Patent ID: 6158376
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: B63B

Abstract:
A hull for a planing boat, said hull comprising:(a) a bottom having a keel;(b) at least one yoke rigidly attached to and beneath said keel, or rigidly attached to said bottom in the vicinity of said keel;(c) at least one spring attached to said bottom on the starboard side of said keel, and at least one spring attached to said bottom on the port side of said keel;(d) at least two plates hingedly attached to said yoke, at least one said plate hingedly attached to said yoke and also attached to at least one said spring on the starboard side of said keel, and at least one said plate hingedly attached to said yoke and also attached to at least one said spring on the port side of said keel; wherein each of said plates is suspended a distance below said bottom by the attachments to said yoke and to said springs; wherein said plates thereby cover at least a portion of said bottom; and wherein the hinged attachment of said plates to said yoke permits said plates to rotate about an axis that is coincident with at least a portion of said keel, or to rotate about an axis that is substantially parallel to at least a portion of said keel; and wherein each of said plates has a deadrise angle greater than zero;wherein:(e) the elastic modulus of said plates, the elastic modulus of said springs, and the distance between said bottom and said plates are such that the maximum impact acceleration due to slamming of said hull on the surface of a water body at at least one speed is at least ten percent lower than the maximum impact acceleration due to slamming of a comparison hull on the surface of a water body at the same speed; wherein the comparison hull is substantially identical to said hull, except that the comparison hull lacks said yoke, said springs, and said plates.