Trolling motor quick-stowage device

A stowage device is provided which allows a trolling motor to be longitudinally raised and held in place. The stowage device has a collar, such as a U-bolt, which fits around the trolling motor shaft. The closed end of the collar is rigidly attached to a supporting structure, such as a boat hull or an attachment to the hull. A cam is rotatably attached to the collar so that it can engage the trolling motor shaft. A handle attached to the cam allows the fisherman to control the rotational position of the cam. The trolling motor shaft is inserted between the closed end of the collar and the cam. With the cam in the unlocked position, the trolling motor shaft is free to move and the trolling motor may be positioned anywhere between its two end positions. In its first end position, the trolling motor propeller is in the water, and in its second end position, the trolling motor propeller is out of the water. For normal trolling use, the trolling motor propeller will be in the water. To hold the trolling motor free of the water, the motor is raised to the desired position and the cam is operable to lock the trolling motor in the desired position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to devices for use in quickly stowing trolling 
motors used by fishermen. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Fishermen often have more than one motor on their fishing boats. A large 
motor may be used for moving the boat between distant points on a body of 
water such as a lake. A much smaller, trolling motor is used to troll in 
the immediate vicinity of a chosen fishing spot. During times when the 
larger motor is in operation, the fisherman must retract the trolling 
motor from the water. On arriving at a chosen location, the fisherman must 
then reset the trolling motor to its useful position. Often, these 
operations must be carried out repeatedly during a day's fishing. 
Various devices have been introduced to make the task of retracting and 
resetting the trolling motor less onerous. The available devices allow the 
fisherman to retract the trolling motor from the water and stow the motor 
in a horizontal position on the boat. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,790 to Harris et al. discloses a motor mounting 
assembly to attach a trolling motor to a boat. The assembly allows the 
motor to be pivoted up and out of the water to a stowed horizontal 
position on the deck. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,628 to Krieger discloses a bracket assembly which 
allows a fisherman to mount a trolling motor so that it can be 
automatically positioned vertically for operation in the water, and 
retracted when not in use. In the retracted position, the trolling motor 
is on top of the boat deck in a horizontal position. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,080 to Weaver discloses a bracket and linkage assembly 
for mounting a trolling motor to the bow or deck of a boat. Once attached, 
the motor may be swung between its vertical operating position and its 
stowed position on the deck. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,634,390 and 4,966,566 to Baird disclose spring-biased 
mechanisms which are pivotally attachable to a trolling motor mount. These 
mechanisms are used to counterbalance the weight of a trolling motor to 
aid the fisherman in raising the trolling motor out of the water to stow 
it in a horizontal position on the deck. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,161 to Booty discloses a mounting apparatus for 
trolling motors which utilizes a mounting bracket and swivel arms to allow 
the motor to be rotated through 90.degree. from an operation (vertical) 
position to a stowed (horizontal) position. 
The above-listed devices allow the fisherman to stow a trolling motor by 
bringing the motor to a horizontal position on the boat. However, none of 
these devices allow the fisherman to quickly raise the trolling motor from 
the water, hold it in an approximately vertical position, and then quickly 
lower it into an operational position. Additionally, the devices listed 
above require substantial hardware to accomplish their goal of allowing 
the trolling motor to be pivoted up out of the water and stowed in a 
locked position on the boat deck. 
It is an object of the present invention to allow a fisherman to quickly 
raise a trolling motor from the water so that he can then motor to another 
location without having to stow the trolling motor in a horizontal 
position. 
It is another object of the present invention to allow a fisherman to 
quickly and easily lower a trolling motor into the water without having to 
release the motor from a stowed horizontal position. 
It is a further object of the present invention to allow a trolling motor 
to be secured in a raised vertical position so that it is unnecessary to 
move the motor to a horizontal stowed position. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A stowage device is provided which allows a trolling motor to be vertically 
raised and releasably locked in place. The stowage device has a collar, 
such as a U-shaped collar, which fits around the trolling motor shaft. The 
closed end of the collar is rigidly attached to a supporting structure, 
such as a boat hull or an attachment to the hull. A cam is positioned 
rotatably attached to the collar so that it rotates about an axis 
perpendicular to the inner faces of the U-collar. A handle attached to the 
cam allows the fisherman to control the rotational position of the cam. 
The trolling motor shaft is inserted between the closed end of the collar 
and the cam. With the cam in the unlocked position, the trolling motor 
shaft is free to move, and the trolling motor may be releasably positioned 
anywhere between its two end positions. In its first end position, the 
trolling motor propeller is in the water, and in its second end position, 
the trolling motor propeller is out of the water. 
For normal trolling use, the trolling motor propeller will be in the water. 
To hold the trolling motor free of the water, the motor is raised to the 
desired position and the handle is used to rotate the cam into the locked 
position. With the cam in the locked position, the trolling motor shaft is 
securely held between the closed end of the collar and the cam. 
In another embodiment of this invention, the cam is provided with teeth 
along its outer surface. In this configuration, the fisherman can raise 
the motor and lock it into position by lifting the motor itself. As the 
motor is raised, the cam rotates due to the frictional contact between the 
motor shaft and the teeth. Once the motor has been raised to the desired 
position, the motor may be released and the motor shaft will be held in 
position by the weight of the motor. In this embodiment, the fisherman is 
not required to force the cam into a locked position. 
Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of 
preferred embodiments, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1A-B, one embodiment of the device is shown in which a 
collar 10 fits around the trolling motor shaft 12. The collar 10 fits 
within and is mountable to the transom mount 14. A cam 16 preferably made 
from an elastomeric material is rotatably attached to the collar 10 in an 
overcenter configuration by an axial pin 18. Axial pin 18 is rotatably 
attached to the collar 10, and the cam 16 is fixed to the axial pin 18 by 
spiral pin 20. The handle 22 is also rigidly attached to the axial pin 18, 
so that the cam 16 and the handle 22 maintain a fixed position relative to 
each other. When the handle 22 is rotated, the overcenter configuration 
causes the cam to be biased into the locked position, as shown in FIG. 1A. 
The trolling motor shaft 12 is longitudinally immobilized because it is 
pressed between the collar 10 and the cam 16. This occurs because in the 
preferred embodiment, the centerline of cam 16 is offset from pivot axis 
18. This configuration ensures that when the cam 16 is rotated in a given 
direction, there is a bias force acting on the cam 16 to bias it into a 
locked or unlocked position. When the handle 22 is rotated to the unlocked 
position, as shown in FIG. 1B, the trolling motor shaft 12 may be moved 
between its end positions. The handle 22 may be rotated by hand into the 
locked position to secure the trolling motor vertically when the trolling 
motor is positioned at or anywhere between its end positions. 
Referring to FIGS. 2A-D, another embodiment of the device is shown. The 
trolling motor is secured to the boat by a mounting unit 30, as shown in 
FIG. 2A. The trolling motor shaft 32 is slidably inserted through the 
mounting brackets 34. The locking device 36 rests on top of the upper 
mounting bracket 34. The device comprises a collar, such as a U-shaped 
collar 38, which fits around the trolling motor shaft 32. A handle 40 is 
an extension from a cam 42, having its larger end located at 43. The 
handle 40 and cam 42 are rotatably attached to the collar 38 by a pin 44. 
A piece of compressible material 46, such as rubber, is fixed to the 
inside of the collar 38. When the handle 40 is rotated to the unlocked 
position, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, the trolling motor shaft 32 
may be moved between its end positions. When the handle 40 is rotated into 
the locked position, as shown in FIG. 2D, the larger end 43 of cam 42 
pulls the collar 38 and compresses material 46. The trolling motor shaft 
32 is then immobilized. The handle 40 may be rotated by hand into the 
locked position to secure the trolling motor when the trolling motor is 
positioned at or anywhere between its end positions. 
A third embodiment of the device is shown in FIGS. 3A-B. A U-shaped collar 
60 fits around the trolling motor shaft 62. A cam 64 has an extension 
handle 66 for the operator's use. The cam 64 and the handle 66 are 
rotatably attached to the collar 60 by a pin 68. The edge of the cam 64 
has a larger end 65. Cam 64 has formed teeth 70 providing a frictional fit 
with the trolling motor shaft 62. The cam teeth 70 are flexible to 
facilitate a wedging action. Other means of selectively wedging or 
retaining the shaft 62 against a collar 60 are also within the scope of 
the invention. 
Referring to FIG. 3A, pulling the trolling motor shaft 62 up causes the cam 
64 to rotate clockwise about the pin 68, permitting the shaft 62 to be 
vertically moved. Releasing the upward pull on the trolling motor shaft 62 
causes the weight of shaft 62 to force shaft 62 down to engage the formed 
teeth 70 to thereby grip the trolling motor shaft 62 and lock it in place. 
The trolling motor shaft 62 is locked in place by the weight of the 
trolling motor, so that it is not necessary for the operator to force the 
cam 64 into a locked state. The trolling motor shaft 62 can be released by 
pressing downward on the handle 66 to rotate the cam 64. A means of 
applying force to the cam 64, such as a leaf spring 72, biases the cam 64 
into contact with the trolling motor shaft 62 when the downward pressure 
on the handle 66 is released. The leaf spring is mounted to the collar 60 
by a pin 74. 
Many modifications and variations may be made in the embodiments described 
herein and depicted in the accompanying drawings without departing from 
the concept of the present invention. Accordingly, it is understood that 
the embodiments described and illustrated herein are illustrative only and 
are not intended as a limitation upon the scope of this invention.