AU611476B2 - Chart board assembly - Google Patents

Description

liii AxmAnjsbdoUW t1j~j4jpD 11111FI illI 1111.5 14 .6ZXXMAnisbOdoNWINO T)V 0L l i11 1 .61

-W_

iiiI~it01 l~l1.2.5 l111l 1± A~~ I 611 4'76C COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952-1969 Name of Applicant(s): KELVIN JOSEPH O'SHEA Address of Applicant(s): 25 Cane Street, Redland Bay, Qid. 4165 .9 S 4.

4906 S S S. S S. SO,

S

0* S 4 S SO ft S S S *5 Actual In,;entor(s); Address for Service: KELVIN JOSEPH 3'SHEA G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, Dalgety House, 79 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia. 4 5 5 5'

S.

S

0 55.5 9S 49 5 5555

S

S.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: CHART BOARD ASSEMBL~Y The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me and year form signed TO isinaturel a Signature of TO applicant or Australian attorney THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS This form must be accompanied by either a provisional specification (Form 9 and true copy) or by a complete specification (Form 10 and true copy).

J

This invention relates to a board assembly suitable for movably supporting a chart or map which may be moved across the chart board assembly when required. Rotatable chart boards and in particular manually rotatable chart boards have been previously proposed as described in U.S.

Patents 3,977,107; 3,408,757; 2,764,826; 2,734,296; 2,657,487; 2,619,740; 4,254,568; 4,157,626; 3,787,990; 2,374,935; 2,221,451; and 2,209,990. All these prior art chart boards included a pair of opposed rollers which supported the chart and when manually rotated moved the chart 0e across the board as desired by the user of the chart board.

*eee 0 In addition U.S. Patent 3,977,107 proposed the use of an illuminated display whorein the chart board was in the form S' of a display box having an illuminated display window. This was useful for displaying sequentially arranged navigational Said information to the pilot of a boat at night, U.S. Patent S 0 2,764,826 also proposed the use of a portable illuminated 0* chart board.

*4~Se However, it has now been ascertained that the 3 aforementioned prior art chart boards were all deficient in 00 not providing appropriate control of rotational movement of the pair of opposed rollers. This meant that it was in some circumstances relatively d'fficult to utilize the chart board in adverse conditions on a boat or ship because of undesired movement of the chart across the board caused by rotation of the support rollers.

j S.Jr

I

3 In this regard it was to be appreciated that most charts or maps were formed as laminates wherein the original chart or map was interposed between transparent plastics outer sheets which meant that the laminate was water resistant for use in a marine environment. The use of plastics support layers or sheets meant that the chart or map had a tendency to slip on the support rollers and this caused the undesired movement referred to above. This meant that during sailing of a boat or navigation of a boat it was relatively difficult to

*OS

plot a course and it was especially difficult to plot an accurate course.

In regard to U.S. Patents 4,646,453 and 4,741,118.

rotatable board assemblies are described comprising two or more rollers or spindles. The movement of these rollers and spindles was continuously retarded by use of tension or pressure on the rollers or spindles. U.S. Patent 4,258,490 describea a display board with self-coiling tapes movable past rows of windows. Tape holders behind the windows have platens s for supporting the tapes which pressed the tapes against guide flanges extending adjacent the windows thereby inhibiting free

B

i wmovement of the tapes. Again as in the case of U.S. Patents 4,646,453 and 4,741,118, the movement of the tapes was continuously retarded and there was no provision in each of these specifications for locking of the spindles or rollers in a locked position and release thereof from the locked position when required.

o roller or spnls Ttr w' i 15~; spindle wa otnosyrtredb s ftnino 4 It therefore is an object of the invention to provide a board assembly which alleviates the abovementioned difficulties of the prior art.

The invention therefore includes a board assembly for supporting a chart including: support means which supports said chart; (ii) one or more freely T-tatable actuating members which upon manual rotation thereof actuate movement of the chart relative to the support means; (iii) locking means for preventing rotation of said one or 0 more actuating members or movement of said chart across said :0 0 support means; and (iv) an accessible manual release member for manually 0* 0 releasing said one or more actuating members or said chart from said locked position.

The support means may be of any desired type but preferably includes a housing having a top wall and base wall 0 together with a pair of opposed end walls. Suitably the top wall of the housing has a display window for visibly observing the chart which is suitably accommodated within the interior of the housing. It will of course be appreciated that the support means S may not necessarily compriso a housing and that in one embodiment the support means may comprise a support board or sheet.

Preferably the support housing is comprised of a top wall or sheet member, an intermediate support frame and a base wall or sheet member. The housing is suitably such that 0 0 o o o 0 0 0 f 0 0 o oe Oo a 0 0 0 29 00 oooo0 o 0 29 2!i when the top wall member is attached to the base wall me-'ber geometrical instruments or navigational instruments or ccher suitable articles may be retained in the housing.

The freely rotatable actuating members may be of any suitable type but preferably includes a plurality or more isuitably a pair of opposed rollers or spindles for rotationally supporting the chart. Preferably each spindle has attached thereto at each end thereof a control knob for rotation thereof. Each spindle is suitably retained in opposed apertures of each end wall of the support housing.

The lockiig means for locking movement of the actuating members of said chart may operate in any number of variable forms as described below.

In one form the locking means may include a release lever which may engage with each rotatable spindle or more preferably each control knob thereof in an appropriate manner.

The release lever may be releasable from each control knob when desired and to this end the release lever may be mounted to suitable retaining means in an adjacent end wall of the support housing in male-female or plug-socket relationship.

In another possible arrangement the locking means may comprise a flexible line member in the form of an endless loop which may he entrained around each control knob and thereafter tensioned by tensioning means ouch as a tensioning member constituting a suitable release member having a 6 .4 *6* '64 Si 1 t k 6 plurality of slots or apertures for suitably accommodating the endless loop. The tensioning means is preferably releasable from an adjacent side wall of the housing and suitable retaining means may be provided for this purpose.

In another form of locking means a pair of securing rods may be utilized in conjunction with a central release member as hereinafter described in the drawings. Upon linear or more suitably pivotal movement of the release member the 00 securing rods may be released from a locked position or 0 0 engaged position to an unlocked or disengaged position.

gooo 0 o o oo In yet another form of locking means the chart or 00 00ooo map may be movable from a locked or restrained position to an 00 0 o oo unlocked or unrestrained or free running position by appropriate operating means comprising a release member. In S 00 0 0 one form there may be provided a movable support arm which may be moved from the restrained position to the unrestrained 0 o0o position by the operating means.

0H 0 0 ooo 0 6 0 00 0 In another suitable form of locking means the chart 0 ooo.oo in the form of a roll may have one rotatable spindle associated with a coil spring and the other rotatable spindle 0 oo associated with a ratchet. The ratchet may have a release o on o member associated therewith so that when the release member 0000 0 0 ,s moved the rachet may be released and the Chart roll may wind back under the tension of the coil spring.

Another form of locking means that may be utilized is a spindle locking means wherein the spindle at one end i iI S i I 1 I.

S7 thereof may be associated with gear means having clutch means or control means comprising a suitable release member associated therewith whereby on appropriate movement of the control means the gear means may be movable into and out of engagement with the rotatable spindle.

In another possible arrangement the locking means may comprise an abutment member or bearing member which abuts or bears against the chart roll in a locked position but is oo 0 disengaged from the chart roll when in unlocked or free- O 00 running position. A suitable release member may be provided 0 0 0 o for actuating movement of the abutment member. One example 0 00000 o o of a suitable abutment member for this purpose is a gripping o 0 0 °0 roller movable into and out of engagement with the chart o O S°o" roll. To this end a suitable bearing surface may be provided 0 0 to co-act with the gripping ro3er.

The looking means may also include within its scope 0 00.000 So a friction brake arrangement wherein friction pads may be 0000 00 0 0 located so that they are substantially always in contact with 0.o"o each control knob associated with a respective rotatable i 3 spindle. A release lever may be attached to an actuating 0 o000oo member which is suitably rotatably attached to an outer end 0 00 wall of the support housing. Each friction pad Amay have biassing means associated therewith a coil spring) to allow the friction pads to withdraw from each control knob upon movement thereof. This arrangement is explained in more detail in a representative embodiment shown in the attached

II

a\

I

.D

drawings.

comprise a motor driven mechanism which may engage eller the chart roll or a flexible endless line m e er or pulley associated with i pair of control knps on a common side or end wall of the support housi .Upon actuation of the motor the chart roll may b rotated when desired. In such an arrangement the otor by providing power to effect rotation 00o 0 of the -sindles supporting the chart roll functions as a 0 0 0 0 O 0 I 0 o Reference may now be made to a preferred embodiment 0o0000 of the invention as shown in the attached drawings wherein:o 00 FIG 1 is a perspective view of a board assembly 0o 0 0 o oo 00 0 constructed in accordance with the invention; FIG 2 is an exploded perspective view of the board o assembly shown in FIG 1; oo00ooo So.o FIG 3 illustrates a first type of locking means for oo 00 0 use with a board assembly of the invention; 0 0 00..0.

00 FIGS 4-5 illustrate a second type of locking means 3 J for use with a board assembly of the invention; 0 0o° o FIG 6 illustrates a sectional view along line 6-6 oo of FIG 1; FIGS 7-8 illustrate a third type of locking means for use with a board assembly of the invention; FIGS 9-10 illustrate a fourth type of locking meansI for use with a board assembly of the invention;

H-F

1V-1 9 FIGS 11-12 illustrate a fifth type of locking means for use wiLth a board assembly of the invention; FIG 13 illustrates a sixth type of locking means for use with a board assembly of the invention; FIGS 14-15 illustrate a seventh type of locking means for use with a board assembly of the invention; PFIG 16 illustrates an eighth type of locking means for use with a board assembly of the invention; and Oj 0 0 0 a 00 00 t- 00 0 0 0 0 In the drawings in FIG 1 there is shown board 0 assembly 10 having support housing 11, map or chart 12, 0 o 0 1 04 walls 16, top wall1 17 and base wall 18.

In FIG 2 the board 10 is shown in exploded view comprising top wall member 19 having end walls 16 attached 0 00 thereto as well as release lever 15 by wing nuts 20. There 0 a 0 is also provided retaining apertures 21 in end walls 16 for C retention of release lever 15. End walls 16 also have retaining apertures 22 for rotatable spindles or spools 23.

00 There is also shown bearing spacers 24 for control knobs 14.

There is also provided intermediate support frame having opposed cross members 26 and opposed end members 27 and support board 28. There is also shown base wall member 29 having opposed side walls 30 and opposed end walls 31.

1Navigational articles 32 are contained in the interior of

F

1, 1 base wall member 29 as shown.

In FIG 3 the first type of locking means which depicts release lever 15 shows that release lever 15 is attached to end wall 16 by wing nuts 20 so that bevelled edges 33 engage with bearing spacers 24 to retain spindles 23 in a locked position as shown in phantom outline. As is also shown lever 15 upon actuation of wing nuts 20 may be pivoted out of engagement with spacers 24 and this is shown in full o0o 0 outline.

0 0 0 0 o0 The second type of locking means shown in FIGS S 0 0 o b show an endless line member in the shape of a loop 34 0 oooooo 00 engaging with control knobs 14 which in this embodiment may o adopt the shape of a pulley having a central groove Do c 0 0 o °0 There is also shown tensioning member 36 which has spigots 37 engageable in sockets 38 of end wall 16. Tensioning member 36 also has a plurality of spaced slots 39 for selectively oo retaining loop 34. The tension of loop 34 may be varied by 0O 0 0 insertion of loop 34 in a selected slot 39 as shown in FIG 0000(0 0 0 o FIG 6 shows a sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG S1 and illustrates internal chamber or slidable tray 40 of 0 00 support housing 10 for containing navigational articles or 0ooo' instruments 32. Each end wall 16 has a curved end 41- as shown. Also shown is resilient liner 42 for articles 32.

The third type of locking means shown in FIGS 7-8 includes a pair of securing rods or locking pins 43 mounted in guides or retainers 44 and pivotally attached to operating i -4 S' r i 4 I 11 knob 45 at 43A. FIG 7 shows the locked position and FIG 8 shows the unlocked position. In the locked position each braking rod 43 engages with control knobs 14 as shown in plug socket relationship.

9-Io A fourth type of locking means is shown in FIGS4 i: wherein the locking means acts directly on the chart or map 12 which is engageable with pressure plate 46 which is moved by cta 47. FIG 10 snows the unlocked position and FIG 9 0o o shows the locked position.

0 00 o0 oAo In the locking arrangement shown in FIG 16 there is S 0 0 o provided an abutment member or gripping roller 62 movable in oo00 00o slot 63 from a locking position shown in full outline to a 00 0 00 o o release position shown by reference numeral 64. Gripping 00 0 0ooo 0 0 o~ roller 62 associates with bearing surface 65 to lock map 12 in position as required.

o 0o U 0 is engaged by guide rollers 66 and is also engage-bIy spools 0 23D which are in the form of pulleys ha g drive belt 67 o o engageable therewith. Electric mo 68 actuates rotation of I pulleys 23D when requir to initiate movement of map 12.

ooo Switch 69 and le to a suitable power supply (not shown) 0 0 r us te t Oooo are also -iflustrated. Also shown is lamp 71 having ballast The various forms of locking means illustrated above show that a wide variety of different types of locking means may be utilized in the present invention. However, it 00 0 0 0 00 00 0 00 00 0 will be appreciated that each fcrm of locking means has a release member associated therewith to unlock or release the locking means as required for disconnection of chart 12 when required and installation of a new chart. The release member for this reason is most conveniently accessible such as being located on the exterior of support housing 11.

In the locking mearns shown in FIGS 11-12 the map or chart 12 engages with spool or spindle 23A which has associated therewith a coil spring 48, There is also provided ratchet 49 associated with spool 23B, The spring 48 tensions chart 12 when wound on spool 23A and pulls chart 12 back when ratchet 49 is released by outward movement of a: actuating knob 0 0 in the locking means shown in FIG 13 the spool or spindle 23C is engaged by gear means 51 as shown. Spur gear 52 engages with spool gear 53. Locking pin 54 has a locking 00 0 actic~in. on spur gear 52. Also zshown is actuating knob which has coil spring 56 associated therewith. Upon inward 0 movement of knob 55 as shown by the arrow gear 52 may '0 disengage with spool gear 53.

00 0In the locking means shown in FIGS 14-15 there is 0 0 shown a frictional locking means wherein there is provided 0 friction pads 57 attached to rods 58 telescopically engageable with release lover 59 aittached to actuating handle 60 which is rotatably attached to end wall 16. There is also provided coil springs 61 which provide for inward movement or 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 000a 0 I withdrawal of friction control knobs 14 and movement of knobs 14.

as shown in FIG 15 the direction to that shown pads 57. Pads 57 alwa- -7vtl Wit~h inhibit unrestrained or free running Upon movement of actuating handle chart 12 may be wound in an opposite in FIG 14.

a00 0 SO'0 00 01 0 00,0 0 0

Claims (7)

1. A board assembly for supporting a chart including: support means which supports said chart; (ii) one or more freely rotatable actuating members which upon manual rotation thereof actuate movement of che chart relative to the support means; (iii) locking means for preventing rotation of said one or more actuating members or movement of said chart across said support means; and (iv) an accessible manual release member for manually releasing said one or more actuating members or said chart from 0 oo 0 said looked position. o 0 0 2. A board assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 0 00 support means is a support housing having a top wall and base wall together with a pair of opposed end walls. o. 3. A board assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein 0 the actuating membors include a plurality of freely rotatable 01o spindles or spools for rotationally supporting the chart. O 0

4. A board assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the locking means acts directly on the actuating msmbers to inhibit 0 og4o 0 0 0 O 00 A board assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking means acts directly on the chart to inhibit movement thereof.

6. A board assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said release member may also initiate locking of said one or more actuating members in said looked position.

7. A board assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the release member is a manually operable release member externally accessible in regard to the support means.

8. A board assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the release member is an abutment member which abuts the chart in a stationary position.

9. A board assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the release member is an abutment member which abuts the actuating members to inhibit movement thereof. 00 0 10. A board assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 0000 0 0 4, wherein said locking means comprises a ratchet assembly 0 00000 0 wherein at least one of said actuating members is provided with 0 0 0 0 00 o o0 circumferentially spaced projections or teeth and said support 0 0 0 0 00 means includes a slide movable between a locking position wherein said slide engages with said spaced projections or teeth to lock ao said actuating member against rotation and a free position when 0 0 o0 o0 said actuating member may rotate, said slide being operable 00 0 So between its locking and free position by said accessible manually 0 0 release member.

11. A board assembly substantially n herein described with o0 0 o reference to Figures 1 to 16. 0 oo DATED this Twentieth day of March, 1991. KELVIN JOSEPH O'SHEA by his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.