US3064613A - Stabilizer for boats - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1962 1.. HUBICK STABILIZER FOR BOATS Filed April 21, 1961 INVENTDR raw WWW ATTORNEY 3,054,613 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 3,064,613 STABILIZER FOR BOATS Leonard Hubick, 10632 103st Ste. 1, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Filed Apr. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 104,694 2 Claims. (Ci. 114-121) This device relates to stabilizers for water craft and the like.

The use of small boats of the motor or rowing variety has now become widespread. As a result of this widespread use, the number of accidents involving overturned boats has increased considerably and it has been found, in a great many cases, that the overturning of the boat has been caused by the occupants standing up in the boat and then losing their balance which causes the boat to overturn.

Other boat overturnings have come about from the boat being operated in rough water when loss of power occurs and where high Waves or winds have caused the boat to be swamped.

The principal object of this device therefore is to provide a stabilizing device that may be used to steady a boat or the like against lateral or fore and aft movement.

An additional object is to provide a device that may be stored normally in a boat and that may be dropped into the water at the sides of the boat to reduce the possibility of the boat tipping sideways.

A further object is to provide a stabilizing device that may be used during stormy weather or in rough water to keep the movement of the boat at right angles to the Wind and the waves and thereby reduce the possibility of the boat being swamped when loss of control, either powered or human, has occurred.

A still further object is to provide a stabilizing device that may be nested with additional devices to occupy a minimum of space when stored.

A further object is to provide a stabilizing device that may be manufactured from readily obtainable, low cost materials.

In drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a boat shown in phantom lines and with stabilizers at each side thereof.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged broken away view illustrating a stabilizer with an alternate rigid suspension mechanism.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of an alternate stabilizer construction.

In the drawings, I have shown a boat 1, in phantom lines, the boat being of the type referred to generally as a row boat and of conventional size and shape.

The water surface on which the boat is floating is designated at 2 with a preferred form of stabilizing device indicated generally at 3 and attached at opposite sides of the boat.

Since the stabilizing devices 3 are identical in construction only one of these devices will be described.

Each stabilizing device comprises frustrum body 3 constructed preferably of sheet metal, although any other suitable material which will not deteriorate in Water or which has been treated to prevent its deterioration in Water would be suitable.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the frustum body 3 is suspended with its largest side facing the boat 1, the suspension means comprising the chain arms 4 which are secured equidistantly around the periphery of the frustum body 3 at its largest side and which are joined together centrally as indicated at 5 for the attachment of the suspension chain 6. The suspension chain is then secured by any suitable means at 7 to the side of the boat 1.

It should be noted that while the attachment 7 of the suspension chains to the boat is shown substantially at the equal weight distribution point, the attachment of the chains could be either in front of or behind this point if desired to maintain the bow or stern of the boat into the wind. At the same time it will be obvious that the chains could be secured either at the how 8 or stem 9 of the boat, if desired, this attachment being most preferable during rough or stormy weather to maintain the bow or stern into the wind and waves and prevent swamping of the boat.

While I have shown a suspension chain 6 with radial chain arms 4 extending to the periphery of the largest side of the frustum body 3, it will be obvious that a rigid suspension mechanism, as for example, a rod or the like, could be used in place of the flexible chain. This embodiment is illustrated in FIGRE 2 in the drawings where the rigid rod 10 is connected at 11 to a radial arm 12 which is in turn secured at 13 along the wall of the frustum body 3.

In addition, a pair of frustum bodies may be joined together at their smallest end as indicated in FIGURE 3 in the drawings with the rigid suspension rod 10 secured with radial arms 12 as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2 to form a double acting device. At the same time, it will be obvious that a single frustum body 3 in inverted form with the smaller end at the top may be used whenever the rigid suspension rod 10 and rigid radial arms 12 are used.

I do not consider it necessary to show any preferred method for attachment of the suspension chain 6 or rod 10 to the boat or to the frustum body but it will be obvious that this attachment could be best made with suitable snaps or the like so that the body and chains or the rod could be stored neatly when not in use.

In the attachment of the suspension chains, I have found it preferably to use some form of reinforcement at the opposite edges of the frustum body to provide adequate strength and to provide the chains tearing loose at their attachment point. In addition, I have found that whenever the frustum bodies are constructed of some light weight material, it becomes necessary to add weights so that the bodies will sink rapidly in the water at the sides of the boat.

While it will be obvious that the diameters of the frustum body will depend largely on the size of the boat with which they are to be used, I have found a convenient size to be approximately 16 inches at the largest diameter with the slope to the sides of the body being approximately 30 degrees and the narrow or restricted side of the body approximately 2 to 3 inches. Further, the length of the suspension chain or rod is not arbitrary, but I have found that a length of two or three feet below the surface of the water is quite satisfactory.

In operation the suspension chain 6 or rod 10 would be stowed in the bottom of the boat along with the frustum bodies while the boat was in motion in the water. Whenever the boat was stopped and it was desired to stabilize the boat or maintain the boat pointed into the waves, it is only necessary to attach the suspension mechanism to the frustum bodies and to then toss the devices over the side of the boat or at the bow or stem where they will hang down at the sides of the boat in correct position to provide adequate stabilization.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A stabilizer for boats and the like comprising a hollow frustum body, a rigid arm extending radially across the frustum body and secured at its ends to the body substantially midway along the wall of the body, a rigid rodeonnected at one end to the center of the arm and extending away from the arm coaxial with the frustum body.

21 A stabilizer for boats and .the like comprising a pair of hollow frustum body members joined at their narrow ends to form a cylinder with a constricted waist, an arm extending radially across each frustum body member and secured at its ends-substantially midway the wall of each 5 frustum body member, a rigid rod secured to the centers of the arms an'd'extending away from the arms coaxial with thesaid frustum members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Miller Jan. 6, 1903 Imaizumi Apr. 1, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS a.

Great Britain of 1903 Great Britain Jan. 13, 1943 a

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