WATERCRAFT STABILIZING FLOATATION STRUCTURE

Abstract: A watercraft stabilizing floatation structure comprised of two opposed hulls (20) that are attached to the outside perimeter of a jet-type watercraft to extend the surface area in contact with the water. A seat (36) located at the stern attaches the hulls (20) together in a removable fashion and allows a sitting position during operation of the craft. A removable pin (34) maintains integrity of the structure at the bow. A set of running lights (48, 50 and 52), wired integral with the structure and energized by the watercraft ignition system, are provided for operation in navigable waters. A mechanically operated thrust reverser (54) is incorporated into the back of the seat assembly (36), behind the jet discharge to allow the watercraft to reverse direction.

Description: WATERCRAFT STABILIZING FLOATATION STRUCTURE TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates in general to boats having floats for buoyancy, and more specifically to a water- craft stabilizing floatation structure designed to be attached to a self-propelled jet-type watercraft. BACKGROUND ART Self-propelled jet-type watercraft, such as are commonly known by their registered trademark "Jet Ski", manufactured by Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha of Kobe, Japan have had an inherent problem of instability while in the water. Instability is present when the craft is at rest, when climbing aboard and getting underway, or when operating at very slow speeds. Because of this instability, the unmodified Jet Ski has limited utility in that the only water-stable period is when the craft is underway at cruising speeds. Addi¬ tionally, user comfort is. compromised because to operate the watercraft, the operator must remain in a - "B URE OMP standing or kneeling position. A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read on the claims of the instant inven« tion. However, the following U.S. patents are . indicative of the state-of-the-art: PATENT NUMBER ' INVENTOR ISSUED ' 4,353,321 Liu 12 October 1982 4,320,713 Nishida, et al 23 March 1982 3,702,106 Wilder 7 November 1972 The Liu patent describes a watercraft having an integral engine and front-end steering with a separate pontoon. The stability is accomplished with a pair of adjustable floatation pontoons that are extended when stationary and retracted when traveling at higher speeds. The stabilizing members are controlled manually or automatically by a spring loaded mechanism. The Nishida et al patent attemps to solve the instability problem by permanently adding a float on either side of the hull, pivotally attached, with the capability of being locked into an angular position entirely above the separator rail of the craft. This float is triangular in shape and is less than half of the length of the hull, or at least one-third the total length of the watercraft, also the floats are attached at the rear portion only, and are hinged to retract vertically for transportation while the "Jet Ski 1 ' is out of the water. Further, a seat for two persons is attached to the hull being of the straddle type, allowing the operator and at least one passenger to sit in tandem. The Wilder patent discloses a watercraft pro¬ pelled by an outboard power motor and that uses an outrigger pontoon stabilizing means that extendsfrom an operable position to a retracted inoperable p osition. Various means are utilized to remotely OMPI λr-y control this extension and a chair type operators seat is positioned above the top dec of the main hull. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION A watercraft, such as the type commonly known by its trademarked name "Jet Ski", or any similar boat operated singally from a standing position using a jet of water for propulsion has the inherent problem of instability when at rest or at slow speeds. Of parti¬ cular importance is the difficulty in mounting such a craft when in the water, as stability is achieved only at higher speeds when the dynamic pressure of the water reacts with the moving hull to create lift and a gyro effect of the operator is realized. When the craft is immobile danger of capsizing becomes apparent in both slowing down to a stop and particularly when an operator is boarding thereupon in open water. The watercraft was purposely made with a minimum amount of surface area in the hull to maximize speed and manuverability. To further this objective, the operator normally operates the craft from a standing position. In view of these limitations, the primary object of the invention is to provide stabilization of the craft under all conditions in the water. Thus, increas- ing the jet-ski!s utility by making the vehicle usable by those with a lesser range of skill and providing increased ease of operation. An important object provides a planing surface on the hull that enhances the stability of the craft without effectively increasing the drag. This is accomplished by continuing the surface of the underside of the hull in a smooth gradual transition and by adding an internal radial contour on the underside. When the craft is moving at high speed a greater portion of the apparatus is out of the water eliminating most of the surface contact. Some change in operating charac¬ teristics are realized at low speeds and in tight cornering, however, little overall effect is produced. The invention in another object allows easy attachment and removal without major modifications to the watercraft. The two hulls nest against the jet propelled craft and encompass parting rails in channel fashion with the bow being attached together with a simple removable pin and the stern attached with a seat and bracket arrangement. Only the pin penetrates the jet watercraft with the balance of the invention simply held in place by a tight fitting relationship of the hulls. Easy disassembly is achieved with the removal of the front pin separating the front halfs and the bracket separates the rear. The only modification required to the jet craft is the addition of an elec¬ trical receptacle in the engine compartment with internal wiring attached to the ignition system to energize the running lights of the invention. A plug with an extension cable is integral with the hulls and the connecting wiring for the lights are consolidated into the structure. Still another object provides for human comfort in the form of a seat so arranged as to allow the operator to be seated. The seat includes a back which adds support when operating the watercraft over distances or long periods of time and human fatigue is a factor. Presently, the watercraft must be driven from a standing position in ski fashion or kneeling, which is stressful to the operator limiting the time of use. The addition of running lights to the craft extends the utility of the device to include night time operation. Further, this feature generally improves OMPI the safety during periods of poor lighting or adverse environmental conditions. Yet another object incorporates the use of a thrust reverser integral with the rear attaching apparatus. This allows the craft to be reversed in its direction to back out of places such as docks, piers, etc., where manuvering forward is difficult or impossible. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the sub¬ sequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a partial isometric view of the preferred embodiment. FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment with the steering mechanism elevated and the bow section partially cut-away to illustrate the retaining pin arrangement. FIGURE 3 is a top view of the preferred embodiment. FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 Of FIGURE 2. FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 2. FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the invention with the jet powered watercraft removed. FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIGURE 6. FIGURE 8 is a partial side elevational view of an embodiment with the back of the hull rearwardly sloped. OMPI , Λ ? FIGURE 9 is a partial side elevational view of an embodiment with the back of the hull at right angles to the top surface. FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken along lines 10-10 Of FIGURE 8. FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along lines 11-11 of FIGURE 9. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The best mode for carrying out the invention and the preferred embodiment, as best shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, utilizes a pair of opposed hulls 20. These hulls are similarly configured with the exception that one hull is a mirror image of the other. The inside surface of each hull is shaped to conform to the respective outside surface of the Jet-Ski watercraft. The hulls 20 are hollow and watertight making the inside a floatation chamber crating buoyancy of the structure. The inside may be a void with only air in the chamber, or preferably is filled with a cellular plastic, such as polyurethane in a rigid foam 23 or any suitable material, such as polystyrene, balsa wood, cork, and the like. In the preferred embodiment polyurethane is utilized due to its adaptability and ease of foaming in place. While other floatation materials are formed first and the hull built around them, the foamed in place material allows the hull 20 to be fabricated first and the material added later. With the preferred foam material, urethane bonds are formed through reaction of alcoholic hydroxyl groups and isocyanate groups. The material in liquid state expands to fill the void, us¬ ing a catalyst and blowing agent, becoming rigid with an extremely low density filling the entire inside area completely. The hulls 20 have a smooth outside shape follow- ing the lines of the watercraft on the front and ' ORE. O PI -., WIPO pitching gradually away from the bow to a wider base at the stern. The top plane 22 is generally flat, blend¬ ing in shape to the side of the watercraft. The under¬ side, or bottom 24, continues the shape of the hull in an internal radial contoured manner, as depicted in FIGURES 4 and 5, extending the surface gradually in such a shape that, when speeds are increased, the hull is lifted almost out of the water by the planing action, while at lower speeds the shape allows minimum drag to be experienced. The jet propelled craft 21 contains a parting seam or separation rail 26 around the horizontal periphery that is formed in the watercraft structure to separate the top and bottom half. This seam has suf- ficient structural integrity to be used to attach the present invention. A mating recessed channel 28 is integral with the hull 20 and is on a horizontal plane contiguous to and of the same basic shape as the water¬ craft body 21. The inside surface of the hull 20 con- tains the recessed channel 28 which is the same shape and conforms in reverse to the raised surfaces of the rail 26. The recessed channel 28 is best depicted in FIGURES 7, 10, and 11. When the hulls 20 are placed on either side of the watercraft 21 they fit the contour and nest into the rails 26 creating a form fitting attachment without changes or modifications to the watercraft itself. The rear of the hulls 20 may be of any shape compatible to the design preference of the user, such as sloping upward, as depicted in FIGURE 8, square, or at right angles to the top, as shown in FIGURE 9, or angled downward, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Any combination thereof may also be utilized in the structure at this point. __O P vfl . IP The hulls 20 require an irregular shaped surface on the inside to be compatible with the water¬ craft 21 and a smooth surface on the underside 24 with contoured radius to blend into the existing hull design. Thus, the exterior hull is broadened to achieve a low drag coefficient. To construct the invention, any material and method of construction may be used that allows this hull 20 configuration to be obtained, such as metal, wood, fiberglass and the like with thermoplastic being preferred. The preferred embodiment employs a thermo¬ plastic, such as polyethylene or may also use butyrate, vinyl, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acetal or urethane, or the like. A measured amount of powdered or liquid polyethylene, or the like, is loaded into hollow molds having the shape of the hull 20. The mold is heated and rotated simultaneously on two axes where the hot mold fuses the plastisol into a gel, causing it to cover all surfaces with a uniform thickness. The mold is then cooled and the hull removed and filled with foam floatation material 23. This process of rota¬ tional molding is sometimes referred to as rotomolding. The hulls 20 are secured together at the front or bow of the watercraft 21. Each hull has a similar but mating hole in a bracket or boss 30 above and/or below a hole 32 in the watercrart separation rail 26. The so called "Jet Ski" uses this hole 32 for mounting on a trailer or with a rope attached thereto for tying to a dock, etc. Front attaching means for securing the hulls 20 through holes 30 and 32 coupling the watercraft 21 together consists of a removable pin 34 of any suitable configuration. This may be in the form of a capsσrew and nut, or a hollow roll pin with a solid pin with retention means being preferred. The retention means may be in the form of a spring loaded ball locking JfRE OMP mechanism or a simple hole to locate a cotter pin, or the like. A retaining chain may be added to captivate the pin and prevent loss. A seat 36 is removably joined to said hulls 20 providing mean's to attach the hulls 20 together at the rearward end of the invention. This seat 36 has a bottom 38, back 40, and legs 42, and provides a con¬ venient surface for the operator to be seated. While the back 40 is unessential to the invention, it does add convenience and operator comfort. The legs 42 are of such a height as to place the operator above the surface of the craft 21 and the steering mechanism is hinged upward, allowing an easy manual grip on the apparatus and the accelerator contained therewith. The seat 36 may be of any material, such as metal, wood, or thermoplastic with the latter being preferred. Waterproof padding may be added to the surface of the bottom 38 and back 40, or may be integral with the seat 36 itself. The method of attachment of the seat 36 to the hulls 20 include a bracket 44 with a surface contiguous with each hull 20. This bracket 44 is easily detachable from the hulls 20 with quick detaching means 46 in the form of quarter turn fasteners, threaded inserts with winged screws, studs in the hull 20 with wing nuts, or any suitable device. The bracket 44 is integral with the seat 36 allowing the entire assembly to be removed in one piece. This further provides the structural connection between the hulls 20 making the apparatus rigid accomplishing the desired containment of the elements into an integral float assembly. In conformance with United States Coast Guard regulations, a set of lights are included on the structure for position indicating and safety protection while operating within controlled waters. This is accomplished with a pair of colored lights on the bow. A red light 48 is on the port side and a green light 50 on the starboard side showing forward allowing indica¬ tion of the direction of the vessel. Further, a white light 52 is located on the highest point of the seat 40. This light 52 is non-directional in that it illuminates a full 360 degrees meeting the government requirements of 270 degrees forward and 270 degrees aft. This ar¬ rangement is minimum and may be altered with a plurality of white lights on masts to further clarify the regula- tory directional requirements. The running lights are electrically connected to the ignition system of the jet propelled craft, which operates, in most cases, from a 12-volt direct-current power source. A modification to the craft is required to bring electrical wires from the ignition system to a female connector (not shown) located in the vicinity of the engine compartment. A mating primary male plug (not shown) is wired to one of the hulls 20 with the leads attached to a strain relief device to allow the plug to be inserted into the con- nector freely. Internal wiring is integral with the hulls and similar secondary connectors and plugs are provided on the other hull 20 and seat 36 for attachment and detachment during assembly and disassembly of the hulls 20. A manually operated thrust reverser 54 is posi¬ tioned directly behind the watercraft discharge outlet of the propulsion system on a bracket in communication with the leg brackets 44 of the seat 36. This thrust reverser 54 operates in such a manner that the discharge pressurized water impinges directly on a curved portion of the device 54 reversing the flow of water forwardly propelling the craft in the opposite direction. A operating lever is positioned at a convenient location allowing the operator easy access while seated provid- ing a reverse action to the craft furthering its utility as a conventional boat. The assembly of the structure to the so-called "Jet Ski" is simply accomplished by placing the hulls 20 on each side of watercraft 21 such that the recessed channel 28 of the hull mates with the separation rail 26 of the craft. The removable pin 34 is then placed in the holes 30 and 32 at the bow securing the front while the seat 36 is positioned at the stern connecting the rear portions of the hull together. Quick detach¬ ing means 46 secure the seat 36 to the hulls 20 complet- ing the structural attachment. Finally, the lights are connected with the plugs inserted into the appropriate connectors and the apparatus is ready for operation. The function of the stabilized floatation struc¬ ture attached to the watercraft allows the same operating procedure to be utilized, except the added stability allows easy access at a dock or while in the open water. The seat 36 further provides operator comfort in a sitting position and the thrust reverser 54 allows flexibility of manuvering. While the invention has been described in complete detail and pictorially shown in the accompany¬ ing drawings, it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be in the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the claims. OMPI ^ WIPO

Claims: • CLAIMS 1. A self-propelled jet-type watercraft stabilizing floatation structure comprising: a) a pair of opposed hulls having a front, rear, sides and floatation chambers therein adapted to be affixed to said self-propelled jet-type watercraft along each side and front for increasing stability to said watercraft when stationary within the water by extending the lateral floatation surface, b) a front attaching means for securing said hulls together at said front, coupling said watercraft at the bow thereof, c) a recessed channel integral with said hulls on a horizontal plane contiguous to and of a shape conforming to a raised separation rail of said watercraft body for retention of said hulls on said sides, and, d) a seat having a bottom, and legs with rear attaching means removably joining said hulls together at said rear connecting the floatation structure together, also furnishing a surface allowing an operator to be seated at a level above said watercraft. 2. The structure as specified in claim 1 wherein said hulls are hollow and watertight. 3. The structure as specified in claim 2 wherein said hollow hulls are filled with a rigid foam. 4. The structure as specified in claim 1 wherein the inside surface of said hulls are shaped to conform to the respective outside surface of said jet-type watercraft. 5. The structure as specified in claim 1 wherein the underside of said hulls are configured to blend into the existing hull design of said jet- type watercraft. 6. The structure as specified in claim 1 wherein said front attaching means further comprises a removable pin, having retention means, positioned within each of the pair of hulls and said jet-type watercraft providing manual detachment thereof. 7. The structure as specified in claim 1 further, characterized in that- said seat with rear attaching means includes a bracket having a surface contiguous with each hull, at the rear, integral with said seat removably attached therewith providing structural connection between said hulls, with said seat further containing a back that is connected to said bottom and legs for operators comfort. 8. The structure as specified in claim 1 further comprising a set of running lights mounted to said structure and electrically connected to said jet-type watercraft utilizing the ignition system thereof, where said lights are located on the front and back in conformance with United States Coat Guard regulations for position indication and safety protec- tion while operating within controlled waters. 9. The structure as specified in claim 1 further comprising a manually operated thrust reverser positioned directly behind the watercraft discharge outlet of the propulsion system in such a manner that the discharge pressurized water impinges thereupon reversing the direction of said watercraft.

Inventors: HART JAMES B, KITNER WILLIAM M, HART, JAMES, B., KITNER, WILLIAM, M.
Applicants: HART JAMES B, KITNER WILLIAM M, HART, JAMES, B., KITNER, WILLIAM, M.
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B63B43
IPC codes: B63B35