US3599256A

US3599256A - Boat with running gear

Info

Publication number: US3599256A
Application number: US25165A
Authority: US
Inventors: Noble L Carroll Jr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-04-02
Filing date: 1970-04-02
Publication date: 1971-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-17

Abstract

A pair of corresponding running gear assemblies detachably mounted in a boat and having ground-engaging wheels enabling the boat to be trailed by a draft vehicle without the use of a separate trailer. The running gear assemblies are readily retractable to positions above the water line when the boat is afloat or the running gear assemblies may be readily detached and completely removed from the boat.

Description

United States Patent Noble L. Carroll, Jr.

Box Al, Barryton, Mich. 49305 25,165

Apr. 2, 1970 Aug. 17, 1971 lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented BOAT WITH RUNNING GEAR 7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 9/1'1, 280/432, 280/414 R int. Cl 1363c 13/00 Field oISearch 9/1T. 1 R; 114/.5 R; 115/] A; 280/4321, 43.17, 43.18.43. 43.l9,43.22, 43.23,4l4 R, 414 A, 414 B, 43.17 B; 244/102 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,720,662 10/1955 OBannon 9/1 T 3,025,537 3/1962 Rasmussen 9/1 T 3,131,950 5/1964 Weaver,.1r.etal. 280/432 X 3,361.395 1/1968 Postelson-Apostolescu. 244/ 1 02 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-F. K. Yee Attorney-John N. Randolph ABSTRACT: A pair of corresponding running gear assemblies detachably mounted in a boat and having ground-engaging wheels enabling the boat to be trailed by a draft vehicle without the use of a separate trailer. The running gear assemblies are readily retractable to positions above the water line when the boat is afloat or the running gear assemblies may be readily detached and completely removed from the boat.

INVENTOR N OBLE L. CARROLL,JR.

ATTORNI SHEET 1 OF 2 PATENTEU Aum 719?:

PATENTEU AUG] 7 |97| SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG. 4.

INVENTOR' NOBLE L. CARROLL,JR.

ATTORNEY BOAT WITH RUNNING GEAR SUMMARY It is a primary object of the present invention to provide running gear assemblies of simple and inexpensive construction which may be readily applied to a boat to provide a selftrailing boat requiring no trailer for conveying the boat over land, and which will enable the boat to be launched into or removed from water only a few inches deep and at any location where the towing vehicle may be backed to within I feet of the water's edge, so that no boat ramp is required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-trailing boat which may be launched or loaded in a minimum of time and with very little manual effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel running gear assemblies which may be easily detached from the boat for storage or maintenance, or to reduce the weight of the boat when afloat, and to enable wells, from which the running gear assemblies are removed, to be utilized as holders for foraminous containers employed as live boxes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide running gear assemblies utilizing conventional automotive parts which are readily obtainable and which are waterproof and dustproof for longer life with a minimum of maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a boat equipped with the running gear assemblies shown in extended positions for supporting the boat;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereoflooking from left to right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views, taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 7 is an exploded side elevational view, partly in section, of parts of one of the running gear assemblies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to the drawings, a boat, designated generally 10, includes a hull 11 and a superstructure 12 which is mounted on and secured to said hull. The hull II is composed of two transversely spaced longitudinally extending pontoons 13 connected to one another by transverse members 14 which extend therebetween.

A rigid sleeve 15 extends vertically through each pontoon l3 and has an open lower end opening through the bottom of the pontoon and an open upper end opening upwardly into the superstructure 12, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The sleeves or wells 15 are disposed in transverse alignment with one another and nearer the rear end than the forward end of the boat 10, and are elongated in directions longitudinally of the boat, as seen in FIG. 6.

A rigid and rectangular frame I6 fits slidably in each sleeve 15 and includes a rear wall 17, end walls 18 and flanges 19 which extend toward one another from said end walls, to combine with the end walls and rear wall to provide four angular vertical corners 20 which fit into the four comers of the sleeve 15. The frame 16 also includes a top wall 21, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Each frame 16 constitutes a part of a running gear assembly, designated 22. Since the two running gear assemblies 22, as seen in FIG. 2, are identical in construction, a description of one will suffice for both. Each running gear, assembly 22 includes a spacer 23 which is welded to the inner side of the backwall I7 and to which is welded a spindle and bearing unit 24 on which is rotatably mounted a conventional motor vehicle-type wheel 25 having a pneumatic tire 26.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the inner and outer longitudinally extending sidewalls 27 of each sleeve 15 are each provided adjacent their upper edges with two openings 28, which openings of the two walls 27 align to receive pins 29 which extend therethrough, and normally through bores 30 of a rigid cap or support member 31 which is thus secured by the pins 29 in the open upper end of the sleeve 15. The pins 29 are of a conventional construction including a latch means 32 for retaining the pins in the openings 28, but which is readily releasable for removal of the pins, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described.

A heavy coiled spring 33 is disposed between the cap 31 and the top wall 21 of each sleeve 15 and is secured to said cap and top wall by the clamps 34. A shock absorber 35 is disposed within the spring 33 and has a lower end suitably secured to the top wall 21 and an upper end suitably secured to the cap 31.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, rectangular tubes 35 are secured in upright positions to the outer sides of the sleeve walls 27 above the pontoon 13 and between the openings 28. A rigid arch-shaped tubular frame 36 has depending legs 37 which telescope into the tubes 35 and which are detachably secured therein by pins 38 which extend through the tubes 35' and legs 37, as seen in FIG. 5, and which are provided with latch means 39, corresponding to the latch means 32 of the pins 29.

A conventional screw-type jack 40 includes an internally threaded barrel 41 having a lower end mounted on and secured by fastenings 42 on the top portion 43 of the frame 36. A rod 44 threadedly engages in the barrel 41 and has a lower end connected by a swivel connection 45 to the upper side of the cap 31. A shaft 46 is fixed to and extends from the upper end of the rod 44 through the upper end of the barrel 41 and is provided with a crank 47, which is disposed above the barrel, by which the rod 44 can be manually revolved.

Referring to FIGS. l and 2, a rigid tube 48 of rectangular cross section is disposed midway between and parallel to the pontoons I3 and is secured in the cross braces I4. An elongated tubular tongue 49 telescopically engages in the tube 48 and has a normally downwardly offset forward end portion 50, which is disposed forwardly of the tube 48, and which is provided with a conventional draft hitch coupling half 51 for attachment to a conventional draft hitch coupling, not shown, secured to a motor vehicle. A pin 52, of the same type as the pins 38, extends through the tube 48, near its forward end and through either an opening 53 disposed near the forward end of the tongue 49 for securing the tongue in a retracted position, as seen in full lines of FIG. 1, or through an opening 54, disposed near the rear end of the tongue 49, for securing the tongue in an extended position with its coupling half 51 located approximately l0 feet in front of the boat 10. The tongue 49 may also be completely removed from the tube 48 rotated about its axis and replaced in the tube 48 and latched in a retracted position with the portion 50 thereof offset upwardly, rather than downwardly, from the axis of the tongue, so that the portion 50 will be well above the water line when the boat 10 is afloat.

The running gear assemblies 22 are shown in FIGS. I, 2, 3 and 5 and in full lines in FIG. 4 in extended operative positions, with the cap members 31 secured in the upper ends of the sleeve 15, and with the frames 16 disposed adjacent the lower ends of the sleeves 15, so that portions of the wheels 26 are disposed below the level of the bottoms of the pontoons 13 for cooperating with the draft vehicle, not shown, to which the tongue 4'9 is connected, for supporting the boat It) for travel on land. The springs 33 and shock absorbers 35 permit the wheels 25 and frames 16 to yield upwardly within the sleeves 15 in passing over uneven road surfaces. However, the springs and shock absorbers are of sufficient strength to prevent sufficient upward yielding movement of the frames I6 which would permit contact of the pontoons with a surface over which the boat is being towed.

Due to the length of the tongue 49, in its extended position, and the shallow draft of the boat 10, a loading ramp is not required to launch the boat or remove it from the water, and the towing vehicle may be backed up to or near the waters edge for launching the boat 10 in water as shallow as 8 inches in depth. The pins 29 can then be removed from the openings 28 and bores 30 after which the cranks 47 are revolved for retracting the threaded rods 44 upwardly, to lift the caps 31, frames 16 and wheels 25 from their full line operative positions to a retracted dotted line position, as seen in FIG. 4. The rear walls 17 have openings 55 to align with the openings 28 for receiving the pins 29 for securing the frames 16 in the upper ends of the sleeves l and with the wheels 25 disposed above the water level when the boat 10 is afloat. As the boat 10 is intended to operate at low speeds, the open lower ends of the sleeves will not materially affect the operation of the boat in the water.

If desired, instead of replacing the pins 29 through the openings 55, the pins 38 may be removed and the entire wheel assemblies 22, including the frames 36, jacks 40, caps 31, springs 33, shock absorbers 35, frames 16 and wheels 25, may be completely removed from the sleeves 15. The sleeves 15 may then be utilized, as described, for holding foraminous containers, not shown, functioning as live boxes.

As seen in FIG. 6, the flanges 19 are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the tires 26 so that the wheels 25 may be readily removed from the spindles 24 for servicing and maintenance when the wheel assemblies 22 are removed from the sleeves 15.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function of scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A boat comprising a hull, sleeves mounted in said hull in transversely spaced-apart relation to one another having lower end opening downwardly through the hull and open upper ends, a wheel assembly connected to each sleeve including a frame, having an open bottom, reciprocably mounted for vertical sliding movement in the sleeve, a ground-engaging wheel journaled in the frame and protruding from the open bottom thereof, a support member, means securing the support member in the upper end of said sleeve, and a coiled compression spring having a lower end bearing on the frame and upper end bearing against the support member for yieldably retaining the open lower end of the frame adjacent the lower end of said sleeve and with a portion of the wheel disposed below the level of the hull and in a ground-engaging position.

2. A boat as in claim 1, and a draft tongue connected to and extending from a forward end of the hull and having coupling means adapted to couple the tongue to a draft vehicle, said tongue cooperating with the extended wheels for supporting the boat hull in an elevated position for land travel.

3. A boat as in claim 2, said draft tongue being extensible relative to the hull to facilitate launching the boat and removal of the boat from the water.

4. A boat as in claim 1, means securing said coil spring to the support member and frame, said securing means being removable from the support member and being engageable with the frame for securing the frame in the upper end of the sleeve and with the wheel disposed above the water level when the boat is afloat.

5. A boat as in claim 4, an arch-shaped frame extending upwardly from said sleeve, means securing said frame to the sleeve, and a jack having a stationary part secured to the archshaped frame and a vertically movable part connected to the support member for elevating the support member, frame and wheel to an inoperative position, when the support member is disconnected from the sleeve, or for returning the support member, frame and wheel from an inoperative to an operative position.

6. A boat as in claim 5, said means securing the arch-shaped frame to the sleeve being detachable for detachment of the wheel assembly including the support member, frame and wheel, arch-shaped frame and jack from the sleeve.

7. A boat as in claim 6, said frame having an open side for removal of the wheel from the frame when the wheel assembly is detached from the sleeve.

Claims

1. A boat comprising a hull, sleeves mounted in said hull in transversely spaced-apart relation to one another having lower end opening downwardly through the hull and open upper ends, a wheel assembly connected to each sleeve including a frame, having an open bottom, reciprocably mounted for vertical sliding movement in the sleeve, a ground-engaging wheel journaled in the frame and protruding from the open bottom thereof, a support member, means securing the support member in the upper end of said sleeve, and a coiled compression spring having a lower end bearing on the frame and upper end bearing against the support member for yieldably retaining the open lower end of the frame adjacent the lower end of said sleeve and with a portion of the wheel disposed below the level of the hull and in a groundengaging position.

5. A boat as in claim 4, an arch-shaped frame extending upwardly from said sleeve, means securing said frame to the sleeve, and a jack having a stationary part secured to the arch-shaped frame and a vertically movable part connected to the support member for elevating the support member, frame and wheel to an inoperative position, when the support member is disconnected from the sleeve, or for returning the support member, frame and wheel from an inoperative to an operative position.