Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
Attorney Docket: BRIGNOLIO #3
COLLAPSIBLE BOAT TRANSPORT APPARATUS
This application is a continuation-in-part of my
co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. 09/343,331, filed June 30,
1999.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a collapsible boat and a
transport vehicle for transporting the collapsible boat. More
particularly, the collapsible boat incorporates pontoons and the
transport vehicle includes supports for the pontoons which are
employed to move the collapsible boat between a wide boat
configuration and a narrow boat configuration.
BACRGROOND OF THE INVENTION
The following United States patents disclose boat
structures which can be collapsed to provide an alternate boat
configuration: U.S. Patent No. 3,925,837, issued December 16,
1975, U.S. Patent No. 2,876,728, issued March 10, 1959, U.S.
Patent No. 4,909,169, issued March 20, 1990, U.S. Patent No.
3,978,536, issued September 7, 1976, and U.S. Patent No.
2,992,444, issued July 18, 1961. These patents are believed to
be representative of the current stage of the prior art and they b
fail to provide any teaching of the combination of the structural
elements disclosed and claimed herein.
1
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
My U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/343,331, filed
June 30, 1999, discloses a collapsible boat structure in the form
of a pontoon boat which incorporates a plurality of boat deck
panels, including first and eecond center deck panels which move
from a substantially horizontal orientation to a substantially
vertical orientation during collapse of the boat. The boat
incorporates structure utilized to narrow or widen the boat as
desired.
DI8CIASORE OF INVENTION
The invention disclosed and claimed herein includes a
collapsible boat having a plurality of boat deck panels similar
in construction to the boat deck panels shown in my prior
application. However, in accordance with the teachings of the
present invention, a transport vehicle for the boat, rather than
the collapsible boat itself, incorporates structure for changing
the configuration of the collapsible boat. This occurs when the
collapsible boat is positioned on the transport vehicle. Such an
approach is advantageous in that the structure employed to
collapse the boat is not subjected to water exposure when the
boat is on the surface of the body of water. Furthermore,
decrease in the boat width while the boat is afloat could, under
certain circumstances, adversely affect boat stability.
The collapsible boat disclosed and claimed herein has a
first and a second configuration, the collapsible boat being ,
wider in the first configuration than when it is in the second
configuration.
2
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
. y:
A transport vehicle, such as a trailer, is employed to
support and transport the collapsible boat, the transport vehicle
including boat collapsing means engageable with the collapsible
boat to change the configuration of the collapsible boat from the
first configuration to the second configuration while the
transport vehicle supports the collapsible boat.
The collapsible boat includes first and second pontoons
and the boat collapsing means includes first and second pontoon
supports for respectively accommodating the first and second
pontoons and pontoon support mover means for moving the pontoon
supports and any pontoons accommodated thereby toward one
another.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present
invention will become apparent with reference to the following
description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF~DRAWINGB
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible boat
supported by a transport vehicle constructed in accordance with
the teachings of the present invention, the collapsible boat
being shown in the non-collapsed condition;
_,
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the
boat in collapsed condition on the transport vehicle, the boat
having a reduced width in the collapsed condition:
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the transport vehicle
with the collapsible boat removed therefrom and pontoon supports
3
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
of the transport vehicle being shown in a spaced apart condition;
Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating
the pontoon supports in close proximity to one another;
Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the transport
vehicle and collapsible boat supported thereby, the pontoons and
boat deck panels being shown in the respective positions assumed
thereby when the collapsible boat is in the wide or non-collapsed
condition;
Fig. 6 is a view similar to view 5 but showing the boat
in collapsed condition, the pontoons and pontoon supports being
in close proximity;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing portions of center
deck panels of the boat along with hinge structure and a biasing
piston operatively associated therewith, the center deck panels
being disposed in a horizontal plane;
Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the
center deck panels being pivoted upwardly as they progress toward
vertical orientations;
Fig. 9 is an enlarged bottom view of hinge structure
interconnecting the center deck panels:
Fig. 10 is a top perspective view illustrating broken
away portions of selected components of the transport vehicle:
and
Fig. 11 is=an enlarged, cross-sectional view takgn
along the line 11-11 in Fig. 10.
4
_ ~__ -.. -.
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
HE8T MODE FOR CARRYING OUT T8E INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, a collapsible boat 10 is
illustrated, the boat being similar in construction to that shown
in my co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/343,331,
filed June 30, 1999.
Boat 10 has first and second alternative
configurations, the boat being wider in the first configuration
thereof (shown in Figs. 1 and 5, for example) than in the second
configuration thereof (shown in Figs. 2 and 6, for example).
The boat 10 includes a boat deck 11 having center deck
panels 12, 14 disposed side-by-side and outer deck panels 16, 18.
Outer deck panel 16 is disposed alongside center deck panel 12,
the center deck panel 12 located between the center deck panel 14
and outer deck panel l6. Outer deck panel 18 is disposed
alongside the center deck panel 14, the center deck panel 14
positioned between the center deck panel 12 and the outer deck
panel 18.
When the boat is in non-collapsed condition for use as
a boat, the panels 12, 14, 16 and 18 are all oriented
horizontally and are in the same plane. The can be seen in Fig.
1, for example. When, however, the boat is to be collapsed for
storage or transport, the center deck panels are moved from a
horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation as shown in Fig.
2, for example.,
Pontoons 20 are connected to and extend from the
bottoms of the outer deck panels 16, 18. The outer deck panels
5
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
move toward one another when the center deck panels move to a
vertical orientation, the pontoons 20 moving along with the outer
deck panels.
The outer deck panels 16, 18 are slidably, movably
mounted on a framework 22 (Figs. 5 and 6), the center deck panels
being supported on the center portion of the framework when in
their horizontal orientation: as shown in Fig. 5, for example.
Hinges 24 provide a pivotal interconnection between the center
deck panel 12 and outer deck panel 16 and between center deck
panel 14 and outer deck panel 18, allowing pivotal movement
between the center deck panels and outer deck panels to occur as
the boat is expanded or collapsed.
The collapsible boat is supported and transported by a
transport vehicle in the form of a trailer 30 including a trailer
frame 32 supported by wheels 34. A hitch 35 projects from the
front of the trailer.
Frame 32 includes two spaced side rails 36, one of
which is shown in Fig. 10, and cross channels 40, 42 extending
between the side rails. Cross channels 40 are I-beams and they
accommodate pairs of rollers 44 (see Fig. 11) which are rotatably
journaled on an elongated bracket 36. The rollers are connected
to bracket 46 by threaded shafts 48. Nuts 50 are employed to
adjust the positioning of the rollers 44 relative to the
associated cross channels 40. The elongated brac~Cet members are
considerably shorter than the cross channels 40 with which they
are associated. In the interest of simplicity, Fig. 10 only shows
6
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
the elongated bracket members 46 disposed at one of the sides of
the trailer, although they are in fact located at both sides.
Pontoon supports 50 extend along the length of the
trailer frame and are affixed to and supported by pairs of
bracket members 46. The upper surfaces of the pontoon supports
have a trough-like configuration and are sized to receive the
bottoms of pontoon 20 of collapsible boat 10.
Pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 56 are deployed
between the ends of the trailer frame, the movable shafts 58
thereof secured to the pontoon supports. The inner or cylinder
ends of the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders are affixed to a
cross beam 60 of the trailer frame. Actuation of the cylinders
56 will cause the pontoon supports to either move toward one
another to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6 or away from one
another to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The
configuration of the collapsible boat shown in Fig. 1 and 5 is
the configuration assumed by the boat when it is in use on the
water. The configuration of Figs. 2 and 6 is that assumed when
the boat is being trailed or put into storage. It will be
appreciated that it may be too wide to be pulled on roads and
highways. Narrowing of the boat to the configuration wherein the
pontoons are closely adjacent t-o one another as shown in Figs. 2
and 6 will enable the boat to be hauled safely and legally.
Actuation of the cylinders 56 to retract the shafts
thereof will, as indicated above, cause the pontoon supports 50
and the pontoons 20 supported thereby to move toward one another.
7
.. __.~ ~....-__ ._
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
f i
The boat and trailer incorporate structure which will result in
the center deck panels 12, 14 moving to their vertical
orientations when such movement takes place.
Part of that structure is in the form of gas (such as
air) biased pistons 62 which project upwardly from a plurality of
cylinders 64 affixed to trailer frame 32 at spaced locations
thereon and located along the center of the trailer frame. The
air or other gas in the cylinder 64 is constantly maintained
under pressure so that the pistons 62 associated therewith are
always urged outwardly.
When the collapsible boat 64 is located on the trailer
and the pontoons and pontoon supports are positioned so that the
boat is in its wide or extended configuration the piston 62 will
be located under the inner adjacent portions of center deck
panels 14, 16, the downward forces exerted by the center deck
panels on the pistons 62 being sufficient to move them to their
retracted positions shown in Fig. 7. That is, the air pressure
within cylinders 64 is not of sufficient magnitude to prevent the
center deck panels from assuming their horizontal positions when
the collapsible boat is extended.
The center deck panels 12, 14 have side walls 68 which
are spaced from one another and define a gap therebetween when
the center deck panels are at their horizontal orientations as
shown in Fig. 7. Center deck panels 12,, 14 are pivotally
connected by hinges 70 which bridge the gap between the side
walls 68. The hinges 70 are affixed to the bottom of the center
8
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
deck panels at a plurality of spaced locations along the center
deck panels: however, in the interest of simplicity, only one
such hinge 70 is illustrated. See Figs. 7, 8 and 9.
Opposed pivoted ends of each hinge 70 define slots 72.
Bolts or other mechanical fasteners 74 pass through the slots 72
and secure the hinges to the center deck panels in a fashion that
will allow the hinges to slide or move relative to the center
deck panels and bolts as indicated by the double-headed arrows in
Fig. 9.
Abutment members 78 extend inwardly from the center
deck panels and are in contact when the center deck panels are
horizontal to maintain the panels in position relative to one
another to form the above-described gap.
The gap between the center deck panels and the floating
hinge construction are quite important since they permit the
outer deck panels to move toward one another without the center
deck panels binding together to jam up or interfere with the
operation of moving the center deck panels to a vertical
orientation. It is appreciated that if the side walls 68 were in
an abutting engagement when the process started, the center deck
panels would not have sufficient clearance to pivot relative to
one another as shown in Fig. 8 during the initial stage of the
operation which brings the center deck panels to a vertical
orientation. The abutting center deck panel ends would in fact
cause the overall deck width to increase during the initial stage
of pivotal movement without the existence of the gap.
9
CA 02325809 2000-11-14
The upward bias of gas biased piston 62 urges the
adjacent ends of the center deck panels upwardly as inward
movement of the outer deck panels takes place due to movement of
the pontoon supports and pontoons toward one another. It will be
appreciated that the downward force exerted by the ends of the
center deck panels on the pistons 62 lessens after movement of
the outer deck panels toward one another commences. When the
pontoon supports are in the positions shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6
there will be sufficient clearance therebetween to accommodate
the upstanding cylinders 64.
