GB1581241A

GB1581241A - Boats

Info

Publication number: GB1581241A
Application number: GB30796/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LESCROART H; LESCROART J
Current assignee: LESCROART H; LESCROART J
Priority date: 1976-07-28
Filing date: 1977-07-22
Publication date: 1980-12-10
Also published as: NL7706670A; BE854387A; DE2723559A1; IT1083893B; FR2359740A1; FR2359740B1

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BOATS (71) We, JULES LESCROART of 859 de Dunkerque, Lomme (Nord) Francaise, Notaire and HUBERT LESCROART of 1 rue de Sequedin, Capinghem (Nord), Francaise, Gerant de la SARL, B.C.G. both French Citizens, 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 present invention relates to a boat.

It relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to boats suitable for habitation and intended for pleasure sailing in calm water.

Boats having a stream-lined hull are traditionally used for sailing of this type, but one is thus limited to units of small size, which are consequently not well suited for occupation, owing to the necessity of limiting the draught to a low value in order to facilitate passage through shallow water. In addition, boats of this type are generally designed for sailing at sea and consequently for withstanding stresses greater than those which they encounter in calm water, are generally very expensive.

Consequently, it is preferable to use flatbottomed boats, which are generally produced by placing a cabin whose design is approximately that of a caravan, on a flatbottomed decked hull.

Boats of this type have the drawback of being heavy, since the weight of the cabin is added to that of the decked hull of traditional type and the latter are consequently difficult to transport and put in the water.

In addition, boats of this type are expensive since they require the construction of a considerable supporting structure, namely that of a decked hull, to withstand the weight of the cabin.

Owing to their weight, these boats also have a draught which is great for crossing certain shallow waters in a river or lake.

The object of the present invention is to remedy all these drawbacks by proposing a new structure for these boats which is generally but not exclusively of the "flatbottomed" type.

So that it can be transported more easily and placed in the water more easily, the boat according to the invention is in the form of a plurality of floatable units assembled sideby-side in a rigid manner but which can be dismantled at will, which makes it possible to transport and place each unit in the water separately in order to assemble the boat after it is placed in the water. The dismantled boat may be transported for example in the form of a pile of its various constituents.

A particular function may be attributed to each unit, for example one of the units being a driving unit and containing the engine and the fuel tank, a second unit, for example the central unit, constituting the passenger compartment and the third unit, placed at the front for example, providing a rest or fishing area for example.

So that it is lighter, the boat according to the invention is formed by a plurality of units, whereof each is defined by a flat-bottomed double self-supporting hull. The outer wall of this hull thus defines the hull proper, in contact with the water and its inner side simply defines the floor and inner side walls of the boat.

This self-supporting double hull may be obtained in a particularly economical manner by assembling rigid water-tight panels in a rigid and water-tight manner, whereof each is defined by a flat frame generally comprising struts, to each side of which a facing sheet is fixed.

A hull designed in this way has the double advantage of being perfectly rigid and virtually unsinkable, owing to the fact that two hulls are provided, fitted one in the other and between which the struts define water-tight chambers.

The frames, struts and facing sheets may advantageously be made from wood and assembled by sticking in a particularly economical manner.

Apart from other advantages resulting from its light weight, a boat designed in this way has a slight draught which enables it to follow routes inaccessible to currently known boats of this type.

According to the present invention there is provided a boat comprising a plurality of floatable units assembled side-by-side in a rigid manner but dismantable at will, each unit comprising a flat-bottomed double selfsupporting hull with at least one side face for connection to an adjacent similar unit, which connecting face is directed outwards and is able to follow the shape of at least one connecting side face of said similar adjacent unit.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure. 1 is a perspective view of a boat produced according to the invention, by assembling three floating units; and Figure 2 is a view of the same boat in perspective and in cross section through the central section.

In the example illustrated, the boat 1 according to the invention is formed essentially by three floating units 2, 3, 4, following each other in this order in the direction of travel 5 of the boat.

Naturally, boats could also be produced according to the invention, comprising a number of assembled floating units greater than three or just two units, these floating units being able to be placed side-by-side in the direction of travel 5 or transversely with respect to this direction.

The floating units may have identical dimensions, in particular in plan and along a transverse direction with respect to the direction 5, but they may also have different dimensions.

Each of the latter may be designed and fitted out according to a particular use : for example, the central unit 3 may be provided with a cabin, the front unit 2 may constitute a leisure area or an area for working in the open air and the rear unit 4 may contain and house the engine and fuel tanks.

Preferably, the floating units assembled side-by-side in a rigid manner all have a flat bottom, the arrangement of the bottoms of the various units being coplanar when the boat is assembled.

Preferably, each floating unit comprises a self-supporting hull. In addition, each floating unit preferably comprises a double hull.

These two features are obtained in the example illustrated by a particularly simple but robust method of construction of each unit.

According to this embodiment, each unit is defined by a plurality of water-tight panels, joined in a water-tight manner, each of which is in turn defined by a flat rigid frame and by at least two facing sheets connected to the frame respectively on either side of the latter in order to define the side of each panel respectively facing the inside and outside of the unit.

Thus, the intermediate unit 3, seen in section in figure 2, is defined by a bottom panel 6, which is substantially rectangular, to which are connected, on each of its sides and substantially at right-angles thereto, four lateral panels, respectively a port panel 7, starboard panel 8, stern panel 9 and bow panel 10 (see also figure 1).

The bottom panel 6 is in this case defined by a rectangular flat frame whereof figure 2 shows the port and starboard uprights 11 and 12, of square cross section for example and to each side of which is fixed, for example by sticking, a sheet of wood, respectively an upper sheet 13 and lower sheet 14. These sheets have surface dimensions equal to the outer dimensions of the frame.

To increase the rigidity of the frame of the panel 6, this frame is braced by wooden laths 15 arranged transversely for example with respect to the direction 5.

These laths 15 are placed edgewise with respect to the general plane of the panel 6 for example, i.e. also with respect to the general plane of the two facing sheets 13 and 14 which they join and to which they are fixed by sticking for example, firstly to make the arrangement more rigid and to reinforce the two sheets 13 and 14, which respectively define the floor of the unit and the base of its hull and on the other hand in order to divide the volume defined by the two sheets 13 and 14 and by the frame into a plurality of watertight chambers tending to make the boat virtually unsinkable.

Each of the side panels such as 7 to 10 has a similar structure.

For example, the port-side panel 7 comprises an inner rectangular frame defined by two vertical uprights (not shown in the drawings) connected to each other, respectively in the vicinity of their upper ends and in the vicinity of their lower ends, by horizontal cross bars 16 and 17 arranged parallel to the direction 5. At the bottom, the cross bar 17 rests on the upper sheet 13 of the bottom panel 6, to which it is fixed by sticking.

Towards the inside of the floating unit, the frame of the panel 7 is covered with an integral facing sheet 18. Towards the outside, it is likewise covered with an integral facing sheet 19, which is extended downwards so that it also covers the edge of the bottom panel 6, in the region of which it is fixed by sticking for example to the upright 11 and to the edge of the sheets 13 and 14 of this panel 6.

The frame of the panel 7 is also braced, for example by means of laths 20 placed edgew ise with respect to its general plane and parallel with respect to the direction 5, i.e. horizontally. As in the case of the bottom panel 6, the laths 20 divide the inner volume of the panel 7 into a plurality of water-tight chambers.

Naturally, the other side panels such as 8 to 10 of the floating unit have a similar structure to that of the panel 7, the front and rear panels 10 and 9 respectively preferably having inner laths which are also horizontal.

A parallelepipedal shape of the unit may also be used for the front and rear units, as in the example illustrated, in view of the low travelling speed which is normal for boats of this type. However, it is not outside the framework of the invention to give the front panel 21 of the front unit 2 or the rear panel 22 of the rear unit 4 a certain inclination with respect to the horizontal and to the base panels, respectively 23 and 24 of these units.

The side panels on the port-side and starboard side of each unit could also have an inclination with respect to the base.

Finally, it is not outside the scope of the invention to replace the front panel 21 by a bow, obtained for example from two panels assembled in the shape of a V, the base 23 of the unit thus naturally having the desired shape, for example that of a triangle or pentagon.

For reasons of ease of connection of the various units, it will nevertheless be preferred to give those of their side panels intended to come into contact with a side panel of an adjacent unit, an orientation at right-angles to the base of the unit, i.e. in practice generally vertical and to the direction 5 of travel of the boat.

Thus, in the example illustrated, the central unit 3 comprises, respectively towards the rear and front with respect to the direction 5 of travel of the boat, a side face arranged at right-angles with respect to this direction and defined respectively by the side of the panel 9 facing rearwards and by the side of the panel 10 facing forwards, which are intended to ensure the connection respectively to the rear unit 4 and to the front unit 2.

The rear unit 4 in turn comprises, towards the front with respect to the direction 5, a side face which is also arranged at rightangles with respect to this direction and defined in practice by the front face of the front side panel 25 of this unit 4, in order to fit exactly against the rear connecting side of the floating unit 3, when assembling the boat.

This connection between the outer side of the rear panel 9 of the central unit 7 and the outer side of the front panel 24 of the rear unit 4 is shown in the drawings by the reference numeral 26.

Similarly, the rear panel 27 of the front unit 2 comprises towards the outside of this unit, i.e. towards the rear, a side for connection to the central unit 3, which in practice follows the shape of the outer side of the front panel 10 of the latter, the connection between these two sides being designated by the reference numeral 28 in figure 1.

The assembly of the units juxtaposed in this way, by their connecting sides is ensured by means which, in order to be more easily accessible, are arranged in the example illustrated, on the side faces of each unit adjacent the connecting side in question.

For example, the side face 7 on the portside of the central unit 3 comprises, in the immediate vicinity and along its junction with the rear panel 9 of this unit, a plate 29 fixed by screwing for example and supporting, towards the outside, two eyelets 30 arranged substantially parallel to the rear side of the panel 9, which defines the connection 26 to the front panel 25 of the rear unit 4. The side panel 34 on the port-side of this rear unit 4 in turn comprises, in the immediate vicinity and along its junction with the front panel 25 of this unit, an identical plate 31 in turn comprising two eyelets 32 arranged parallel to the front side of the panel 25 and at a level, for example taken with respect to the bottom panel 24 of the unit 4, identical to the level of the eyelets 30 with respect to the base panel 6 of the central unit 3.

Thus, each of the eyelets 32 is located opposite one of the eyelets 30 when the connection is ensured at 26 between the front side of the panel 25 and the rear side of the panel 9 and when the bases of the units 3 and 4 are coplanar, and the connection of the two units is ensured by ties shown diagrammatically by dot-dash lines 33 and in practice constituted for example by eye bolts, which are engaged in opposing rings and tightened between these rings in order to bring the two connecting faces one against the other.

This arrangement is naturally provided on the starboard side of the units 3 and 4 and on the port and starboard sides of the two units 2 and 3 in the immediate vicinity of their connection 28.

An easily accessible method of assembly of this type is easy to put in position and dismantle : thus, the various units can be transported separately, put in the water separately and assembled after being put in the water, then dismantled after use and before they are removed from the water, in order to be removed, then once more transported separately.

Naturally, assembly means other than those which have been described could be used without diverging from the scope of the invention.

In a quite general manner, the method of construction of the various floating units assembled to produce the boat according to the invention may be subject to numerous variations with respect to what has been described, without diverging from the scope of the invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A boat comprising a plurality of floatable units assembled side-by-side in a rigid manner but dismantlable at will, each unit comprising a flat-bottomed double selfsupporting hull with at least one side face for connection to an adjacent similar unit, which connecting face is directed outwards and is able to follow the shape of at least one connecting side face of said similar adjacent unit.

2. A boat as claimed in claim 1, in which each floating unit is defined by a plurality of water-tight panels joined in a water-tight manner, whereof each is defined by a flat rigid frame and by at least two facing sheets connected to the frame respectively on either side of the panel facing the inside and outside of the unit respectively.

3. A boat as claimed in claim 2, in which the frame is braced.

4. A boat as claimed in claim 3, in which the struts of the frame join the facings in order to define a plurality of water-tight chambers inside the colume defined by the frame and the two facings of the panel.

5. A boat as claimed in claim 3 or 4, in which the struts are horizontal in the side panels of the unit and comprise laths placed edgewise with respect to the general plane of the panel.

6. A boat as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, in which the struts are arranged at right-angles to the direction of travel of the boat in the base panels of each unit and comprise laths arranged edgewise with respect to the general plane of the panel.

7. A boat as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the facing sheet corresponding to the outer face of the side panel is joined and connected to the frame of the base panel on the edge of the latter.

8. A boat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, in which each floating unit comprises means for connection to said adjacent unit, which means are arranged on the side face of each floating unit adjacent said connecting face and comprise eyelets arranged substantially parallel to the connecting side face and able to receive a tie, which tie can engage in opposing eyelets of two adjacent units substantially at right angles to the connecting sides in contact.

TN . 1 I ' .

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the invention may be subject to numerous variations with respect to what has been described, without diverging from the scope of the invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A boat comprising a plurality of floatable units assembled side-by-side in a rigid manner but dismantlable at will, each unit comprising a flat-bottomed double selfsupporting hull with at least one side face for connection to an adjacent similar unit, which connecting face is directed outwards and is able to follow the shape of at least one connecting side face of said similar adjacent unit.

3. A boat as claimed in claim 2, in which the frame is braced.

TN . 1 I ' .