US1240978A - Collapsible boat. - Google Patents

Description

J. c HO'SECK. COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30,1917.

1 ,QQO, 978 Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1. c. HdsEcK.

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1911.

1,240,978. Patented Sept. 25, 1917. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHAN CHRISTIAAN HOSEQK, 0F s-GRAVENHAGE, NETHERLANDS.

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, ieia.

Application filed. April 30, 1917. Serial No. 165,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHAN GHRISTIAAN HOSECK, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at s-Gravenhage, Netherlands, have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a collapsible boat which is composed of a number of transversely arranged frames over which is stretched a covering or skin of watertight material, a loose keel and two gunwales being provided to which the frames can be secured, care being taken that the latter are retained at the desired distance apart. Furthermore, a stem is provided which is also designed to be collapsed or folded. The attachment of the frames to the keel and to the gunwales is effected by means of hooks arranged on the frames in such a manner that those designed for receiving the keel are arranged with their openings directed to the right and left hand alternately, while the openings of the hooks which are designed to secure the gunwales are directed alternately above and below.

By reason of this construction the vessel when extended for use possesses a high degree of strength and any one-sided load is distributed over a number of the frames.

As the keel and the gunwales are secured to the foremost frame by means of eyes instead of hooks and in such a manner that their front ends can slide in the said eyes, while the hooks of the remaining frames can slide somewhat lengthwise of the keel and the gunwales, the cover can be tightly stretched by pulling on the stern-post and secured by screws to the two gunwales and to the keel. By this means the considerable advantage is obtained that, apart from the subsequent stretching of the cover which gives somewhat with time, in the event of the covering becoming in any way damaged or a leak being formed, the two frames situated on either side of the leak can be clamped together, whereby the latter is closed or can be bound up. The whole can then be again stretched so that'the vessel, although somewhat shorter, is still serviceable.

The bow is formed of two hinged bow rails which extend forward in an inclined direction, their front ends having a joint to which the stem is secured. On the underside of the foremost frame there is provided a joint arranged inside the cover or skin and to which the inner keel is attached, the said inner keel forming, when the boat is extended, a continuation of the outer keel and being secured at its front end to the lower end of the stem by means of a clamping device.

Referring to the drawings, which form part of this specification:-

Figure 1 is a side view of the sectional boat with the outer cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boat with the cover removed. I

gig. 3 is a front view of the middle frame, an

Fig. 4 is a view of one of the center frames.

Fig. 5 is a view of the stern frame.

Iiig. 6 is a view of the foremost frame, anc

Fig. 7 is a view of the boat in a partially collapsed condition.

The boat frame consists of a number of transverse frames 1, 2, etc., of two gunwales 3 and of a keel 4. The gunwales 3 are divided at the center, and the two halves are secured together by means of the joint 5. The keel 4 is also divided and secured by means of a similar connection 6. The bow is built up of two rails 10 which are Socured by means of joints 17 to the foremost frame 7. The two rails 10 extend forward at an inclination to one another and are connected together at the outer end by means of a link 14 to which the stem 11 is pivotally secured. At the bottom of the foremost frame 7 there is provided a joint 12 to which a front keel 13 is attached, the front of this keel 13 being furnished with a clamping device 15 by means of which the connection between the said front keel 13 and the stem 11 is effected.

The connection of the frames, such as 1 and 2, with the gunwales 3' is efiected by means of hooks 19 and 20 (see Figs. 3 and 1) which are so arranged that their openings 3 are alternately directed upward and downward. As is obvious from the drawing the opening of the hook 19, for example, is directed downward, while that of the hook 20 is directed upward. In the same manner the keel 4 is secured to the transverse frames, hooks 18 and 21 being employed for the purpose, the open sides of which are directed alternately to the left and to the right. The foremost frame 7 (see Fig. 6) is, how ever, furnished with eyes 24 instead of with hooks, into which eyes the gunwales 3 can be inserted. These eyes are closed at the front so that the gunwales 3 when in serted therein cannot move farther forward. The hooks 19 and 20 are moreover so made that the gunwales 3 can lie loosely in them. In a similar way the keel 4 is secured to the foremost frame 7 by means of a closed eye, see Fig. 1.

The stern post 16 (see Fig. 5) is furnished with eyes 22 instead of with hooks and through these eyes the gunwales 3 can be passed. They can. be secured in place by means of screws 8. For the purpose of securing the keel 4 an eye 23 is also made use of in which the said keel can slide and in which it can be fixed by means of a screw 9, as shown in Fig. 5. The stern frame 16 is provided at its upper part with a connecting rail which serves both for strengthening the said frame and for securing the cover.

If desired, the middle frame may be provided with a strengthening strut 27 (see Fig. 3). Furthermore, a seat 28 composed of a number, preferably two, of slats can be provided, the bottom slats being so arranged that they can be collapsed to one piece.

The whole vessel is inclosed in a covering or skin of waterproof material preferably made in one piece, the said covering being applied on the outside of the frames 1, 2, etc. The hooks 18, 19, 20, and 21 are, similarly to the eyes 22, 23 and 24, arranged on the outside of the cover. The connection of the cover is effected by means of small bolts or screws in the frames. The gunwales 3 and the keel 1 are, therefore, not connected to the cover.

The cover is secured to the bow only at the rails 10, while the stem 11 and the front keel 13 are both situated inside the cover so that this part forms a kind of sack. This construction, therefore, enables the cover to be put in tension. In this case the screws 8 and 9 are loosened and the stern post is drawn as far as possible to the rear when the hooks 18, 19, 20 and 21 can slide relatively to the gunwales 3 and the keel 4, after which the screws 8 and 9 can be again tightened. It is, further possible to maintain the boat in a condition ready for use if the cover or skin is damaged in any way. In this case if, for example, damage has occurred between the frames 1 and 2 the screws 8 and 9 are loosened, the frames 1 and 2 pushed together and secured in any convenient way. The skin or cover which would then hang loosely can easily be clamped together, or the latter can be bound up, after which the skin is again stretched and the screws 8 and 9 tightened. The boat is then,

although somewhat shorter to an extent equal to the distancebetween two adjacent frames, still quite seaworthy.

The collapsing of the vessel is effected i the following way :After the boat has been brought to land the seat 28 is removed and folded and the screws 8 and 9 loosened. The gunwales 3 and 4 are then moved some, what backward so as to be disengaged from the eyes of the foremost frame 7 The hooks 19, 20, etc., are then removed from the gunwales 3, while the'hooks 18, 21, etc.. are disengaged from the keel 1. When all these hooks have been disengaged the gunwales 3 can be drawn from the eyes 22 of the stern post 16 and can be folded together on the joints 5. The keel 41 is then drawn from the eyes 23 and folded on the joint'6. Instead of the joint connections 5 and 6 sockets can be made use of by. means of which the halves of the gunwales and those of the keel can be secured together. The clamp 15 of the front keel 13 is then loosened, the stem 11 turned into a horizontal position and the rails 10 then turned downward around the joint 17. All the frames can now be placed adjacent to one another as shown in Fig. 7. The skin or cover is provided on the upper side of the stern frame with a projecting portion 25 to which the strap 26 is secured.

If, now, the projecting portion 25 is placed over the collapsed boat the upper side of the whole is completely closed and the strap 26 can be secured to the front of the boat. The space which is still left between the frames can be used for storage purposes.

In order to put the boat into condition for use the above operations are conducted in the reverse order. The strap 26 is first loosened, the boat extended as far as possible, the extended gunwales 3 and the keel linserted into the eyes of the stern frame, the front ends thereof in the eyes of the foremost frame 7 and the said gunwales and the keel then secured by means of the hooks 18, 19, 20 and 21, etc. When all the hooks are engaged the bow rails 10 are turned up and the stem 11 and also the front keel 13 are turned downward and the latter secured by means of the clamp 15. The stern post 16 is then pressed backward as far as possible and the screws 8 and 9 tightened. Lastly the seat 28 is placed in the vessel and the whole is ready for use. When desired a second skin of waterproof material can be fitted in the vessel over the insides of the frames so that a watertight space is left between the inner and outer skins or walls.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible boat comprising in combination a number of transverse frames, a skin or cover of watertight material applied over the said frames, locking devices at the upper ends of the frames, gunwales interlocking with the said locking devices, said locking devices being longitudinally adjustable with respect to the gunwales, locking devices on the undersides of the frames and a keel designed to engage with the said locking devices, said last-named locking devices being longitudinally adjustable with respect to the keel, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. A collapsible boat comprising in combination a number of transverse frames, a skin or cover of watertight material applied thereto, hooks attached to the upper ends of the frames and having their openings directed alternately upward and downward, gunwales which engage with the said hooks, hooks secured to the undersides of the frames and the openings of which are directed alternately to the left and to the right and a keel engaging with the said hooks, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. A collapsible boat comprising in com.- bination a number of transverse frames, a skin or cover of watertight material applied thereto, locking devices upon the upper ends and the undersides of the transverse frames, gunwales engaging with the upper locking devices and a keel engaging with the bottom locking devices, the said keel and the gunwales abutting against the foremost frame and engaging with play in the locking devices of the remaining frames and engaging eyes on the stern frame, substantially as hereinbefore described.

4:. A collapsible boat comprising in combination a number of transverse frames having locking devices at their upper ends and undersides, gunwales engaging the upper locking devices, a keel engaging the lower devices, a bow composed of a pair of inclined rails hinged to the foremost frame and jointed at their front ends to the stem and a front keel jointed to the underside of the foremost frame and clamped to the lower part of the stem, substantially as hereinbefore described.

5. A collapsible boat comprising in combination a number of transverse frames, gunwales and a keel detachably connected to locking devices at the upper ends and undersides thereof respectively and a skin or cover of watertight material applied to the said transverse frames and having at the top of the stern frame a projecting portion which covers the inner space of the boat when the latter is collapsed, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OHAN GHRISTIAAN HOSECK.

Witnesses:

J. M. N. DOLE, N. J. L. WINENENLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). O."

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