AU618933B2 - A collapsable boat - Google Patents

Description

pp, PATENTS ACT 1952 9 COIMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE

USE

3Form Short Title: ;nt. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: **Complete Spec.ification-Lodged: to Accepted: Lapsed: Published: ::*Priority: Related Art: *.9 P to

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TEN DOLLARS SIXTYffl DOLLARS11)M TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Hugh Richard Jones jdress of Applicant: 43 Newport Street, Dunedin, New Zealand Actual Inventor, Address for Service: Hugh Richard Jones FOLEYS, Solicitors, West Street, North Sydney, 2060.

DX 402 Sydney. Telephone 922 2311 Complete Specification for the, invention entitled: A Collapsable Boat The following statement Is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:-~ teThe description Is to be typed Irn double spacing, pica type face, In an area not exceeding 250 mm In depth and 160 mm in width, on tough white paper of good quality and It Is to be Inserted Inside this form, Printed by C, J, DItOMtSON, Adting commonwealth Government itinter. (,nberra 4.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A COLLAP31BLEJQj to S. .0 so to 0 I, HUGH RICHARD JONES, of '43 Newport Street, BelleknoWes, Dunedin, KI-Fw Zealand, do hereby declare the invention, f,-r which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statemert:-

I.

This invention relates to a collapsable boat.

Over the years many different proposals for collapsable boat hulls have been devised. The main attrac of a boat having a collapsable hull is that the boat can be reduced to a compact form for ready storage, transportation etc.

Such a construction of boat is particularly suited to small boat hulls such as canoes, row bouts, runabouts, sailing dinghys, yacht tenders and the like as the boat can be readily stored away wh n not in use in a garage, inside yacht and canoe club storage sheds, inside large yachts, launches, campervans and caravans.

It can be readily carried on, for example, car roof racks, helicopter undercarriages, seaplane floats, yacht and launch decks when being transported to and from sites of use.

Previously proposed constructions of such boats have to a limited degree been successful, however, there is still a need for a collapsable boat which is of a simple straightforward yet robust construction, which offers total boat .performance to the user and can be quickly assembled and disassembled yet still provide a stable seaworthy craft.

S* The construction of a collapsable boat is pre ferably a construction which enables different configurations of boat having a same basic construction to be built thereby rationalising construction techniques and methods enabling a variety of different boats to be constructed.

The aim of the present intvention is to provide a construction of boat hull which enables the hull to be readily collapsed for storage and transportation purposes, the construction and arrangement being such that the hull can readily assembled and disassembled yet results in a robust and seaworthy craft.

SBroadly the invention consists of a collapsaole boat hull comprising a plurality of semi-rigid material members shaped and combined to form the keel, (incorporating the stem or bow), topsides, bottoms, and transom of the hull, the said members being combined together by at least one sheathing of a flexible materi 1 applied to each side of the said menmers, with spaces being provided I between all of the adjacent members such that the sheathing extending therebetween enables the members to be hinged from a first position where the hull is in a collapsed state to a second position wherein the hull is in an assembled i state To more fully describe the invention, reference will be made to a preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;- Figure 1 is f perspective view of a rowboat/sailing dinghy showing hull members in their assembled state.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rowboat/sailing dinghy showing hull members in their collapsed state.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a canoe showing hull members in their assembled state.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a pram type rowboat/runabout showing hull members in their assembled state.

Figure is a perspective view of a complete rowboat in its collapsed state.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a complete rowboat in stage one of its assembled state.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a complete rowboat in stage two of its assembled state.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a complete rowboat in its final assembled state.

To more fully describe Figures 1 to 8: Figure 1 A rowboat/sailing dinghy hull comprises of ten hull members. When the hull is in its collapsed state and referring to the insides of the hull members, 1 faces 6, 2 faces 8, 3 faces 10, 4 faces 9, 5 faces 7, 6 faces 8, 7 faces 9, and the ou'sides of 6 and 7 face each other.

8 and 9 lie at 900 to Figure 2 A sailing dinghy's transom members 10, have the opposite folding arrangement to a rowboat transom members 11 in its collapsed state and referring to the inside of the transom members 1 faces 2, 5 faces 4, and the outsides of 1 and 5 face each other. 2 and 4 lie at 900 to 3.

This arrangement is necessary in sailing versions to allow extra length and packing area for sails, contreboard, mast, rudder etc. when the hull is in its collapsed state.

Figure 3 A canoe hull comprises of five members. When the hull is in its collapsed state and referring to the inside of the hull members 12 faces 14, 13 faces 15 and the outsides of 12 and 13 face each other. 14 and lie at 900 to 16.

Figure 4 A pram type rowboat/runabout comprises of fifteen hull members (including an optional foredeck). Whe- the hull is in its collapsed state and referring to the inside of t hull members 17 faces 22, 18 faces 24, 19 faces 26, 20 faces 25, 21 faces 23, 27 faces 22, 28 faces 23, 29 faces 24, 30 faces 25, and the outsides of 22 and 23 faca each other. 24 and 25 lie at 900 to 26 and 29 and 30 lie at PO0 to 31. 31 lies parallel to 26.

The semi rigid hull members Figure 1, 32 are placed in their appropriate position leaving a space between all of the hull members.

A flexible material Figure 1, 33 reinforced rip stop nylon, rubber, canvas is bonded to each side of the semi rigid hull members forming a hinge.

4.

Figure A complete rowboat in its collapsed state has provision for the seat thwart 36, transom 37 and oars 38 to be packed inside the collapsed hull.

Two wheels 39 are attached to the skeg 40 and a launching strap 41 is fitted to the inner stem 42.

The combination of 39 and 41 enables the user to trundle the boat in its collapsed or assembled state and prevents any part of the hull coming into contact with abrasive material, preventing wear of the underside of the hull when launching.

A strap 42 through a slot in the rubbing strake 43 secures the hull in its collapsed state.

Figure 6 1 i When the strap 42 is removed, the boat will partially open, aided by the built-in memory of the outer keel 45 which moves in an opposing direction to the built-in memory of the gunwales 44.

Figure 7 The topsides 46 are pulled apart by the user sufficiently to allow the thwart 36 to be positioned. The bottom of the thwart is guided into the thwart base stops 47 which are secured to the inner keel 48.

The thwart sides are secured to the topsides by thwart side stops 49.

The transom 37 is positioned over the fabricated transom members and secured by bolts 50. The back of the seat 35 is positioned into a slot on the front of the transom. The middle of the seat rests in a slot Sin the thwart. The front of the seat rests on a seat support 51 and ;secured bya cupboard'toggle (not shown).

Figure 8 The. assembled boat is a V bottomed 52, (except pram type rowboat/runabout versions which are flat bottomed across and curved from bow to stem Figure 4) hard chine 53 hull with the chine running from the stem head 54 to the transom corner 55 (except canoe versions which have the chine ,i running from stem head to stem head).

The seat 35 has considerable advantages over the traditional boat seat i arrangements (whereby the seats, usually three, run across the boat).

SThe seat positioned longitudinally enables the user to select a rowing position for perfect trim of the boat with one or more passengers, whether rowing or outboard motoring.

Flotation bags (not shown) under the seat 35 and secured to the inner keel 48 makes the boat unsinkable.

The user will appreciate that when assembling the boat from its collapsed IJ state to its assembled state only three parts (excluding oars) are handled 36, 37 and 35. These parts are held in their appropriate positions by fittings which are secured to the boat hull. The result is a boat which can be leisurely assembled in two minutes.

Claims (7)

1. A collapsible boat hull comprising a plurality of -gidC-e- semi-rigid material hull members shaped and combinable to form the hull, said members being combined together by at least one sheathing qppltec e c side of T'e- s.cd lienber5 q/ of a flexible naterialAwith spaces being provided between .at l.a. o.am of the adjacent members such that the sheathing extending therebetween a enables the members to be hinged from a first position where the hull a' *e is in a collapsed state to a second position wherein the hull is in 1 a. an assembled state.

2. A hull according to claim 1, wherein the hull members are O selected to form the keel, sides, bottom, stem or bow and transom of a the hull. S a

3. A hull according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the members forming the transom are, in the collapsed state of the hull, substantially aligned with the plane of the adjacent portion of the bottom of the hull whereby the hull can be folded about the keel by moving the sides together.

4.A according to claim 1, 2 or 3, whorein a Web-e-'med- by the flexible material extends between eac end- the transom and the associated si e-is, rn ;t he assembled state of the hull, locatable Gy -ig-means-te-he-l-tehe--ans m-i-te-i-ti -bew ee--he-s-i-de-- I^/W R f' f. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein)&- sheathing of flexible material is applied to each side of each said hull member.

A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the polyv(ylcA lorw;de sheathing is a nylon reinforced- ip otp material.

6- A hull according to any one of claims I to 5, wherein the sheathing is a reinforced rubber material.

7- A hull according to any one of claims I to 5, wherein the sheathing is a canvas material. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a longitudinal seat is mounted between the transom and a forward stem of the hull. a a 06. O e I 00 00 *5* 0 6 9** *9 q. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein flotation means are provided for seujrement within the hull to render the hull substantially unsinkable. A hull substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any one of the accompanying drawings. Any-nvel-featur-e-orenvel-eomb-ina-tion-of-featues-di-st4cosed--. -hee-in. A4 HUGH RICHARD JONES