US2890466A

US2890466A - Boat trailer

Info

Publication number: US2890466A
Application number: US681346A
Authority: US
Inventors: Curtis A Bly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-08-30
Filing date: 1957-08-30
Publication date: 1959-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1976-06-16

Description

June 16, 1959 c. A. BLY

BOAT TRAILER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Au 30, 1957 INVENTOR. Cmz-ns A. ELY

c. A. BLY 2,890,466

BOAT TRAILER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 16, 1959 Filed Aug. 30, 1957 WM Y M aan ATTO \ZH EYS 2,890,466 Patented June 16, 1959 BOAT TRAIL'ER Curtis A. Bly, Silver Spring, Md.

Application August 30, 1957, Serial No. 681,346

3 Claims. (Cl. 9-1) The present invention relates to boats and in particular to a boat having retractable wheels for travel over a ground surface when towed behind a vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a boat having retractable wheels which may be readily extended or retracted by a single operator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a boat having retractable wheels in which the wheels are easily accessible for replacement or servicing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a boat having retractable wheels which offers no resistance to passage through the water when the wheels are in the retracted position, one in which the retractable wheel assemblies may be incorporated in various hull designs such as speed boat hulls or sail boat hulls, and one in which such wheel assemblies when retracted are virtually waterproof.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a boat having retractable wheels which are simple in structure, economically practical, and highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a boat hull according to the present invention with the wheel assemblies in their extended position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the portion of the boat hull bottom with the wheels in the extended position;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the combined boat and trailer according to the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 18 and comprises a flat hull bottom 12 and spaced sides 14 and a transom 16 rising from the bottom 12. The hull bottom 12 is provided with an elongated opening 18 (Figs. 3 and 4) adjacent each of the upstanding sides 14 of the hull.

A wheel assembly, designated by the reference numeral 28, is positioned beneath and in alignment with each of the openings 18 and is retractable through the opening 18 into the hull above the opening 18. The boat 18 is provided with a pair of

wells

22 and 24 within the hull and adjacent the sides 14 beneath which each of the wheel assemblies 20 is positioned for movement through the respective opening 18. As the wheel assemblies 20 are identical they will be described with reference to the wheel assembly 20 beneath the well 22.

The wheel assembly 20 comprises a flat cover plate 26 normally bridging and closing the opening 18 and an extension plate 28 projecting from one end of the cover plate 26. A pair of trunnions 30 are secured to the hull bottom 12 on each side of the opening 18, as shown in Figure 5, and support the end portions of the shaft 32 which is fixedly secured to the upper face of the cover plate 26 inwardly of and adjacent the point of its connection to the extension plate 28. The shaft 32 constitutes means connecting the cover plate 26 to the hull bottom 12 for movement from the bridging position to a position in which it is wholly within the hull and away from the opening 18, the bridging position being shown in full lines in Figure 2 and the position away from the opening 18 being shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

When the cover plate 26 is in the position bridging the opening 18 the extension plate normally extends in a downwardly sloping direction beneath the hull bottom 12 and toward the rear of the boat trailer 10. The wheel assembly 20 includes a supporting member 34 arranged on the side of the extension plate 28 contiguous to the cover plate 26 and being arcuately curved so as to extend over and serve as a shield for a wheel 36 which is mounted upon a stub axle 38 projecting perpendicularly from the medial portion of an arm 40 which has one end portion bent at a right angle and pivotally connected to an eye formation 42 provided in the free end of the supporting member 34. The other end of the supporting member 34 is fixedly secured to the extension plate 28 by welding or other suitable means. The wheel 36 normally engages a ground surface, as at 44 in Figures 2 and 4, and is rotatably mounted upon the stub axle 38.

Resilient mounting means connects the other end of the arm 40 to the underside of the extension plate 28. Such means consisting of a pair of coil springs 46 and 48 (Fig. 2) mounted upon a bolt 50 which extends through a support member 52 with the spring 46 on the upper side of the support member 52 and the spring 48 on the other side of the support member 52. One end of the spring 48 is seated in a cup 54 formed integrally with the adjacent end of the arm 40 through which extends the threaded free end portion of the bolt 50 resiliently connecting the adjacent end of the arm 40 to the support member 52.

A vertically extending rod 56 is rotatably supported adjacent its upper end in a bracket 58 fixed to the inner surface of one of the hull sides 14 and has its lower end received in a socket, as shown in dotted lines at 60 in Figure 4. The lower end portion of the rod 56 has fixedly secured to it a latch element or bar 62 movable in response to partial rotation of the rod 56 from the dotted line position adjacent the side 14 of the hull to the full line position bridging the opening 18 and overlying the cover plate, as shown in Figure 5.

When the bar 62 is swung to the transverse position overlying the cover plate 26, it is received, at its medial portion under one end of a latch 64 carried by the cover plate 26. A bolt 66 extends through the one end portion of the latch 64 overlying the mid-part of the bar 62 and is threadedly received in a threaded hole provided in the bar 62 for locking the bar 62 to the latch 64 against accidental removal from engagement with the latch 64. The uper end of the rod 56 is provided with a handle 68 for manually shifting the bar 62 into and out of engagement with the latch 64. The latch 64 constitutes cooperating means on the cover plate 26 engageable by the bar 62 on the hull bottom 12 for holding the cover plate 26 in the hull bottom opening bridging position. A keeper 71 is carried on the extension plate 28 in such a position as to receive a latch bolt 70 on the upper face of the hull boter tom 12 when the extension plate 28 is in the position bridging the opening 18 with the wheel assembly wholly within the hull of the boat trailer 10.

Means is provided on the free end and sides of the extension plate 28 engageable with cooperating means on the portions of the bottom 12 adjacent the end of the opening 18 remote from the shaft 32 and along each of the side edges of the opening 18 for preventing movement of the extension plate 28 upwardly into the hull beyond the closing position when the cover plate 26 has been shifted upwardly to the position away from and above the opening 18. This means consists in a ledge 72 extending along the free end of the extension plate 28 and along each of the side edges thereof and engaging under a shoulder 74 provided on the adjacent portion of the hull bottom 12 surrounding the opening 18.

Means is provided for preventing the outward movement of the cover plate 26 completely through the opening 18 in the hull bottom and consists of a transversely arranged bar 76 securely fixed as by screws 77 to the upper side of the cover plate 26 adjacent the free end of the latter and having portions adjacent each end extending beyond the opening 18 and engaging the adjacent portions of the hull bottom 12 when the cover plate 26 is in the position closing the opening 18, as shown most clearly in Figure 5. The keeper plate 78 is also provided for holding the free end of the bar 62 in its locking positions securing the cover plate 26 in the position bridging and closing the opening 18.

A cover 80 is hingedly connected to the upper ends of each of the

wells

22 and 24 and provides a means by which the wheels 36 are readily accessible for replacement or service when necessary. The covers 80 when raised also provide access to the handle 68 and to the bolt 66 for releasing the bar 62 when it is desired to raise or lower the wheel assemblies 20.

In use, a single operator is all that is necessary to convert the boat to a trailer. Preferably, the wheel assemblies 20 are manually lowered one at a time when the boat trailer is in the water and supported therein. Water will enter the

wells

22 and 24 but as the latter are sealed to the sides and bottom of the hull, no water will enter the hull from the

wells

22 or 24. With the bar 62 turned to the unlatched position, the wheel assembly in each

well

22 and 24 may be readily raised to the position above the hull bottom 12 with the extension plate 28 covering and closing the opening 18 beneath the respective well 22 or 24. When the extension plate 28 covers and closes the opening 18 in the hull bottom 12, stones and dirt are kept from entering the respective well 22 or 24 from a road surface. A conventional hitch 82 is provided on the forward end of the boat trailer 10, as shown in Figure 1, for attachment thereto of suitable towing means provided on a towing vehicle. With the wheel assemblies 20 in the down position and locked, the boat trailer is easily withdrawn from a body of water and towed behind a towing vehicle over a road surface from one lake to another or to a place of storage.

While only a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, other embodiments are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combined boat and trailer, the combination with a flat hull bottom, and upstanding spaced sides rising from said bottom, there being an elongated opening in said bottom adjacent one of said sides, of a wheel assembly positioned beneath and in alignment with said opening and retractable through said opening into the hull above said opening, said wheel assembly comprising a flat cover plate normally bridging and closing the opening in said bottom, an extension plate projecting from one end of said cover plate, said extension plate normally extending in a downwardly sloping direction beneath said hull bottom, a supporting member arranged on the side of said extension plate contiguous to said cover plate and having one end fixedly secured to the extension plate intermediate the ends thereof, an arm positioned beneath said supporting member and having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said supporting member, a stub axle projecting perpendicularly from the medial portion of said arm, a wheel normally engaging a ground surface adjacent said opening and rotatably supported on said axle, and resilient mounting means connecting the other end of said arm to said extension plate, said cover plate being connected adjacent one end thereof to said hull bottom for movement from the bridging position to a position in which it is wholly within the hull and away from the opening with the wheel assembly within the hull above the opening and the extension plate bridging and closing said opening.

2. In a combined boat and trailer, the combination with a fiat hull bottom, and upstanding spaced sides rising from said bottom, there being an elongated opening in said bottom adjacent one of said sides, of a wheel assembly positioned beneath and in alignment with said opening and retractable through said opening into the hull above said opening, said wheel assembly comprising a flat cover plate normally bridging and closing the opening in said bottom, an extension plate projecting from one end of said cover plate, said extension plate normally extending in a downwardly sloping direction beneath said hull bottom, a supporting member arranged on the side of said extension plate contiguous to said cover plate and having one end fixedly secured to the extension plate intermediate the ends thereof, an arm positioned beneath said supporting member and having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said supporting member, a stub axle projecting perpendicularly from the medial portion of said arm, a wheel normally engaging a ground surface adjacent said opening and rotatably supported on said axle, resilient mounting means connecting the other end of said arm to said extension plate, said cover plate being connected adjacent one end thereof to said hull bottom for movement from the bridging position to a position in which it is wholly within the hull and away from the opening with the wheel assembly within the hull above said opening and the extension plate bridging and closing said opening, and a releasable latch element on said bottom and engageable with cooperating means on said cover plate for holding the cover plate when in the closing position.

3. In a combined boat and trailer, the combination with a flat hull bottom, and upstanding spaced sides rising from said bottom, there being an elongated opening in said bottom adjacent one of said sides, of a wheel assembly positioned beneath and in alignment with said opening and retractable through said opening into the hull above said opening, said wheel assembly comprising a flat cover plate normally bridging and closing the opening in said bottom, an extension plate projecting from one end of said cover plate, said extension plate normally extending in a downwardly sloping direction beneath said hull bottom, a supporting member arranged on the side of said extension plate contiguous to said cover plate and having one end fixedly secured to the extension plate intermediate the ends thereof, an arm positioned beneath said supporting member and having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said supporting member, a stub axle projecting perpendicularly from the medial portion of said arm, a wheel normally engaging a ground surface adjacent said opening and rotatably supported on said axle, resilient mounting means connecting the other end of said arm to said extension plate, said cover plate being connected adjacent said one end thereof to said hull bottom for movement from the bridging position to a position in which it is wholly within the hull and away from the opening with the wheel assembly F- an position when the said extension plate is in the closing position with respect to said hull bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Moody Feb. 19, 1957