US3380088A - Combination floating mattress and beach pad - Google Patents

Description

A ril 30, 1968 P. Y. D'ADESKY 3,380,038

COMBINATIQN FLOATING MATTRESS AND BEACH PAD Filed March 9, 1966 Flier/e X 0' 'Adesky IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,380,088 COMBINATION FLOATING MATTRESS AND BEACH PAD Pierre Y. dAdesky, 11340 SW. 60th Court, Miami, Fla. 33156 Filed Mar. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 533,047 2 Claims. (Cl. 5--344) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A float for supporting a person on a body of water including a set of flexible, resilient floating blocks constructed of mono-cellular foam plastic and arranged in a parallel relation. The blocks are maintained in this parallel relation by means of plastic cords passing through the central portion of each block and terminating on the float ends by knots. The blocks are maintained in a spaced relation by utilizing washers fabricated from a foam plastic material similar to that of the float, the washers being positioned on the cord inbetween adjacent blocks. The floating structure enables the float to conform to the contours of a person floating thereon as well as enabling a user to roll the float into a compact spiral package.

The present invention generally relates to a combination floating mattress and beach pad and more particularly to such a device having a plurality of individual members interconnected by a plurality of flexible elements to provide an unsinkable floating mattress which also can be used as a beach pad and for many other uses with each of the members being constructed of a foam polyethylene plastic.

An object of the present invention is to provide a combination floating mattress and beach pad constructed of expanded polyethylene foam such as Ethafoam which is a lightweight plastic foam of closed cell or monocellular construction and remains flexible over a relatively wide temperature range with excellent chemical stability. This material is strong, tough and resilient with excellent shock-absorption characteristics and has low water vapor transmission and negligible Water-absorption rates and has a buoyancy factor of approximately 55 pounds per cubic foot thereby providing a floating mattress or beach pad which conforms with a persons body when supported thereon when used as a floating mattress or as a beach pad. This device is ideal for use on the beach, picnicking, camping or wherever desired as a resilient pad and may also be employed as a pool patio accessory or used on a boat or the like in that it is puncture-proof and does not break or shread and is highly chemical resistant, odorless and nontoxic.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination floating mattress and beach pad which is flexible in water and takes the form of a body supported thereon and is reversible and can be rolled in either direction. The device is quite lightweight, varying from three to five pounds depending on the dimensional characteristics thereof and further enables the water to circulate through the mattress and around a person supported thereon for greater relaxation. When used as a pad, it is flexible, soft and any sand or the like which may cling to the surface of the foam material may be easily brushed or washed therefrom inasmuch as the foam material has a skin surface to prevent penetration of the sand into the cells of the foam plastic.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a combination floating mattress and beach pad which is simple in construction, easy to use, eifective for its particular purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

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These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the combination floating mattress and beach pad of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the construction of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragments] perspective view illustrating the end of the combination floating mattress and beach pad;

FIGURE 4 is a detail sectional view taken along section line 44 of FIGURE 1 illustrating further structural details of this invention;

Referring now specifically to FIGURES l 4, the combination floating mattress and beach pad of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 20 and is constructed of a plurality of elongated float members 22 constructed of polyethylene foam plastic such as Ethafoam. The dimensional characteristics of the overall combination floating mattress and beach pad 20 may vary and the dimensions of each individual float member 22 may vary but preferably, the float members 22 are approximately 36 inches in length, two inches in width and one and one-half inches thick and a plurality of the float members 22 are interconnected in such a manner to form the combination floating mattress and beach pad. For example, the over-all length of the device may be approximately six feet or more so that a person may float on the device or recline on the device or the device may act as a pad or mattress for sleeping purposes or the like.

interconnecting the float members 22 is a plurality of flexible cords or ropes 24 which may preferably be constructed of nylon or the like and which extend through aligned passages 26 formed in the float members 22 whether they are square, rectangular, cylindrical or oval in cross-section.

Between each of the float members 22 is a spacer 28 which may be in the form of a cylindrical disk of polyethylene foam which spaces the float members 22 apart and enables them to be wound into a roll for ease of transport.

The number of cords 24 may vary depending upon the over-all width of the combination floating mattress and each pad 20 but three cords 24 have been illustrated and each of the cords has an anchoring knot 30 engaging a plastic tip 32 for anchoring the knot 30' and preventing the knot from pulling through the passageway 26 in the float member 22. Similar knots 34 and plastic tips 32 are provided on the cords at the opposite end from the knots 30. A rope handle 36 is provided for the pad 20 and this is formed by extensions 38 of the cords 24 being spliced together at 39. In actual practice, a diamond braided polyethylene cord is used and the splice 39 forms a neat handle. The rope handle 36 will wind around the pad when rolled and can be tied to itself to secure the pad in rolled condition and to facilitate carrying.

The spaced relationship of the float members 22 and the spacers 28 together with the cords 24 combine to enable the combination floating mattress and beach pad 20 to be rolled up into substantially a compact condition.

The foam polyethylene employed provides a combination floating mattress and pad which is pliable and cannot be deflated and thus is unsinkable and further resists deleterious affects of sunshine, mildew, corrosion and water. A polyethylene or nylon rope or band or strap may be employed for securing the float members together with spacers between adjacent float members to provide the desired degree of flexibility and to enable the device to be rolled into a spiral compact condition.

The mattress can be used as a float in the water and it will take the form of a persons body in any position. It is constructed in such a manner to float the person while still allowing the water to circulate. The device also may be used as an emergency life raft on a pleasure boat or the like, In addition to its use as a float, it may be employed as a beach pad or a pad for use wherever such an item is desired such as on picnics, on camping trips, on boats and the like. When rolled up into compact condition, it is approximately 12 inches in diameter and of course, can be made in various dimensions for only,

a single person or for more than one person.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combination floating mattress and beach pad comprising a plurality of float members oriented in sideby-side spaced relation and having substantially equal length, each float member including a body of buoyant foam plastic material, means interconnecting said float members and retaining them in side-by-side relation, said means including a plurality of cords to enable articulate movement of the float members in relation to each other and enable the float members to conform with the contour of a floating persons body in any position and to be rolled into a spiral compact condition, and means on each of the cords between adjacent float members for retaining the same in spaced apart relation, wherein said means on each of the cords include a spacer member, each spacer member being constructed of an apertured disk of foam plastic material, wherein each point on said cords passing immediately outwardly of the longitudinally outermost float ends includes a knot, means for retaining each said knot exteriorly of the corresponding positioned float members, said knot retaining means including a tubular insert positioned within an associated longitudinally outermost float end, each said tubular insert further characterized by a lip portion appending from the outwardly disposed end thereof, the inwardly disposed surface of said lip portion overlying an associated longitudinally outermost float end, each of said aforementioned knots overlying an outwardly disposed surface of said lip portion, said knot being restrained thereby.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the cords associated with one of said longitudinally outermost ends being mutually connected at a point outwardly therefrom, and a single cord terminating outwardly from said point of connection adapted to circumscribe said structure and retain same when said structure is in a rolled spiral compact condition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 146,426 1/1874 Borgfeldt 9-11 268,783 12/1882 Dodge 5-236 673,580 5/1901 Lusting 5-236 2,000,624 5/1935 Traver 5-236 3,059,251 10/ 1962 Pollock 5-361 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner.

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