US3464517A

US3464517A - Small boat boarding apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3464517A
Application number: US738516A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrey O Akermanis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-06-20
Filing date: 1968-06-20
Publication date: 1969-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1986-09-02

Description

Sept- 2, 1969 A. o. AKERMANIS 3,464,517

SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 SePt- 2, 1969 A. o. AKERMANIS 3,464,517

SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A/VDHEY 0. AKEHMA/V/S BWM@ t A z510/wey Sept 2, '1969 A. o. AKERMANIS 3,464,517

SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 l 4Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ANDREY 0. AKERMAN/S BY@ 4 fw:

/Womey SePt- 2, 1.969 A. o. AKERMANIS SMALL BOAT BOARDING APPARTUS Filed June 20, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNvENTR. NDREY 0l /(ERM/V/S nited States Patent O US. Cl. 182-97 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A small boat boarding apparatus has a telescopic ladder which through a hanger is supported at the upper edge of the boat hull. The hanger includes a bracket support and a bracket which is movable between the opposite sides of the support. The ladder is inverted during movement of the bracket between the opposite sides of the support and a pin and slot arrangement is provided in the hanger to permit the inversion and movement of the bracket. The ladder is collapsed at the inboard side of of the hull and a device which is manipulatable by a swimmer at the outboard side of the hull is provided for moving the ladder to its outboard boarding position. Also disclosed is a means for permanently mounting the support component in the boat hull structure and which enables the bracket component of the hanger to be attached and detached at will to the boat hull.

The invention relates to a boarding apparatus for use with small boats and in particular to one which could be used by swimmers for boarding such boats.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved boarding apparatus for use with small boats.

Water skiing and other aquatic activities that involve the use of small powered boats are becoming increasingly more popular today and require reentry to the boat from the water by the participant. To facilitate such reentry, various boarding apparatuses are in use or have been proposed but most of the apparatuses have one or more disadvantages which detract from their wide acceptance by the users and manufacturers.

Rope and other flexible ladders have the advantage that they can be stowed aboard the boat during nonuse and in a relatively compacted state. Such ladders are difcult however for the swimmer to ascend and ofen present dangerous situations when water conditions are such as to cause the boat to roll and pitch. In addition, the ilexible type ladders require considerable dexterity and effort during the ascent as compared to the so-called rigid type ladders. The rigid type of ladder is less dangerous and easier for the swimmer to use, since the rungs or steps, are rigidly spaced apart and the ladder side components are inexible. Consequently, the ascender is less likely to be thrown olf balance by pitching and rolling movements of the boat. One disadvantage to the rigid type ladder, however, is the fact that substantial space is normally required in order to stow the apparatus during nonuse.

The stowage problem with rigid apparatuses has been previously recognized and among the solutions advocated is that of using a ladder having parts which telescope. Telescopic ladders although minimizing the problem of stowage aboard the boat are nevertheless frequently diicult to handle and adequately set up for use. For one thing, with most water activities that do involve the use of a powered small boat, there is need for at least one observer in the boat in addition to the driver since the observer is able to hang 'and remove the ladder from the hull when the needs arise. Without the observer, these functions are usually carried out by the boat operator,

and this of course leaves the boat unattended and creates dangerous situations fon the potential boarder, especially when waters are choppy or so rough as to require skillful manipulation of the boat in order to attain a suitable pickup position with respect to the swimmer.

One object of the invention is to provide a boarding apparatus which has a compact inboard stowage position and which can be manipulated by the swimmer at the outboard side of the boat so as to draw the boarding apparatus to an outboard position at which it can be ascended.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a boarding apparatus for small boats that can be attached to the boat hull and which is provided with a ladder assembly that can be moved between a stowed inboard position and a boarding position at the outboard side of the hull without the need for detaching the apparatus from the hull.

Yet another object is to provide an improved means for mounting boarding ladders on boats and which permits the ladder to be moved between inboard and outboard positions and whereat in either position the ladder is relatively secure against movement relative to the boat.

Yet another object is to provide an arrangement for use in the manufacture of boats and which enables certain components of the boarding apparatus to be permanently embedded in the hull structure and whereat a ladder assembly can be readily attached and detached from the hull structure.

lIn accord with one aspect of the invention, the boarding apparatus has a hanger which is mounted at the upper edge of the boat hull and provided with a movable bracket for carrying the ladder between an inboard stowed position and an outboard boarding position. The bracket is mounted on a support component of the hanger, and this support has slotted components which aid in guiding the bracket between the opposite sides of the support. The bracket is connected by means which slide in the slots during movement of the bracket and these connecting means permits the bracket to pivot and assume inverted positions at the extremes of movement of the bracket. The ladder is fastened to the bracket and in moving with the bracket is likewise moved between inverted positions at the opposite sides of the hull. The ladder is preferably telescopic and provided with rigid sections that telescope by relative sliding movement along the longitudinal axis of the ladder. Provisions are also made for securing the ladder against pivotal movement at the stowed and boarding positions therefor and in this respect a slot and pin arrangement are provided for guiding the bracket and ladder between the inboard and outboard positions and for holding certain components of the apparatus in close proximity to the support at the respective positions so as to avoid such pivotal movement.

One aspect of the invention has to do with a device that is manipulatable by a swimmer and which is used to draw the ladder assembly from its Stow position to its boarding position, the device being shown in the form of a flexible cord or rope length which can be grasped by the swimmer at the outboard side of the hull. The length is so arranged in the overall apparatus so as to enable a swimmer to lift the ladder out of its locked state at its stowed position and to a position at which the ladder is capable of being moved over the hull and into a locked state at the outboard side of the hull.

An additional aspect of the invention resides in a hull structure enabling the guide components of the hanger to be permanently embedded in the hull structure and features a structure that permits connecting and disconnecting the ladder carrying bracket to the hull from the underside of an internal rail in the boat structure.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a boarding apparatus ernbodying certain concepts of the invention as the apparatus is seen with the ladder assembly in the stowed position on the hull of a small boat.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the outboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the inboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view through the apparatus and boat hull as generally seen along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged section view of a fragment of the apparatus as seen along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. l as the apparatus is seen on the boat hull with the ladder assembly in the outboard boarding position therefor.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 6 and seen from the inboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 as seen from the outboard side of the boat hull.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 9 9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 9a is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 9a-9a of FIG. 3 and illustrates the arrangement of certain telescoping components of the ladder assembly.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention and wherein certain guide component of the bracket support are embedded in the boat hull structure, the ladder assembly and bracket components of the hanger being structurally the same as that shown in the prior embodiment and seen in the boarding position on the boat hull.

FIG. l1 is an enlarged elevational view of a fragment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 10 as seen from the outboard side of the boat hull, with certain parts broken away to better illustrate the embedded parts.

FIG. 12 is a section view taken generally along the lines 12--12 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a section view taken generally along the lines 13-13 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is a section view taken generally along the lines 14-14 of FIG. 10, and

FIG. 15 is a section view taken generally along the lines 15-15 of FIG. 10.

Reference is now made t0 the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 9a inclusive and wherein the boarding apparatus is generally designated by the numeral 10 and shown in the form of an apparatus that can be attached and detached from the hull of the boat. The apparatus 10 is illustrated as secured to the hull 11 of a small motorized boat 12 that is equipped with an inboard extending side rail 13 at the upper edge 14 of the hull. The apparatus is depicted as attached to the side of the boat but it would be obvious that the boarding apparatus may be secured elsewhere on` the boat, such for example, on a transom of the boat.

Boarding apparatus 10 comprises a ladder assembly 15, and a hanger 16 which is equipped with a clamping device 17 for releasably seeming the hanger to the hull 11 in the illustration. Hanger 16 includes a bracket 18 which is fastened to the ladder 15 and further includes a bracket 4 support 19 on which the bracket is movable between the inboard 20 and outboard 21 sides of the support.

structurally, the support component 19 of the hanger 16 includes a pair of U-shaped metal components 23 which are inverted in the support structure and rigidly spaced apart in a parallel arrangement by a generally rectangular plate designated at 24. These metal components 23 form 4the opposite ends 25 of the support and are provided with surface recesses 26 along their upper edges. These recesses are arranged to accommodate the opposite ends of plate 24 and an overlying rubber mat 26 which is secured to the upper side of the plate 24 so as to provide a better foot grip when the plate is stepped on by the user of the boarding apparatus. Plate 24 is welded to the U-shaped components 23 at its opposite ends and is rolled downwardly along its edges at the inboard and outboard sides of the support. This provides rounded

edges

57 and 58 which better accommodate pivotal movement of the bracket between the sides and top of the support as Will be subsequently described.

Each U-shaped component 23 has an elongated midsection 28 which rests on the upper edge of the hull 11 in the illustrated embodiment. Additionally, each component is provided with

opposite end sections

29 and 30 at the inboard and outboard sides of the support and which are formed integral with the tranversally arranged midsection 28 of the component. These sections form depending

legs

29 and 30 at the inboard 32 and outboard 33 sides of the hull when the support is attached to the hull as is evident from the drawings.

The outboard legs 30 of the support components 23 are braced by an elongated rod 34 which is equipped with a pair of cylindrical elements 35 made from resilient material such as rubber. Along with the outside legs 30 of the support, these resilient elements 35 bear against the outboard side 33 of the hull when the support is clamped to the boat structure.

The clamping device includes a clamping component which is carried on each of the inboard legs 29 and which serves to bear against the inside of the hull immediately in front of the legs 29 and yet another clamping component which is carried on a rod 39 that extends between the respective legs 29 of the support components 23. Each inboard leg 29 has an internally threaded nut element 36- which is rotatably mounted on the leg. These elements 36 engage the threads of a headed screw element 37 which is associated therewith. This screw element bears against the inboard side of the hull and by rotatably adjusting the nuts 36, more or less clamping pressure can be exerted on the hull so as to clamp the hull between the adjacent outboard leg and the head of the screw element 37. It is deemed obvious that these components of the clamping device 17 may be manipulated to facilitate removal of the support from the hull in the embodiment under consideration.

The clamping device also includes a screw element 38 which is carried on a bent rod 39 that extends between the inboard legs 29 of the support component 23. The opposite ends of this rod 39 are journaled in aligned bores 40 in the inboard legs 29 so that the rod is capable of swinging on the axis provided thereby to facilitate proper orientation of the element at the time the hanger is clamped to the hull. The rod 39 has an internally threaded and centrally located knobular portion 41 in which the screw element 38 is threaded and this element 38 is arranged in the illustration so that it engages a block of wood 42 which is adopted to tit beneath the internal side rail 13 and against the inboard side of the hull. The ends of rod 39 are retained in the bores 40 by headed screw elements 43 that are axially threaded on the rod ends as seen in FIG. 5. The device involving screw element 38 serves to better distribute the stresses to the hull when a person is ascending the ladder and it will be evident that various other means may be used for clamping the hanger support to the hull in lieu ofthe means described herein.

The bracket component 18 of the hanger 16 includes an elongated plate 45 which extends between the opposite ends 25 of the support 19. Plate 45 has a pair of plate elements 46 which are welded to its opposite ends 47 in a transverse arrangement. This provides a pair of lugs 48 at the support side of the bracket plate 45 and which laps the opposite ends 25 of the support component of the assembled hanger and facilitates the bracket linkage with the guide component 23. The arrangement of the plate elements 46 is also such as to provide another pair of lugs 49 at the ladder side of the bracket plate and these lugs 49 are used in fastening the ladder assembly to the bracket.

As previously indicated, the bracket is not only movable between the inboard and outboard sides of the support but is inverted in the process of moving between its inbo-ard position 50 and its outboard position 51. To facilitate these movements, an elongated, end opening slot 53 is provided in each of the end support components 23. These slots 53 are aligned at the opposite ends of the support 19 and extend transversally of the hull edge 14 as is evident from the drawings. The connection between the bracket and the support is accomplished in the illustration by a pair of pins 54 which are threaded in the bracket lugs 48 and which project through the adjacent slots in the guide members 23. The pins are aligned at the opposite ends of the support and establish a pivot axis 55 which is fixed with respect to the bracket so as to permit the bracket to pivot as the plate 45 traverses the outboard 57 and inboard 58 edges at the top of the support. The slot arrangement in the guide components 23 provides a means for guiding the retainer pins 54 as the bracket is moved between the opposite sides of the support, and each slot 53, as seen in the drawings, is provided with depending extensions 59 and 60 at the outboard and inboard ends 61 and 62 of the slot. These extensions permit the bracket to fall to positions at the opposite sides of the support and at which substantial pivotal movement of the bracket about the axis 55 is prevented because of the close proximity of the bracket plate to the adjacent arms of the side members at these positions. The extensions 59 and 60 thus permit the pin carrying bracket to fall into locked positions at the inboard and outboard sides of the support and at which posit-ion the ladder is more or less pivotally immobilized.

The ladder assembly includes a plurality of rigid sections that are adapted to telescope by relative sliding movement along the longitudinal axis 64 of the ladder. Plate 45 is common to the bracket and the top section 65 of the ladder 15. Section 65 includes a pair of boarding handles 66 which are located at the opposite sides 67 of the section and which are fastened to the space lugs 49 by screw type fasteners designated at 68. These handles, as seen in FIG. 9, are arranged upright when the ladder is located at its boarding position 70 and are inverted when the ladder 15 is located at its stowed position 71, shown in FIG. 4.

Handles 66 are provided with elongated parallel grooves 69 which face each other in the section so as to enable the rigid section 72 next thereto to slide telescopically into the space between the handles when the ladder is contracted. The grooves 69 extend the full length of each handle and are closed at the top end of the handle by metal caps 73 that are fastened to the handle by screw elements 74. These caps 73 serve to stop sliding movement of the section 72 as the section is caused to telescope into section 65.

The rigid section 72 next adjacent the top section 65 includes a metal plate 78 which is rolled at its opposite edges 80 so as to provide arcuate risers 75 at the opposite side 82 of the ladder section 72. These risers 75 are spaced apart and are adapted and arranged between the handles of section 65 to provide a sliding fit in the grooves 69. A hooked flange 76 is welded to the top edge 77 of plate 78 and in an arrangement such as to overlap the upper edge 79 of bracket plate 45. Flange 76 encounters the edge 79 when the ladder 15 is extended and serves to limit the sliding movement of section 72 in this respect.

The rolled edges of plate 78 are arranged to provide a pair of facing grooves 83 in the ladder section 72. The rigid section 84 next adjacent section 72 also includes a metal plate 85. Plate 8S is also rolled at its opposite edges and this provides a pair of spaced arcuate risers 87 at the opposite sides 88 of the section 84. These risers 87 are spaced lapart and arranged to provide a sliding fit in the grooves 33 of section 72.

The top portion 90 of plate 85 is bent at a right angle to the general plane of the ladder, as seen in FIG. 9, and this arrangement provides a horizontal step in the section 84. The top and bottom of the step forming plate portion 90 are covered with rubber matting material 91 to provide a suitable foot grip and it will be noted that the plate portion 90 has a cutout 89 to provide a suitable hand grip for the user of the apparatus.

Section 84 has a metal flange forming component 93 along the bottom edge 92 of plate 85. This flange 93 is arranged to encounter the bottom edge 94 of plate 78 when the sec-tion 84 is fully telescoped into section 72 as is illustrated in FIG. 4. On the other hand, when the ladder 15 is extended, step forming plate 85 of the section 84 rests on a pair of inwardly projecting lugs 95 that are provided at the edges of the plate and near the bottom of each riser 75 for section 72.

The rolled edges 86 of plate 85 are adapted and arranged to provide a pair of facing grooves 97 in section 84, and the bottom section 96 of the ladder is also formed from a plate component 98. The opposite edges 99 of plate 98 are also rolled to provide spaced risers 100| that slidably iit in the grooves 97 of section 84. Plate 98 has a top portion 101 which is also bent to provide another step in the ladder assembly. This portion, 101, like step portion 90, of section 84 is also covered with mats 102 that are provided with a cutout 103 that serves as a hand grip for the user of the apparatus. The bottom edge 104 of plate 98 on the other hand, is rolled and covered with a mat 105 that provides a rung type step for the user.

When the bottom section 96 of the ladder is telescoped into section 84, the step component 90 of section 84 is encountered by the step component 101 of the bottom section, and thus serves to limit the relative sliding movement between the sections as the ladder is collapsed. On the other hand, when the ladder 15 is extended, as seen in FIG. 8, step component 101 rests on a pair of inwardly projecting lugs 106 that are similar to lugs 95 and provided at the bottom of each riser 87 in section 84.

The plates of the various ladder sections are provided wi-th cutouts, generally designated at 107 and which serve to reduce the weight in the overall assembly.

Movement of the ladder 15 from its boarding position 70, shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, to its stowed position 71, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, may be accomplished from the inside of the boat by first grasping the handles 66 to lift the assembly 15. This elevates the bracket plate 45 and draws the connecting pins 54 upwardly in the outboard slot extensions 59 to positions a-t which the plate 45 can be caused to pivot around the outboard edge 57 of the support. At this point in moving the ladder to fthe stowed position, the bracket 18 and the attached ladder may be caused to pivot in the direction of arrow 109 about the axis 55 provided by the pins 54 and until the ladder 15 is arranged in za more or less horizontal position, such as generally indicated at 110 in FIG. 9. The ladder 15 may be telescoped while it is at its boarding position 70, but it has been found most convenient to retract the

rigid sections

72, 84 and 96 into the top section 65 as the ladder rests in the horizontal position generally shown at 110. This may be accomplished by simply grasping, for example, the step component 101 of section 65 and pulling this component in the direction of arrow 111 until the sections are fully telescoped. The assembly is then further drawn toward the inboard side of the boat 12, and as this happens, the ladder assembly moves over the edge of the hull and the side rail 13 on bracket 18. During this process, the connecting pins 54 slide in slots 53 of the guide component 23 4and are guided during their movement from their positions at the outboard side of the support to the inboard side thereof. When the pins 54 reach the inboard ends 62 of the slots 53, the bracket 18 and ladder assembly 15 are again caused to pivot in the direction of arrow 112 shown with respect to the broken line position for the ladder at 151. At this point, the bracket plate 45 is in ia position at which it can clear the inboard edge 58 as the assembly is caused to pivot at the inboard side of the support, and upon completion of the pivotal movement here, the bracket 18 and ladder 15 fall downwardly and carry the retaining pins into the inboard slot extension 60 and whereat the ladder is locke-d in its stowed position therefor.

At the outboard boarding position 70, it will be evident that the rigid sections are held in a state of extension under the influence of gravity land that the telescoping sections are similarly held 4by gravity in a state of retraction when the assembly is at the stowed inboard position 71. This result is accomplished of course by providing a h'anger for the telescopic ladder which permits lthe ladder to be moved between its two positions and simultaneously inverted during such movement.

Now the ladder can be manually manipulated from the inside of the boat to move it from its stowed position to its boarding position but one aspect of the invention relates to a device which is embodied in the apparatus and enables a swimmer to draw the ladder assembly out of its stowed position and into its boarding position without the need for aid from a passenger in the boat.

The device for accomplishing this is designated at 115, and is shown in the form of a tlexible length of rope 116 which at one end 117, is equipped with a` hand grasp 118 that is located at the outboard side 33 of the hull. The mat 27 on plate 24 is discontinuous along a transverse line generally intermediate the opposite ends of the support and the rope length 116 extends over the support plate 24 and lies in the discontinuity when the ladder is stowed. A small pulley 119 is mounted in an aperture 120 at the inboard edge 58 of the support plate. The rope extends downwardly from the pulley land behind the bracket plate 45 when the ladder is in the stowed position and from behind the bracket plate 45 it extends through an aperture 121 in the plate and to a position at which the other end 122 of the rope is tied, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, at the upper edge 77 of plate 78.

Intermediate its opposite ends, rod 34 carries a small resilient element 124 that has a bulbular portion 125 which is outwardly oiset from the axis; of the rod 34. This bubular portion 125 has a vertical bore 126 'and a slit that communicates with the bore. By parting the bulbular portion 125 along the slit 127, the rope length 116 can be passed into the bore 126 and whereat the end of the rope is retained, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, until the need arises for a swimmer to use the device 115.

To use the device 115 when the ladder is in the stowed position, the swimmer, in approaching the out- -board side 33 of the hull 11, merely reaches up and grabs the hand grasp 118 at the end 117 of rope `116. By pulling downwardly on the rope, the rope becomes disengaged from the resilient retainer 124 and

sections

72, 84 and 96 are drawn upwardly in the top section 65 as in the direction of arrow 129. When flange 76 of section 72 encounters the upper edge 79 of bracket plate 45, further tension on the rope draws the top section 65 upwardly to the point at which the assembly 15 pivots about the axis of the retainer pins 54 and falls to a generally horizontal position on the support. Further force exerted on the rope 116 will then cause the assembly to be drawn to the outer edge 57. Here the assembly again pivots about the axis of pins 54 and assumes an upright position as it falls downwardly at the outboard side of the hull land carries the pins 54 into the outboard extensions 59 of the slots. During this last pivotal movement,

section

84 and 96 become extended under the iniluence of gravity and consequently, with the ladder fully extended, it assumes a boarding position and can be ascended by the swimmer.

Reference is now made to the embodiment shown in FIGS. l0 through 15. In this instance, the ladder assembly 15 land bracket 18 are structurally the same as that described in the previous embodiment. In this instance however, the hanger support is formed by a pair of metal components which are spaced apart along the rail and embedded in the hull structure 31 of the boat 132 depicted in the figures.

The hull 131 of boat 132 illustrated, is of more or less conventional design and has a top internal rail 133 which extends inboard from the upper edge 138 of the hull. The elements 130 are spaced apart on the rail and extend generally transversally thereof. Each elements 130, as seen in the drawings, has a transversally extending channel or slot 135 that opens at one side 136 of the element into a transversally arranged groove 137 in the upper face 138 of the rail. The slots 135, like those in the previous embodiment, also have depending extensions 139 rand 140 at the inboard 141 and outboard 142 ends of the slot 135. These extensions serve the same function as slot extensions described in the previous embodiment. The grooves 137 are adapted and arranged to accommodate the location and arrangement of the lug elements 48 of the bracket in the inal assembly.

The hull structure illustrated is made by well known resin impregnating liber glass techniques and each of the metal elements is tied into the fiber glass structure of the hull rail by a pair of pins that are spaced apart on the transverse members and extend through suitable bores 146 into the tiber glass structure, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 1.5. Between the grooves 137 and adjacent the at sides 147 of the guide elements 130, the rail structure is somewhat thicker so as to provide additional strength at the mounting position for the hanger guide elements. This arrangement has certain advantages in that it permits a hole 148 to be provided iat the under side 149 of the rail adjacent each of the guides 130. The hole 148 in each instance extends through the ber glass material at the at side 147 of the guide element and in an axial arrangement with a bore 151 in the element 130 that communicates with the base of the inboard slot extension.

In assembling the boarding apparatus in this situation, the bracket is rst positioned on the hull with the lugs 48 extending into the grooves 137 at the inboard side of the rail. The holes in the lugs 48 are then aligned up with the bores 151 in the guide elements 130 and the retainer pins 150 are then passed through the holes 148 and bores 151 and screwed into the lugs 48. To facilitate this, the pins may be provided with suitable end sockets, not shown, for reception of a suitable tool for this purpose.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that a boarding apparatus is provided wherein the apparatus need not be removed from the boat hull in order to be stowed in a compact condition and that a simple and effective device is provided for yan assembly to draw the stowed ladder into a Iboarding position without aid from a passenger in the boat.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination comprising a boat hull having an upper edge, and a boarding apparatus which includes a hanger mounted on the hull at said upper edge, and a ladder suspended from the hanger and `movable over the edge between a stowed position at the inboard side of the hull and a boarding position at ythe outboard side of the hull; said hanger including a support secured to the hull having inboard and outboard sides, a bracket supported by the support and movable thereon between the inboard and outboard sides thereof, and connecting means carried by the bracket and connecting the bracket to the support; said connecting means establishing Ia pivot axis which is iixed with respect to the bracket and movable therewith, and said ladder being fastened to said bracket and adapted and arranged to be inverted by pivotal movement about the pivot axis during its movement with the bracket between its boarding position and its stowed position.

2. The combination in accord with claim 1 further comprising elongated ilexible means connected to the ladder and manipulatable at the outboard side of the hull to draw the ladder from its stowed position to is boarding position.

3. The combination in accord with claim 1 where said ladder has rigid sections that are telescopically slidable along the longitudinal axis of the ladder, and where said ladder is retained by gravity in a state of extension at its boarding position and in a state of contraction at its stowed position.

4. The combination in accord with claim 1 where said support comprises a pair of components which are spaced apart along said edge and have respective elongated slots that extend transversally of the edge, where said connecting means includes a pair of pins located in the respective slots and being slidable between the opposite ends of the slots during movement of the ladder between its boarding and stowed positions, and where said pins are axially aligned and establish said pivot axis.

5. The combination in accord with claim 1 where said support comprises a pair of components which are spaced apart along said edge, each of said components including an elongated slot having opposite ends and arranged transversally of the edge, where said connecting means includes a pair of pins located in the respective slots and being axially aligned and slidably movable between said opposite ends, where each of the slots has depending extensions at the opposite ends thereof, where said pins are adapted to fall into the extensions at said ends and thereat support said bracket against substantial pivotal movement about said pivot axis.

6. The combination comprising a boat hull having an upper edge and an inwardly extending rail at said upper edge, a pair of elongated components extending transversally of the edge, said components being spaced apart and embedded in the rail structure, said rail having an upper face and a pair of transversally extending grooves in said face, each of said grooves being located at one side of one of said components and said one side having an elongated slot extending transversally of the rail and which is open into the groove adjacent thereto, a bracket at the face of said rail having a pair of lugs extending into the respective grooves, each of said lugs having pin means connected thereto and extending into the slot in the component adjacent thereto, each of said components having a bore in the other side of the component, which communicates with the slot in the component, said rail having openings which communicate with the respective bores in the components and also with the underside of said rail; said pin means being connectable with the lug associated therewith by passage through the rail opening and bore adjacent such lug, said bracket being movably connected to the components by said pins and movable between positions at the opposite sides of said rail, and ladder means fastened to the bracket and movable therewith between a boarding position at the outboard side of the rail and a stowed position at the inboard side of the rail, said ladder having rigid sections adapted to telescope and being telescopically extendable and contractable, and said pins providing an axis for pivotal movement of the ladder during movement between its boarding position and its stowed position whereby the ladder is extended at its boarding position and collapsed at its stowed position.

7. A boarding apparatus for small boats comprising a ladder, and a hanger adapted and arranged to rest on an upper edge of the boat hull including a support having opposite sides, releasable means for clamping the support to the hull, and a bracket fastened to the ladder and movable relative to the support for suspending the ladder at positions respectively at said opposite sides, said support including a pair of spaced components having respective elongated slots that are parallel and extend between said opposite sides, said bracket having a pair of pins which are carried by the bracket and slidably movable in the respective slots of said components, and said ladder being inverted during movement between said positions by pivotal movement about an axis established by said pins, and said ladder having telescopically slidable rigid sections adapted and arranged to be held by gravity in a retracted state at the other of said positions; said apparatus further comprising elongated flexible means connected to the ladder and adapted to extend over the support when the ladder is in said one of said positions, and said flexible means having an end manipulatable to draw the ladder from said one position to the other of said positions.

8. The combination comprising a boat hull having an upper edge, a support having opposite sides and a pair of components which are spaced apart and resting on said edge, releasable clamping means clamping said support to the hull, each of said components having an elongated slot having opposite ends respectively located adjacent said opposite sides and arranged in parallel alignment with the slot in the other of the components, a bracket having a pair of pins which engage the respective components in the slots thereof, said bracket being movable between the opposite sides of said support and said pins being slidable with the bracket between the opposite ends of said slots and providing an axis at each of the opposite ends for pivotal movement of the bracket thereat, a telescopic ladder which is extended and suspended from the bracket at one of said opposite sides and in a boarding position at the outboard side of the hull, said ladder being movable with the bracket to the other of said opposite sides and inverted by pivotal movement about an axis established by said pins, and said ladder comprising rigid sections adapted to telescope and to be held by gravity in a retracted state at said other of said opposite sides.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,971,601 2/ 1961 Fortune 182-97 3,052,896 9/1962 Beach 182--97 3,055,452 9/ 1962 Bourdunis u 182,--95

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 182-195