Apparatus for retracting tow cable for water skiers

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RETRIEVING A SKI TOW ROPE COMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING A SHIELD, A REEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO, PROPELLER MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND BEING PARTIALLY ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID SHIELD AND BEING INTERCONNECTED WITH SAID REEL, SAID PROPELLER MECHANISM BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF WATER FOR ROTATING SAID REEL, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID FRAME IN FIXED RELATION ON A BOAT ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF TO POSITION AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PROPELLER MECHANISM AND SHIELD BELOW THE SURFACES OF THE WATER WHEREBY SAID TOW ROPE WILL BE WOUND UPON THE REEL DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE BOAT, AND A BAFFLE MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SHIELD AND DEPENDING THEREFROM FOR FORE AND AFT LIMITED SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS, SAID BAFFLE MEMBER BEING DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF A PROPELLER MECHANISM AND BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER WHEN SAID APPARATUS IS MOUNTED ON A BOAT, AND COOPERATING STOP MEANS ON SAID SHIELD AND BAFFLE MEMBER RESPECTIVELY FOR LIMITING FORWARD PIVOTING OF THE BAFFLE MEMBER WHEREBY SAID BAFFLE MEMBER AND SHIELD COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER TO NEUTRALIZE THE EFFECT OF THE WATER ON SAID PROPELLER MECHANISM DURING REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE BOAT.