Abstract:
A kit for cleaning clogged conduits and thruhole fitting valves in water intake systems of pleasure boats, fishing boats, yacht and small marine craft includes a hollow, substantially cylindrical male hose coupler connected to a nipple or elbow joined with the valve, and at least one of a cap and plug having a central orifice to receive a shaft of larger diameter able to be force-fitted through the orifice, the coupler and the valve when opened, and of a strength sufficient to force-free any matter clogging the input hose to the valve from acceptable performance usage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to pleasure boat, fishing boat and yacht marine craft, in general, and to onboard systems employed for cooling their engines and for operating their onboard toilets and refrigerators, in particular. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    As will be understood, rivers, large lakes and open waters where these craft may travel typically contain natural weed growth, algae, leaves and like accumulations—as well as unnatural debris such as plastic bags, cloth rags, paper products, etc. Although attempts are taken to prevent the entry of all these materials into the intake conduits of the craft to prevent them from fouling pumps and filters, oftentimes, the thruhole fittings become clogged. On such occasions, it is not unusual for an occupant of the vessel to enter the water himself/herself to try to unclog the water intake conduit by hand. When no one on the craft is willing to enter the water where, for example, extensive weed growth is present, the solution is to call for a tow to bring the craft to a service area where an experienced technician would attempt to clear the fitting. On the other hand, where the clogging takes place while the craft is in the bay or on the sea, almost no one is ever willing to go into the very deep water to try to clear the fitting from below; there, the call for assistance is almost always made. This is especially the situation where the water intake conduit becomes clogged by barnacles which grow inside the conduit. 
         [0008]    In all these situations of clogging, depending on the conditions, the marine engine can shut off, the onboard toilet may not flush or the refrigerator might stop working. In each instance, it becomes necessary to manually clear the intake conduit, and from outside the craft. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved manner of clearing a clogged thruhole fitting regardless of the cause of its blockage. 
         [0010]    It is an object of the present invention, also, to provide apparatus to enable the clearing to be accomplished from inside the craft, without having to enter the water. 
         [0011]    It is an object of the present invention, furthermore, to provide an apparatus to enable the clearing to take place in substantially the same manner, utilizing the same type of operation, for a variety of water intake conduits to satisfy a variety of onboard uses on the craft, while realizing that some of the conduits may be of different diameter. 
         [0012]    It is an object of the present invention, additionally, to allow these clearings of clogged intake conduits to be had without any need for retrofitting an existing craft design—as would be needed in those manufactures, for example, which recommend the use of a compressed air utilization to clear coarse material entry to begin with. 
         [0013]    Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide this new and improved manner of clearing those clogged thruhole fittings which are positioned in tight-space locations where head-room access is limited or where ease in getting to the inside thruhole fitting is restricted. 
         [0014]    As will be appreciated, while outside-the-boat thruhole fittings can easily be cleared with a male hose coupler of the type described in my pending patent application filed Nov. 12, 2009 as Ser. No. 12/589,987, such male hose coupler might not be as usable in clearing thruhole fittings where the head-room available, as in crafts of smaller size, might restrict the efficiency of clearing whatever clogging exists. 
         [0015]    As will be appreciated, satisfying these objectives enables the small-sized marine craft to continue on its way, without the need for any occupant to enter the water to clear the fitting, without any need for seeking assistance to tow the craft to a staging area for service, and without any need for redesigning or altering the existing craft structure. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    As will become clear from the following description, one aspect of the present invention attains all these objectives through the use of a different male hose coupler, and a closed-end cap having a central orifice of predetermined diameter through which a shaft is force-fitted to extend beyond the thruhole fitting valve into the water—yet with the cap being flexible and resilient to accept manual rotation of the shaft through the orifice in substantially 360° rotation in force-freeing the valve of any clogging material. As will be described, the hose coupler joins with the nipple or elbow coupled to the thruhole fitting valve, from which the hose to the pump is first disconnected with the valve closed—the valve then being opened once again when the hose coupler and shaft are in place. As will also become apparent, these objectives can be satisfied with the described kit of the invention serving as a separate, stored article of repair aboard the small-sized boat or marine craft until its component parts are needed to clean the clogging of the thruhole fitting valve. 
         [0017]    In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a hollow, substantially cylindrical male hose coupler is employed having two or more outwardly extending flanges of progressively smaller diameter in linear progression from the first, or, cap end towards an opposite end in allowing the use of the invention with successively smaller diameter caps in use with the coupler. Such male hose coupler will be seen to have external threads at its opposite end to secure to the internal threads of the typical thruhole fitting valve. As will be appreciated, caps of differing diameter can be employed (depending on need) with couplers whose diameter is of matching dimension—or, in a second aspect of the invention, a single size cap can be utilized with additional, replaceable rings of gradually lessened diameter to nest with one another in dealing with different diameter couplers. As will also be appreciated, the differently sized outwardly extending flanges of the couplers are employable with different diameter hoses in servicing the engine, the toilet, the refrigerator, etc. found on the boat or craft. 
         [0018]    And, as will further become clear, a portion of the hose from the pump itself could be utilized along with a separately provided plug according to a third aspect of the invention, to effect the clearing of the clogged thruhole fitting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0020]      FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b  and  1   c  are illustrations of typical prior art components found in water intake systems of various size pleasure boats and marine craft—of a thruhole fitting valve, a nipple coupler, and an elbow coupler, respectively; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c  and  2   d  are illustrations of a series of prior art male hose couplers useful in the attainment of the objectives of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b ,  3   c  and  3   d  are illustrations of cap and clamp relationships helpful in understanding the first aspect of the teachings of the invention with respect to the couplers of  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c  and  2   d;    
           [0023]      FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b  and  4   c  are illustrations of various ring relationships helpful in understanding the second aspect of the teachings of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of how the hose from the pump can itself be used with a separately provided plug according to the third aspect of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b  and  6   c  are illustrations of a first shaft relationship for operating the invention; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  are illustrations of a second shaft relationship for the invention; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  illustrates a storage compartment for the component parts employed to clear a valve blockage in the tight spaced limitations of the smaller head-room marine boats and craft. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    The prior art nipple coupler (or “nipple”)  10  of  FIG. 1   b  includes external threads  12  at its lower end  14  to connect with the internal threads  16  of the prior art thruhole fitting valve  18  of  FIG. 1   a . A handle  20  serves to open the valve  18  when rotated vertically and serves to close the valve  18  when rotated to a horizontal position. In use, a plastic or rubber hose (not shown) couples over the upper end  22  of the nipple  10  to connect the valve  18  with a pump (not shown) to provide marine water to cool the boat or yacht&#39;s engine, or to operate the onboard toilets and refrigerators. A clamp (also not shown) typically is used to secure that hose at the upper end  22  of the nipple  10 . An orifice is provided in the bottom of the valve  18  to receive another hose serving as a conduit for the river, lake or open waters to be drawn in and utilized in these manners when the valve is opened and the pump turned “on”. 
         [0029]    In those instances where insufficient room exists on the craft to run a hose vertically from the upper end  22  of the nipple  10  to the pump, the elbow  24  of  FIG. 1   c  is employed instead. There, the external threads  26  of the elbow at its one end  28  connect with the internal threads  16  of the thruhole fitting valve  18  and the hose to the pump couples over in similar manner to its right angle-bent end  30 . A clamp (similarly not shown) secures the hose at the elbow end  28  in its path to the pump. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c  and  2   d  illustrate increasingly sized hollow, substantially cylindrical prior art male hose couplers  32  having external threads  34  at a lower end  36 . Outwardly extending flanges  38  extend linearly from an opposite upper end  40  to the lower end  36 . In accordance with the invention, each coupler  32  is selected of a size so that its external threads  34  couple with the internal threads  16  of whatever sized thruhole fitting valve  18  of  FIG. 1   a  is of concern, after its nipple coupler  10  and clamped hose are first removed. That typically depends upon the function which the valve plays in the water conduit arrangement on the marine craft. Although four flanges  38  are shown in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   d  of substantially the same diameter on each coupler, any number of flanges could be utilized, of the same or progressively different diameters along their respective lengths. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b ,  3   c  and  3   d  illustrate increasingly sized sealing caps  42  and hose clamps  44  in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, to tighten over and secure the caps  42  to the couplers  32  of  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c  and  2   d . The inside diameter  46  of each cap  42  is selected to fit with one of these couplers  32 , with each hose clamp  44  being of a dimension to secure the two together. For the four couplers of  FIGS. 2   a - 2   d  (for use with different sized thruhole fitting valves on the boat or craft), a similar number of caps could be utilized, along with appropriately sized clamps. As illustrated in  FIGS. 3   a - 3   d , a central orifice  50  is provided in each cap. 
         [0032]    However, in the second aspect of the invention, only one sealing cap  42  need be provided, with only one hose clamp  44 , and yet obtaining the same benefits. Here, a series of progressively smaller diameter rings  52  may be inserted within the underside of the cap of  FIG. 3   a , so that the effect of a smaller diameter cap can result. By force-fitting the ring of  FIG. 4   a  into the underside of the cap of  FIG. 3   a  (shown alongside the ring), the cap of  FIG. 3   b  effectively results. By force-fitting the ring of  FIG. 4   b  into the ring of  FIG. 4   a , the cap of  FIG. 3   c  can effectively follow. By force-fitting the ring of  FIG. 4   c  into the ring of  FIG. 4   b , the cap of  FIG. 3   d  is formed. These ring-insertions thus progressively decrease the diameter afforded by the cap. In such manner, only one cap  42  and one clamp  44  would be required to operate with whatever the hose coupler is to be joined to the thruhole fitting valve in question. 
         [0033]    The third aspect of the invention proceeds on the recognition that the hose from the pump to the intake conduit usually has a fair amount of play built into it. A separately provided plug with its own central orifice may be inserted into a 2″ or so length cut from the hose at the thruhole fitting end, and there clamped to the hose. The plug  25 , its orifice  27 , and the cut-off piece of the hose  29  are illustrated in FIG.  5 —appreciating that if the hose were not long enough to begin with, a separate length of hose could be provided, of inside diameter set to match with the plug to be inserted. 
         [0034]    In accordance with these 3 aspects of the invention, a shaft  54  of a diameter slightly greater than that of the orifice  50  or the orifice  27  is provided. Shown in  FIG. 6   a , the shaft  54  is of a length to be inserted through the cap orifice  50  (or through the plug orifice  27 ), through the hose coupler  32 , through the nipple  10  and through the valve  18 , with the shaft being of a composition sufficiently strong to force-free the valve  18  of any matter clogging it. The shaft then becomes effective to clear whatever clogging exists in the valve  18  from inside the boat or craft, without requiring anyone to leave the vessel and enter the water. As more particularly shown in  FIGS. 6   b  and  6   c , one way of accomplishing this follows by providing the shaft with a slanted groove cutout  56  at a lower end  58  and a handle  60  at an upper end  62 . Such slanted cutout  56  facilitates the use of the shaft in additionally clearing barnacles that may form in the hose coupling the marine water to the valve  18 . The handle  60  is of a substantially circular knob configuration with a flat portion  64  in alignment with the cutout  56  so as to assist a user in determining the orientation of the shaft at any time in clearing barnacles from the sides of the input hose ( FIG. 6   c ). The cap in this configuration is selected of a resilience to first permit the larger diameter shaft  54  to penetrate through the cap orifice  50  or plug orifice  27 , and then to permit manual rotation of the shaft  54  in and about the orifices in a substantially 360° plane of orientation from side-to-side and front to back. 
         [0035]      FIG. 7   a  illustrates an alternative shaft  66  without the previously grooved-cutout lower end  58  as a safety factor. Wire brushes  68  could, in such arrangement, either clip onto the lower end  70  of the shaft  66  (as at  72  in  FIG. 7   b ) or be part of the shaft construction itself in providing an ease of cleaning of the thruhole fitting valve. Again, just as the size of the valve dictates the size of the hose coupler and cap (or plug) to be utilized, the location of the valve dictates the length of whatever shaft may be utilized. But with each possibility, it will be appreciated that all that is required is the hose coupler, the cap or plug with its central orifice, and a shaft. With the cap or plug constructed of a heavy duty rubber, and with a coupler constructed of a heavy duty molded plastic, any fabrication for the shaft can be selected. A handle similar to that of  FIG. 6   c  could be utilized here also. 
         [0036]    As will become clear from the following description, the kit of the invention is to be included within a package to be stored aboard the pleasure, fishing boat or yacht, awaiting the time for its need in clearing the thruhole fitting valve when the valve becomes clogged. 
         [0037]    In use of the invention, while everything is operating normally aboard the boat or craft, the kit is included in a storage compartment  80  ( FIG. 8 ). Once it is determined that a clog exists, the hose connected to the engine, toilet, refrigerator, etc. is released from the upper end  22  of the nipple or from the right-angled bend end  30  of the elbow where it is connected. The components of the kit are then set up for assembly, one of the hose couplers is secured within the matching threads with the cap or plug then clamped into securement. The shaft is then force-fit through the orifice  50  or the orifice  27 , and then grasped, pushed and rotated in a circular plane through the cap  42  or the plug  25 , the coupler  32  and the valve  18  to clear whatever clogging is present. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, before disconnecting the pump hose from the nipple or elbow, and connecting the assembled components of the invention, the handle  20  of the thruhole fitting valve  18  is first rotated to the horizontal position to close the valve—and once everything is in place for the shaft to be inserted, the handle is rotated to the vertical positioning for opening the valve  18  so the shaft can be pushed through the valve  18  to clear the blockage. Once it is determined that the clogging has been cleared, the shaft can be withdrawn, the valve  18  closed by rotating the handle  20  back to its horizontal position, the coupler  32  and the cap or plug removed from the nipple or elbow, and the hose from the pump then reconnected. The component parts of the kit are then broken down for placement back into the compartment  80  for use at a later time when needed again. 
         [0038]    While there has been described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. Thus, while a preferred embodiment may employ a kit of only one coupler, one cap or plug and one shaft, other kits of different variations and number may be employed as well—for example, a kit may be provided which includes four differently diameter cylindrical couplers  32  and four correspondingly sized sealing caps  42  or plugs  25 , along with an appropriate number of securing hose clamps  44 , and either one or both of the shafts  54  and  66 . For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.