Portable bracket for electronic transducer

Claim 2

A portable easily installed and removed mounting bracket mounting an electronic transducer to the transom of a boat, comprising a transom connector comprising a springy metal sheet having parallel bends thereacross providing the sheet with a generally inverted U cross section, the legs of the U defining opposed, spaced, downwardly converging, front and rear legs spring-pressed inwardly toward one another, the legs being spreadable against spring pressure into positions approaching parallelism for lowering the connector onto the transom of a boat with the front and rear legs pressing inwardly upon front and rear opposed walls of the transom and the cross member of the U providing a plate resting on the upper surface of the boat transom; a rigid, upright mounting post rigidly attached at its upper end to the rear leg of the transom connector and having a lower end extending downwardly below the transom connector; and a transducer clamp rigidly mounted to the lower end of the mounting post and having springy, opposed arms clamping between them an electronic transducer in operating position below the bottom of the boat; the bracket being free of articulations, and the spreadable legs of the transom connector at least partially absorbing shock when the lower end of the mounting bracket is struck rearwardly upon encounter with submerged objects or the like.

Claim 3

The portable mounting bracket of claim 1 in which the inner leg of the transom connector includes at its lower end a frontwardly and downwardly angled lip to facilitate mounting of the bracket to the transom of a boat.

Claim 4

The portable bracket of claim 1 wherein the upright mounting post includes vertically spaced, rearwardly extending winding hooks above the transducer clamp for carrying leads from the transducer clamped in the transducer clamp.

Claim 5

The portable bracket of claim 1 having rigidly mounted to its upper end a manually graspable handle to aid in attaching or detaching the bracket to and from the transom of a boat with one hand.

Claim 6

The portable bracket of claim 1 in which the upright mounting post comprises an elongated metal channel having a generally C-shaped cross section open to the rear, the cross member of the C being attached flushly centrally of the rear leg of the transom connector.

Claim 7

A portable bracket for attaching an electronic transducer to the transom of a boat and which can be attached to and detached from the transom of a boat with one hand, the bracket including a transom connector comprising a springy metal sheet having parallel bends therein providing the sheet with a generally inverted U cross section, the legs of the U defining front and rear, downwardly converging legs normally spring-pressed toward each other but spreadable against spring pressure into positions approaching parallelism for downward passage on either side of a boat transom with the front and rear legs pressing inwardly upon the forward and rearward walls of the transom, respectively, the inner leg of the transom connector having a bend across its width adjacent its bottom edge to provide a forwardly and downwardly slanted lip facilitating ready attachment of the bracket to a boat transom; an upright transducer mounting post comprising an elongated metal channel having a generally C-shaped cross section open rearwardly, the cross member of the C being attached flushly to the rear leg of the transom connector, the mounting post having a pair of rearwardly extending, lead-winding hooks spaced along its length; and at least one transducer clamp mounted at the lower end of the mounting post and having rearwardly extending, opposed, springy arms positioned to clamp onto and retain between them an electronic transducer in depth-sensing position below the bottom of a boat; whereby rearward movement of the bottom of the bracket, as may be caused by encounter with a submerged obstacle, causes the legs of the transducer to separate against spring pressure to absorb at least a portion of the shock of the encounter.

Claim 8

A portable bracket for attaching an electronic transducer to the transom of a boat and which can be attached to and detached from the transom of a boat with one hand, the bracket including a transom connector comprising a springy metal sheet having parallel bends therein providing the sheet with a generally inverted U cross section, the legs of the U defining front and rear, downwardly converging legs normally spring-pressed toward each other but spreadable against spring pressure into positions approaching parallelism for downward passage on either side of a boat transom with the front and rear legs pressing inwardly upon the forward and rearward walls of the transom, respectively, the inner leg of the transom connector having a bend across its width adjacent its bottom edge to provide a forwardly and downwardly slanted lip facilitating ready attachment of the bracket to a boat transom; an upright transducer mounting post comprising an elongated metal channel having a generally C-shaped cross section open rearwardly, the cross member of the C being attached flushly to the rear leg of the transom connector, the mounting post having a pair of rearwardly extending, lead-winding hooks spaced along its length; and at least one transducer clamp mounted at the lower end of the mounting post and having rearwardly extending, opposed, springy arms positioned to clamp onto and retain between them an electronic transducer in depth-sensing position below the bottom of a boat; whereby rearward movement of the bottom of the bracket, as may be caused by encounter with a submerged obstacle, causes the legs of the transducer to separate against spring pressure to absorb at least a portion of the shock of the encounter.

Claim 9

The bracket of claim 6 including a handle attached to the upper surface of the cross member of the U-shaped transom connector to aid in one-hand attachment to or removal of the transom connector to or from the transom of a boat.