US2424672A - Boat construction - Google Patents

Description

- Jul 29, 1947. I

S. F. STREICKER ET AL BOAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3, 1944 INVENTOR5.

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Patented July 29, 1947 Seymour Streicker and EdWard'W. Malek, Chicago, 111.; said Malek assignor to said Streicker Application'January 3, 1944, Serial-No. 516,764

1' Claim.

1 The present invention relates to improvements inboats. More particularly, it pertains to an improved construction for boats, such as canoes, or the like, in which the transverse ribs are formed of tubes consisting of a lightweight metal and secured in position in any suitable manner.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of a novel type of transverse rib to be utilized in connection with boat construction, the rib preferably consisting of a light-weight tube having sealed portions providing fluid confining chambers for the tubes, the tubes or transverse ribs being secured to the longitudinal ribs or longrons of the boat.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a boat construction having longitudinal ribs with preformed transverse ribs secured thereto, the transverse ribs consisting of lightweight metallic seamless tubes, or the like, having flattened sealed end portions in which opposite wall sections lie contiguous each other providing air confining chambers'for the tubes.

Another object of the invention is to provide transverse ribs from hermetically sealed seamless tubes which are simple yet sturdy and durable of constructiom'are readily bendable to any desired shape, will maintain their shape and rigidity, after being'secured in position and which, when properly sealed, will be buoyant in water.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious, and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a View illustrating a piece of seamless or drawn tubing, with a portion thereof removed, before being bent into desired shape to form a transverse rib;

Fig. 2 is a side view of an end portion of tubing showing the tip flattened Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views illustrating a modified form of flattened tube end;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of a fragment of a boat construction illustrating a bent transverse tubular rib secured in position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary portion of a tube show- 2 ing one means of securing the same to a longron;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of Fig. 7, partly in section, further illustrating the meansfor securing the tube; and

Fig. 9 is a modified form of tube construction illustrating a manner for securing the same in position. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is indicated generally at It) in Fig. 1 a piece of seamless or drawn tubing of any desired length as indicated by the portions removed. This material may consist of so-called Dow metal or magnesium metal, or any other suitablelightweight metal, although it iswithin the contemplation of the invention that other suitable nonmetallic materials, such as plastics, can be used.

Preferably, such tubing can first be cut to any desired length, that is, the length of the various size ribs which it is intended to use as trans- Verse ribs in boat construction. In one form of the invention, as illustrated in 1 Figs. 2 and 3, the tube is pressed together-at both ends in such a manner that opposite wall sections are brought forcibly against each other by flattening the same, as indicated at ll. Such metal is sufficiently malleable that when these opposite wall sections are brought together in contiguous relationship they form an absolute seal so that air is confined between the'ends of the sealed tube, thereby forming air or fluid confining chambers. It is also within the contemplation of the presentinvention to use a gaseous or other suitable medium in the confined portions of the tube which will make them buoyant in water.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a tube flattened at its end, as indicatedat l2, but in a somewhat different manner, the end of the tube being squeezed together. In themodification shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the top portion, after the tube has been placed against a flat surface, is brought down in such a manner that a different figuration is secured. The flattened ends of any of the tubes can be drilled as indicated at I3.

After a tube such as that indicated in Fig. 2 has been hermetically sealed at the ends it can readily be bent around a suitable forming tool to impart thereto a generally U-shaped configuration. With the tube in this condition it forms an excellent transverse rib and can be secured to the longitudinal ribs of a boat as indicated in Fig. 6.

Preferably, the ends of the tubes where they are flat are secured to the uppermost longitudinal ribs by means of suitable screws or bolts M. The

remaining portions of the tubes where they overlie the longitudinal ribs can then be secured as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8 by stainless steel straps l secured by means of screws'lli, I6 to the longitudinal ribs I7. It will be seen that the strap l5 has been punched as indicated at l8 to provide a burr l9 on the underside of the strap. This enables the strap as it is drawn against the tube, to grip the tube, more firmly to secure it in position. The burrs I9 should not be of such length as to puncture the walls of the tubes and destroy their hermetic sealing char-e acteristics. The tube lilis of softer metal than the strap l5.

In another modification, as illustrated in Fig. 9, on or more intermediate portions of r the tube can be provided with flattened areas as indicated generally at 20. When drilled in these flattened areas suitable screws or bolts 2!, 2! can be used to secure the tubes to various adjacently lying longitudinal ribs. This type of construction not only provides a plurality of air chambers which will permit the tube to retain its buoyancy characteristics, even though certain of the other remaining tubes are punctured, but such a modification can be utilized for heavier types of boat construction.

It is also within the contemplation of th invention to utilize similar tubes with little or no flattening at all. For example, the ends can be plugged with any suitable material, such as rubber, cork etc. thus providing a single air chamber for each tube, This material can be forced into the ends of the tube. Intermediate portions of the tubes can similarly beplugged providing one or more air chambers if desired. It is further within the contemplation of the invention that these plugged sections also be flattened to any desired extent and then drilled to receive screws. Thus, a sealing gasket is provided in that type of tube and there is obtained enhanced sealing characteristics. In either form of construction, and in particular that described in connection without the'use of plugs, a certain amount of heat in addition to pressure can be utilized to secure a coalescence or weld at the contiguous spaces on the opposite wall section.

The present invention has many advantages. For example, besides being buoyant because of the air chamber or chambers provided, there is great rigidity, and such tubes are readily bendable for forming into transverse ribs without danger of weakening them as is true of angle iron constructions where that type of material has been suggested for use as ribs.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth can readily and efiiciently be obtained, and since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a boat construction, the combination comprising longitudinal ribs and transverse ribs secured thereto, said transverse ribs consisting of light-weight buoyant malleable metallic tubes having flattened oflset sealed portions at the ends thereof with remaining portions of the tubes being circular in cross-section and in which opposite wall sections of said sealed portions lie contiguous each other providing air confining chambers for the remaining portions of said tubes, said sealed portions consisting of opposite wall sections of said tubes lying in faceto-face contacting relationship, the contacting faces of said metal being sufiiciently malleable so that when said opposite wall sections are brought together in contiguous relationship they provide an absolute hermetic seam construction, and a securing means including a strap of metal fastened around at least one of said tubes and being secured to one of said longitudinal ribs at the bottom of the boat, said strap having a detent in its top surface and a protruding sharp gripping portion in its bottom surface overlying said tube, said tube being of softer metal than said strap, and said gripping portion being embedded in the top Wall a substantial distance without penetrating the same, thereby maintaining said hermetically sealed characteristics of said tube.

SEYMOUR F. STREICKER. EDWARD W. MALEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,049,968 Mead Aug. 4, 1936 1,050,481 Lundin et al Jan. 14, 1913 1,462,533 Clark July 24, 1923 1,773,357 Griswold Aug. 19, 1930 1,564,826 Chilton et a1. Dec. 8, 1925 2,083,410 Stiver June 8, 1937 747,393 Eyermann Dec. 22, 1903 37,236 La Mothe Dec. 23, 1862 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 34,172 Norway Feb. 13, 1922

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