Electric trolling motor steering handle

An attachable steering handle for an electric trolling motor that includes a swivel, an adaptive shaft connected to the swivel, and a control handle shaft connected to the swivel. The attachable steering handle is connectable to the trolling motors by connecting the adaptive shaft to the motor shaft and to the motor control housing. The control handle shaft is positionable between an upper position and lower position, that are generally parallel to the motor shaft. The swivel includes two disk shaped spacers with a center hole in each spacer. A bolt is passed through the holes in the spacers and the head of the bolt is welded to one spacer. The bolt has a threaded end that protrudes out of the hole in the second spacer. A generally T-shaped handle having a threaded nut on the working end is provided to mate with the threaded end of the bolt. The handle is used to lock and unlock the swivel when the user adjusts the position of the control handle shaft with a soft handle on its distal end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an attachable non-complex adaptive steering 
handle for trolling motors such as electrical trolling motors. The 
adaptive steering handle includes a lockable two part swivel, an adaptive 
shaft connected to one side of the swivel and a control handle shaft 
connected to the other side of the swivel. 
In the past, conventional fishing boats were provided with a battery 
powered trolling motor, mounted on a vertical, submersible shaft, having a 
propeller on its depending end and angularly rotatably mounted on the boat 
at the forward end or aft end thereof for guiding the boat in accordance 
with the position of the propeller. The occupant of the boat may face the 
trolling motor and guide the propeller by a short projecting handle 
secured to the motor housing. However, this has the disadvantage that if 
the fishing boat is in motion the electrical motor is not readably 
accessible to the occupant who is also a fisherman. The fisherman needs an 
adjustable handle that is accessible to the fisherman no matter where he 
sits and is accessible to either of the fisherman's hands no matter which 
hand is free and available for use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An attachable steering handle for an electric trolling motor includes a two 
part swivel, an adaptive shaft connected to one part of the swivel, and a 
control handle shaft connected to the other part of the swivel. The 
attachable steering handle is designed to be connectable to most types of 
electrical trolling motors. The adaptive shaft is connectable to the 
trolling motors submersible shaft. In an alternative embodiment the 
adaptive shaft is also connected to the motor control housing. The control 
handle shaft is positionable upward and downward from a horizontal 
position. The upper position is greater than sixty degrees to the 
horizontal position and a lower position that is greater than sixty 
degrees to the horizontal position. The motor may be stored with the 
steering handle positioned in a lower position generally parallel to the 
motor shaft or ninety degrees to the horizontal position. 
The swivel includes two parts. The two parts include two disk shaped 
spacers with a center hole through each spacer. A bolt is passed through 
the holes in the spacers and the head of the bolt is welded to the first 
spacer. The second spacer is freely rotatable on the bolt. The spacers 
have mating flat faces. The second spacer is movable relative to the first 
spacer. The bolt has a threaded end that protrudes out of the hole in the 
second spacer. The clamping mechanism for locking the swivel spacers 
together in a fixed position relative to one another includes a handle in 
the form of a relatively long metal bar that is welded to one end of a 
short length of pipe to form a T-shaped configuration. The other end of 
the short length of pipe is connected to a threaded nut. The nut mates 
with the threaded end of the bolt. The opening in the pipe allows the 
threaded end of the bolt to move freely through the nut and into the 
opening in the pipe. The T-shaped handle allows a user to unlock and lock 
the steering handle's swivel in order to move the control handle shaft 
into any desired position. 
In a second embodiment the second spacer includes a wing nut in place of 
the T-shaped handle mentioned above. The wing nut acts in the same manner 
to put pressure upon the two spacers and keep them in a locked position. 
However, in the second embodiment the wing-shaped nut also includes an 
Allen nut integral therewith. The Allen nut can provide secondary pressure 
on the external end of the bolt. The pressure applied by the Allen nut is 
separate and distinct from the pressure applied by the wing nut itself to 
lock the two spacers together. Thus the Allen nut provides an independent 
and auxiliary, force upon the unit. This embodiment is significant such 
that the pressure applied by the Allen nut allows the operator to move the 
control handle from one position to another, and thereby rotate the second 
spacer about the first spacer without causing the entire mechanism to come 
loose. That is, even though the control handle is moved, the Allen nut 
applies continuous pressure to the end of the bolt, and therefore even 
though the second disk is rotated, the wing nut continues to apply 
pressure to both spacers and thereby keep them in a "locked" position. It 
is the separate pressure applied by the auxiliary Allen nut which allows 
the control handle to be moved, and yet prevents the bolt from coming 
completely loose which would cause the control handle to drop under the 
pressure of gravity. 
The adaptive shaft has a first end and a second end. The first end is 
connected to a U-shaped clamp means for connecting the adaptive shaft to 
the trolling motor shaft housing or trolling motor submersible shaft. The 
second end is connected to the edge or side of the first spacer. 
In an alternative embodiment, a mounting plate is welded to the adaptive 
shaft between the first end and the second end. The intermediate portion 
of the adaptive shaft between the U-shaped clamp means and the mounting 
plate may be bent to any angle needed in order to connect the U-shaped 
clamp to the motor shaft and the mounting plate to the bottom of the 
control housing of the motor. The mounting plate has a plurality of holes 
therein for use in connecting the mounting plate to the control housing by 
bolts on sheet metal screws. 
The U-shaped clamp includes a plate, a U-shaped bolt with threads on each 
end, and two threaded nuts. The plate is welded to the adaptive shaft and 
includes a cut-out portion in the form of a half circular. The half circle 
hole is cut in the plate along one side. The U-shaped member is placed in 
holes cut in the plate to position the U-shaped member in relationship 
with the half circular to form a full circle. The motor shaft may be 
placed in the half circular hole with the U-shaped member positioned 
around the motor shaft. The two threaded ends are passed through the holes 
in the plate and the nuts are placed on the threaded ends. The nuts may be 
tightened to clamp the U-shaped member around the motor shaft as a 
clamping means. 
One end of the control handle shaft is connected to the edge of the second 
spacer. A rubber or a soft form, or plastic handle is connected to the 
other end of the control handle shaft. The control handle shaft may be 
bent into any position and the swivel may be used to vary the position of 
the handle. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a non-complex attachable 
steering handle for an electric trolling motor that can be easily adjusted 
for attachment to the electric trolling motor. 
It is another object to provide a steering handle that includes a 
non-complex lockable swivel, an adaptive shaft and a control handle shaft. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a non-complex lockable 
swivel, which contains an auxiliary locking means, which acts in a 
secondary manner to apply pressure to the lockable swivel, in conjunction 
with a primary locking means. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide an adaptive shaft with 
a clamp and a control housing plate welded thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, the attachable steering handle 10 for an 
electric trolling motors is shown. The steering handle includes a swivel 
12, an adaptive shaft 14 connected to one side of the swivel at 16, and a 
control handle shaft 18 connected to the other side of the swivel at 20. 
The attachable steering handle 10 is connectable to an electrical trolling 
motors by connecting the adaptive shaft 14 to the trolling motors 
submersible shaft or to the motor control housing. The control handle 
shaft is positionable at least between an upper and lower position with 
the control handle shaft 18 generally parallel to the motor shaft. 
The swivel 12 includes two disk shaped spacers 22 and 24 with a center 
holes. A bolt 26 is passed through the holes 28 as shown in FIG. 3 in the 
spacers 22 and 24. The head 30 of the bolt 26 is welded to one spacer such 
as 24. The spacer 22 is freely rotatable on the bolt 26 relative to the 
first spacer 24. The bolt has a threaded end that protrudes out of the 
hole in the second spacer 22. The clamping mechanism 32 for locking the 
swivel spacers 22 and 24 in a fixed position relative to one another 
includes a handle 34 welded to a short length of pipe 36 in a T-shaped 
configuration. One end 38 of the pipe 36 is connected to the handle 34 
that is a metal bar. The other end 40 of the pipe 36 is connected to a 
threaded nut 42. The nut 42 mates with the threaded end of the bolt 26. 
The pipe 36 allows the threaded end of the bolt 26 to move freely through 
the nut 42 and into the hollow inside of the pipe. 
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 6A, an alternative embodiment of the 
invention is shown. In this embodiment the second rotatable spacer 22 is 
also freely rotatable around the first spacer 24. However in this 
embodiment, the primary locking means 80 is the wing nut 82 which is 
threadably secured about the bolt 26. The primary locking means includes a 
secondary or auxiliary locking means 84 which in this embodiment is an 
Allen nut 86 placed within the wing nut. The Allen nut can provide a 
separate and discrete pressure to the end of the bolt 26. Thus, the wing 
nut 82 can provide a primary locking pressure to the two disks by 
tightening the wing nut around the bolt 26 and thus applying pressure in a 
conventional manner. 
However, the auxiliary locking means 84 provides a secondary pressure to 
the external end of the bolt 26. By tightening the Allen nut 86, pressure 
is applied to the far facial end of the bolt 26. This secondary pressure 
as applied by the Allen nut 86 allows an operator to move the control 
handle 18 from one first locked position to a second position for the 
convenience of the operator. The auxiliary locking means 84 allows 
pressure to be maintained on bolt 26 such that it does not become loose. 
Without the auxiliary locking means 84, if an operator were to move the 
control handle 18, the primary locking pressure applied by the wing nut, 
or the T-shaped handle as described above, may allow the locking mechanism 
to become loose. But it has been found that with the pressure applied by 
the Allen nut 86, the control handle 18 may be moved through a plurality 
of positions without the entire mechanism becoming loose. 
As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the auxiliary locking means 84 may also be a 
wing bolt 88 or other similar hardware. 
The adaptive shaft 14 has a first end 44 and a second end 46. The first end 
44 of the adaptive shaft 14 is connected to the trolling motor submersible 
shaft 48. The second end 46 is connected to the edge of the first space 
24. 
In one embodiment a mounting plate 50 is welded to the adaptive shaft 14. 
The intermediate portion of the adaptive shaft 14 between the U-shaped 
clamp means 52 and the first spacer 24 is bent to any configuration that 
may be needed in order to connect the U-shaped clamp 52 to the motor shaft 
and the mounting plate 50 to the control housing 54 of the motor. The 
mounting plate 50 has holes drilled therein to connect the mounting plate 
50 to the control housing by bolts on sheet metal screws. 
In a second embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6A, the adapted 
shaft is connected directly to the submersible shaft of the trolling 
motor. That is, there is no mounting plate or connection to the trolling 
motor housing itself, and the adapter shaft and the clamping means are 
directly connected to the submersible shaft of the trolling motor. This 
embodiment allows ease in connection by the operator, and will likewise 
facilitate operation with a plurality of commercial available units. 
The U-shaped clamp 52 includes a plate 56 welded to the adaptive shaft 14 
at 58. The plate includes a half circular hole 60 cut in one side of the 
plate 56. The U-shaped member 62 is placed in holes that are drilled 
through the plate to allow positioning of the U-shaped member 62 in the 
holes in order to form a circular hole 64 in which the motor may be 
placed. The motor shaft is placed in the circular hole 64 formed by the 
plate 56 and U-shaped clamp 62. The ends 66 and 68 of the U-shaped member 
62 are threaded and the nuts 70 and 72 may be placed on the end. The nuts 
and may be adjusted to secure the clamp means 62 around the motor shaft 
48. 
One end of the control handle shaft 18 is connected to the edge of the 
second spacer 22. A rubber or a soft form, or plastic handle 74 is 
connected to the other end of the control handle shaft 18. The control 
handle shaft may be moved up and down through the use of the swivel 12. 
The control handle shaft 18 may be bent to conform to the particular 
desires of the user. 
The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is 
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is 
recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the 
scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a 
person skilled in the art.