US3026839A - Boats - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1'962 c. v. FRIDGE 3,026,839

BOATS Filed Aug. 22, 19Go IN VEN TOR. WF/we@ 56406-5 United States Patent G 3,026,839 BOATS Clifford V. Fridge, 267 Lovers Lance, Baton Rouge, La. Filed Aug. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 50,965 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-665) This invention relates to inflatable, buoyant attachments for use with water vessels. The invention specifically relates to rigging for increasing the buoyancy and decreasing the drag on water vehicles to which they may be attached.

One objective of this invention is to provide buoyant inflatable plastic members about portions of the periphery of the vessels hull above the water line for a variety of purposes. One purpose of such members is to maintain the boat afloat in the event it is capsized, and a second purpose thereof is to prevent capsizing by decreasing the pitch of the boat on sharp turns while the boat is traveling at high speeds.

A still further objective of such a member is the protection it affords the vessels hull in the event it contacts or bumps other vessels, piers, snags, and the like. l Another objective of this invention is to provide triangularly shaped inllatable devices astern along the bottom of the vessels hull, forward of the propeller so that the portion of the boat most submerged will be provided with additional buoyancy, and thus decrease the drag or friction caused bythe vessels hull.

A still further objective of this invention is to provide an inflatable plastic ring of material about the periphery of the cockpit of a motor boat or the like which will act as a safety shield for the operators thereof, and as a further buoyant means in the event of the vessel capsizing.

Each of the above-mentioned inflatable members, a1- though having their Own specific objectives, have a cooperative objective of keeping the boat afloat under all but the most unusual of circumstances.

A still further important objective of this invention is to manufacture the above drag decreasing and buoyant members of readily inflatable materials so that the members can be utilized or not as the operator chooses.

Retractable devices of a buoyant nature in the present state of its art are made largely of rigid materials which are unwieldly and ditlicult to remove from operation when desired. The invention set forth herein requires no costly hydraulic power supply so often necessary with current adjustable hydrofoil apparatus. The invention described below permits a flexibility of use and safety characteristics desired by the vast majority of individual boat owners, and is well within their financial reach.

Further objectives and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and claims wherein the construction, arrangement and cooperation of the several parts of the apparatus are set forth.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a motor boat embodying the principle of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view thereof with portions in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the drag decreasing elements; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the boat showing the attitude of the boat at a high speed.

Referring now to the drawings where like elements indicate like parts, the numeral indicates a motor boat employing features of one embodiment of this invention. The vessel has, along the starboard side of its hull, a recessed chamber 12 housing an elongated inflatable plastic member 14. The air inlet for the member 14 may conveniently extend into the cockpit 16 of the boat as shown at 18 permitting inflation at that point. Many smaller boats of the type shown have as part of their 3,525,83 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 ICC standard equipment hand pumps by which the member 14 may be intlated. In larger boats such as cabin cruisers and yachts, more often a generator and air pump for compressed airis available. In the alternative, the member 14 may readily be supplied with automatic carbon dioxide inating devices which are well known to those in the inflatable container art.

The recess is provided with a hinged cover 20 which will swing open when member 14 is inflated; Conventional clasps and hinges may be adapted for use with the cover if desired. The recess 12 is sufficiently large to house the member 14 in its dellated condition. However, when the member is inflated, it forcibly swings the cover outwardly and emerges from its recess. The members inflated condition can be observed by referring to FIG. l or to the dotted lines in FIG. 2.

The member 14 will be made of a tough, extremely durable plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride. Thusly, the inflated member 14 will not only act as a buoyant member to prevent capsizing, but will act as a bumper-guard in the event the boat strikes other boats, docks, piers and the like.

As seen best in FIG. 3, a recess 22 adapted to receive the inflatable member 24 on the port side of the boat is also provided.

The port side of the boat is identical to that described for the starboard side. The recess 22 has a cover member 23 and the inflatable member 24 is preferably furnished with an air inlet also extending to the panel or point 18. The air inlets for all the inllatable members are conveniently centered at panel 18.

As already indicated, these inllatable members act as bumper guards and safety floats. Additionally, the members 14 and 24 will lessen the pitch of the boat as it makes a turn. That is; as the boat makes a sharp turn to the port side, the elongated member 24 will come in contact with the water thus increasing the buoyancy on that side of the ship, which in turn aids in keeping the ship upright and of course, the reverse is true on the starboard side. The importance of this aspect of the invention will become more apparent as other aspects of invention are described.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 3 and 4 there is shown shallow triangular recesses 26 and 30 on either side of and forwardly of the propeller 32. These recesses are adapted to house a pair of pointed triangularly shaped inflatable members 34 and 36. The members 34 and 36 are also provided with interior air nozzles 38 and 40 which terminate at the centrally located panel 18.

Spring-hinged covers or planing members 27 and 31 close olf the recesses 26 and 30 while the members 34 and 36 are in their deflated condition. When the inflatable actuating members 34 and 36 are inllated, the covers swing open forming a pair of planing members having their widest, most rearwardly, portions spaced from the bottom of the boat.

A better understanding of the invention can be gained by observing the invention in operation. As is commonly known, the bow of a boat (having a rear screw propel- 1er) raises at increased forward speeds and the stern end has a tendency to submerge a proportionate amount. It is the purpose of members 34 and 36 to decrease the drag resulting from the submerged stern condition.

When the boat reaches an attitude of high bow and low stern, the operator will inflate members 34 and 36 to raise the stern an amount from its submerged state. The members 34 and 36 are normally inflated prior to reaching the speeds at which they will reach their optimum eliciency. Skilled operators will readily become familiar with the degree of inllatability necessary for their particular boat and water conditions. For safety purposes, members 14 and 24 are inllated prior to members 34 and 36.

As the speed of the boat increases, the cooperation between the side members 14 and 24 and the bottom members 34 and 36 becomes readily apparent. As the boat is lifted further and further out of the water, the danger of capsizing, due to an undesirable tilting, becomes in creasingly likely when sharp turns are made. However,v the side members 14 and 24 will prevent such an eventuality.

The decreased drag obtained by the inflatable members results in a faster traveling vessel, and a somewhat more dangerous one in spite of side members 14 and 24. A further safety feature is included which takes the form f an inatable plastic member 44 outlining the periphery of the boat cockpit. This member acts as a safety shield for the occupants and to increase the buoyancy of the boat in the event that it capsizes.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and eicient embodiments of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claim.

I claim:

A boat 'having a relatively flat bottom, substantially vertical hull walls, and a passenger cockpit, a motor driven propeller astern and disposed along the center line of said bottom, a pair of triangularly shaped planing members on said bottom spaced forwardly of said propeller and having their apices facing in the forward direction of travel, and one each of said pair on either side of said center line, -a pair of triangularly shaped inflatable plastic members to actuate said planing members, irst means to inflate said members with a compressed gas causing the stern end of said boat to partially lift from the water in which it is buoyed, said hull walls comprised of a port side and a starboard side, an inatable tube circumscribing the opening of said cockpit, second means to inate said tube, each of said sides having longitudinal recesses therein substantially parallel to said bottom, third inatable members nested in each of said last-mentioned recesses, third means to inflate said third inatable members, said third inliatable members expanding beyond the contines of said recesses when inflated, said lirst, second and third means to inate emanating from a common source in said cockpit, whereby at high speeds when said first pair of members are inflated, said second members will aid in preventing said boat from capsizing, and said tube will aid in making said boat more buoyant in the event of capsizing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,588 Meldau Nov. 22, 1910 1,448,607 Tworski Mar. 13, 1923 1,805,131 Donaldson May 12, 1931 2,265,206 Stamp Dec. 9, 1941 2,848,725 Sloulin Aug. 26, 1958 2,924,192 Salvage Feb. 9, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 265,363 Italy l June 10, 1929

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