Trolling attachment for boats

Claim 2

A trolling attachment for a motorboat comprising a trolling flap connected with a shaft, journal means for rotatably mounting the shaft on a transom of a boat so that rotation of the shaft enables the flap to be lowered into and raised from water in which the boat operates, a collar on the shaft having an outer surface with adjacent angularly displaced outer surface portions, an elongate leaf spring, and means for securing an upper end of the leaf spring to the transom with the lower end of the spring extending over the outside of and bearing against the outer surface of said collar to provide frictional resistance to rotation of the shaft between positions in which the spring engages respective ones of said surface portions, the flap being in raised position out of the water when the spring is in engagement with one of said surface portions and being in lowered position in the water when the spring is in engagement with the other of said surface portions, and the spring positively engaging one or other of said surface portions to provide positive location and retention of the flap in one or other of said positions, said collar comprising a rectangular box-section tube having one surface to which the flap is secured, and the spring is adapted to engage adjacent surfaces of the tube to locate the flap in the respective raised and lowered positions which are separated by 90° of shaft rotation.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the flap is disposed substantially horizontally above the low water line when in raised position, and substantially vertically when in lowered position.

Claim 4

A trolling attachment for a motorboat comprising a trolling flap connected with a shaft, journal means for rotatably mounting the shaft on a transom of a boat so that rotation of the shaft enables the flap to be lowered into and raised from water in which the boat operates, a collar on the shaft having an outer surface with adjacent angularly displaced outer surface portions, an elongate leaf spring, and means for securing the leaf spring to the transom with one end of the spring bearing against the outer surface of said collar to provide frictional resistance to rotation of the shaft between positions in which the spring engages respective ones of said surface portions, the flap being in raised position out of the water when the spring is in engagement with one of said surface portions and being in lowered position in the water when the spring is in engagement with the other of said surface portions, and the spring positively engaging one or other of said surface portions to provide positive location and retention of the flap in one or other of said positions, means for varying the tension with which the spring engages the outer surface of said collar so as to adjust the force required to move the flap between the raised and lowered positions, the means for securing the leaf spring to the transom including a protruding bolt extending through an opening in the spring and a nut engaging the free end of the bolt, the nut providing said means for varying the tension of the spring.

Claim 5

A trolling attachment for a motorboat comprising a trolling flap connected with a shaft, journal means for rotatably mounting the shaft on a transom of a boat so that rotation of the shaft enables the flap to be lowered into and raised from water in which the boat operates, a collar on the shaft having an outer surface with adjacent angularly displaced outer surface portions, an elongate leaf spring, and means for securing the leaf spring to the transom with one end of the spring bearing against the outer surface of said collar to provide frictional resistance to rotation of the shaft between positions in which the spring engages respective ones of said surface portions, the flap being in raised position out of the water when the spring is in engagement with one of said surface portions and being in lowered position in the water when the spring is in engagement with the other of said surface portions, and the spring positively engaging one or other of said surface portions to provide positive location and retention of the flap in one or other of said positions, means for varying the tension with which the spring engages the outer surface of said collar so as to adjust the force required to move the flap between the raised and lowered positions, the means for securing the leaf spring to the transom including a protruding bolt extending through an opening in the spring and a nut engaging the free end of the bolt, the nut providing said means for varying the tension of the spring.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 3 wherein the bolt extends from one limb of an angle-section bracket secured against the transom to prevent transfer of forces from the bolt to the transom and the other limb of the bracket provides a journal for one end of the shaft.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 3 wherein the flap is located for automatic movement from the lowered to the raised position responsive to accelerated forward movement of the boat.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 3 wherein the flap is located for automatic movement from the raised to the lowered position responsive to reverse movement of the boat.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 3 including manually operable means for moving the flap between the raised and lowered positions.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 wherein the manually operable means comprises a pivotal hand lever, means for mounting said hand lever on top of the transom, and linkage means between the hand lever and said shaft for providing rotational movement of the shaft responsive to pivotal movement of the hand lever.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8 wherein said linkage includes a link assembly which is adjustable for length so as to vary the operating position of the hand lever.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 3 wherein the flap is configured for location on one side of the boat's motor, and the attachment includes a further like flap collar and leaf spring for location on the other side of the motor.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 10 wherein said shaft is common to the flaps having a central section adapted to extend behind a vertical housing of an outboard motor.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 10 wherein the flaps are carried on separate shafts for location on the opposite sides of an inboard-outboard motor drive unit, and the shafts each have a linkage connected with a common hand lever mounted at the top of the transom.

Claim 15

A trolling attachment on a transom of a motorboat comprising shaft means, a pair of trolling flap assemblies on the shaft means each comprising a trolling flap connected to a rectangular section tube coaxially mounted on the shaft means, the trolling flap assemblies being spaced apart to accommodate the boat's motor therebetween, elongate brackets at respective ends of the shaft means rotatably attaching the shaft means to the transom and respective elongate leaf springs having upper ends attached to the transom above the shaft means and lower ends engaged over the outsides of the respective rectangular section tubes, the leaf springs resiliently engaging respective surface portions of the tubes for positively locating the flap assemblies in raised and lowered positions of the flaps determined by rotation of the shaft means.

Claim 16

A trolling attachment on a transom of a motorboat comprising shaft means, a pair of trolling flap assemblies on the shaft means each comprising a trolling flap connected to a rectangular section tube coaxially mounted on the shaft means, the trolling flap assemblies being spaced apart to accommodate the boat's motor therebetween, elongate brackets at respective ends of the shaft means rotatably attaching the shaft means to the transom and respective elongate leaf springs having upper ends attached to the transom above the shaft means and lower ends engaged over the outsides of the respective rectangular section tubes, the leaf springs resiliently engaging respective surface portions of the tubes for positively locating the flap assemblies in raised and lowered positions of the flaps determined by rotation of the shaft means.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 13 including tension adjusting means for each leaf spring comprising a threaded stud extending from the transom through a hole in the respective leaf spring intermediate its ends and a nut threaded on the stud engaging the outer surface of the leaf spring.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 13 including manually operable means for moving the flaps between said positions from within the motorboat.