US3902441A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sailboat having retractable and self-ejectable hydraulic controls
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1973-12-13
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Granted: 1975-09-02
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Expires: 1993-12-13
Abstract
Abstract A small lightweight sailboat enabling it to be readily transported in passenger vehicles such as station wagons and the like is provided with hydraulic controls integrally and movably coupled to the hull of the sailboat. The hydraulic controls comprise rudder and centerboard assemblages, each of which are pivotally coupled to the hull of the sailboat in a manner enabling them to be retracted and self-ejected when maneuvering the boat through shallow waters or over submerged obstacles. Due to the manner in which these hydraulic control assemblages are pivotally coupled to the hull of the sailboat, they can be fully retracted within the sailboat hull and onto the deck of the sailboat and secured in their fully retracted positions for storage when the sailboat is not in use or when preparing the sailboat for overland transport. Retraction and storage of the rudder assemblage is achieved by pivotally mounting the rudder at the stern of the sailboat in a manner which permits the rudder to be rotated onto and laid flat upon the deck. Retraction and storage of the centerboard assemblage is achieved by pivotally mounting a centerboard within a removable centerboard trunk in a manner which permits the centerboard to be locked within the centerboard trunk and released therefrom by controls housed within the trunk. In sizes up to about eight feet in length the boat will comprise a unitary hull. For ease of transport and storage, however, longer boats can comprise bow and stern sections joined together at transverse bulkheads. In such event one hydraulic control is in each section; and the two sections are preferably hingedly coupled together and provided with integrally mounted and hingedly coupled members for stiffening the extended hull sections.
Inventors
- 👤 Roger A Scholle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 08:27
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63H; B63H25/00; B63H25/06; B63B; B63B41/00; B63B7/00; B63B7/02; B63B7/04; B63B35/00; B63B2035/009
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
257 words
A lightweight sailboat capable of transport in a station wagon or like vehicle, said sailboat comprising a hull having integrally and movably coupled thereto a rudder assemblage and a centerboard assemblage both characterized as being automatically retractable and self-ejectable when maneuvering the boat over shallow waters or submerged obstacles, and means comprising integral parts of said boat providing, during periods of storage and transport of the boat, for collapsed reorientation or the rudder assemblage on the boat deck and locked retraction of the centerboard assemblage within the hull, said last named means being such as to permit interchange of said rudder and centerboard between the operative and stored positions without detachment from said hull and without the use of any supplementary tools, said rudder assemblage comprising a rudder arm mounted to the boat deck at the stern portion thereof by double pivot means providing both swinging movement of the rudder arm between positions of alignment with and superimposed engagement with said deck, and swinging movement of said rudder arm, when aligned with said deck, about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to said deck, and said rudder arm hingedly supporting a pair of similar rudder blades collectively forming a complete rudder when arranged in juxtaposition and extending perpendicularly to the rudder arm, and the hinge mounting of said rudder blades providing, when said rudder arm is in the retracted position in superimposed engagement with said deck, for the collapsed orientation of said rudder blades in substantial alignment with said deck at opposed sides of the rudder arm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
257 words
A lightweight sailboat capable of transport in a station wagon or like vehicle, said sailboat comprising a hull having integrally and movably coupled thereto a rudder assemblage and a centerboard assemblage both characterized as being automatically retractable and self-ejectable when maneuvering the boat over shallow waters or submerged obstacles, and means comprising integral parts of said boat providing, during periods of storage and transport of the boat, for collapsed reorientation or the rudder assemblage on the boat deck and locked retraction of the centerboard assemblage within the hull, said last named means being such as to permit interchange of said rudder and centerboard between the operative and stored positions without detachment from said hull and without the use of any supplementary tools, said rudder assemblage comprising a rudder arm mounted to the boat deck at the stern portion thereof by double pivot means providing both swinging movement of the rudder arm between positions of alignment with and superimposed engagement with said deck, and swinging movement of said rudder arm, when aligned with said deck, about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to said deck, and said rudder arm hingedly supporting a pair of similar rudder blades collectively forming a complete rudder when arranged in juxtaposition and extending perpendicularly to the rudder arm, and the hinge mounting of said rudder blades providing, when said rudder arm is in the retracted position in superimposed engagement with said deck, for the collapsed orientation of said rudder blades in substantial alignment with said deck at opposed sides of the rudder arm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein means is provided integrally with said rudder blades for detachably securing the same in juxtaposed, rudder forming position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting the rudder assemblage in collapsed position comprises movable clamp means projecting upwardly from the boat deck adapted to engage portions of said rudder blades adjacent the free ends thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein said rudder arm fits loosely within a notch at the stern of said boat and the axis of the pivot means perpendicular to said boat deck is in substantial alignment with the stern extremity of the boat deck.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein said rudder arm carries at the end portion remote from the pivot mounting thereof a cross member extending perpendicularly to said rudder arm facilitating control of said rudder as by engagement with the feet of a sailor lying prone upon the boat deck.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 5 wherein means is provided at the ends of said cross member for detachably coupling of control means for actuation of the rudder by a sailor sitting on the boat deck.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 6 wherein said last named means comprises two elongated rails pivotally joined at one end by a cross member of substantially the same length as the cross member of said rudder arm, and said rails having means at the free ends thereof for detachable engagement with the coupling means at the ends of said rudder arm cross member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 6 wherein said last named means comprises two elongated rails pivotally joined at one end by a cross member of substantially the same length as the cross member of sAid rudder arm, and said rails having means at the free ends thereof for detachable engagement with the coupling means at the ends of said rudder arm cross member, and said last named means permitting rotation of said rails about the axis of said rudder arm cross member as the rudder assemblage may be pivotally elevated in negotiating shallow waters.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein both the rudder assemblage and centerboard assemblage are in a small unitary hull, and a vertical well is provided at the forwardmost portion of said hull for detachably mounting a mast and sail assemblage on said hull.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein both the rudder and centerboard assemblages are in a small unitary hull, said hull having a deck portion with substantially parallel sides and substantially semi-circular bow and stern contours, and the bottom contour of said hull varying from a downwardly curved contour at the stern portion through an angularly sided flat bottomed mid-section and bow section to a vertically disposed extremity at the bow housing and enveloping a vertical well in said hull for detachable mounting of a mast and sail assemblage.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 10 wherein means is provided at the side gunwales of the boat for detachably securing outriggers for lending stability to the boat when it is to be operated from a seated position or in strong wind conditions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 10 wherein the boat without the mast and sail assemblage, and with the rudder and centerboard assemblages in retracted, stored position, provides for alternative usage as surfboard, aquaplane or raft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
123 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 1 wherein said boat comprises bow and stern sections joined together at transverse bulkheads at substantially the longitudinal center of said boat, said rudder assemblage being carried by said stern section and said centerboard assemblage being located in said bow section closely adjacent the transverse bulkhead thereof, said bow and stern sections being pivotally joined adjacent the gunwales at peripheral deck portions thereof outlining a coextensive lower deck portion of substantially uniform width throughout the mid-section of said boat, said lower deck portion terminating short of the bow of said boat, and said lower deck portion extending the full width of the stern portion of said boat to accommodate said rudder assemblage when in stored position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
115 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 13 wherein said lower deck portion accommodates movable stiffening means comprising pairs of essentially triangular members at opposed sides of said boat having aligned hinges securing the same to said peripheral deck portions at abutting ends of said boat sections, each pair of triangular members having juxtaposed portions thereof pivotally coupled by hinge means having pivot axes in common alignment with the axes of the hinges joining said boat sections, said stiffening means, when oriented in alignment with said peripheral deck portion being foldable with said boat sections, and when disposed perpendicularly to said peripheral deck portion providing rigid support of said boat sections in the extended position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
298 words
A lightweight sailboat capable of transport in a station wagon or like vehicle, said sailboat comprising a hull having integrally and movably coupled thereto a rudder assemblage and a centerboard assemblage both characterized as being automatically retractable and self-ejectable when maneuvering the boat over shallow waters or submerged obstacles, and means comprising integral parts of said boat providing, during periods of storage and transport of the boat, for collapsed reorientation of the rudder assemblage on the boat deck and locked retraction of the centerboard assemblage within the hull, said last named means being such as to permit interchange of said rudder and centerboard between the operative and stored positiOns without detachment from said hull and without the use of any supplementary tools, said centerboard assemblage comprising a centerboard trunk extending vertically through and detachably mounted in the boat hull, a centerboard pivoted at the forward portion of said trunk in a manner to permit swinging movement from a stored position completely within said trunk to an operative position wherein the centerboard projects from the hull at variable angles not greater than 90*, the pivot of said centerboard extending through said trunk for easy access when the trunk is removed from said hull, said centerboard having at its upper edge, in substantial alignment with a perpendicular to the center line thereof passing through said pivot, a cutout providing for the pivotal mounting of a control linkage comprising a short rigid member having one forked end in pivotal engagement with the centerboard and its opposed end in engagement with an elongated tension means extending to the opposite end of said centerboard trunk, and interengageable means on said rigid member and centerboard trunk for supporting said rigid member in a forward, centerboard retracting, position against the action of said tension means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
298 words
A lightweight sailboat capable of transport in a station wagon or like vehicle, said sailboat comprising a hull having integrally and movably coupled thereto a rudder assemblage and a centerboard assemblage both characterized as being automatically retractable and self-ejectable when maneuvering the boat over shallow waters or submerged obstacles, and means comprising integral parts of said boat providing, during periods of storage and transport of the boat, for collapsed reorientation of the rudder assemblage on the boat deck and locked retraction of the centerboard assemblage within the hull, said last named means being such as to permit interchange of said rudder and centerboard between the operative and stored positiOns without detachment from said hull and without the use of any supplementary tools, said centerboard assemblage comprising a centerboard trunk extending vertically through and detachably mounted in the boat hull, a centerboard pivoted at the forward portion of said trunk in a manner to permit swinging movement from a stored position completely within said trunk to an operative position wherein the centerboard projects from the hull at variable angles not greater than 90*, the pivot of said centerboard extending through said trunk for easy access when the trunk is removed from said hull, said centerboard having at its upper edge, in substantial alignment with a perpendicular to the center line thereof passing through said pivot, a cutout providing for the pivotal mounting of a control linkage comprising a short rigid member having one forked end in pivotal engagement with the centerboard and its opposed end in engagement with an elongated tension means extending to the opposite end of said centerboard trunk, and interengageable means on said rigid member and centerboard trunk for supporting said rigid member in a forward, centerboard retracting, position against the action of said tension means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 15 wherein said interengaging means comprises transversely projecting lugs on said rigid member riding in lateral offsets at the upper edge of said centerboard trunk and projecting stop members within and intermediate the ends of said offsets.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 16 wherein said stop members have in the upwardly and forwardly disposed portions thereof notches for engagement by said lugs whereby engagement and disengagement is accomplished by pivotally raising said rigid member against the action of said tension means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
81 words
A lightweight sailboat as defined in claim 16 wherein said stop members have in the upwardly and forwardly disposed portions thereof notches for engagement by said lugs whereby engagement and disengagement is accomplished by pivotally raising said rigid member against the action of said tension means, and the rearwardly oriented portions of said stop members having inclined cam surfaces permitting movement of said lugs past said stop members, thereby facilitating full retraction of said centerboard as needed when negotiating shallow waters.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-01 | 1979-03-03 | 1979-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-01 | 1983-03-03 | 1983-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-01 | 1987-03-03 | 1987-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |