US2794191A - Boat stabilizing appliance - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1957 w. s. GASKOUlTZ BOAT STABILIZING APPLIANCE Filed March 20, 1953 I a/ /f 5 J Z Q a M? 5 0/ WWW United States Patent 2,794,191 BOAT STABILIZING APPLIANCE Walter S. Gaskouitz, Chicago, 111. Application March 20, 1953, Serial No. 343,7 76 1 Claim. (Cl. 9-1) This invention relates to an appliance for boats and more particularly an appliance of the type for rendering the boat more buoyant and for stabilizing the same.

The present invention has for its object the provision of such an appliance which embodies such features of construction and design as to offer improvements over former devices of this character.

It is an important feature of the present invention to provide such an appliance consisting of an inflatable tube in combination with means for supporting the same alongside the outer side walls of the boat with the use of a detachable bracket of novel design and construction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiment illustrated is susceptible of modification in respect of certain structural details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of a boat having each side wall thereof provided with an appliance in accordance With the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the appliance as shown on one side of the boat in Fig. 1 to illustrate the end portion of the tube and the supporting means as the same appears in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the tube and supporting means as the same appears when viewed from the end of the tube.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawings the reference numeral designates a boat opposed side walls 11 and 12 connected at the rear end by a stern wall 13 and converging at the opposite end to define a how 14. Reference numeral 15 identifies a molding of suitable design which trims the upper edge of the side walls 11 and 12.

An inverted U-shaped clamp presents opposed depending legs 16 and 17 connected at their upper ends by a bridge portion 18 at such distance apart as to straddle the upper side wall portion of the boat and the rim 15 with the inwardly facing surfaces of the legs 16 and 17 spaced a distance away from the opposite surface of the boat side wall when the bridge portion 18 has engagement with the upper surface of the rim as shown in Fig. 3. A binding screw 19 having threaded connection with the lower end of the outer leg 16 of the clamp engages the Patented June 4, 1957 outer surface of the side Wall of the boat while a second binding screw 20 having threaded connection with the lower end of the inner leg 17 of the clamp in substantially axial alignment with the screw 19 engages the inner surface of the side wall of the boat whereby the clamp is rigidly fixed to the side wall.

A downward extension of the outer leg 16 terminates in a head 21, to which a bracket arm 22 is connected for adjustable positionment relative to the leg 16 about an axis extending generally lengthwise of the side wall of the boat to which the clamp is fixed. Such connection is established by means of a bolt 23 entering a bore in the head 21 and a cooperating bore formed in a head 24 provided at the end of the arm 22. Opposed cooperating faces of the head 21 on the leg 16 and the head 24 on the arm 22 present radial corrugations as at 25 whereby a wing nut 26 on being turned on the bolt 23 to tighten the connection between the head 21 and head 24 bring about an interfitting engagement at said faces. Accordingly the bolt and the heads cooperate to bind the arm 22 in a selected position of rotation about the bolt as an axis to accommodate the selected angular position of the arm 22 relative to the side wall of the boat. The outer end of the arm 22 terminates in a ring-like member 27 so as to allow the passage therethrough and have tight inward engagement with a suitable inflatable tube 28. As noted in Fig. l the tube 28 is of such length as to extend beyond the distance between the arms 22 of a pair of clamps, as described, which are fixed to portions of each side wall of the boat at selected distances apart lengthwise of the side wall of the boat. By means of a suitable valve 29 provided on the tube 28, the latter may be inflated after being positioned within the cooperating loops or ringlike members 27 of the clamps so as to assure strong frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of said members 27 and thereby avoiding danger of accidental withdrawal of the tube therefrom.

What is claimed is:

An appliance for a boat including a pair of clamps adapted to straddle the upper rim of the side wall of a boat for fixed attachment thereto in spaced apart relation lengthwise of said side wall, an arm connected to each clamp for angular adjustment about an axis extending generally lengthwise of the side wall of the boat, a ring forming the outer swinging end of each of said arms, and an elongated inflatable tube supported in said rings and held therein by its expansion, said tube being of uniform circular transverse cross-sectional contour throughout a length greater than the distance between said rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images