GB2161118A - Inflatable tube boat - Google Patents

Abstract

An inflatable tube boat has a hull which includes decking (1B) and upstanding sides, one of which is seen at (1). The inflatable tube (2) has an inflatable inner skin (2B) and an outer skin. The latter is formed by a rectangular sheet, or adjacent sheets, of material (2A) and one upstanding hull side portion (1). The sheet (2A) is removably connected at its upper and lower edges (at 3A and 3B) to the hull side portion (1). Thus the outer skin can be opened for access to the inner skin, for example in case of damage to the latter. The inflatable tube may comprise a single skin tube. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved inflatable tube boat This invention relates to an inflatable tube boat. Such boats are well-known and widely used. Usually they have a large inflatable tube which provides buoyancy, with a deck and a hull portion between the tube and connected to it. The inflatable tube usually consists of two side portions meeting together at a pointed bow. At the stern the boat is usually closed by a transom which extends across between the two spaced after ends of the tube.

The inflatable tube can be a single skin tube, or a double skin tube in which case it comprises a tough outer skin and an inflatable inner skin or bladder portion, which may consist of several bladders.

It is also known that the hull portion can have sides which extend up about the deck and that the sides can be strengthened with spaced internal vertical ribs.

With the known inflatable boats, if the tube or part of it becomes at all seriously damaged, it must be repaired in situ, which can involve returning the boat to a yard for the repair.

This is not always convenient, for example when an inflatable boat is kept and used at a lifeboat station, or on board a ship.

It is thus an object of this invention to avoid this disadvantage as far as possible, and according to this invention there is provided an inflatable tube boat which comprises a length or adjacent lengths of sheet material, the or each length being removably connected at least at one of its upper or lower side edges to a hull-side-forming portion. The boat preferably has a hull which includes upstanding sides, each of which constitutes a hull-sideforming portion. Preferably also, the or each length of sheet material is removably connected at its upper and lower side edges to one hull-side-forming portion.Since the inflatable tube is made up of sheet material which may be removably connected at, for example, top and bottom locations along a respective upstanding hull side, it may be readily removed, either for replacement, or for access to an inner skin bladder or bladders, which can be removed. In the case of damage to a single or primary skin tube, the whole tube, or possible a part of shorter length than the whole tube, can be removed and replaced. In the case of damage to a double skin tube, either or both skins, or shorter parts thereof, can be removed and replaced.

Thus at each side of the boat, the tube could have either a single sheet of material (which would be the case for instance for a small boat) or several such sheets, overlap ping at the edges in the length direction of the boat and edge connected, for example by bonding or welding. The or each sheet of material is preferably rectangular with a pair of upper and lower edge portions each folded back and connected, for example, bonded, to the main body of the sheet, so as to provide a tunnel or pocket at each edge, and in each tunnel or pocket runs a reinforcing and connecting member in the form of a wire rope or a metal rod or a flat stainless steel bar. The ropes, rods or bars reinforce the opposed edge portions of the sheet, or each sheet, and by providing appropriate cut-outs in the material, each rope, rod or bar is revealed at spaced locations.The thus revealed lengths or rope, rod or bar can be connected by appropriate means, for example hooks, at or near the top and bottom of the respective upstanding side of the hull. Other means of connecting the sheet or sheets to the hull sides may be used.

A preferred sheet material is a lightweight rubber sheet, up to say i inch (6mm) thick, as used for hovercraft skirts. Such a material has a good abrasion-resistant surface. Greater thickness could apply in the areas of maximum abrasion. For a double skin tube several bladders, which may be of reinforced or unreinforced material according to requirements, may be used.

The hull sides could have doors, releasable by lowering the tube pressure by way of appropriate valves accessible by way of the hull sides, such doors giving access to the interior of the tube.

Thus with a boat made in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a heavyduty outer skin can be removed quite quickly and readily for repair or replacement of the tube, or of an inner or outer skin, or both.

Alternatively, by releasing the connections at say the upper edge of a sheet, quite major damage could be repaired without the need to remove the whole tube. For example, a repair patch could be inserted.

If desired reinforcing web strips or straps could surround the tube and be fastened to a top rail part of the upstanding side of the hull.

Each hull side is preferably strengthened by spaced, moulded, upstanding buttresses, tapering upwardly in width and depth.

Also if desired, the hull sides could be in connected, removable sections or panels.

Alternatively, only an upper or lower edge of a sheet could be removably connected to a hull side, the other edge being as it were hinged to the hull side. Again alternatively, a boat could have a deck fixed to the tube without an upstanding hull side: in this case a tube skin portion could constitute a hull-sideforming portion, to which the sheet, or each sheet, of material could be removably con nected at its upper side edge, or at its lower side edge, or at both.

In the case of a double skin tube, the preferred inner skin material is a nylon reinforced neoprene-hypalon-neoprene bladder or bladders.

One advantage of the construction of the inflatable tube in a boat according to the invention is that it is not circular in cross section, but instead has its inner part (constituted by the hull side) of flattened section, so that the internal width of the boat between the hull sides can be greater (for a given external width) than a known boat with the usual circular section tube.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of part of a boat as seen from inside the boat, looking laterally outwards; Figure 2 is a cross section of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged section of part of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail from Fig. 1, of one embodiment; Figure 5 is a cross section of Fig. 4; Figure 6 is an enlarged detail from Fig. 1, of another embodiment; and Figure 7 is a cross section of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, an inflatable tube boat has a hull with upstanding sides, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 1.

The boat includes an inflatable tube 2 which comprises a length 2A of sheet material; several adjacent lengths of the sheet material may be used, with their edges (not shown) connected together. The length 2A of sheet material at its opposite edges 3A, 3B is removably connected at spaced locations 4 (Figs.

1, 4 and 6) to the upstanding hull side 1, which in this embodiment constitutes a hullside-forming portion.

In the present embodiment the inflatable tube comprises an outer skin which is constituted by the length or lengths 2A of sheet material and an inner skin 2B formed by a bladder or bladders, inflatable by way of a valve 5, The hull side 1 includes upstanding buttresses IA which taper upwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 2 also shows other parts of the hull, including a deck portion 1 B and a flange 1 C. The hull side 1 has at its top a triangular section rail 1 D.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 7, two embodiments of connections of the sheet material length 2A are shown. In the region of each edge, in Figs. 4 to 7 the edge 3A or 3B, of the length 2A is folded back on itself and at the edge 3B forms a tunnel or pocket 5 with spaced cutouts 5A (Fig. 1). The tunnel or pocket 5 receives a wire rope or rod 6, which can be reinforced (Figs. 4 and 5) with a moulded plate 6A or a tube 6B (Figs. 6 and 7). Where the wire rope or rod 6 is revealed by a cut-out 5A it is removably connected to hooks 7 (see Figs. 1 and 3) fixed to the hull side 1 or to the hull flange 1C.

It will be understood that by releasing the pressure on the inner skin 2B, the tension on the outer skin 2A is relieved and the wire ropes or rods 6 at the upper or lower edges 3A, 38 of the sheet material length or lengths 1 of the outer skin 2A can be readily removed, for access to the inner skin.

The hull side 1 could in addition have a removable door plate 8, Fig. 1, for limited access to the interior of the inflatable tube 2.

Fig. 2 shows that the outer skin 2A is passed around the triangular section part 1 D before its wire rope or rod 6 is connected to the hull side 1 and Fig. 3 shows a spacing member 9 between the inner and outer skins at the location 3A, so that the pocket 5 is sandwiched between the flange 1 C and the spacing member 9.

Although a double skin inflatable tube has been described above, the invention is applicable also to a single skin tube.

Other advantages which can be obtained by use of the invention are: The ability to provide a heavy tube carcass, to withstand hard wear.

The weight of the tube carcass can be varied according to requirements along the length of the tube.

The weight of the tube carcass can be varied according to the required duty.

In the case of a double skin tube having a series of inner bladders, only one bladder, for example could be deflated for removal, the remaining bladders being left inflated. It is also possible to insert a sheet to act as a temporary patch.

Both sides of the outer tube are accessible for repair.

The shape of the hull side wall shown can provide more room in a boat than the usual circular section inflatable tube.

Claims (11)

1. An inflatable tube boat including an inflatable tube which comprises a length or adjacent lengths of sheet material, the or each length being removably connected at least at one of its upper or lower side edges to a hullside-forming portion.

2. A boat according to claim 1 including a hull with upstanding sides, wherein each side constitutes a hull-side-forming portion.

3. A boat according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the or each length of the sheet material is removably connected at its uper and lower side edges to a hull-side-forming portion.

4. A boat according to any preceding claim wherein the inflatable tube has inner and outer skins, the outer skin being constituted by the said length or lengths of sheet material and a hull-side-forming portion.

5. A boat according to claim 4 wherein the inner skin comprises an inflatable bladder or series of bladders.

6. A boat according to claim 2, wherein the or each length of sheet material has a pair of upper and lower edge portions each folded back and connected to the main body of the sheet to provide a tunnel or pocket, in which runs an elongate reinforcing and connecting member.

7. A boat according to claim 6 wherein the elongate reinforcing and connecting member has parts revealed by cut-outs in the sheet material, the said parts being removably connected to an upstanding side of the hull.

8. A boat according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the reinforcing and connecting member is a wire rope, metal rod, or flat stainless steel bar.

9. A boat according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the said parts are removably connected by hooks to the upstanding side of the hull.

10. A boat according to clim 2 wherein the upstanding hull sides each have upstanding, upwardly tapering buttresses.

11. A boat according to any preceding claim wherein the inflatable tube is partly circular in cross section, the remainder of the section being of flattened configuration.

1 2. A boat according to claim 2 wherein the hull sides each have a door or doors to permit access to the interior of the tube.

1 3. An inflatable tube boat constructed and arranged substantially as herein described and shown in the drawings.