MARITIME FENDER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF MAINTENANCE

摘要

The present disclosure provides a maritime fender assembly for mounting to a berthing structure, the fender assembly including: a panel assembly including an outwardly facing wear pad for contact with a vessel; a frame for releasably receiving the panel assembly; a resilient fender element mounted between the frame and the berthing structure; and an engagement means to allow engagement and disengagement of the panel assembly from the frame to allow removal and replacement of the panel assembly. The present disclosure also provides a maritime fender assembly comprising a frame carrying an outwardly facing wear pad, the frame including at least one frame-side support chain mount and at least one frame-side detensioner mount; a base mounted to the berthing structure, the base including a base-side support chain mount and a base-side detensioner mounts; a resilient fender element mounted between the frame and base; and support chains connected to a base-side support chain mount and a corresponding frame-side support chain mount, wherein the frame-side detensioner mount and base-side detensioner mount include a corresponding pair of detensioner mounts, the corresponding pair of detensioner mounts positioned to connect a detensioner between, the detensioner actuable to detension at least one support chain. The present disclosure also includes methods of maintaining such maritime fender assemblies.

主权项

1. A method of maintaining a maritime fender assembly mounted to a berthing structure, the maritime fender assembly comprising:
a frame assembly for releasably receiving a substantially flat panel assembly, the panel assembly having at least one outwardly facing wear pad for contact with a vessel, the frame assembly comprising:
a pair of opposing channels into which the panel assembly is slidingly received, the pair of opposing channels being, in use, substantially vertical; anda panel assembly securing means having a release configuration whereby the panel assembly is removable from the pair of opposing channels and an engaged configuration whereby the panel assembly is secured in the pair of opposing channels; anda resilient fender element mounted between the frame assembly and the berthing structure, the resilient fender element for absorbing forces on the panel assembly and/or the frame assembly; wherein the method comprises:
configuring the panel assembly securing means to the release configuration;removing an existing panel assembly from the pair of opposing channels by sliding the existing panel assembly out of the pair of opposing channels;positioning a serviceable panel assembly into the pair of opposing channels; andconfiguring the panel assembly securing means to the engaged configuration to secure the serviceable panel assembly to the frame assembly, wherein the method is performed while the frame assembly and fender element are maintained in situ mounted to the berthing structure.