GB2299305A

GB2299305A - Dinghy Launching Aid

Info

Publication number: GB2299305A
Application number: GB9606105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sidney Gordon Wills
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-03-25
Filing date: 1996-03-22
Publication date: 1996-10-02
Also published as: GB9506148D0; GB9606105D0

Abstract

A dinghy launching aid comprises a channel-section bracket (10) which is attached to the transom (11) of an inflatable dinghy (12) and a strut (19) mounted between the side walls of the bracket (10). The strut (19) carries a wheel (27) and is pivotable relative to the bracket (10) between a first position in which the wheel (27) engages the ground and a second position in which the strut (19) extends rearwardly and slightly upwardly from the transom (11) so that the wheel (27) is clear of the water.

Description

DINGHY LATCHING AID Field of the Invention This invention relates to a dinghy launching aid and to a dinghy fitted with such an aid.

Launching an inflatable dinghy from a slipway without the use of a launching trolley or other launching aid is an awkward physical business. Careless launching results in damage being caused to the underside of a dinghy, resulting in expensive repairs. Most dinghy ormers thus use a launching trolley which is used to launch the dinghy but which then has to be returned to a parking or storage location.

Some hard dinghies have been constructed with built-in wheels but these inevitably cause drag when underway.

One launching aid which has been introduced fairly recently for inflatable dinghies consists of a single wheel housed in a small plastic bracket which is secured to the underside of the dinghy by means of long straps. This has obvious limitations but still sells in limited quantities.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of dinghy launching aid.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an inflatable dinghy which includes improved means for facilitating launching of the dinghy.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a dinghy launching aid comprising a support member for attachment to the transom of an inflatable dinghy with the axis of the support member extending substantially vertically, a strut mounted on said support member, a wheel carried by the strut, and means whereby the strut is movable relative to the support member between a first position in which the wheel engages the ground and a second position in which the wheel extends rearwardly of the dinghy.

The strut is preferably of generally triangular form and is preferably pivotally mounted on the support member in such manner that, when the strut is in its first position, a first side of the triangle extends substantially vertically whereas, when the strut is in its second position, a second side of the triangle extends substantially vertically.

The triangular form of the strut preferably comprises an open triangle, i.e. the central portion of the triangle is open so that the strut itself functions as a handle and can be grasped manually, even by cold wet hands, to move the strut from one position to the other.

The strut may alternatively comprise a main member of channel section, with the base of the channel corresponding to saiH one sige of the triangle and with the upper edges of the sides of the channel section arrayed at an inclination to the base so as to correspond to the second side of the triangle. A handle is preferably provided which projects from the base of the channel and completes the generally triangular form of the strut.

The support member is preferably in the form of a channel-section element attached, either permanently or removably, to the transom of the dinghy and the strut is preferably mounted so that it fits within the channel, being arranged for limited vertical travel relative to the support member between a situation in which the strut can be pivoted from its first into its second position and a situation in which such pivotal movement cannot be effected.

The means for pivotally mounting the strut on the support member preferably comDrises a vertical slot in the support member, an elongated slot in the strut and a pivot pin movable longitudinally of the two slots.

Two such launching aids are preferably provided, one on either side of the outboard motor mounting on the transom. The arrangement is preferably such that, when the struts are in their second positions, the wheels do not project beyond the twin rear inflatable sponsons or the dinghy, the wheels then being lifted clear of the water so as to avoid the generation of unwanted spray.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an inflatable dinghy fitted with a pair of launching aids as described ahove.

Brief Description of the Dravings Figure 1 is a detail view showing the mounting of a launching aid on the transom of an inflatable dinghy, Figure 2 is a plan view of a ciinghy -fitted with a pair of launching aids, showing the launching aizs in the positions which they occupy when the dinghy is afloat, Figure 3 is a rear view of the dinghy, showing the launching aids in the positions which they occupy when the dinghy is out of the water, Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional vie of the dinghy, showing a launching aid in both its possible positions, Figure 5 is a detail view showing the parts of a launching aid in the positions which they occupy when the dinghy is in the water, and Figure 6 shows the method of attachment of the launching aid to the transom of a dinghy.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The launching aid shown in Figure 1 of the drawings comprises a stainless steel or reinforced plastic bracket 10 which is attached, either permanently or removahly, to the wooden transon 11 of an inflatable dinghy 12 which has a pair of rear inflatable sponsons 13 between which the transom 11 extends. It will be seen from the other figures of the drawings that two such launching aids are provided, one on each side of the mounting for an outboard motor. Figure 6 shows one method of attachment of the bracket 10 to the transom 11 using wing nuts 30 and sealing washers.

The bracket 10 is of channel section and is mounted on the transom 11 with the axis of the channel extending almost vertically. The base of the channel is located in contact with the transom 11 and the side walls 14 of the channel extend rearwardly from the transom 11. Each side wall 14 has a radiused upper edge 15 and a lower edge which is forned with a downwardly facing rebate 16. A vertically extending slot 17 is formed in each channel sige wall 14 adjacent the upper end thereof.

The two vertically extending slots 17 provide a mounting for a hinge pin 19, by means of which a triangular strut 19 is mounted between the two side walls 14 of the bracket 10. The hinge pin 18 passes through a slot 20 formed in the strut 19 and the cross-sectional dimensions of the hinge pin 1S are such that the pin 18 is freely slidable along both of the slots 17 and 20.

The strut 19 has, in effect, three sides 21, 22 and 23, being open at the centre so that the strut 19 itself can serve as a lifting handle. In the "in use" condition, i.e. when the launching aid is being used to launch the dinghy, the side 21 of the triangle is disposed verticallv and is located between the to side walls 14 of the channel-section bracket lfl.

A fixed pin 24 is carried by side 21 of the trianglllar strut 19 and, in the "in use" condition of the aid, the ends of this pin 24 are located within the downwardly facing rehates 16 of the channel side walls 14. A spring 25 acts hetween the fixed pin 24 and the hinge pin 18 and the side 21 or the strut 19 is recessed to receive and locate the spring 25. The upper end of the spring 25 pivots where it is attached to a presseA- out tab 2a on the inside of the bracket 10 and the lother end of the spring 25 is attached to the fixed pin 24.

An awle 26 is provided at the junction between the sides 21 and 22 of the triangular strut 19 and this axle 26 carries a pair of flanged plastic ground-engaging wheels 27. When the wheels 27 are on the ground supporting the weight of the rear end of the dinghy, the weight of the dinghy will be transmitted from the bracket 10 via the fixed pin 24 to the strut 19 and the weight of the dinghy will thus serve to locate the pin 24 firmly in the rebate 18.

A locking tab 29 is mounted on the hinge pin 18 and is movable into a locking position, in which it engages over the radiused upper edge 15 of one of the channel side walls 14, in which downward movement of the strut 19 relative to the bracket 10. The strut 19 is thus effectively "locked" in its "in use" position. Thus, while the weight of the dinghy is being supported by the wheels 27, the parts of the launching aid will be held against movement relative to one another and the user of the dinghy can lift the front of the dinghy and exercise control of the dinghy while moving it down the slipway. The hinge pin 15 will be at the upper ends of the slots 17 and 20.

The provision of the two launching aids, one on each side of the outboard motor, will enable the user to maintain balance of the dinghy while it is being launched.

When the dinghy is in the water, the user will move the locking tab 28 out of its "locking" position to allow the strut 19 to be moved downwardly, using the open form of the strut as a handle. Such downward movement of the strut 19 will disengage the ends of the fixed pin 24 from the rebates 16 to allow the strut 19 to be pivoted in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 to bring the strut 19 into a position in which the side 23 of the triangle is extending vertically and is located within the side walls 14 of the bracket ln. This is the "out of use" position shown in Figures 4 and 5. The hinge pin 18 is now at the lower end of slot 17 and what has now become the upper end of slot 20.As there is now no fulcrum about which the strut 19 can pivot, the strut 19 is "locked" in the "out of use" position against the bracket 10 by its own weight.

When it is desired to return the aid to its "in use" position, the strut 19 will be grasped manually, lifted to disengage the "locking" action and moved in an anti-clockrJise direction as viewed in Figure 1. It is to be noted that the angle between the sides 21 and 23 of the triangular strut 19 is significantly less than 900 so that, in the "out of use" position of the aid, the side 21 of the triangle will he inclined rearwardly and upwardly thus maintaining the wheels 27 well clear of the water.

The spring 25 acts on the hinge pin 18 via the strut 19 to urge it upwardly so that a downward pressure on the strut 19 is required when, having launched the dinghy, it is desired to raise the wheels 27. The spring 25 assists in obtaining a smooth action for movement of the strut 19 and gives the launching aid the right "feel" so that, although simple to produce and to operate, the launching aid has a "professional" character.

In the particular arrangement described above, each launching aid has two relatively narrow wheels 27. In a preferred alternative arrangement, the two wheels 27 are replaced by a single wider wheel and the lower end portion of the side 21 of each strut 1 is bifurcated to provide a mounting for the wider wheel.

In such alternative arrangement, the side 21 of the strut 19 is of channel section, with the side walls of the channel section fitting between the side walls 14 of the bracket 10 but having a height greater than the height of the side walls 14 of the bracket. The upper edges of the side walls of the channel section will then be inclined so as, in effect, to have the same function as the side 23 of the strut 19 and a handle comprising two limbs extending at right angles to each other will project from the base of the channel section so that, this alternative strut arrangement is again of generally triangular form.

The components of the launching aid are, of course, produced from materials appropriate to the marine environment in which the aid will be used and the design o; the aid is such that raising or lowering a wheel is literally a two-second operation.

Claims

Claims:

1. A dinghy launching aid comprising a support member for attachment to the transom of an inflatable dinghy with the axis of the support member extending substantially vertically, a strut mounted on said support member, a wheel carried by the strut, and means whereby the strut is movahle relative to the support member between a first position in which the wheel engages the ground and a second position in which the wheel extends rearwardly of the dinghy.

2. A dinghy launching aid as claimed in Claim 1, in which the strut is of generally triangular form.

3. A dinghy launching aiS as claimed in Claim 2, in which the strut is pivotally mounted on the support member in such manner that, when the strut is in its first position, a first side of the triangle extends substantially vertically whereas, when the strut is in its second position, a second side of the triangle extends substantially vertically.

4. A dinghy launching aiA as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the triangular form of the strut comprises an open triangle so that the strut itself functions as a handle which can be grasped manually to move the strut from one position to another.

5. A dinghy launching aid as claimed in Claim 1, in which the strut comprises a main member of channel section.

6. A dinghy launching aid as claimed in Claim 5, in which the base of the channel section effectively forms one side of a triangle, the upper edges of the sides of the channel section are arranged at an inclination to the base so as to correspond to a second side of the triangle and in which a handle projects from the base of the channel so as to complete a generally triangular form for the strut.

7. A dinghy launching aid as claimed in Claim 1, in which the support member is in the form of a channel-section element intended to be attached, either permanently or removably, to the transom of the dinghy.

8. A dinghy launching aid as claimed in Claim 7, in which the strut is mounted so that it fits within the channel of the support member, being arranged for limited vertical travel between a situation in which the strut can be pivoted from its first into its second position and a situation in which such pivotal movement cannot be effected.

9. A dinghy launching aid as claimed in Claim 8, in which the means for pivotally mounting the strut on the support member comprises a vertical slot in the support member, an elongated slot in the strut and a pivot pin movable longitudinally of the two slots.

10. A dinghy launching aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. An inflatable dinghy fitted with a pair of dinghy launching aids as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.