneously providing habitat for
underwater organisms, comprising: containment means having
apertures therein, for retaining ballast and to allow marine
organisms to infiltrate said ballast through said apertures and at
least one hitch point attached to said containment means for
connecting mooring lines to said containment means; and ballast to
anchor said containment means while simultaneously creating habitat
to attract marine organisms.
2. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 1,
wherein said containment means comprises a porous, retentive,
mooring-capable container.
3. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 1,
wherein said apertures are variable in size, shape and placement
pattern in the sides, top and bottom of said containment means.
4. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 1,
wherein said ballast comprises a ballast material that is more
dense than water, variable in material composition, variable in
size and shape, and attractive to marine life.
5. An artificial reef anchor structure for providing an anchor for
securing mooring lines to floating structures while simultaneously
providing habitat for underwater organisms, comprising: a porous
container having a plurality of apertures to allow marine organisms
to infiltrate said container through said apertures and providing
hitch points for mooring lines; and heavier than water ballast
disposed in said container for providing weighted mass to anchor
said container and for creating a habitat to attract marine
organisms.
6. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 5,
further comprising mooring rings attached to said container for
connecting mooring lines thereto.
7. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 5,
wherein said container comprises at least one from the group: cast
concrete, chain link fabric, steel, wood, and composite
plastic.
8. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 5,
further comprising a fabric of material on which said ballast is
disposed, said fabric lying on the bottom of a body of water.
9. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim 8,
wherein said fabric is selected from the group: chain link, wire
mesh, cable mesh, cast concrete, steel, wood and composite
plastic.
10. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim
5, further comprising a floating structure connected to said
container, said floating structure being selected from the group:
wind turbine, power generator, oil or other drilling rig,
aquaculture complex, fish pen complex, barge, floating casino,
floating hotel, house boat, boat, ship, buoy, mooring station, boat
lift and storage structure.
11. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim
8, further comprising a floating structure connected to said
fabric, said floating structure being selected from the group: wind
turbine, power generator, oil or other drilling rig, aquaculture
complex, fish pen complex, barge, floating casino, floating hotel,
house boat, boat, ship, buoy, mooring station, boat lift and
storage structure.
12. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim
5, wherein the shape of said apertures is selected from the group:
round, oblong, rectangle, polygon and irregular.
13. The artificial reef anchor structure in accordance with claim
5, wherein said ballast comprises materials arranged in strata.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to anchors and, more particularly, to
a specialized anchor that provides an artificial reef habitat that
is attractive to a wide variety of underwater organisms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Artificial reefs are found commonly around the world. Some
are constructed to protect harbors or beaches from wind, wave or
tidal forces. These types of reefs are often constructed of large,
boulder sized stones or concrete modules that are cast in a variety
of shapes and sizes.
[0003] Reefs designed for protection purposes generally extend
above the water line so as to deflect the forces of wind, wave or
tide. These protective artificial reefs can be of any size or
shape; sometimes they are circular, semi-circular, curved or
straight. When they are constructed to abut a shoreline, they are
sometimes called a break wall. When they extend from the shoreline
out into open water, they are sometimes called a jetty. Whatever
they are called, they are, in essence, an artificial reef.
[0004] Artificial reefs are often favored by fishermen, because
their structure, whether constructed of natural stone or concrete
modules, creates prime shelter and habitat for a wide variety of
marine organisms, including desirable species such as fish, crab
and lobster that are prized by both commercial fishermen and
recreational sports fishermen.
[0005] Other artificial reefs are constructed solely to enhance
marine habitat and are designed to provide an underwater landscape
replete with nooks, crannies, cavities, ledges and other subsurface
features onto and into which marine organisms may attach or
shelter. By providing cover and sanctuary for small organisms like
algae, plankton and minnows, larger fish are attracted to forage.
These fish, in turn, attract even larger fish, including sharks,
tuna, bass, snapper, grouper and other large predatory fish which
are at the top of the marine food chain. These types of reefs are
usually totally submerged and may be constructed in shallow water
near shore or in deep water miles off shore. These types of reefs
may be constructed of almost any material or objects which will
sink into the water column, including, but not limited to the
following: natural stone, weighted tree stumps and brush, household
appliances, cars, trucks, farm implements, school buses, scrap
steel, subway and railway cars, factory machinery and other.
Additionally, any number of decommissioned naval and merchant ships
of all sizes have been scuttled in deep water to provide artificial
reef structure. These types of reefs may also be constructed of
cast concrete modules that may take a variety of shapes and which
may have cavities molded into them.
[0006] Increasingly, artificial reefs are becoming a part of the
underwater landscape wherever there is a robust interest in
fishing, either for commercial or recreational purposes, or both.
As example, many U.S. states with salt water territories actively
construct artificial reefs for use by recreational sports
fishermen. The reef locations appear on nautical charts, and buoys
are positioned over them so they may be easily located by
fishermen. Certain countries, notably Japan, construct artificial
reefs on a large scale for use by their commercial fishing fleets.
Wherever artificial reefs are constructed, they are widely
considered to be an enhancement to the marine environment and
ecosystem.
[0007] A number of prior patents disclose artificial reefs
specifically to attract and concentrate marine organisms. As
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,791 to Laier et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,465,399 to Kikuzawa et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,019 to
Kajihara show cylindrical structures that are open on the ends and
essentially porous on the sides. The porosity of the sides allows
small fish and other organisms, as well as ambient water currents,
to freely pass through the sides. The interior spaces of the
structures provide sanctuary to small fish and other organisms,
while limiting access to larger, predatory fish. In each of the
patents, the disclosed structures can be utilized individually or
in plurality. The device disclosed by Laier et al. is buoyant, and
therefore suspends off the bottom and is held in place by a tether
line attached to an anchor. The reefs taught by Kikuzawa and
Kajihara are of sufficient density that they sink through the water
column and rest on the bottom without the need of an anchor or
retaining stake.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,301 to Pederson and U.S. Pat. No.
6,712,024 to Hall disclose inventions utilizing tire casings for
the construction of artificial reefs. The Pederson device shows a
habitat structure comprising tire casings baled together to form a
series of chambers and cavities in which fish and other organisms
can find refuge. The density of the tire casings allows them to
rest on the bottom without anchorage assist. Hall shows a string of
tire casings linked together and suspended vertically in the water
column, with the top end attached to a flotation device and the
lower end attached to an anchor means.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,665 to Hughes and U.S. Pat. No.
6,467,993 to Utter et al. show artificial reef components
comprising vertical, pole-like structures that extend upward from
the marine bottom into the water column. Each device is designed to
function with other, like units. The Hughes structure comprises a
buoyant rod attached flexibly to an anchor base; Utter shows a
string of multi-chambered bodies sharing a cable line, with one end
of the cable attached to a flotation device and the opposing end
attached to an anchor. Each structure has the ability to heel over,
or sway, in response to tidal currents or wave impacts.
[0010] All the above cited patents share the common feature of
providing structure to serve as sanctuary, refuge and attachment
surface for marine organisms ranging from algae to crabs and
lobsters and finned fishes. While a number of the above cited
patents employ means to hold them in place on the marine bottom,
none of the above patents functions as an anchor for mooring
floating vessels or structures. In summary, none of the above
artificial reefs can in any respect serve the function of an anchor
for anything but itself.
[0011] Anchor means cover a wide variety of sizes, shapes and
designs, but may generally be assigned to two broad categories:
stationary anchor means which remain in one position on the sea,
harbor, river or lake bottom; and portable anchor means which are
carried aboard vessels, large or small, and which are lowered into
water whenever anchorage is needed and then hoisted back aboard
when the vessel needs to continue passage.
[0012] Stationary anchor means are sometimes massive concrete or
steel structures, which rely on gross deadweight tonnage to hold
them in place. Generally, a stout cable, chain or hawse line runs
from this large, submerged anchor to a buoy which floats on the
surface of the water. This buoy has stanchions, or stout chain
rings, onto which boats or ships may tie their mooring lines. Other
stationary mooring anchors are steel, concrete or wooden devices
that are driven or buried deep into the sea, harbor, river or lake
bed, with a heavy line running from them to a surface mooring buoy
or fixed structure.
[0013] As example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,734 to Mott shows a modular
anchor system specialized for the stationary mooring of an offshore
oil drilling platform. Mott discloses floatable components
comprising a rectangular foundation member and a ballast. The
members are towed to an offshore location, where the foundation
member is submerged by the flooding of interior chambers. Once the
foundation member is resting on the marine bottom, the ballast is
flooded to force it to sink onto the foundation member, thereby
unitizing the individual members into an anchorage foundation for
the submerged legs of an oil drilling platform.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,944 to Van der Wal shows an anchor
comprising two, oblong cylindrical hollow bodies joined by a series
of spars. When the hollow chambers are flooded with water, they
sink to the bottom, where they can be buried or driven into the
underwater bed or floor to form an anchor for large vessels or
floating structures.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,140 to Wight et al. shows a modular
block anchor for supporting guy wires for transmission towers and
other land based structures. The anchor comprises a cradle, or base
skid, onto which are stacked deadweight blocks. Individually, the
blocks are transportable by helicopter, but when assembled on the
base skid they cumulatively can weigh dozens of tons. While
designed for land use, the Wight et al. device could be used in
underwater applications.
[0016] Portable anchors, which are carried aboard vessels, are
generally much lighter in weight, and derive their holding power
from tongs, or flukes, which engage the bottom when the anchor is
dragged across the floor of the water body on which the vessel
floats. These drag embedded anchors generally require long mooring
lines to function effectively. As example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,299
to Towne et al. discloses a classic drag embedded anchor, with the
anchor comprising two large steel flukes hinged on a cross bar
attached to a steel arm with a hitch point on the distal end of the
arm for attaching a heavy chain or hawse line.
[0017] The above described permanent and portable devices may
inadvertently attract marine organisms, as will virtually any
object which resides on submerged ground in either freshwater or
salt water environment. As example, it is commonly known that
offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are attractive to a
wide variety of game fish prized by fishermen. Similarly, bridge or
dock pilings in freshwater lakes or rivers attract a variety of
minnows and pan fish, which in turn attract predatory game fish
like bass and pike. While it is well known that such structures
attract marine organisms, the underwater components of these
structures are not in any sense a "reef," as they do not have the
requisite components of piled rocks, boulders, gravel, concrete
modules or crushed coral which create myriad nooks, crannies,
ledges, crevices and cavities which both natural and artificial
reefs present. It is these said features which attract marine
organisms in the greatest variety and quantity of numbers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The invention provides a container for underwater placement
on a sea, lake or river bottom. The container has openings in the
sides, top and bottom and is filled with ballast of large boulders
or other materials. The openings allow water currents, as well as
marine organisms, to pass freely therethrough. Over time, marine
organisms colonize the cavity areas of the ballast, thus utilizing
the habitat within the container as an artificial reef. One or more
hitch points are provided on the container for attaching mooring
lines, thereby allowing the container to serve as an anchor for
ships and other floating vessels.
[0019] As will be seen, one general object of the invention is to
provide an artificial reef structure for mooring floating wind
turbines and other large floating structures.
[0020] Another object of the invention is to provide an artificial
reef that is relatively compact and containable within the walls of
a manufactured silo, bin, hopper, box, drum, barrel or other
man-made container which can be produced on a mass scale. Whatever
form the container takes, the walls and floor are semi-porous, so
as to allow entry into and egress from the interior portions for
marine organisms and ambient water currents, while retaining within
the walls and floor a significant weight of ballast material,
whether material is composed of large boulders, stone cobble,
gravel, sand, crushed coral, cast concrete modules or other
material forms and in any combination thereof. This artificial reef
may thus be regarded as a kind of contained rock pile, with vast
interior volumes of cavities, nooks and crannies relative to the
rock pile's footprint.
[0021] One of the primary attending objects of the invention is to
provide a reef that is fashioned in such a way that it provides one
or more secure hitching points for one or more anchor lines from
which to moor boats, ships, barges or other floating structures,
including floating wind turbines.
[0022] It should be noted that the invention is especially suited
for the mooring of floating wind turbines whenever they are
arranged in a plurality of units, or in what is commonly called an
off shore wind farm.
[0023] It is believed that no other prior inventions disclosed or
so far discovered employ the dual characteristics of effective
anchor means combined with artificial reef structure that is
especially attractive to marine organisms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] A complete understanding of the present invention may be
obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered
in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in
which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the
invention;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the
invention;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a section view showing ballast material comprising
large stones;
[0028] FIG. 3a is a section view showing an alternate embodiment of
the invention having layered strata of ballast material comprising
large stone, cobble sized stone, gravel and sand;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a side view of a plurality of floating wind
turbines, shown in simplified form, moored to a plurality of units
of the invention, also shown in simplified form;
[0030] FIG. 4a is a side view of floating wind turbines and
artificial reef units in various suspended configurations;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of
the invention; and
[0032] FIG. 5a is a side view of the alternate embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0033] The invention provides an underwater, ballast filled
container with openings in the sides, top and bottom. The openings
allow water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely
therethrough. Over time, marine organisms colonize the cavity areas
of the ballast, thus utilizing the container as an artificial reef.
One or more hitch points are provided on the container for
attaching mooring lines, thereby allowing the container to serve as
an anchor.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 5a, the artificial reef 12
consists of a container 10 with a plurality of openings 20 and a
plurality of mooring rings 22, onto which are attached a plurality
of mooring lines 24. Container 10 is filled with ballast 26.
[0035] As best seen in FIG. 2, container 10 is cylindrical, with a
plurality of mooring lines 24 radiating outward at 90 degrees
spacing from each other. While a circular, or cylindrical,
container has certain advantages relating to strength and
efficiencies of manufacture, container 10 could also be square or
any other closed geometric shape, including, but not limited to,
octagonal, hexagonal, pentagonal or triangular. The number of
mooring lines 24 is also arbitrary, and could be any number.
[0036] Container 10 is constructed primarily of cast concrete, but
other materials could be used, including, but not limited to, heavy
chain link fabric (commonly known as chain link fencing), steel,
wood, composite plastic or any combination thereof. Also, it should
be noted that while they are not shown, reinforcing members could
be integrated into the construction to stiffen and strengthen the
container throughout, and at mooring stress points specifically.
The mooring stress points are best shown in FIG. 2, where they
correspond generally to mooring rings 22.
[0037] The size of container 10 is arbitrary. However, for the
invention to effectively serve as an anchor means for structures as
large as floating wind turbines, container 10 and ballast 26 should
have a combined displacement of a thousand tons or more. To achieve
this displacement tonnage with preferred ballast like large
boulders or stone cobble requires that container 10 be
approximately 30 feet high by 30 feet in diameter, or of a geometry
that provides a similarly suitable interior volume of approximately
24,000 cubic feet.
[0038] As seen in FIG. 3, ballast 26 is composed of large chunks of
natural stone, which are irregular in shape but roughly uniform in
size. Whether natural stone, as shown in FIG. 3, or manufactured
concrete forms, the irregularity of the shapes of ballast material
26 is preferred, as this creates myriad crevices, nooks, crannies,
ledges and cavities when the ballast material 26 is piled in a
jumbled heap inside the walls of container 10. It is these nooks,
crannies and cavities that provide shelter and refuge for marine
organisms, including commercially desirable ones like lobsters,
crabs, clams, oysters, mussels, flounder, sea bass, grouper and
others.
[0039] As seen in FIG. 3a, ballast 26 can be organized into
stratified layers, as certain material types and sizes can be more
attractive to specific varieties of marine species. The bottom
strata, for example, could be composed of large boulder sized
rocks, which is often preferred by such fin fish as grouper, bass
and others. The middle strata could be composed of bowling ball
sized stone cobble, which is preferred by smaller fin fish and
invertebrate species like crabs and lobsters. The upper strata
could be rough gravel topped with a layer of fine gravel and sand,
which is preferred as a spawning bed for a variety of marine
organisms.
[0040] Here, it should be noted that opening 20, in plurality, may
assume a variety of sizes, shapes and spacing patterns on the same
container 10. These sizes, shapes and spacing patterns may also
vary from one container to the next. As entioned above, ballast 26
may range from large boulders roughly the size of a car, to pea
sized gravel and sand. Correspondingly, the size of openings 20 may
range from one or two square inches in size to square feet or even
square yards in size.
[0041] The size of the crevices, nooks, crannies and cavity areas
found amongst the ballast 26 may also vary considerably, depending
on the size of the ballast material. Large boulders, for example,
may provide passageway clearances measuring in feet, thus
accommodating large predatory fish like striped bass, tuna, cod,
sharks and others. Very fine ballast material, like pea sized
gravel and sand, may accord clearances measuring only in fractions
of square inches, which could accommodate only small organisms like
fish fry, shrimp, plankton and others.
[0042] As seen in FIG. 4, the invention can be utilized to moor a
plurality of floating wind turbines 16, with more than one wind
turbine 16 sharing a common mooring to one unit of the invention,
or container 10.
[0043] As seen in FIG. 4a, container 10 may be suspended off the
sea, lake or other marine bottom in a variety of configurations by
attaching the container 10 to mooring lines 24. The variety of
configurations is not limited to the ones shown in FIG. 4a.
[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 5a, the sum of these advantages is
contained in one obvious embodiment of the invention, which allows
for the ballast 26 to be piled directly onto a large expanse of
chain link or cable woven fabric 30 that is laid flat on the ocean,
lake, river or other underwater bed or floor. In this embodiment,
mooring rings 22 are fastened to the edges of the fabric 30, with
mooring lines 24 attached thereto. To achieve the dead weight
tonnage necessary to moor a large floating structure like a wind
turbine, the fabric 30 should be at least 2,500 square feet in
area. This would accommodate a rock pile of boulders 26 weighing,
in total, a thousand tons or more, which is the tonnage cited above
as being necessary to moor a large floating structure like a wind
turbine 16, individually or in plurality. Once this rock pile of
boulders is deposited on the expanse of chain link or cable woven
fabric 30, the expanse of fabric 30 is effectively anchored in
place, and can thus serve as a mooring station for floating
structures and as an artificial reef for marine organisms.
[0045] Since other modifications and changes varied to fit
particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent
to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered
limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and
covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute
departures from the true spirit and scope of this inventive
method.
[0046] Having described the invention, what is desired to be
protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequent appended
claims.
* * * * *