GB1579026A

GB1579026A - Retractable wheeled device for a boat

Info

Publication number: GB1579026A
Application number: GB21131/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: FALMARINE IND PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: FALMARINE IND PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1976-05-21
Filing date: 1976-05-21
Publication date: 1980-11-12

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A RETRACTABLE WHEELED DEVICE FOR A BOAT (71) We, FALMARINE INDUSTRIAL PLAS TICS LIMITED, of 1 Serjeants Inn, London EC4Y, formerly of 5 Giltspur Street, London EC1, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a retractable wheeled device for a boat, particularly, but not exclusively, an inflatable craft, for example a rubber dinghy.

The device may be used for launching a boat, or for handling the boat in and out of the water, during recovery from the water as well as during launching.

The handling of inflatable craft out of the water presents problems, because of the ease with which damage can occur. The problems are increased when the craft is fitted with a motor because of the additional weight.

The invention therefore provides a retractable wheeled device for a boat, the device comprising bracket means arranged for securement to the boat, support means carried by the bracket means for pivotation between in-use and out-of-use positions, -wheel means rotatably carried by the support means, and latch means movably carried by the support, the latch means being spring biased to releasably engage a respective formation of the bracket means in each of the in-use and out-of-use positions, to thereby latch the support means therein.

Conveniently, the device may comprise a second support means with its associated wheel means mounted on the bracket means.

The wheel means enables the boat to be readily moved on land when the support means is in the in-use position, and has substantially no effect on the operation of the boat on water when the support means is in the out-of-use position.

Although the invention can be embodied in a device for securement to existing boats, the invention will be understood to extend to boats incorporating the device as a feature af the original design.

A retractable wheeled device in accordance with the present invention, and for use with a rubber dinghy, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of the device in an in-use position, shown mounted on a dinghy; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the bracket means and support means of the device in a position of use; Figure 3 is an end view of the bracket and support means of the device; and Figure 4 is a section between the line I-I and II-II of Figure 3.

Although only the bracket means and support means of a single device are shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4, it is to be understood that a pair of the devices is used for a boat, mounted as shown schematically in Figure 1 on a transom 31.

Bracket means in the form of a channel member bracket 30 is arranged to be fixedly mounted at the base of its channel to the transom 31 of the rubber dinghy, and support means in the form of a square section tube 32, which extends therefrom, is provided at its free end with a rod axle 34 upon which is mounted a wheel or other rolling member 36, which is preferably a wheel with a rotationally moulded plastics tyre. The wheel 36 is retained on the axle 34 in any suitable way, for example by a split pin received in a transverse hole at the free end of the axle.

The tube 32 is pivotally mounted in the channel of the bracket 30 by a pivot 38, so as to be movable between an in-use position, shown in full outline in Figure 2, and an outof-use position, indicated in part by the dashed lines in Figure 2. The bracket 30 is of substantially triangular shape, and is provided with formations in the form of recesses 40 and 42, in each channel surface, at two of its apieces, which are arranged to receive latch means in the form of a rolling guide assembly 43.

The rolling guide assembly 43 comprises a guide 44 slidably disposed within the tube 32, and mounted on an axle pin 45 that extends transversely across the tube 32. The pin 45 extends out through elongate slots 46, 47 in opposing side walls of the tube 32, which limit the longitudinal movement of the pin. The pin 45 is prevented from moving transversely by revolving bushes 48 and 49 secured at respective ends of the pin in rolling engagement with respective sides 30a, 30b of the channel bracket 30. A spring 52 is secured at one end to the mid point of the pin 45, and the other end of the spring 52 is secured to the pivot 38, so as to bias the assembly 43 towards the pivot 38.Thus, with the support means in its in-use position shown in the figures, the spring 52 is effective positively to retain the bushes 48 and 49 in respective recesses 40, and thus to lock the wheel 38 into its in-use position.

A nylon cord 54 is attached to the guide 44, and passes out through the tube 32, to a ring 56 of a balls-eye fitting 58 mounted thereon.

The cord 54 is effective to enable the position of the support means to be changed from within the dinghy. To change the launching device from its in-use position as shown in full outline in the figures, the ring 56 is pulled upwards, and since the attached cord 54 passes through the balls-eye fitting 58, which is disposed on the tube 32 below the lower recess 40, this exerts a downward force on the guide 44 so as to pull the pin 45 of the rolling guide assembly 43 out of the recesses 40.

Continued pulling of the ring56then pulls the guide 44 to the left as seen in Figure 2, and the revolving bushes 48, 49 move outwards and upwards along respective inclined edges 60 of the bracket 30. Thus, the rolling guide assembly 43, and the tube 32 and wheel 36 describe an arc about the pivot 38. This movement continues until the revolving bushes 48 and 49 engage the upper recesses 42 of the bracket 30, when the spring 52 retracts the rolling guide assembly 43 so as positively to locate the bushes 48 and 49 in respective recesses 42. In this position, the tube 32 and ataached wheel 36 are raised above the water level, indicated in Figure 2 by the line W-W.

To return the launching device to its in-use position, the assembly 43 can be disengaged from the recesses 42 by pulling ring 56 and cord 54 against the tension of the spring 52.

The revolving bushes 48, 49 are allowed to travel along the inclined edges 60 of the bracket 30 under the action of the weight of the tube 32, rolling guide assembly 43 and wheel 36, restrained by tension on the cord 54, until the pin 45 again engages with the reces ses 40 and the device is locked in position by tension in the spring 52 on the rolling guide assembly 43.

The tyres of the wheels 36 can conveniently be formed by rotational integral moulding of a plastics material such as polyvinylchloride, ethylene vinyl acetate, or Hytril, or from rubber, and the wheel bodies are preferably of the split wheel rim kind, for ease of replacement of the tyre, formed from polypropylene by injection moulding.

Although the guide 44 is biased towards the pivot 38 by the spring 52, it is envisaged that a shock cord, i.e. an elastic loop, may alternatively be employed for this purpose.

It will be evident that the invention can be embodied in launching devices and in boats, particularly inflatable craft, incorporating launching devices which differ in a variety of ways from the embodiment illustrated and described. Thus, a single device can support two or more wheels, and modifications can readily be made to the manner of mounting the wheels and the associated supports and to the ways in which they are held in the in-use and out-of-use positions.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that the device may be mounted on a boat to a part thereof other than the transom. For example, a pair of devices may be mounted, or arranged to be mounted, one on each side of a boat, suitable axles being provided so that, in use, the wheels are aligned parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boat.

The device of the invention may also be provided so as to have two support members mounted on a common bracket, or on separate brackets, for attachment to a boat.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A retractable wheeled device for a boat, the device comprising bracket means arranged for securement to the boat, support means carried by the bracket means for pivotation between in-use and out-of-use position, wheel means rotatably carried by the support means, and latch means movably carried by the support, the latch means being spring biased to releasably engage a respective formation of the bracket means in each of the in-use and out-of-use positions, to thereby latch the support means therein.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the bracket means provides a track between the two formations on which the latch means moves during pivotation of the support means.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the latch means comprises roller means, the roller means being arranged to roll along an edge of the bracket means during pivotation of the support means between recesses in the edge constituting the formations.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the bracket means comprises a channel member into which the support means extends, and wherein the roller means comprises a pair of rollers mounted on a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. receive latch means in the form of a rolling guide assembly 43. The rolling guide assembly 43 comprises a guide 44 slidably disposed within the tube 32, and mounted on an axle pin 45 that extends transversely across the tube 32. The pin 45 extends out through elongate slots 46, 47 in opposing side walls of the tube 32, which limit the longitudinal movement of the pin. The pin 45 is prevented from moving transversely by revolving bushes 48 and 49 secured at respective ends of the pin in rolling engagement with respective sides 30a, 30b of the channel bracket 30. A spring 52 is secured at one end to the mid point of the pin 45, and the other end of the spring 52 is secured to the pivot 38, so as to bias the assembly 43 towards the pivot 38.Thus, with the support means in its in-use position shown in the figures, the spring 52 is effective positively to retain the bushes 48 and 49 in respective recesses 40, and thus to lock the wheel 38 into its in-use position. A nylon cord 54 is attached to the guide 44, and passes out through the tube 32, to a ring 56 of a balls-eye fitting 58 mounted thereon. The cord 54 is effective to enable the position of the support means to be changed from within the dinghy. To change the launching device from its in-use position as shown in full outline in the figures, the ring 56 is pulled upwards, and since the attached cord 54 passes through the balls-eye fitting 58, which is disposed on the tube 32 below the lower recess 40, this exerts a downward force on the guide 44 so as to pull the pin 45 of the rolling guide assembly 43 out of the recesses 40. Continued pulling of the ring56then pulls the guide 44 to the left as seen in Figure 2, and the revolving bushes 48, 49 move outwards and upwards along respective inclined edges 60 of the bracket 30. Thus, the rolling guide assembly 43, and the tube 32 and wheel 36 describe an arc about the pivot 38. This movement continues until the revolving bushes 48 and 49 engage the upper recesses 42 of the bracket 30, when the spring 52 retracts the rolling guide assembly 43 so as positively to locate the bushes 48 and 49 in respective recesses 42. In this position, the tube 32 and ataached wheel 36 are raised above the water level, indicated in Figure 2 by the line W-W. To return the launching device to its in-use position, the assembly 43 can be disengaged from the recesses 42 by pulling ring 56 and cord 54 against the tension of the spring 52. The revolving bushes 48, 49 are allowed to travel along the inclined edges 60 of the bracket 30 under the action of the weight of the tube 32, rolling guide assembly 43 and wheel 36, restrained by tension on the cord 54, until the pin 45 again engages with the reces ses 40 and the device is locked in position by tension in the spring 52 on the rolling guide assembly 43. The tyres of the wheels 36 can conveniently be formed by rotational integral moulding of a plastics material such as polyvinylchloride, ethylene vinyl acetate, or Hytril, or from rubber, and the wheel bodies are preferably of the split wheel rim kind, for ease of replacement of the tyre, formed from polypropylene by injection moulding. Although the guide 44 is biased towards the pivot 38 by the spring 52, it is envisaged that a shock cord, i.e. an elastic loop, may alternatively be employed for this purpose. It will be evident that the invention can be embodied in launching devices and in boats, particularly inflatable craft, incorporating launching devices which differ in a variety of ways from the embodiment illustrated and described. Thus, a single device can support two or more wheels, and modifications can readily be made to the manner of mounting the wheels and the associated supports and to the ways in which they are held in the in-use and out-of-use positions. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the device may be mounted on a boat to a part thereof other than the transom. For example, a pair of devices may be mounted, or arranged to be mounted, one on each side of a boat, suitable axles being provided so that, in use, the wheels are aligned parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boat. The device of the invention may also be provided so as to have two support members mounted on a common bracket, or on separate brackets, for attachment to a boat. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A retractable wheeled device for a boat, the device comprising bracket means arranged for securement to the boat, support means carried by the bracket means for pivotation between in-use and out-of-use position, wheel means rotatably carried by the support means, and latch means movably carried by the support, the latch means being spring biased to releasably engage a respective formation of the bracket means in each of the in-use and out-of-use positions, to thereby latch the support means therein.

member extending transversely of the support means, so as to be positioned one on each side of the support means.

5. A device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the support means is tubular, and the latch means is guided in opposed slots in the support means wall.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the latch means is spring biased by a tension spring within the support means extending between the latch means and the axis of pivotation of the support means on the bracket means.

7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the latch means is manually displaceable from engagement with the formation by means of a cable connecting the latch means to the ring of a balls-eye fitting mounted on the support means.

8. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the wheel means comprises a rotational injection moulded plastics tyre.

9. A retractable wheeled device for a boat substantially as herein-before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a second support means with its associated wheel means mounted on the backet means.

11. A small boat having fitted thereto a device according to any preceding claim.

12. A boat according to claim 11 wherein the or each wheel means is above the water line of the boat when the or each support means is in its out-of-use position.

13. A boat according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the device is mounted on a rigid transom of the boat.

14. A boat according to any of claims 11 to 13, the boat being an inflatable craft.

15. A boat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.