Abstract:
A Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus and the associated vessel. The apparatus has a single attachment point and pivot assembly for supporting the oars. A built-in set of leaf spring elements reduce user effort by providing lifting force to raise the oar members. The apparatus is deployable on vessel hulls of virtually unlimited configuration, while still offering proper rowing leverage between the user&#39;s hands and the blades without the need for supplemental mounting systems or outriggers. The apparatus is stowable within the center area of the vessel hull. The positioning of the central pivot point for the oars can be adjusted along the axis of the vessel hull so that it can accommodate a wide variety of user preferences. An alternate design includes a foot-assisted sliding trolley mounting assembly that enables the user to add leg/foot power to the stroking motion. Furthermore, the apparatus is removable from the hull for transport or storage.

Description:
This application is filed within one year of, and claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/775,165, filed Mar. 8, 2013. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to vessel propulsion systems and, more specifically, to a Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventional human-powered rowing of boats places the operator facing away from the direction of travel and require that the operator continually turn to look or use mirrors to see where they are going. Failure to continually do so can cause collisions or boat groundings. While using a paddle to propel the boar allows the operator to face in the direction of travel it also requires more effort because there is no mechanical advantage from a boat-mounted fulcrum is available. Paddling also allows just one paddle blade to be in the water at a time (this limits the force per stroke available to propel the boat). 
     Documented examples of forward facing rowing apparatuses date back to the beginning years of the U.S. Patent Office. They generally fall into three categories: those reversing the direction of conventional oars, those using forward-activated sweep oars and those that use the user&#39;s legs to assist in the stroking. The following U.S. patents are those considered to be the most relevant to the patentability of Applicant&#39;s design. Rantilla, U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,859 does have a near-central pivot point in the vessel (within the field of vision) and spring-biased lifting elements, however, it does not suggest a mounting point at the hull bottom, nor does it suggest curved oar members to increase user leverage. Beckers, U.S. Pat. No. 287,088 also suggests spring-lifted oars at two pivot points. like Rantilla does not suggest the hull-bottom mounting location, nor the arcuate oar members. 
     C. H. Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 2,083,004 does not suggest hull-bottom mounting location, arcuate oar members, or even the upwardly—biasing springs. 
     Jewett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,095 does disclose arched oars, but does not suggest a single mounting/pivot point located at the bottom of the hull. 
     Finally, H. A. Jewett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,490 discloses a forward-facing rowing mechanism that is quite complex, to the point where it is difficult to discern how the mechanism operates. 
     What is needed, then, is a mechanically simple, lightweight and durable rowing apparatus that incorporates a single, centralized pivot point located at the hull bottom, and spring-lifted arcuate oar members that permits the operator to face towards the bow of the vessel while rowing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus and associated vessel. The apparatus should have a single attachment point and pivot assembly for supporting the oars. A built-in set of leaf spring elements should reduce user effort by providing lifting force to raise the oar members. The apparatus should be deployable on vessel hulls of virtually unlimited configuration, while still offering proper rowing leverage between the users hands and the blades without the need for supplemental mounting systems or outriggers. It is a further object that the apparatus be stowable within the center area of the vessel hull. The positioning of the central pivot point for the oars should be adjustable along the axis of the vessel hull so that it can accommodate a wide variety of user preferences. Additionally, there should be an alternate design that includes a foot-assisted sliding trolley mounting assembly that would enable the user to add leg/foot power to the stroking motion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a forward-rowable boat of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a back view of the boat of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a preferred oar member of the boat of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C depict top views of the boat of  FIGS. 1 and 2  provided to illuminate the rowing sequence followed by a user of the device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the boat of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 A- 4 C, depicting the oar members in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial front perspective view of the central hub assembly of the boat of  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 A- 4 C and  5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial rear perspective view of the central hub assembly of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the central hub assembly of  FIGS. 6 and 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a view of an alternate embodiment of a preferred oar member of the boat of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a rear perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the forward-rowable boat of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 11A ,  11 B,  11 C and  11 D are top views of the boat of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  are partial side perspective views of the cockpit area of the boat of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a partial cutaway perspective view of the alternate Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus of the boat of  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 14  is a partial exploded perspective view of the alternate Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus of  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus. 
     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG.  1 . 1    FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a forward-rowable boat  10  of the present invention. As its name suggests, the boat  10  is equipped with a sophisticated oar mechanism that permits the user to face forward while rowing the boat  10 . This conventional boat  10  comprises an open hull  12  defined by a bow  14  and stern  16  at opposing ends. The user&#39;s seat  18  is typically located at approximately the mid-point between the stern  16  and bow  14 . The forward-facing rowing apparatus (or assembly)  10  is attached to the bottom of the hull  12  just forward of the seat  18  (and aft of the bow  14 ). Testing has revealed that the mounting point for the apparatus  20  is optimally below the normal location of the person&#39;s knees when seated on the seat  18 . As will be discussed below, the position is somewhat adjustable to accommodate different body types. As shown, left and right oar members  22 A,  22 B extend from a central pivot point.  1  As used throughout this disclosure, element numbers enclosed in square brackets [ ] indicates that the referenced element is not shown in the instant drawing figure, but rather is displayed elsewhere in another drawing figure. 
     It should be understood that the forward-facing rowing apparatus  20  of the present invention is intended to be installable into virtually any conventional boat design, including but not limited to: inflatable and folding boats, kayaks, canoes, surf skis. Furthermore, fishing, swamp and paraplegic-accommodating vessels are contemplated (however the oar members  22  may take on a variety of different shapes in order to provide a more vertical blade entry into the water, and at a location closer to the side of the vessel). Additionally, seating two-abreast could also be accommodated with a slightly modified version of the depicted example design.  FIG. 2  continues the description of the instant design. 
       FIG. 2  is a back view of the boat  10  of  FIG. 1 . The forward-facing rowing apparatus  20  has a pair of oar members  22 A,  22 B that each terminate in blades  24 A,  24 B on either side of the hull  12 . A critical feature of the instant invention is that the oar members  22 A,  22 B of the apparatus  20  are biased upwardly by the mechanism of the apparatus  20 , as will discussed in more depth below in connection with other drawing figures. These lifting forces F L  provide a mechanical advantage to the user that results in much less effort being expended in order to lift the blades  24 A,  24 B from the water. In fact, it is preferred that the forces are sufficient to raise the blades  24 A,  24 B clear of the water when the oar members  22 A,  22 B are left to being self-supported by the apparatus  20  (thereby reducing the possibility of “crabbing”). The user needs simply to apply slight downward pressure on the oar members  22 A,  22 B in order to dip the blades  24 A,  24 B into the water. The forces created by the rowing motion will thereafter provide sufficient downward force to keep the blades  24 A,  24 B submerged sufficiently for the propulsion stroke.  FIG. 3  depicts additional features of the instant design. 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of a preferred oar member  22 B of the boat [ 10 ] of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . While only the right oar member  22 B is depicted here, it should be understood that the structure of both right and left oar members are identical (but mirror images of one another). 
     The shape of the oar members  22 A,  22 B will be customized for each vessel application, but generally consists of a slight upwards arc (to clear the operators&#39; legs), transitioning to a tighter radius curve down towards the attachment point in the vessel. The oar member  22 B comprises an inboard shaft portion  32 B terminating in an end cap  28 B at its proximal (relative to the vessel) end. The end cap  28 B preferably has a pivot aperture  30 B formed therethrough to attach to the support mechanism for the apparatus [ 20 ] as will be discussed in more detail below. 
     The inboard shaft portion  32 B transitions into the hand grip portion  26 B, which as shown here, is a wide (ergonomically-angled) segment of the oar member  22 B. Grip tape or coating may be applied to this section in order to aid the user in maintaining a solid grasp on the oar member  22 B. The hand grip portion  26 B transitions at its distal end into the outboard shaft portion  34 B, to which the blade  24 B is attached (or formed as an integral part thereof). 
     It is expected that the inboard shaft portion  32 B, the hand grip portion  26 B and the outboard shaft portion  34 B (and potentially even the blade  24 B) will be made from a unitary piece of material. All components must be constructed of a material which has sufficient strength to endure the axial, shear, bending and torsional forces applied to the oar members  22 A,  22 B during rowing will not suffer catastrophic failure (including fatigue from long-term use). 
     The design of the blade  22 B does not provide for “feathering” (i.e. tilting the blade forward or backwards, as related to the vessel) the blade during the rowing motion. The shaped blade  22 B is instead angled permanently forward, such that as the oar member  22 B is pulled (rearward) by the user, the blade  22 B will be pulled deeper into the water. It follows that on the recovery stroke (i.e. when the user is pushing the oar member  22 B forward), the blade&#39;s angle will force the blade to be pushed up out of the Water (resulting from the relative motion through the water).  FIGS. 4A-4C  will perhaps clarify any confusion regarding the novel rowing motion. 
       FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C depict top views of the boat of  FIGS. 1 and 2  provided to illuminate the rowing sequence followed by a user of the device of the present invention.  FIG. 4A  depicts the vessel with the apparatus  20  in the initialize position (i.e. the rowing stroke is beginning) The user has exerted forward rowing force (R F ) against the oar members (collectively  24 ) until they are displaced forwardly from their rest position depicted by the dashed line passing through the central pivot point  36 . The user then exerts rearward rowing force (R R ) against the oar members  24  until the oar members  24  pass through the rest position of  FIG. 4B , and to the termination position (i.e. the rowing stroke has ended) shown in  FIG. 4C . The user then re-asserts force R F  so that the oar members  24  return to the initialize position. 
     The result of these actions is to create propulsion in the direction of the bow  14  (forwardly), while the user is seated facing forwardly. The operator may stroke both oars together as in typical rowing, alternate the stroke (as in paddling), or stroke an individual oar to steer. To stow the oars the operator may rotate each oar individually so that they both face towards the front or back of the boat and be lowered to rest within the boat. When the oars are stowed together, a feat made possible by a single pivot design, they may also be rotated to the side to rest on a dock or launching area and used as a handle to assist in boarding the vessel.  FIG. 5  depicts the oar members  22 A,  22 B in the stowed position within the hull  12 . Now turning to  FIG. 6 , we can examine other critical aspects of the apparatus [ 20 ]. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial front perspective view of the central hub assembly  38  of the boat of  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 A- 4 C and  5 . The end caps  28 A,  28 B attach independently to the central hub assembly  38  to create a central pivot point  36 . The hub assembly extends from a base shuttle  1011 , which is slidingly engaged with the mounting track  1019 . The mounting track  1019  is fixedly attached to the hull [ 12 ] at a position just forward of the seat [ 18 ]. The sliding nature of this shuttle/track design permits the user to adjust the specific position of the central pivot point  36  of the oar members [ 22 A,  22 B] to accommodate a variety of rowing and body styles. A locking element  106  (such as a spring-loaded pin or threaded thumbscrew) is used to lock the position of the base shuttle  1011  along the mounting track  1019 . The central hub assembly  38  extends upwardly from the base shuttle  1011 . The assembly  38  is held together by a center pivot screw  101 . 
     A very important aspect of the design of the apparatus [ 20 ] is the pair of lifting springs  109 A,  109 B. These are linkages made from spring-grade metal (small leaf springs), or composite laminate. On one end, each is attached to its respective end cap  28 A,  28 B. The opposing end biases against an element of the central hub assembly  38  (in a sliding fashion)—the leaf springs now bias against a roller wheel bolted to the pivot element. The bolts used to attach the springs  109 A,  109 B are adjustable so that the strength of the biasing force on the oar members [ 22 A,  22 B] can be adjusted. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the end caps  28 A,  28 B are attached to the central hub assembly  38  by pivot screws and nuts  1013 A/ 1013 B,  1017 A,  1017 B. This pivotal connection permits the oar in members [ 22 A,  22 B] to rotate up and down relative to the central hub assembly  38 . The result is to create a biasing force that urges the inboard shaft portion [e.g.  32 B] upwardly towards vertical, which forces the oar members [ 22 A,  22 B] upwardly [indicated by force F L ]. As discussed previously, this lifting force substantially reduces the level of effort required by the user. The specifics of the various individual elements of the central hub assembly are provided in  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the central hub assembly  38  of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The central hub assembly  38  is, essentially, a hinge-type design of interlaced flat metal rings. This permits independent rotation of each oar member [ 22 A,  22 B] around the pivot screw  101 . Oar mounting tabs  40 A,  40 B extend from their respective interlaced rings, where the end caps of the oar members pivotally attached (as discussed in connection with  FIG. 6 ). The function and structure of the balance of the elements of the hub assembly  38  should otherwise be apparent to the reader. 
       FIG. 9  is a front (or back) view of an alternate oar member  23  (meaning the generic design used for right and left sides). As can be seen, the hand grip portion  27  is located closer towards the inner end of the oar member  23 . The inboard shaft portion  33  is shorter and oriented more vertically than it is in the design of  FIG. 3 . The outboard shaft portion  35  is very straight, rather than the arched version of the design of  FIG. 3 . An intermediate shaft portion  27  interconnects the hand grip portion  37  and the inboard shaft portion  33 . As shown, the inboard shaft portion  33 , intermediate shaft portion  37  and hand grip portion  37  all combine to form an arcuate shape to provide the operator with the desired hand position, while also improving the torque generated to aid in the rowing and oar-lifting processes. This new design having the more vertical hand grip portion  37  allows for greater stroke angle while reducing the strain on the wrist. 
     The preferred angles between the various portions of the oar  23  shaft are 105 degrees between the inboard shaft portion  33  and the intermediate shaft portion  27 , 105 degrees between the intermediate shaft portion  27  and the hand grip shaft portion  37 , and 120 degrees (minus—in the opposite direction from the other two angles) between the hand grip shaft portion  37  and the outboard shaft portion  35 . 
     A number of alternative or optional selections are expected, namely:
         a. machined from aluminum, steel stock or extruded aluminum,   b. die-case from aluminum or steel,   c. injection molded (including fiber-reinforced plastics),   d. one-piece carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP),   e. two-piece CFRP oar shaft and blade,   f. adjustable length oar shaft and/or adjustable blade angle, or   g. blades fabricated by injection molded plastic, and oar shafts made from aluminum.       

     For certain applications, a slightly different structural design has been found to be superior to the rowing apparatus [ 20 ] depicted above. The details of this alternate design are depicted and discussed below in connection with  FIGS. 10-14 . 
       FIG. 10  is a rear perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the forward-rowable boat  10 A of the present invention. The boat  10 A has an alternate version of the Forward-facing Rowing Apparatus  20 A. Many of the features of the alternate version of the apparatus  20 A are functionally identical to the first version [ 20 ] discussed herein. One key distinction is that the pivot point of the oar members is not stationary, but rather slides fore- and aft-during the rowing motion. 
     The hull  12 A that is depicted in this version is similar to a conventional open cockpit kayak, and has a hollow, sealed hull. The seat  18 A faces the bow  14  (and the forward-facing rowing apparatus  20 A). The apparatus  20 A has right and left oar members  23 A,  23 B, which are essentially unchanged from the design depicted in  FIG. 9 . A major change/addition present in this design  20 A is related to the mounting track  1019 A and base shuttle  1011 A. This mounting track  1019 A is longer than in the previous embodiment [ 10 ], and is configured to allow the shuttle  1011 A to roll freely forward and backward (i.e. toward the bow  14  and stern  16 , respectively). There are a pair of foot pedals attached to the shuttle  1011 A that provides the user with additional leverage and power through use of their legs to push the shuttle  1011 A forward during the stroking motion. This motion is depicted in  FIGS. 11A-11D . 
       FIGS. 11A-11D  are top views of the boat  10 A of  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 11A , the oars  23 A,  23 B are at the beginning of a stroke (the initialize position), and are extended forward toward the bow  14 . The central pivot point  36  is slid backward towards the seat  18 A to the end of the mounting track [ 1019 A]. The user then exerts rearward rowing force R F  against the oars  23 A,  23 B (by pulling backwards on the oars), while simultaneously exerting forward movement force M F  against the foot pads of the FFRA  20 A. As the oars  23 A,  23 B proceed through the rowing motion,  FIG. 11B  shows that the pivot point  36  is moving away from the seat  18 A, while the oars  23 A,  23 B move backward as the oars  23 A,  23 B pass through the rest position. 
     In  FIG. 11C , the oars  23 A,  23 B and base shuttle  1011 A have passed midpoint of their travel, and the rowing force R F  is reaching its end for this stroke (the termination position). At  FIG. 11D , the oars  23 A,  23 B have begun to return to the initialize position in response to return rowing force R R . The oars  23 A,  23 B lift up by action of the lifting springs [ 109 A,  110 A], and the shape of the oar  23 A,  23 B blade. The shuttle  1011 A is caused to slide aft by the user bending their knees and pulling their feet towards the seat  18 A (creating return movement force M R ). 
       FIGS. 12A and 12B  are partial side perspective views of the cockpit area of the boat [ 10 A] of  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 12A , the shuttle  1011 A and oars are in the initialize position, wherein the shuttle  1011 A is at the far forward end of its travel along the mounting track  1019 A. The footcups  54 A,  54 B have rotated down to accommodate the user&#39;s natural foot angle when the legs are fully extended. As can be seen here, the rear end of the mounting track  1019 A attaches to the face of the seat  18 A by rear attachment bracket  50 B. 
     As seen in  FIG. 12B , the shuttle  1011 A and oars  23 A,  23 B are in the terminate position. The shuttle  1011 A is at the rearmost part of its travel along the mounting track  1019 A. As can be seen here, the footcups  54 A,  54 B are also rotated upwards so that they accommodate the user&#39;s natural foot angle when the knee is bent. The front mounting bracket  50 A attaching the track  1019 A to the hull [ 12 A] at the front of the track  1019 A is also shown. Further detail regarding this additional version is provided in  FIG. 13 . 
       FIG. 13  is a partial cutaway perspective view of the alternate Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus  20 A of the boat [ 10 A] of  FIG. 10 . In this version, the mounting track  1019 A is made from a pair of tubular rails—upper rail  53 A and lower rail  53 B. The base shuttle  1011 A can roll freely along the length of the rails  53 A,  53 B (from left to right in this view). Front and rear rail  56 A,  56 B interconnect the two rails  53 A,  53 B, and also provide a mounting point for the front and rear attachment brackets [ 50 A,  50 B]. 
     A pedal base element  52  (a rotating/pivoting bar) is attached to the base shuttle  1011 A at its leading edge. First and second foot cups  54 A,  54 B extend from the base element  52 , to provide the location for the user to place his or her feet. These foot cups  54 A,  54 B are fixed to a shaft that is held to the pedal base element with bushings to allow rotation. As discussed previously, part of the rowing method is for the use to pull his or her feet towards the seat [ 18 A], to return the Apparatus  20 A to the terminate position. To aid the user in this motion, each foot cup  54 A,  54 B is equipped with one or more straps  57 A,  57 B. The straps  57 A,  57 B are used to restrain the user&#39;s feet to the foot cups  54 A,  54 B. 
     The central hub assembly  38 A is very similar in structure to the prior-described design, and is discussed in additional detail below in connection with  FIG. 14 .  FIG. 14  is a partial exploded perspective view of the alternate Forward Facing Rowing Apparatus  20 A of  FIG. 13 . The base shuttle  1011 A has a frame  1033  that envelopes the upper and lower rails [ 53 A,  53 B]. The frame  1033  rides/slides (actually rolls) along the rails [ 53 A,  53 B] on two or more rollers  58 A,  58 B that are attached to the frame  1033 . 
     A pivot base  1032  extends upwardly from the frame  1033 , and provides a structure to which the center pivot screw  101  attaches the other elements. Each oar  23 A,  23 B is pivotally attached to an oar mounting tab  40 A,  40 B by oar pivot screws  1030 . The tabs  40 A,  40 B extend outwardly from hub collars  5101 A and  5101 B, which pivot around the pivot base  1032 . The main pivot has two angular contact bearings pressed into each hub collar top and bottom with a single thrust bearing in between the two hub collars. The oar end loops have two angular contact bearings each pressed in. Using shims for clearance adjustment this provides a zero free play condition. 
     Just as with the original design, lifting springs  109 A and  109 B create upward biasing force on the end loop  1034  of each oar  23 A,  23 B, from a roller wheel mounted to each hub tab. While the specific structure of the individual elements of the central hub assembly  38 A have changed somewhat as compared to the design of  FIGS. 1-9 , their operation is essentially the same. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.