US3481300A

US3481300A - Self-bailing boat

Info

Publication number: US3481300A
Application number: US711734A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arne Ingemar Utvik
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-03-08
Filing date: 1968-03-08
Publication date: 1969-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1986-12-02

Description

Dec. 2, 1969 A. UTVIK 3,481,300

SELF-BAILING BOAT Filed March 8, 1968 INVENTOR. H/ZA ZZ F/WAE Fry/1e United States Patent U. S. Cl. 114185 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boat with a double bottom having positive buoyancy and with the cabin floor above the normal waterline and sloping from bow to stern. Water outlets are provided in the transom above floor level to allow escape of water. Flap valves in the water outlets prevent ingress of water.

This invention relates to self-bailing boats, having the cabin floor or deck located above the waterline and wherein at least one water outlet discharges from the space above said floor, the water outlet being provided with a one-way valve to prevent ingress of water through the water outlet.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved self-bailing boat, the self-bailing properties of which are maintained independent of the amount of water in the boat and whether the boat is travelling or not.

According to the invention, this is accomplished in that the boat has buoyancy even when completely water-filled, that the floor slopes down towards the water outlet and that this is located above the floor surface so close to this that water on the floor will flow towards the water outlet and, subsequently, will be discharged. According to one preferred embodiment the water outlet is located in the boat transom, and the cabin floor slopes from the bow down towards the stern of the boat. With this arrangement, the speed and acceleration of the boat in the water aids in bailing.

Further according to the invention, the buoyancy of the boat is preferably greater in the bow than in the stern, whereby the boat will always have its bow higher than the stern independent of the amount of water inboard. With this arrangement the sloping position of the floor is maintained also when the boat has a large quantity of water inboard.

Preferably, one water outlet is located on each side of the boat center line so that the boat will remain in balance during bailing.

The space below the floor or double-bottom space may be filled with a buoyant material, e.g. foamed plastic. This feature permits maintaining the self-bailing properties of the boat even though the space below the floor should not be watertight, e.g. if the outer bottom of the boat has been damaged. I

According to one form of the invention in connection with a boat having water outlets in the transom, each water outlet is provide-d with an automatic one-way valve constiuted by a flap located outside the water outlet opening, said flap being movable substantially in a vertical direction in a guide parallel with the transom, the lower edge of said flap resting on a surface located below said water outlet opening and inclined downwards towards the plane of said opening, whereas the upper edge of the flap with the aid of a slidable hinge is located above said water outlet opening and adjacent the plane thereof, whereby the flap under the action of gravity slides downwards on said inclined surface and seals against said opening, but in the presence of water in the boat is swung about its hinge due to the pressure of said water so that the water outlet opening is laid free and permits bailing. This one- 3,481,300 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 way valve operates without springs and has no movable elements except the valve element itself.

In one embodiment of this form of the invention, the hinge of the flap comprises an extension located on the rear face of the flap top edge, which extension reaches the outer guide surface of the guide. This construction permits a simple and reliable hinge for the flap, which hinge is formed in one piece with the flap.

One embodiment of the invention is described closer below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views and partly in section show a self-bailing boat according to the invention. FIG. 1 shows the boat attitude with normal load, whereas FIG. 2 shows the attitude assumed by the boat when a substantial amount of water is inboard. FIG. 3 shows to an enlarged scale a longitudinal section of the stern of the boat, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the boat.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the boat 1 in the water, the surface of which is designated 2. The boat has a deck 3, a bottom 5, a transom 7 and a cabin floor 9. The floor 9 is located entirely above the waterline 2 and slopes down from the boat bow towards the stern when the boat has normal load position. The space 11 between the boat bottom 5 and the floor 9 is in this embodiment watertight and filled with foamed plastics material with closed pores. The volume of this space is greater at the forward part of the boat than at the rear part. In the transom 7, two openings 13 are located immediately above the floor 9. These openings are provided with one-way valves, which are better shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, each one-way valve comprises a flap 15 movable in a guide located in the transom 7. This guide comprises an inner and an outer plate 17 and 19, respectively, parallel with the transom.

FIG. 4 shows the boat transom, and in the left part of FIG. 4 the flap 15 and outer plate 19 have been removed so that the inner plate 17 with the water outlet opening 13 may be viewed. The right side of FIG. 4 shows the flap 15 after the outer plate 19 has been removed.

The water outlet opening 13 is located in the inner plate 17 and from this opening water may flow down between the plates 17 and 19 and out through an opening 21 below the outer plate 19. The flap 15 rests on two runners 23 located between the plates 17 and 19 and having upper surfaces 25 inclined downwards-inwards toward the rear face of plate 17. Along its upper edge the flap has a bead or bulge 27 with substantially cylindrical cross section. This bead 27 is located on the rear face of the flap and engages the plate 19.

Due to this arrangement the flap 15 may slide up and down in the guide between the plates 17 and 19. The flap is simultaneously able to rotate about the hinge formed by the bead 27. In response to the action of gravity the lower edge of the flap will slide along the upper faces 25 of the runners 23 so that the lower part of the flap engages the rear face of plate 17. The upper part of the flap at this time engages the upper part of plate 17, whereby the outlet opening 13 in this plate is sealed. No water can thus enter the boat from the outside through these openings. Outside water pressure will increase the effectiveness of the seal.

Should there be water in the boat this water will exert pressure on the inside of flap 15 causing this to swing about the hinge formed by the bead 27 towards the position shown with dash-dotted lines. An opening is thereby formed between the flap and the plate 17 so that water can run out.

FIG. 1 thus shows the position of the boat in the Water with normal load. The cabin floor 9 lies above the water surface 2 along its entire length. Should water or rain splash into the boat this water will flow along the floor towards the stern and out through the outlet openings 13 in the transom 7.

FIG. 2 shows the boat in a position when a substantial amount of water has entered the boat, such as through a breaking wave. The water will be collected in the Stern part of the boat since the fioor 9 slopes towards the stern and also since the stern is more easily pressed into the Water than the forward part of the boat, which has greater displacement. As shown in FIG. 2 the rear part of floor 9 and the outlet openings 13 are now below the outer water surface. In accordance with the invention the boat has buoyancy even though completely water-filled and therefore the inner water surface will have a higher level than the outer water surface. A certain water pressure is then exerted on the inner faces of the flaps 15 in the outlet openings, whereby the flaps are swung about their hinges so that the water outlets are opened. Due to the higher water pressure inboard this water will flow out through the outlet openings until the boat is bailed. The boat thus is self-bailing independent of the amount of Water inboard and whether the boat is moving or lying still. Experiments have shown that water collected in the stern will not reach farther than about the center of the boat. This is due to the boat assuming an increasingly inclined position with increasing amount of water inboard.

What I claim is:

1. A self-bailing boat comprising a fioor located higher than the waterline of said boat, said floor sloping down from the bow towards the stern, at least one water outlet opening above said floor and located in the stern portion of the boat so that water flowing down towards the stern will be discharged through said Water outlet; said water outlet being provided with a one-way valve to prevent entrance of water through said outlet, said boat having buoyancy even when completely Water-filled and having a buoyancy greater at the bow than at the stern whereby said boat will always assume a position with a higher bow independent of the amount of water inboard.

2. A self-bailing boat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said water outlet is located in a boat transom close above said floor.

3. A self-bailing boat asclaimed in claim 1 wherein one water outlet is located on each side of the boat center line.

4. A self-bailing boat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the space below the floor is filled with a buoyant material.

5. A self-bailing boat as claimed in claim 4 wherein said buoyant material is a foamed plastic material with closed cells.

6. A self-bailing boat as claimed in claim 3 wherein each Water outlet is provided with an automatic one-way valve comprising a flap located outside said water outlet opening, said flap being movable substantially in a vertical direction in a guide, said flaps lower edge resting on a surface located below said water outlet opening, said surface being inclined downwards towards the plane of said water outlet opening, said flaps upper edge being a slidable hinge and located above said water outlet opening and adjacent the plane thereof, whereby said flap under the action of gravity slides downwards on said inclined surface and seals against said water outlet opening, but in the presence of water in the boat is swung about its slidable hinge due to the pressure of said water so that said water outlet opening is laid free permitting drainage.

7. A self-bailing boat as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the upper hinge of said fiap comprises an extension located on the outer face of the flap upper edge, which extension engages the outer guide surface of said guide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,884,888 5/1959 Pujol 1l4--l85 2,929,347 3/1960 Veltman 114-183 2,949,879 8/1960 Kehn 1l4185 2,959,144 11/ 1960 Youtie 114185 ANDREW H. FARRELL, Primary Examiner