Patent ID: 6615760
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: B63B,F16K

Abstract:
An automatically sealing boat draining device to be mounted in a hole passing through the transom of a boat, comprising:a cylindrical housing; the cylindrical housing having an outer end and an inner end; the cylindrical housing having a radially outwardly extending annular flange at the outer end; the annular flange having means for securing the cylindrical housing to a transom of a boat with the flange mounted on an outside surface of the transom and the cylindrical housing passing through a hole in the transom; a drain hole for conveying water passing completely through the cylindrical housing from the inner end to the outer end of the cylindrical housing; the drain hole having an outer end and an inner end; the drain hole having a cylindrical threaded outer end portion for threadably receiving a plug to seal the drain hole when the boat draining device is not in use; the drain hole having a cylindrical intermediate portion for receiving a ball valve assembly; the drain hole having a cylindrical inner end portion for admitting water within a boat into the drain hole; the drain hole having an annular groove between the cylindrical threaded outer end portion and the intermediate portion for receiving a snap fit retaining ring to retain a ball valve assembly within the intermediate portion of the drain hole; a ball valve assembly within the cylindrical intermediate portion of the drain hole; the ball valve assembly including a ball, a sealing ball seat component, and a flow through ball seat component; the sealing ball seat component having a central bore therein; the flow through ball seat component having a central bore therein; the central bores of the sealing ball seat component and the flow through ball seat component forming a cavity housing the ball; the bore in the sealing ball seat component forming an inner end of the cavity housing the ball; the bore in the sealing ball seat component having a first valve seat for receiving the ball and sealing the drain hole to prevent the flow of water through the drain hole when the ball in seated in the first valve seat; the bore in the flow through ball seat component forming an outer end of the cavity housing the ball; the bore in the flow through ball seat component having a second valve seat for receiving the ball and permitting the flow of water through the drain hole when the ball in seated in the second valve seat; the ball being free to move back and forth between the inner end and the outer end of the cavity housing the ball; a flow of water from the outer end of the drain hole toward the inner end of the drain hole causing the ball to move to the inner end of cavity, seat in the first valve seat, and seal the drain hole to prevent the flow of water through the drain hole; a flow of water from the inner end of the drain hole toward the outer end of the drain hole causing the ball to move to the outer end of cavity, seat in the second valve seat, and permit the flow of water through the drain hole; a snap ring in the annular groove between the outer threaded portion and the intermediate portion of the drain hole retaining the ball valve assembly within the intermediate portion of the drain hole; the removal of the snap ring permitting easy removal of the ball valve assembly from the cylindrical housing for cleaning and maintenance; and a plug removably threaded into the threaded outer end portion of the drain hole.