Rod-reinforced cushion beam

Abstract

A reinforced cushion beam includes a rigid frame having a plurality of interconnected elements; a plastic body encapsulating and substantially solidly filling the frame, and one or more panel members connected to the plastic body with a plurality of recessed fasteners that extend through the panel(s) and into the plastic body to form a scuff-resistant load-bearing surface. Also disclosed is a method for forming the cushion beam.

1 . A composite beam having a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area of at least 50 square inches, comprising: 
 (a) a frame comprising a plurality of interconnected members;    (b) a resilient plastic body member substantially encapsulating the frame;    (c) a panel member spaced from the frame, a portion of the resilient body filling space between the panel member and the frame, the panel member forming a load-bearing outside surface portion of the beam; and    (d) a spaced plurality of fasteners extending through the panel member in recessed relation thereto, through portions of the plastic body, and into engagement with the frame.    
   
   
       2 . The composite beam of  claim 1 , wherein the panel member comprises a resilient material.  
   
   
       3 . The composite beam of  claim 2 , wherein the panel member comprises ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polymer.  
   
   
       4 . The composite beam of  claim 2 , wherein the panel member substantially consists of an ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polymer.  
   
   
       5 . The composite beam of  claim 2 , wherein the plastic body comprises a resilient material having a first rigidity, the material of the panel member having a second rigidity being greater than the first rigidity.  
   
   
       6 . The composite beam of  claim 1 , further comprising an attachment structure defining a spaced plurality of attachment elements connected to plural spaced apart locations of the frame.  
   
   
       7 . The composite beam of  claim 6 , wherein the attachment structure comprises a plurality of transverse members bonded at spaced locations along the frame, each of the transverse members having at least one receptacle for engagement by a corresponding one of the fasteners.  
   
   
       8 . The composite beam of  claim 7 , wherein at least some of the fasteners are threaded fasteners, the receptacles being threaded openings.  
   
   
       9 . The composite beam of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises: 
 (a) a plurality of longitudinal main rod members, at least three of the main rod members being spaced laterally in different corresponding directions relative to the longitudinal axis; and    (b) a plurality of transverse elements, each transverse element being rigidly connected between a spaced pair of the main rod members, at least three of the main rod members being connected to at least two others of the main rod members by at least some of the transverse elements.    
   
   
       10 . The composite beam of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of the transverse elements are shear panels.  
   
   
       11 . The composite beam of  claim 10 , wherein the shear panels comprise laterally spaced first and second sets of longitudinally spaced shear panels, the panels of each set being bonded between a pair of the main rod members.  
   
   
       12 . The composite beam of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the shear panels have openings and/or notches formed therein, the body member having portions external to the cage frame integrally joined through the openings and/or notches with portions of the body member within the frame for enhanced structural integrity of the body member.  
   
   
       13 . The composite beam of  claim 9 , wherein at least one pair of the main rod members is connected by some of the transverse elements being transverse rod segments such that diverging pairs of the transverse rod segments are connected in proximal relation at spaced intervals along each main rod member of the pair, whereby the pair of main rod members and the diverging pairs of transverse rod segments form a truss.  
   
   
       14 . The composite beam of  claim 9 , wherein the main rod members and the transverse elements are each spaced at least 0.5 inch within an outside contour of the plastic body.  
   
   
       15 . The composite beam of  claim 9 , wherein the main rod members are selected from the group consisting of formed steel reinforcing bars, formed nickel alloy reinforcing bars, fiberglass reinforcing bars, and carbon fiber reinforcing bars.  
   
   
       16 . The composite beam of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the transverse elements are selected from the group consisting of formed steel reinforcing bars, formed nickel alloy reinforcing bars, fiberglass reinforcing bars, carbon fiber reinforcing bars, plastic dowels, wooden dowels, steel plates, and fiberglass panels.  
   
   
       17 . An installed fender assembly comprising a plurality of composite beams according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       18 . A method for forming a scuff-resistant composite beam, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a frame comprising a plurality of interconnected members;    (b) encapsulating the frame in a plastic body;    (c) providing a one or more scuff-resistant panel members;    (d) providing a plurality of headed fasteners; and    (e) connecting each of the one or more panel members to the plastic body with at least two of the fasteners projecting through each panel member in recessed relation thereto, and through portions of the plastic body to provide a scuff resistant load bearing surface on the resulting composite beam.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of connecting further comprises the steps of: 
 (i) affixing a plurality of attachment members at spaced locations along the frame; and    (ii) engaging the fasteners with corresponding ones of the attachment members, thereby anchoring the one or more panel members to the frame.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of affixing further comprises the step of positioning the attachment members at sufficiently greater spacing along the frame to compensate for thermal extension of the frame at ambient temperature following the step of encapsulating.