Adjustable pedestal for a boat seat

Claim 1

In a boat having a deck, a pneumatically adjustable pedestal mounted on the deck, and a boat seat mounted on the pedestal, said pedestal comprising an assembly of telescoping sections; said assembly comprising a base section, first and second intermediate sections and an upper end section; said base section comprising a cup-shaped body having a cylindrical wall and a bottom, with an annular external mounting flange extending radially outwardly from said cylindrical wall at a level above the bottom of the base section and an annular internal flange extending radially inwardly from said cylindrical wall at the upper end of the base section; said base section being mounted in an opening in the deck of the boat with said external flange bearing on the deck around the opening, said flange being adapted to receive fasteners for securing the base section to the deck; each intermediate section comprising a tubular cylindrical section having an annular flange extending radially outwardly at its lower end and an annular flange extending radially inwardly at its upper end; the upper end section comprising a cylindrical section having an annular flange extending radially outwardly at its lower end, means at the upper end of said upper end section for mounting the boat set thereon; each successive section from the base section up being of such diameter as to have a sliding fit in the upper end flange of the next section below; all of said sections being generally of the same height; each successive section from the top down being retractable into the next section below whereby the sections other than the base section are retractable one into another and into the base section for lowering the seat mounted on the upper end of the upper end section to a level closely adjacent the upper end of the base section; the first intermediate section being retractable into the base section to the point where its lower end engages the bottom of the base section, the first intermediate section having inwardly extending stop means adjacent its lower end and the second intermediate section being retractable into the first intermediate section to the point where the lower end of the second intermediate section engages said stop means, and the upper end section being retractable into the second intermediate section, said seat mounting means extending laterally outwardly beyond the upper end section for engagement thereof with the upper end of the second intermediate section when it is retracted into the second intermediate section, the upper end section being retractable into the second intermediate section to the point where said seat mounting means engages the upper end of the second intermediate section, the flange at the lower end of the upper end section lying within said stop means and the lower end of the upper end section lying below the lower end of the second intermediate section when the upper end section is retracted; said base section having a port for admission of air under pressure to extend the intermediate and upper end sections for raising the seat and for exhaust of air for enabling the sections above the base section to telescope one into another and into the base section for lowering the seat, with the sections above the base section extensible to an upper limit determined by engagement of the said lower end flanges with the said upper end flanges; and means for supplying air under pressure to the pedestal through said port to extend the intermediate and upper end sections for raising the seat and for the exhaust of air from the pedestal for lowering the seat; said external mounting flange on said base section being located relative to the height of the base section for mounting the base section with its upper end substantially below normal seating levels and relatively closely adjacent the deck whereby, by fully retracting the intermediate and upper sections into the base section, the seat may be lowered to a fully retracted position closely adjacent the deck.