US20060016381A1 - Tower leg support and storage device - Google Patents
Tower leg support and storage device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060016381A1 US20060016381A1 US11/198,983 US19898305A US2006016381A1 US 20060016381 A1 US20060016381 A1 US 20060016381A1 US 19898305 A US19898305 A US 19898305A US 2006016381 A1 US2006016381 A1 US 2006016381A1
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- Prior art keywords
- bearing
- superstructure
- relative
- central portion
- storage device
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B25/00—Load-accommodating arrangements, e.g. stowing, trimming; Vessels characterised thereby
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B15/00—Superstructures, deckhouses, wheelhouses or the like; Arrangements or adaptations of masts or spars, e.g. bowsprits
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B34/00—Vessels specially adapted for water sports or leisure; Body-supporting devices specially adapted for water sports or leisure
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)
Abstract
A superstructure, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on the superstructure, and a storage device configured for attachment to the rotatable device are disclosed. The superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. The rotatable device and storage device may form a rack for mounting board-like objects on, for instance, a boat such that the items may be stored outboard of a passenger compartment, but may be rotated such that a user may select a position for the device for ingress and egress to and from the device.
Description
- The present application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/599,756, filed Aug. 6, 2004 and titled “Tower Leg Support and Rack,” and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,317, filed Apr. 29, 2005 and titled “Rotating Storage Device,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,315, filed Apr. 29, 2004 and titled “Rotating Board Rack,” the entirety of each being incorporated herein by reference.
- The invention relates to a superstructure mounted on a boat, a support structure for the superstructure, and a storage device for use with the superstructure, and more particularly, to a positionable superstructure, support structure, and storage device.
- It is common to have a tower or superstructure mounted on a boat for a variety of functions. For instance, the tower may be used for radar, weather sensors, radio or other communications equipment, speakers, lights, beacons, tow pylons, flags, or other devices and equipment. The tower is often made of metal tubing, such as square or round aluminum tubing, and spans from points fore and aft of a pilot or other area. Even for a small power boat, an exemplary tower may be 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. Regardless of attached equipment, such a structure can be quite heavy.
- For a number of reasons, it is occasionally desirable to collapse or remove the tower from the boat. By way of example, a dock or slip space rented for the season may not provide sufficient clearance for the tower. If a boat owner does not anticipate using the boat in the near future, it may be useful to cover the interior and/or entrance portions of the boat for protection from the elements, from vandals or thieves, or from trespassers. Furthermore, a dry-dock space for storage or repair may require the removal of such a tower.
- In addition, boats historically often suffer from a need for size-economical storage space. It is not uncommon to store extra water skis, wake boards, fishing poles, and the like on a boat. Typically, such items are simply piled into a passenger area of the boat. Beneficially, the items are easily stored or accessed by a passenger when needed. On the other hand, the items stored in this manner are then underfoot, loose, and cumbersome, at the minimum. In addition, bringing such items into the passenger area after use often meant bringing in items that would drain water into the cabin.
- One solution to these shortcomings has been to provide storage devices that allow the items to be mounted outboard of the passenger compartment or otherwise mounted on the exterior of the boat. In this manner, water dripping from the stored times is directed out of the passenger area, and the items are not in the way of passengers in the interior of the boat. One such instance of such outboard storage is to provide a storage device mounted to the support structure for the boat tower.
- Current tower-mounted storage devices have several other shortcomings. Such tower-mounted storage devices are generally fixed to the outboard side of the tower support structure, an awkward location for the items to be stored in and removed from the device. A user has to reach around the support structure to which the storage device is mounted in order to access the storage device. In such position, a person needs to be careful when storing or removing an item in the storage device and often the boat needs to be properly steadied. In addition, utilization of the tower support structure for storage may also restrict the ease of collapsing or removing the tower. Moreover, these storage devices may be mounted such that the boat is greater than the legal width, typically 102 inches, permitted for over-land transport of the boat on a trailer.
- Accordingly, there is a need for an improved storage device and a tower that can be simply collapsed or removed.
- In accordance with one aspect, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on a superstructure is disclosed. A storage device is configured for attachment to the rotatable device for the storage of loose items. Preferably, the superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. Therefore, the storage device is preferably configured to hold water skis, wake boards, oars, fishing poles, and the like. The rotatable device may be moved or rotated between a plurality of positions. In at least one position, the storage device is generally oriented towards a person for inserting or storing items, or items stored therein are generally disposed towards the interior or passenger area, or towards passengers in general. In a second position, the storage device is generally oriented such that the device and items therein are generally disposed away from passengers or the passenger compartment. Accordingly, a user may selectively position the device for use, such as fore ingress and egress of the items to and from storage in the device.
- In accordance with other aspects, the rotatable device includes a pair of bearings to permit the rotation of the storage device. The pair of bearings distribute the weight and torque from the storage device and stored items through the rotatable device and the superstructure.
- In accordance with a further aspect, the bearings preferably include a braking mechanism to adjustably control the amount of friction in the rotatable mount. In use, the amount of force or tension within the rotatable mount may be adjusted as necessary to control the rotation of the rotatable device.
- In accordance with another aspect, the rotatable device includes one or more components for securing the position of the device. The component may be a securing member that is shiftable between positions to secure and release a portion of the device to rotate relative to another portion of the device. The securing member may include an end received by a receiving structure of the device to prevent or restrict relative motion. The securing member may include an elongate portion that is shiftable either in a longitudinal or linear manner, or may include an elongate portion that is threadably shifted. Alternatively and in addition, more than one securing member may be provided, and one may be shifted threadably while another may be linearly shifted.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary boat and a tower including a tower support or leg with a storage device secured and selectively positionable relative thereto; -
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the tower leg ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of a lower portion of the tower leg ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is an exploded side elevational view of an upper portion of the tower leg ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the tower leg taken through the line 5-5 ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the storage device including a storage frame, a handle assembly, a knob assembly, and an elongate body, the storage device securable by securements with upper and lower support plates; -
FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the elongate body of the storage device ofFIG. 6 showing the components of the handle assembly; -
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the handle assembly; -
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the knob assembly; -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative tower securable with a boat, and an alternative storage device secured and selectively positionable relative thereto; -
FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the storage device ofFIG. 10 including an elongate body having connections for securing the storage device to upper and lower portions of the tower; and -
FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the elongate body of the storage device ofFIG. 10 . - Referring to
FIG. 1 , a superstructure ortower 10 having astorage device 12 for storing or mounting items thereon are illustrated for use on aboat 14. In the present embodiment, thestorage device 12 is secured with and forms a part of thetower 10. Thetower 10 is typically secured either directly or indirectly to a deck surface or ahull 16 of theboat 14 so that boat passengers may pass below acentral portion 10 a of thetower 10, and so that controls 18 of the boat may be located below thetower 10. In this manner, a pilot of theboat 14 would be present below thetower 10 when operating thecontrols 18. When operating theboat 14, the pilot's ability to move within thetower 10 is preferably unhindered, as would be desirable for viewing the operational field of the boat including the water surface. - In one form, the
tower structure 10 includes anupper support structure 20 and a pair of spaced tower supports orlegs 22 that hold theupper support structure 20 elevated above theboat hull 16. Theupper support structure 20 further includes acrossbar 24 spanning between a pair offront support arms 26 secured to theboat 14 by respectivefront anchor members 28. As depicted, thefront anchor members 28 may provide a particular mounting orientation between thefront support arms 26 and theboat 14 so that thefront crossbar 24 is elevated a predetermined distance for ease of an individual's movement in a passenger compartment of theboat 14. - Each
leg 22 extends from one of thefront support arms 26 downwardly to theboat hull 16. Theleg 22 preferably includes anupper support plate 40 joined to alower support plate 42 by thestorage device 12. Anupper mount 30 joins oneend 34 of the leg 22 (i.e., an upper end of the upper support plate 40) to thefront support arm 26, and alower mount 32 joins anopposite end 36 of the leg 22 (i.e., a lower end of the lower support plate 42) to theboat surface 16. As illustrated, thelower support plate 42 generally flares upwardly and forwardly from theboat surface 16, and theupper support plate 40 generally flares forwardly and downwardly from thearm 26, thestorage device 12 being located between and joining the upper andlower plates leg 22 may optionally include various internal designs, shapes, openings, or other features for decoration, weight saving, structural support, and the like. Additionally, to permit thetower 10 to be retrofitted to an existing boat, it is preferred that theupper mount 30 and thelower mount 32 are variably securable so that theleg 22 may be installed withboats 14 and towers 10 having different configurations in terms of design, shape, length, or width, for instance. - As previously stated, the
tower 10 also includes thestorage device 12 secured to and preferably forming a portion of theleg 22. Herein, thestorage device 12 is depicted as a diamond-shaped structure having an exemplary securing member orrack 44 extending therefrom for securing items thereto. In the present form depicted inFIG. 1 , therack 44 includesstructure 45 definingslots 47 for receiving items such as wakeboards (not shown). It should be noted, however, thestorage device 12 may be configured in a number of manners and may, accordingly, be used for storing a variety of objects typically used on a boat, such as but not limited to water skis, wakeboards, oars, paddles, fishing poles, flags, and the like. As illustrated, thetower 10 is provided with twostorage devices 12 on respective port andstarboard support legs 22, though thetower 10 may alternatively be provided with asingle storage device 12 or withseveral storage devices 12. While it is preferred that the storage device joins the twoseparate plates leg 22 may also form a single piece with thestorage device 12 mounted thereon, or may form a plurality of separate pieces joined together by thestorage device 12. In addition, while it is also preferred to join thestorage device 12 to theleg 22, it is also acceptable for thestorage device 12 to be secured to any portion of thetower 10 or theboat 14. - Referring now to
FIGS. 1-5 , thelower mount 32 may be secured to the sidewall or other surface of theboat hull 16, for instance. In the depicted embodiment, thelower mount 32 includes abase 56, which is preferably received within an opening in thehull 16 and positioned flush thereagainst. Atongue 58 extending from thelower end 36 of thelower support plate 42 is inserted and secured within a receivingslot 60 in thebase 56. Thetongue 58 is preferably integral with and extends below a lower,mating edge 55 of thelower support plate 42. When inserted into thebase 56, the lower,mating edge 55 rests on anupper surface 57 of thebase 56. Thetongue 58 is secured to the base 56 through a plurality of fasteners 62 extending throughapertures 64 in thebase 56 and throughapertures 66 in thetongue 58. Asecond plate 68 may also be received within the receivingslot 60 and positioned between thetongue 58 and an inside surface of thebase 56. Thecover plate 68 also includesapertures 70 for receipt of the fasteners 62 and, therefore, is also secured to thebase 56 andtongue 58 within the receivingslot 60 by the fasteners 62. - The
upper mount 30 secures thefront support arm 26 to theupper end 34 of thetower support legs 22. Theupper mount 30 includes abracket 80 mounted to one of thefront support arms 26, and atongue 82 extending upwardly from anupper edge 81 of theupper support plate 40. Thebracket 80 preferably includes a concaveupper surface 83 allowing thebracket 80 to mate with thefront support arms 26, commonly elongate tubular structures having a convex outer surface. Thebracket 80 is joined to thefront support arms 26 by welds, fasteners, or other securing methods suitable for use on a boat. - In a preferred embodiment, the
bracket 80 is variably attached to theupper support plate 40. In this regard, thebracket 80 includes a receivingslot 84 to receive thetongue 82 therein. Theslot 84 is sized and shaped to allow pivoting between thebracket 80 and theleg 22. Accordingly, the receivingslot 84 preferably has a length that is longer than a length of thetongue 82, and thetongue 82 includescurved edges 86, both of which facilitate relative movement or pivoting between theleg 22 and thebracket 80. - To secure the
tongue 82 to thebracket 80 in the variable attachment, both thetongue 82 and thebracket 80 preferably include openings to receive afastener 87 therethrough. For example, thebracket 80 includes generally oval-shaped orelongated apertures 88 and thetongue 82 includes generallycircular openings 90. Theelongated apertures 88 also permit the relative movement or pivoting between theleg 22 and thebracket 80. For example, the elongated shape of theopening 88, the tongue curved edges 86, and the oversized length of theslot 84 permit theleg 22 to pivot relative to thebracket 80 when the fasteners 67 are only loosely fastened. - In this configuration, the variable attachment between the
upper support plate 40 and thebracket 80 permits adjustment of thetower 10 during installation or pivoting of theleg 22 for ease of storage. For example, during installation, thebracket 80 may be initially attached to theupper support plate 40 in a loose engagement. In this manner, thetower front support 20 and theleg 22 may then be pivoted, urged, or otherwise moved into the correct orientation on theboat 14 to secure thefront support arm 26 at the desired elevation or position and also be received in thefront anchor 28 and the lower mounts 32 at the same time. Once correctly positioned, thetower 10 may be firmly secured. On the other hand, during storage of thetower 10, theleg 22 may be removed from the lower mounts 32 and pivoted at theupper mount 30 to collapse theleg 22 inwardly to thetower front support 20 to form a more compact structure for ease of storage. For instance, thelegs 22 may be removed from the lower mounts 32 by first loosening the fasteners 62. Next, thetower support tongue 58 may be removed from the lowermount receiving slot 60. Upon removal of theleg 22 from thelower mount 32, thelegs 22 may then be rotated or pivoted around theupper mount 30 so that theleg 22 is clear of theboat 14. At such point, theentire tower 10 may then be collapsed or removed as desired. Alternatively, theleg 22 may also be released from theupper mount 30 to further collapse or dissemble thetower 10. - Referring to
FIGS. 6-9 , an exemplary embodiment of thestorage device 12 is illustrated in detail. Thestorage device 12 includes acentral shaft 100, upper andlower mounts support frame 103 including a pair ofwings 104 extending outwardly from opposite sides of thecentral shaft 100. Thewings 104 support therack 44, noted above, and includesecurements 106 in the form of rectangular openings for holding therack 44 or other mounting device (seeFIG. 1 ). Thestorage device 12 further includes anupper bearing portion 110 and alower bearing portion 112 to which thewings 104 are secured. The bearingportions wings 104 to rotate around thecentral shaft 100 so that thewings 104 and the accompanyingrack 44 can be rotated to a variety of positions relative to thecentral shaft 100. As will be further described below, thecentral shaft 100 utilizes the upper andlower mounts legs 22. As a result, thewings 104, through the bearingportions central shaft 100 to locate thewings 104 in a variety of positions relative to thetower 10 or other structure to which thestorage device 12 is secured. - The
storage device 12 is secured to thetower 10, and preferably, secured to thelegs 22 via the upper andlower mounts FIG. 6 , theupper mount 102 a may be a separate component that is joined to anupper end surface 114 a of thecentral shaft 100 by afastener 116. In one form, thefastener 116 includes abolt 120 and alignment pins or pegs 122. Thebolt 120 extends through ahole 124 in themount 102 a and secures themount 102 a to thecentral shaft 100 through anopening 126 in the centralshaft end surface 114 a. Spaced from theopening 126, the centralshaft end surface 114 a also includes alignment holes 128 that receive thepegs 122 therein. Similarly, alower surface 130 of theupper mount 102 a includessimilar alignment holes 128, which also receive thepegs 122 therein. In this manner, thepegs 122 and the alignment holes 128 ensure proper orientation of theupper mount 102 a to thecentral shaft 100, which is preferably the central shaft end surface 114 abutting the upper mountlower surface 130. Thelower mount 102 b is secured to anopposite end surface 114 b of thecentral shaft 100 in a similar fashion. - The
upper mount 102 a includes a securingportion 131, which in this embodiment defines an L-shape with an upper section of themount 102 a. The securingportion 131 is received in acorresponding recess 132 in theupper plate 40.Fasteners 134 secure theupper mount 102 a to theupper support plate 40. Thelower mount 102 b is secured in a similar fashion to thelower plate 42. In this manner, theupper support plate 40 and thelower support plate 42 may be separate pieces that are joined together with thecentral shaft 100 via themounts storage device 12. Therefore, thestorage device 12 forms a structural portion of theleg 22 for supporting weight and stress from thecrossbar 24, including when accessories are mounted to thetower 10 or a person is being towed by theboat 14. - It should be noted that, while the
mounts mounts central shaft 100 so that theshaft 100, theupper mount 102 a, and thelower mount 102 b are a single component. However, use of theseparate mounts storage device 12 may be secured to a variety of different structures (i.e., different types oftowers 10, varying surfaces of theboat 12, varying types of scaffolding, etc.) simply by changing the configuration, shape, or structure of themounts central shaft 100. For instance,FIGS. 10-12 , which are described below, illustrate alternative mounts for thecentral shaft 100. Furthermore, while is it illustrated and described that theupper mount 102 a and thelower mount 102 b are similar in structure, themounts storage device 12 is to be secured to. - Alternatively, while it is preferred that the
upper support plate 40 andlower support plate 42 are separate pieces, these components may also be a single piece. In this manner, thesingle leg 22 may include a corresponding recess or recesses (not shown) for receipt of theupper mount 102 a, thelower mount 102 b, and thecentral shaft 100 therein. In this alternative configuration, thestorage device 12 does not necessarily form a structural portion of theleg 22, but is secured to the one-piece leg 22. - Referring to
FIG. 7 , thecentral shaft 100 is illustrated in more detail. Thecentral shaft 100 includes anelongate body portion 140, theupper bearing portion 110, and the lower bearing portion 112 (shown in an exploded view for more detail). More specifically, theelongate body portion 140 is preferably a cylindrical shaft having the opposing end surfaces 114 a, 114 b thereon. Thebody portion 140 includes an upper recess 144 a (not shown) andlower recess 144 b, respectively, for receipt of the upper andlower bearing portions upper bearing portion 110 includes a pair of half-members portion 110. When assembled, theupper bearing 110 is received in the upper bearing recess of theelongate body portion 140. Likewise, thelower bearing portion 112 also includes a pair of half-members portion 112 and is received in thelower bearing recess 144 b. - For ease of relative rotation between the bearing
portions elongate body 140, a low-friction member 152, such as nylon, delron, or the like, may be provided therebetween. Referring to thelower bearing portion 112, which is illustrated inFIG. 9 in an exploded view for convenience, aninner surface 146 of thebearing half member 142 a and aninner surface 148 of thebearing recess 144 b preferably include correspondingannular grooves 150 in which the low-friction member 152 is inserted. As depicted, therecess 144 b and bearing half-member 142 a include a pair of spacedgrooves 150, and the low-friction member 152 is a preferably a pair of space rings each received in aseparate groove 150. The upper bearing recess 144 a andupper bearing portion 110 may include similar features. - It can be appreciated, however, that the bearing
portions friction members 152. Optionally, theinner surfaces friction member 152 may also be lubricated with a suitable marine lubrication. Alternatively, the bearingportions friction member 152, but instead use the marine lubricant on theinner surfaces - The bearing
portions braking mechanism 153 to control how freely the bearingportions central shaft body 140 by providing an adjustable frictional engagement between the bearingportions central shaft body 140. Again referring to thelower bearing portion 112, in one form, thebraking mechanism 153 includes atension surface 154 within theelongate body recess 144 b that frictionally engages atensioning assembly 156 in the lower bearing half-member 142 b. If more resistance to the rotation of thelower bearing portion 112 is desired, thetensioning assembly 156 is tightened against thetension surface 154 to provide more shaft tension. Alternatively, if less resistance to the rotation of thelower bearing portion 112 is desired, thetensioning assembly 156 is loosened against thetension surface 154. - In a preferred embodiment, the
tensioning assembly 156 includes a tension clamp orbrake shoe 158, which is preferably nylon, delron, or like material, having amating surface 160 that is contoured to engage thetension surface 154. A biasingmember 162, such as a spring or pair of springs, biases themating surface 160 of thebrake shoe 158 against thetension surface 154. A positioningmember 164, such as a set screw, pin, or the like, may be used to increase or decrease the resistance of thetension shoe 158 as described above. That is, for example, the positioningmember 164 may be used to move thebrake shoe 158 into a tighter or looser engagement with thetension surface 154. As thebrake shoe 158 is tightened or loosened against thetension surface 154, more or less friction therebetween provides the increased or decreased resistance to the rotation of thelower bearing portion 112 as discussed above. Theupper bearing portion 110 is preferably similar to thelower bearing portion 112 and is preferably joined to theelongate body 140 in a like fashion with asimilar braking mechanism 153. - Referring to the
upper bearing portion 110 illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7 , in which the bearing half-members fastener 141, the bearingportion 110 also forms aslot 170 to receive a portion of thewings 104 therein. Thewing 104 is then secured to thebearing 110 in theslot 170 with a suitable fastener. Thelower bearing portion 112, when assembled, also forms asimilar slot 170. Therefore, thewing 104 is secured to both theupper bearing portion 110 and thelower bearing portion 112. In this manner, thewing 104 is secured to thecentral shaft 140 through a pair of bearing via the bearingportions wings 104 at both bearingportions wings 104 and the torque due to the items stored in thestorage member 12 through thecentral shaft body 140. - As will be further described below, the
storage device 12 further includes aknob assembly 172 and ahandle assembly 174, which are both used to permit rotation of the bearingportions elongate body 140 and also to lock thebearing portion 112 relative to thebody 140 to prevent relative motion therebetween. Because thewings 104 are attached to the bearingportions slots 170, as the bearingportions body 140, thewings 104 are also rotated relative to thebody 104 in a similar rotational direction. Preferably, theupper bearing portion 110 includes theknob assembly 172 while thelower bearing portion 112 includes thepull handle assembly 174. However, both the bearingportions assemblies storage device 12 include both theknob assembly 172 and thehandle assembly 174, thedevice 12 may also include only one of either theknob assembly 172 or thehandle assembly 174. - Referring to
FIGS. 7-9 , the rotation and locking of the bearingportions lower bearing portion 112,FIG. 8 depicts thehandle assembly 174 that is preferably included with thelower bearing portion 112. Thehandle assembly 174 includes apull handle 176 joined to abiased locking pin 178. That is, in one embodiment, thepin 178 includes an externally threadedportion 180 that is received through anopen shaft 184 in the lower bearing portion half-member 142 a and joined to thehandle 176 via an internally threadedaperture 182 in thehandle 176. Opposite thehandle 176, thepin 178 also includes anenlarged stop member 186 having astop surface 188 facing thehandle 176. Between theinner surface 146 of the lower bearing portion half-member 142 a and thestop surface 188, thepin 176 further includes a biasingmember 190, such as a spring, surrounding thepin 178. The biasingmember 190 biases thehandle 176 against the outer surface oflower bearing portion 112, and as further described below, biases thelocking pin 178 within an interfering or locking position with thecentral shaft 140. - As depicted in
FIG. 8 , the inner diameter of the internally threadedhandle aperture 182 may be larger than the outer diameter of the externally threadedportion 180 of thepin 178. As a result, acoupling member 184 may be provided to allow thepin 178 and thehandle 176 to be joined even with varying diameters. For instance, thecoupling member 184 includes an outer diameter havingexternal threads 184 a sized to be threadably received in thehandle aperture 182 as well as aninner aperture 184 b having internal threads sized to threadably receive the threadedportion 180 of thelocking pin 178 therein. - Once the
lower bearing portion 112 and handleassembly 174 are assembled as described above on thecentral shaft 100, the biasingmember 190 preferably biases thelocking pin 178 within an interfering or locking position. That is, the biasingmember 190 biases anend 192 of thelocking pin 178 within one of a plurality of lockingholes 200 in thebearing recess 144 b of the central shaft 100 (seeFIG. 9 ). When in this locking position, the interference of thepin end 192 within the locking holes 200 prevents thelower bearing portion 112 from rotating relative to thecentral shaft 140. When it is desired to rotate the bearingportion 112, thepull handle 176 is pulled away from the bearingportion 112 to counter-bias thepin 178 so that thepin end 192 is retracted from the lockinghole 200. At such point, thelower bearing portion 112, as well as the attachedwing 104, is free to rotate relative to thecentral shaft body 140. Once thepin 178 is counter-biased out of thelocking hole 200, thelower bearing 112 can be rotationally positioned around thecentral shaft 140 such that thepin 176 may be aligned with another lockinghole 200. At suchnew locking hole 200, thepin end 192 is again biased into thenew locking hole 200 via the biasingmember 190 to prevent further rotation of the bearingmember 112. As will be described below, because thewing 104 is attached to both theupper bearing portion 110 and thelower bearing portion 112, upon unlocking theupper bearing portion 100, the unlocking and rotation of thelower bearing 112 also rotates theupper bearing portion 110 and, therefore, theentire storage device 12. - As shown in
FIG. 7 , thecentral shaft 140 preferably includes a plurality of lockingholes 200 that are circumferentially spaced about thecentral shaft 140 within thebearing recess 144 b along thefriction surface 154. Each of the locking holes 200 corresponds to a predetermined position of thestorage device 40. As depicted, thecentral shaft 140 includes four lockingholes 200 that are positioned about every 90°around theshaft body 140 such that the locking holes 200 correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, and outboard position to which thestorage device 12 may be positioned. It will be appreciated, however, that any number of the locking holes 200 may be provided depending on the number of predetermined positions desired. - The
friction surface 154 of the central shaft bearing recess 144 may also include surface features for directing thepin end 192 towards the locking holes 200. For example, the regions laterally proximate each lockinghole 200 on thefriction surface 154 may be generally flat transversely to the direction of thelocking hole 200 or be recessed into thelocking hole 200 such that thebiased pin 178 contacting this proximate region is generally directed towards the lockinghole 200. Moreover, this proximate region would also allow an operator to tactilely recognize or “feel” when thepin 178, which is not located in aparticular locking hole 200 but is contacting the proximate region, is either moving towards or away from theparticular locking hole 200 based on the increased or decreased resistance to rotation of the bearingportion 112 and thehandle 176. - Turning to the
upper bearing portion 110,FIG. 9 illustrates the half-bearingmember 142 a together with theknob assembly 172. As opposed to thebiased handle assembly 174, theknob assembly 172 includes astatic pin member 210 extending through anopening 211 in thebearing half member 142 a and joined to a holdingknob 212, preferably with a threaded engagement. Thepin member 210 has an enlarged, inwardlyangled end 214 that tapers to aflat end surface 216. The angled or tapered configuration of theend 214 permits thepin 210 to easily translate into and out ofholes 200, which are also disposed in the upper bearing recess 144 a in a like fashion as described above with regard to thelower bearing recess 144 b, in conjunction with the unlocking and rotation of thelower bearing 212, as previously described. Optionally, thepin member 210 may also include aprotective shaft 218 surrounding thepin 210. - Preferably, the
knob assembly 172 permits the storage device to be tightly secured to theelongate body 140. For instance, once the storage device is positioned so that both theknob assembly 172 and thehandle assembly 174 engage theholes 200 as described above, theknob 212 is rotated to translate thepin end 214 into itscorresponding hole 200. Theknob 212 may be rotated until thepin end 214 is tightly secured within thehole 200. In this manner, thestorage device 12 is tightly secured to theelongate body 140 and prevented from further rotation. Of course, if theknob 212 is not tightened as described above, the biasing of thehandle assembly 174 into theholes 200 will still prevent the further rotation of thestorage device 12 about theelongate body 140. When it is desired to reposition thestorage device 12 to a new position about theelongate body 140, theknob assembly 172 is first loosened by turning theknob 212 in the opposite direction to translate thepin end 214 out of its correspondingholes 200. Once theend 214 is sufficiently removed from thehole 200, thehandle assembly 174 is counter biased as previously described to permit the storage device to move relative to the elongate body. - As illustrated in
FIG. 9 , thepin end 214 is enlarged relative to the diameter of thehole 211. In this manner, when loosening theknob assembly 172, thepin 210 is prevented from being inadvertently removed from the bearingportion 110 because theenlarged head 214 will engage the inner surface of the bearingmember 142 a and thus be prevented from being removed from the bearingportion 110. - When in use, the holding
knob 212 is preferably used in conjunction with thepull handle 176 to rotate thestorage device 12 about thecentral shaft body 140. As described above, the user first unlocks or unscrews the holdingknob 212 to translate thepin 210 from itscorresponding hole 200. At this point, the storage device may not yet rotate freely due to thehandle assembly 174 still being locked. To rotate thestorage device 12, the user pulls thehandle 176 away from the bearingportion 112 to counter bias thepin 178 such that thepin end 192 is also removed from its corresponding hole. Upon removal of bothpins holes 200, thestorage device 12 is unlocked at both bearingportions elongate body 140. - To rotate the
storage device 12 to a new position, in one form, the user rotates thelower bearing portion 112, as described above, with one hand, while the user's second hand grasps the holdingknob 212 to rotate theupper bearing portion 212 in a corresponding direction. Once thestorage device 12 has been rotated to a new position corresponding to anew hole 200, thehandle 176 is first released so that thepin end 192 may again be biased into thenew positioning hole 200. At such point, thestorage device 12 will be prevented from further rotation and is in a locking engagement with thecentral shaft 100. - If desired to tightly lock the
storage device 12, theknob assembly 172 may be tightly secured to theelongate body 140 as described above by rotating theknob 212 to translate thepin end 214 into itscorresponding hole 200. While the biasing of thehandle assembly 174 into itscorresponding hole 200 is sufficient to prevent further rotation, tightly securing theknob assembly 172 is preferred to prevent thestorage device 12 from rattling, vibrating, or rubbing against theelongate body 140 due to motion of theboat 14. Moreover, it is also preferred that thepin end 214 be received in thecorresponding hole 200 as merely tightening thepin end 214 on the central shaftelongate body 140 may damage the surface of thebody 140 such as by compressing, scarring, or dimpling the surface of theelongate body 140. - Additionally, if desired, when in use, if the user feels that the rotation of the
storage device 12 is either too restrictive or too free (i.e., too loose), then the user may adjust the tension on either of theupper bearing portion 110,lower bearing portion 112, or both by adjusting theircorresponding braking mechanisms 153 as previously described. Thebraking mechanisms 153 are advantageous to control the speed of rotation of thestorage device 12, which are often tilted inboard or outboard depending on the orientation of thetower support leg 22 where it may rotate at a fast rate of speed due to the angle of thestorage device 12 and the weight of the items stored thereon. Thebraking mechanism 153, therefore, helps prevent sudden shifting of thestorage device 12 upon the unlocking and provides a device to adjust the amount of force required to rotate an unlocked storage device. - In an alternative form, as illustrated in
FIGS. 10-12 , a modifiedtower 1010 andstorage device 1012 are illustrated. The modifiedtower 1010 has afront support structure 1014, arear support structure 1016, and a plurality ofbridges 1018 connecting thefront support structure 1014 and therear support structure 1016. In this alternative embodiment, thefront support structure 1014 includes afront crossbar 1015 spanning a pair offront support arms 1020 secured to the boat by respective front anchors 1022. As with thetower 10, the front anchors 1022 provide a predetermined mounting orientation between thefront support arms 1020 and a boat surface (not shown) so that thefront cross bar 1015 is elevated a predetermined distance above the boat surface for ease of an individual's movement in the passenger compartment of the boat. Therear support structure 1016 includes arear cross bar 1017 spanning a pair ofrear support legs 1024 secured to the boat by respective rear anchors 1028. The rear anchors 1028 include a pivoting joint, such as a hinge joint 1032 formed between therear support legs 1024 and therear anchor 1028. - The
tower 1010 is collapsible. In this regard, each of thefront support arms 1020 includes aconnection 1034 with thefront crossbar 1015 that is preferably quickly and easily connected or disconnected so that thefront crossbar 1015 and an upper,corner portion 1036 of each of thefront support arms 1020 may be separated from alower portion 1038 of eachfront support arm 1020. Once separated, thelower portion 1038 of thefront support arm 1020 may be collapsed such as being folded forward onto itself with a hinge joint 1040. Furthermore, when separated, therear support legs 1024 of therear support structure 1016 may rotate around therear anchors 1028 so that therear support structure 1016 and the portion of the front support structure 1014 (i.e. thecrossbar 1015 and corner portions 1036) connected thereto by thebridges 1018 may be lowered downward. - As depicted in
FIG. 10 , thetower 1010 also includes twostorage devices 1012, which are each secured to or formed from therear support legs 1024 of therear support structure 1016. However, as with thetower 10, thetower 1010 may also be provided with asingle storage device 1012 or withseveral storage devices 1012. Additionally, thestorage devices 1012 may be provided on thefront support arms 1020 or on other intermediate support legs (not shown). Broadly speaking, thestorage device 1012 need not be mounted on any portion of thetower 1010. It is simply viewed as convenient to do so when such atower 10 is present on the boat. - The depicted
storage devices 1012 are shown in a generally rearwardly facing position. As previously described with regard to thestorage device 12, thestorage devices 1012 may also be moved between and to a plurality of positions, preferably by rotating about itself. To simplify such rotation, it is preferred that the storage device rotate around a central shaft 1050 (seeFIGS. 11 and 13 ) shared with therear support leg 1024, and, preferably, are vertically oriented. - As shown in
FIG. 10 , eachrear support leg 1024 has anupper leg portion 1052 and alower leg portion 1054 with thestorage device 1012 located therebetween. In this depicted embodiment, thecentral shaft 150 is generally vertical while the balance of therear support structure 1016 is not vertical. It should also be noted that theupper leg portion 1052 and thelower leg portion 1054 may form a single piece with thestorage device 1012 mounted thereon, may form a plurality of pieces joined together, or may have other portions generally vertical. Furthermore, thestorage device 1012 may also include an adapter portion mountable around a non-vertical portion such that the adapter forms the verticalcentral shaft 1050. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , thecentral shaft 1050 is integral with amount section 1060 wherein themount section 60 is either integral with or joinable to the upper andlower leg portions connections 1062. As much of thetower 1010 is formed of tubular material such as steel or aluminum, theconnections 1062 are cylindrical for being received with an end of the upper orlower leg portions mounts connection 1062 is oriented in a direction, represented by arrows C1 and C2, generally along a center line of theportion rear support structure 1016 to which theconnection 1062 is secured. As can be seen, thecentral shaft 1050 has an axis of rotation R through it center. The axis R being generally vertical as above-described. As can also be seen, arrows C1 and C2 have a skew orientation relative to the axis R. - The
connections 1062 are secured to thecentral shaft 1050 similar to how the upper andlower mounts central shaft 100. For example,bolts 1066, which are presently depicted as being driven through arecess 1068 aligned with the axis R, may be used to secure theconnections 1062 to thecentral shaft 1050. A pair ofpegs 1069 is used at the junction between theconnection 1062 and thecentral shaft 1050 to ensure proper orientation between thecentral shaft 1050 and theconnection 1062 when secured. As described above, in order to provide astorage device 1012 forvarious towers 1010 where the direction, such as C1 and C2, of the adjoining portion of thetower 1010 vary, the only components that need to be changed or altered are theconnections 1062. That is, thetower 1010 may not be tubular, may have an opening with a different gauge size to meet with themount section 1060, or may have joining members (upper andlower leg portions 1052, 1054) at different angles from the axis R than those depicted by directions C1, C2. In this case, theconnection 1062 with a mismatched configuration may simply be removed from thecentral shaft 1050 and replaced with another connection that is properly configured for that tower. - In this embodiment, the
storage device 1012 includes abody 1070 that is secured to and rotates around thecentral shaft 1050. Thebody 1070 may be rotatably secured to thecentral shaft 1050 to form one or more bearings such astop bearing 1072 andbottom bearing 1074. Use of the top andbottom bearings device 1012 through thecentral shaft 1050 and thetower 1010 itself. - For each
bearing body 1070 includes a pair of half-cylinders such that the pair, when joined, form a cylindricalouter bearing portion 1076. An inner surface of theouter bearing portion 1076 includes grooves wherein the grooves contactsimilar mating grooves 1078 on the central shaft (seeFIG. 12 ). The surfaces between the grooves of theouter bearing portion 1076 and thegrooves 1078 of thecentral shaft 1050 may be formed of or covered by a low-friction material, such as nylon or delron, or may be lubricated such as with a material suitable for marine lubrication applications. Thebody 1070 further includes aframe 1080, which in the presented embodiment, includes two half-frames 1082 where each is secured to theouter bearing portions 1076. Arepresentational rack 1090 is shown secured to the frame 1080 (seeFIG. 10 ) as to securements 1092 (seeFIG. 11 ). Therack 1090, as depicted, is designed to receive elongate or board-like objects such as skis, poles, wakeboards, and the like. - As discussed above, the
storage device 1012 may be provided with a plurality of positions. As can be seen inFIG. 12 , the portion of thecentral shaft 1050 forming thetop bearing 1072 includes a portion 1096 with ports orholes 1098, eachhole 1098 corresponding to a particular position. In the preferred embodiments, theholes 1098 are located about every 90° such that theholes 1098 correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, or outboard position to which thestorage device 1012 may be rotated. It should be noted that number and orientation of theholes 1098 may be varied to provide for more or different positions for thestorage device 1012. - The
storage device 1012 may be rotated around thecentral shaft 1050, as has been discussed, and positioned according to theholes 1098. More specifically, theouter bearing portion 1076 of thetop bearing 1072, for instance, may have a spring-loadedpin 1100 mounted on aknob 1102 similar to thehandle assembly 174 described with the previous embodiment. Thepin 1100 is spring-biased to an interfering or locking position with theholes 1098. That is, when thestorage device 1012 is rotationally positioned such that thepin 1100 is aligned with ahole 1098, thepin 1100 is spring-biased into thehole 1098 such that thestorage device 1012 is prevented from further rotation. In order to allow thestorage device 1012 to rotate, theknob 1102 is pulled outward, thereby counter-biasing thepin 1100 so that thepin 1100 retracts from thehole 1098 and, thus, thestorage device 1012 is released such that thestorage device 1012 may be rotated. In addition, the portion 1096 of thecentral shaft 1050 may include similar surface features for directing thepin 1100 towards theholes 1098 as described above with the previous embodiment. - It should be noted that the present embodiments have been described principally in reference to the
boat 14. However, thestorage devices towers storage devices exemplary rack - While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (22)
1. An apparatus for securing items, the apparatus comprising:
a central portion;
an upper bearing and a lower bearing operably coupling the central portion to a portion of a support structure and permitting the apparatus to rotate relative to the support structure portion; and
a body portion for securement of the items.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion includes a frame for receiving items for securement.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion permits securement of items thereto.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus may be substantially locked in at least a first position.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 further including a biased locking member, a receptacle for each locked position, the position of the apparatus being substantially locked by receipt of the locking member within one of the receptacles.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a braking mechanism operably coupled to one of the upper bearing and the lower bearing to adjustably control the relative rotation.
7. In combination with a superstructure on a boat, an apparatus for securement of items, the apparatus comprising:
a central portion;
an upper connection for securing the central portion to an upper portion of the superstructure;
a lower connection for securing the central portion to a lower portion of the superstructure, the upper and lower connections being positioned to allow rotation of the central portion about the upper and lower portions of the superstructure; and
a body portion for securement of the items.
8. The combination of claim 7 wherein each of the upper and lower connections have first and second portions positionable about the upper and lower portions of the superstructure, the first and second portions being joined to secure the connections to the superstructure.
9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the upper and lower portions of the superstructure include a respective upper terminus and lower terminus, and the apparatus is securable to and between the upper terminus and lower terminus.
10. A superstructure for a boat, the superstructure comprising:
an extending portion secured relative to a deck of the boat, the extending portion having a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion;
an apparatus for securement of items, the apparatus rotatable relative to the extending portion; and
an upper bearing and a lower bearing mountable to the extending portion mounting portions for operably coupling the apparatus to the extending portion.
11. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein the bearings are securable around the mounting portions.
12. The superstructure of claim 11 wherein the mounting portions and bearings include cooperating bearing surfaces and grooves providing for relative motion therebetween.
13. The superstructure of claim 10 further including a body portion, wherein the mounting portions each include a terminus, the apparatus is secured to each terminus, and the bearing portions permit relative motion between the body portion and each terminus.
14. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is lockable in at least a first position relative to the extending portion.
15. The superstructure of claim 14 further including a receptacle for each lockable position, wherein the apparatus includes a biased pin, and the apparatus being positionable relative to each receptacle to permit the biased pin to be received in a receptacle to lock substantially the position of the apparatus relative to the extending portion
16. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein one of the upper bearing and the lower bearing includes a braking mechanism to adjustably control the rotation of the apparatus relative to the extending portion.
17. An accessory device including:
a central portion having an upper end and a lower end;
a bearing portion generally secured around a portion of the central portion and rotatable relative thereto;
an upper securement and a lower securement respectively provided on the central portion upper and lower ends; and
a securing member shiftable relative to the central portion and bearing portion between a first position permitting the bearing portion to rotate relative to the central portion and a second position generally restricting relative rotation between the central portion and the bearing portion.
18. The accessory device of claim 17 wherein the upper and lower securements are fixedly securable with respective portions of a superstructure on a boat.
19. The accessory device of claim 17 wherein the central portion includes receiving structure for the securing member, the receiving structure defining a plurality of selectable positions for the bearing portion relative to the central portion, and the securing member is received by the receiving structure to generally restrict relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
20. The accessory device of claim 19 wherein the securing member includes a threaded portion threadably received by the bearing portion, the threaded portion having an end received by the receiving structure for preventing relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
21. The accessory device of claim 19 wherein the securing member includes an elongate portion linearly shiftable relative to the bearing portion and central portion, the elongate portion having an end received by the receiving structure for restricting relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
22. The accessory device of claim 21 further including a second securing member including a threaded portion threadably received by the bearing portion, the threaded portion having an end received by a portion a second receiving structure for preventing relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/198,983 US20060016381A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 | 2005-08-08 | Tower leg support and storage device |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US56631504P | 2004-04-29 | 2004-04-29 | |
US59975604P | 2004-08-06 | 2004-08-06 | |
US11/119,317 US20060102668A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 | 2005-04-29 | Rotating storage device |
US11/198,983 US20060016381A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 | 2005-08-08 | Tower leg support and storage device |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/119,317 Continuation-In-Part US20060102668A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 | 2005-04-29 | Rotating storage device |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060016381A1 true US20060016381A1 (en) | 2006-01-26 |
Family
ID=35655786
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/198,983 Abandoned US20060016381A1 (en) | 2004-04-29 | 2005-08-08 | Tower leg support and storage device |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20060016381A1 (en) |
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US20090189038A1 (en) * | 2008-01-30 | 2009-07-30 | James Timothy R | Apparatus and method for mounting a bimini top |
US8770530B2 (en) | 2010-08-05 | 2014-07-08 | Protomet Corporation | Adjustable accessory bracket assembly |
WO2017117643A1 (en) * | 2016-01-09 | 2017-07-13 | Ferronato Elio José | Integrated illumination and signalling system for navigation purposes, method for integrating illumination and signalling for navigation purposes, and device integrating illumination and signalling for nagivation purposes |
US10272974B2 (en) * | 2017-08-29 | 2019-04-30 | Richard W. Hord | Boat tower hinge |
US10420440B2 (en) * | 2015-12-03 | 2019-09-24 | Mark J. Flick | Fire cooking grill |
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US20090189038A1 (en) * | 2008-01-30 | 2009-07-30 | James Timothy R | Apparatus and method for mounting a bimini top |
US8616511B2 (en) * | 2008-01-30 | 2013-12-31 | Dowco, Inc. | Apparatus and method for mounting a bimini top |
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US10420440B2 (en) * | 2015-12-03 | 2019-09-24 | Mark J. Flick | Fire cooking grill |
WO2017117643A1 (en) * | 2016-01-09 | 2017-07-13 | Ferronato Elio José | Integrated illumination and signalling system for navigation purposes, method for integrating illumination and signalling for navigation purposes, and device integrating illumination and signalling for nagivation purposes |
US10343752B2 (en) | 2016-01-09 | 2019-07-09 | Elio José Ferronato | Integrated illumination and signaling system for navigation purposes, method for integrating illumination and signaling for navigation purposes, and device integrating illumination and signaling for navigation purposes |
US10272974B2 (en) * | 2017-08-29 | 2019-04-30 | Richard W. Hord | Boat tower hinge |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |