US3602179A

US3602179A - Hydroplane boat

Info

Publication number: US3602179A
Application number: US33835A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard C Cole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-05-01
Filing date: 1970-05-01
Publication date: 1971-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-31

Abstract

A hydroplane boat adapted to have increased fore and aft and lateral stability at minimal planing speeds having a substantially V-shaped hull with a slot positioned at approximately amidships extending outwardly from the keel wherein at said speeds said slot becomes submerged and forming two distinct leading edges aft of the slot to thereby lift the stern and prevent the bow from rising to an unstable position. Mounted about the bow of the hull to the position of the slot is a sponson having a keel substantially parallel to the keel of the hull and a shelf portion positioned between the hull and the sponsons, the shelf portion extending to the stern of the boat whereby upon either sponson becoming submerged a strong lifting action is imparted to that side of the boat tending to right the boat.

Description

United States Patent Richard C. Cole Primary Examiner-'Andrew H. Farrell Attorney-Salvatore G. Militana [72] Inventor 19701 Whispering Pines Road, Miami, Fla. 33157 1 [2i Appl. No. 33,835

[22] Filed May 1. 1970 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 ABSTRACT: A hydroplane boat adapted to have increased fore andaft and lateral stability at minimal planing speeds having a substantially V-shaped hull with a Si ot positioned at approximately amidships extending outwardly from the keel 114/66 5 5 wherein at said speeds said slot becomes submerged and form- 863.) 1/16 ing two distinct leading edges aft of the slot to thereby lift the Field stem and prevent the bow from risin l l4/66.5 S,

EW .m AD .u L n P mm 0 m mm f YC sm M Hum U UUU g to an unstable position. ounted about the bow of the hull to the position of 61 the slot is a sponson having a keel substantially parallel to the keel of the hull and a shelf portion positioned between the hull and the 1 sponsons, the shelf portion extending to the stern of the boat 114/665 S whereby upon either sponson becoming submerged a strong 114/61 X lifting action is imparted to that side of the boat tending to right the boat.

S m Tm N Em MAW Pn M m i nTmum mmmwm mDFC wmm U w Hn/ 635 564 057 1 an 6 1.13 5 2 3 3 PATENIEU AUB31 1971 SHEET 1 0? 2 INVENTOR RICHARD C. CDLE A T TORNEY PATENTED AUB3 I m sum 2 0F 2 mdl INVENTOR RICHARD C. CQLE AT TORNE Y HYDROPLANE BOAT This invention relates to boat structures and is more particularly directed to hydroplane boats. In order for a hydroplane boat tobe both'efiicient and safe it must have both fore and aft and lateral stability. As for fore and aft stability, it has been found that the conventionalhydroplanes are stable when planing at rapid'planing speeds and in relatively smooth waters. The leading edge, thatis, the forward point of contact of the water in the hull provides the greatest lift during planing condition causing the elevated position or attitude of the bow known as angle of attack as the hydroplane picks up speed toward its planing speed this angle of attack increases and decreases rapidly after planing speed has been reached. This change in'attitude before and afteras the correct for fore and aft instability and sponsons on either side of the boat to provide added lateral stability. When a hydroplane is planing at slow speeds, the slot which is positioned at approximately the midportion of the hull will be submerged so that there will exist two distinct leading edges aft of the slot as well as the normal leading edge forward of the slot.'

These aft leading edges will tend to lift the stern and thereby prevent the bow from lifting to an undesirable and dangerous degree. However, as the speed of the hydroplane is increased the slot becomes less and less submerged, thereby progressively making the aft leading edges less and less effective until at fast planing speeds, their effect will be practically nonexistant and the hydroplane being permitted to run at its natural angle of attack.

The sponsons which extend on each side from the bow to about amidship, provide lateral stability to the hydroplane. When either one is submerged in a wave, a gentle lifting action is imparted by it to that side of the boat. The sponsons are each provided with a keel that is parallel to the keel of the main hull so that the lowest portion of any submerged section of the boat is always a straight line in the direction of the path of movement of the boat to make broaching of the boat almost impossible.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a hydroplane with a slot toprevent fore'and aft instability at minimum planing speed and sponsons along each side of the hull to prevent lateral instability of the boat in dangerous sea conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide-a hull of a hydroplane boat with a step or slot at approximately the middle of the boat whereby at minimum planing speeds, the angle of attack aft of the slot will tend to lift the stern, and thereby prevent the bow from rising to a dangerous angle wherein the boat would be extremely sensitive to wave impact.

A further object of the present invention is to'provide a hydroplane with sponsons on either side of the bow extending to about midships whereby upon the dipping of either side of the boat into the water or heels the sponson under water to effect a righting action causing the submerged side to rise until on an even plan with the other sponson.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, with the undemanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hydroplane hull constructe'd in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan'view.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional'view taken along the line 5"5 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numerallO refers to a hydroplane boat constructed in accordance with my invention.

The hydroplane l0 incorporates two constructural features not found inthe conventional hydroplanes, namely, a slot S positioned approximately amidships of the hull of the boat 10 and sponsons W mounted on each side of the boat 10.

The hydroplane boat 10'is otherwise conventional in constructionconsisting of a convex hull 11 at whose lowest and midposition is a keel 12. The keel 12 extends from a bow 13 to a stem 14 but is interrupted at the slots as at 15 where an upwardly extending step portion 16 is positioned. The slot S extends forwardly' on each side of the keel 12 terminating at the position of the ends of sponsons W.

At the bow 13 of the hydroplane 10 there is an arcuate prow portion P having a vertical wall 17 with a horizontal shelf 18 joining the wall 17 and the hull 11. The prow P extends from the bow of the boat 10 on each side thereof with the vertical wall 17 and the shelf 18 each increasing in height and width, respectively to the position at which the sponsons W commence. At this position the vertical wall 17 on each side increase considerably in'height, while the shelf becomes substantially constant in width to the position of the slot S where the sponson W'terminates as at 19 and the lower edge of the sidewall 17 flares upwardly as at 20 to become smaller in height remaining approximately constant in height along the side'of the boat to the stem 14. The shelf 18 continues beyond the slot S terminating at the stem 14.

The sponsons W consist of a V-shaped member each having a keel 25 that is parallel to the keel 12 of the boat 10 with outwardly

flaring sidewalls

26 and 27 extending upwardly. The sidewall 26 extends to the shelf 18 while the outer sidewall 27 extends to a ledge 28 that joins the vertical wall 17 of the boat 10.

As the hydroplane 10 is brought to planing speed by increasing its speed the bow P will rise in the water as the leading edge, that is the position at which the hull of the boat 10 engages the water, recedes toward the stern 14 of the boat. After the boat 10 has reached and past its planing speed the leading edge will move in the opposite direction away from the stern 14 of the boat 10 as the bow P will assume a lower angle above the water. It is at this minimal planing speed that the hump occurs and the boat is at its most sensitive and vulnerable position to wave action and at its most unstable condition.

By'providing the slot S on the hydroplane 10, at minimal planing speed the slot S becomes submerged giving two distinct leading edges aft of the slot S in addition to the normal leading edge forward of the slot S. These leading edges tend to lift the stern and prevent the bow P from rising to'an undesirable degree. As the speed of the boat 10 is increased, the slot S becomes less and less submerged, thereby progressively making the aft leading edges less and less effective until at fast planing speeds their effect is practically negligible, thereby allowing the boat to run at its natural angle of attack. At the same time, the sponsons W being provided with the shelf 18 that extend to the stem 14 of the boat llljmpart a lifting action to the stern of the boat at slow planing speeds as well as providing lateral stability to the boat 10. As either sponson W is submerged in water by the heeling of the boat in a wave, a strong lifting action is imparted to that side of the boat tending to right the boat 10. Since the keels 25 of the sponsons W are parallel to the keel 12 of the boat 10, the boat cannot broach.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hydroplane boat having a substantially V-shaped hull, a bow, a stern and a keel extending substantially from said bow to said stern, slotted means mounted on'said hull at substantially amidships of said hull, said slotted means having a substantially vertical wall extending from said keel to the sides of said hull at a forwardly extending oblique angle, said lower

Claims

1. A hydroplane boat having a substantially V-shaped hull, a bow, a stern and a keel extending substantially from said bow to said stern, slotted means mounted on said hull at substantially amidships of said hull, said slotted means having a substantially vertical wall extending from said keel to the sides of said hull at a forwardly extending oblique angle, said lower portion of said vertical wall engaging said keel extending to said bow while said upper portion of said vertical wall engaging said keel extending to said stern, sponson means mounted on said sides of said hull extending from adjacent to said bow to said slotted means, said sponsons each having a keel substantially parallel to said keel of said hull and shelf means extending from said bow to said stern and positioned between said hull and said sponson means.