Patent ID: 8448593
Filing Date: 2013-05-28
Classification: B63B,B63C

Abstract:
1. An improved folding boat with at least two foldable horizontal frames each comprising at least two foldably connected sections attached to each other by a transverse swivel joint on one side and by releasable locking means on another side, where said foldably connected sections comprise two substantially parallel longitudinal rails connected by a plurality of transverse members and at least one swivelly foldable guard rail with releasable locking means, further, said longitudinal rails comprise internal and external longitudinal groves, where said internal longitudinal grooves hold a plurality of removable and stackable floats each equipped with a removable and stackable gasketed cover and horizontal longitudinal tabs, where each said float comprises a substantially flat and vertical wall allowing said floats to be installed in pairs with mirror orientation to each other with their said flat and vertical walls contacting each other, so each pair of said floats forms a hydrodynamically shaped hull, and further, said foldable horizontal frames are connected by a plurality of removable horizontal transverse beams are secured to said transverse members of said foldable horizontal frames by beams releasable locking means, where said horizontal transverse beams comprise longitudinal tabs, so, longitudinal edges of removable deck sheets of the boat are held in place and supported by said external longitudinal grooves of said longitudinal rails and transverse edges of the same deck sheets are supported by said longitudinal tabs of said transverse horizontal beams, so, in the boat folding process said beams releasable locking means can be released allowing detachment of said horizontal transverse beams and deck sheets from the boat, and further, said foldably connected sections of said foldable horizontal frames can be swivelably folded with prior release of their said releasable locking means allowing removal of said removable and stackable floats from said internal grooves of said longitudinal rails of said sections of said foldable horizontal frames and further, said swivelably foldable guard rails can be swivelably folded with prior release of said guard rail releasable locking means, so said swivelably foldable guard rails assume folded position substantially coplanar with top surface of said sections of said foldable horizontal frames wherein the improvement comprises: said removable and stackable floats are designed in two configurations, where one configuration of said floats is identified as intermediate asymmetrical style and another configuration of said floats identified as end style, so, two said end style floats and two said intermediate asymmetrical floats being installed between them form one continuous pontoon hull on the each side of said boat, further, each said float is equipped with at least one removable float stiffening element installed inside said float lower part to prevent deformation of the float side walls under pressure of water and said float covers being identical in shape and size are interchangeable between said floats, additionally, one of horizontal transverse beams connecting said foldable horizontal frames and located at the front of the boat has two front guard rails equipped with a guiding channels supporting a slidable frame of climbing step, where said frame is slidably movable between upper, retracted, position in which being held by a releasable locking means assumes function as a middle section of the front guard rail and upon release of said releasable locking means, said frame being moved to lower position provides convenient position of the climbing step for climbing to the level of said deck sheets of the inventive boat, wherein said removable and stackable floats, equipped with at least one removable float stiffening element installed inside said float lower part, are constructed as paired installation style floats with mirror orientation and equipped with a middle fin and two side fins attached to the float bottom wall and said each side fin is equipped with a notch that holds boat launching wheels axle and to allow said launching wheels with axle to drop off when said boat is on the water.