Patent ID: 6493953
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
The combination comprising an ungimbaled marine compass that is adjustable to a fixed horizontal position with respect to a surface of a marine vessel upon which said compass is mountable, a generally U-shaped mounting bracket, and a binnacle, said compass being selectively supportable for mounting on such surface of a marine vessel in either said U-shaped bracket or said binnacle;said compass comprising a generally circular outer shell having a predetermined outer diameter, a magnetic card supported in said shell, there being a pair of diametrically opposed threaded holes in said shell located at opposite ends of said outer diameter; said U-shaped bracket comprising a pair of upstanding arms connected by a foot that is adapted to be attached to such surface of a marine vessel upon which said compass is mountable, said foot having a length essentially equal to said outer diameter of said shell so that said upstanding arms are separated by a distance essentially equal to said outer diameter of said shell, and there being a pair of aligned holes in said upstanding arms; said binnacle being essentially cylindrical and having an internal diameter essentially equal to said outer diameter of said shell, said binnacle having an open upper end and a cross piece at its bottom end that is adapted to be attached to such surface of a marine vessel upon which said compass is mountable, and there being a pair of diametrically aligned holes in said binnacle; a pair of screws threaded to mate with said threaded holes in said shell, said pair of aligned holes in said U-shaped bracket and said pair of diametrically aligned holes in said binnacle being dimensioned to enable said screws to pass there through; said shell being selectively supportable in said U-shaped bracket by aligning each of said threaded holes with one of the holes of said pair of aligned holes in said upstanding arms and passing said screws through said aligned holes and threading said screws into said threaded holes in said shell, and said shell also being selectively supportable in said binnacle by aligning said each of said threaded holes with one of the holes of said pair of diametrically aligned holes in said binnacle and passing said screws through said diametrically aligned holes and threading said screws into said threaded holes in said shell; and said compass being adjustable to a fixed horizontal position with respect to such surface of a marine vessel upon which said compass is mountable by loosening said screws and pivoting said shell selectively in said U-shaped bracket or in said binnacle until said card is horizontally aligned with respect to such surface of a marine vessel and then re-tightening said screws.