Abstract:
A hose holder for a boat, or for another object upon which contact with a hose is undesirable, is a shaped rigid rod provided with a means for suspending the rod close to its midpoint, the shape created by bending each end of the rod into a helix. The rod is smaller in diameter than a common garden hose. The helices have a common, horizontal axis with an inner diameter larger than such a hose. The means for suspending the rod is above the outer diameter of the helices. Other embodiments utilize non-helical rod shapes to support the hose.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Boat owners and operators frequently wash down boats and the equipment in them with water hoses. To do so, someone typically has to climb into or on top of the boat and pull the hose behind them. This usually results in the hose being dragged across a part of the boat, e.g., a railing or a gunwale. Hose surfaces often pick up dirt and sand during use, especially when they get wet, making them abrasive. As a result, unless great care is taken in moving a hose, it will abrade boat surfaces, damaging the finish. This may be accomplished by having another person hold the hose up or by throwing cloths over surfaces to protect them. Getting another person to hold the hose is inconvenient, and cloths can slip out from under a hose or abrade the surfaces themselves. There is a need for a convenient means for suspending a hose above boat surfaces during use, and it is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus for that purpose. 
     Another problem with using hoses on a boat, particularly a large boat on a trailer that can only be accessed by ladder, is that once the end of the hose is pulled up the ladder and onto the boat, the hose may slide off the boat if it is released by the user. The user must then climb down off the boat or enlist the help of someone else to retrieve it. It is therefore a further object of the invention to retard or prevent a hose from slipping out of reach when not held by a user. 
     Other objects of the instant invention will become evident in the following description and drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention is a shaped rigid rod provided with a means for suspending the rod close to its midpoint, the shape created by bending each end of the rod into a helix. The rod is smaller in diameter than a common garden hose. The helices have a common, horizontal axis with an inner diameter larger than such a hose. The means for suspending the rod is above the outer diameter of the helices. If the suspension means is flexibly attached to a point above the rod, the rod will hang below the suspension means in a substantially horizontal orientation because the suspension means is near the midpoint of the rod. A garden hose that is inserted through the helices will likewise hang in a substantially horizontal orientation and out of contact with surfaces below. 
     In the preferred embodiments, the helices at either end of the rod comprise about two turns, i.e., 720 degrees of rotation, and rotate in opposite senses from one another. In another embodiment, the invention further comprises a staff which can be inserted into a fishing rod holder or the like, the staff having an attachment point for the suspension means. Yet another embodiment of the invention has a suspension means consisting of a rigid clip of material having a much lower hardness than metal. Yet another embodiment has a suspension means comprising a polymeric strap or “cow” hitch engaged to a substantially horizontal rail, which a rigid clip interconnects to the midpoint of the shaped rod. 
     Another embodiment substitutes snap hooks suspended from the rod for the helices. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the instant invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a right end view of the first preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a view of a second preferred embodiment attached to the bow railing of a boat. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of a third preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a portion of a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of a portion of any of the four preferred embodiments showing the first step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a portion of any of the four preferred embodiments showing the second step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of a portion of any of the four preferred embodiments showing the final step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of a fifth embodiment showing the first step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the fifth embodiment showing the second step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of the fifth embodiment showing the third step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the fifth embodiment showing the fourth step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of the fifth embodiment showing the fifth step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of the fifth embodiment showing the sixth step of positioning a hose in it. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the instant invention. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the rod holder end of the staff portion of the sixth embodiment. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the sixth embodiment placed in a rod holder. 
         FIG. 18  is a front view of a seventh embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 19  is a side view of the seventh embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the instant invention. It comprises a shaped rigid rod  1  having a smooth, substantially circular cross-section. The shape of the rod includes a means for suspending the rod near its midpoint, in this case a loop  2 . The rod  1  extends rightward from the loop  2  in a first horizontal portion  3  and leftward in a second horizontal portion  4 . The loop  2  extends above the horizontal portions. The right end of the rod  1  is formed into a right means for holding a hose, namely, a first helix  6 , which is shown in this view to rotate beginning at the rightmost tip  12  downwardly and in a clockwise sense as seen from the right. The left end of the rod  1  is formed into a left means for holding a hose, namely, a second helix  8 , which rotates beginning at the leftmost tip  110  downwardly and in a counterclockwise sense as seen from the left. Each helix preferably has two turns, thus giving the first helix  6  a first forward limb  9 , a second forward limb  10 , a first upper limb  11 , a second upper limb  12 , a first rearward limb  13 , a second rearward limb  14 , a first lower limb  15 , and a second lower limb  16 . Similarly, the second helix  8  has a third forward limb  17 , a fourth forward limb  18 , a third upper limb  19 , a fourth upper limb  110 , a third rearward limb  111 , a fourth rearward limb  112 , a third lower limb  113 , and a fourth lower limb  114 . 
       FIG. 2  is a right end view of the first preferred embodiment. The loop  2  and the first helix  6  are seen in this view, as also are the second forward limb  10 , the second upper limb  12 , the second rearward limb  14 , and the second lower limb  16 . The helices are shown here as a perfect circle  20  in end view but need not be so precisely formed to work. It is desirable that the inner diameter of the circle  20  be about 2 to 4 times the diameter of a garden hose, and that the pitch of the helices be approximately the same as their inner diameter. 
       FIG. 3  is a view of the second preferred embodiment attached to the bow railing  30  of a boat  31 . (The railing and the boat are shown in dashed lines to indicate environmental structure.) In this second embodiment, the invention includes a non-abrasive hook  32  as a means for attaching the loop  2  to the railing  30 . A ring  33  at the bottom of the hook  32  flexibly engages the loop  2  in the rod  1  of the invention. A garden hose  34  has been inserted through the first helix  6  and the second helix  8  of the rod  1 . In this way, the hose  34  may be pulled through the helices without rubbing against the edge of the foredeck  35 . Note also that the first helix  6  serves as a catch for the spray nozzle  36  in the event that the weight of the hose  34  tries to pull the hose overboard. 
       FIG. 4  shows the significant parts distinguishing a third preferred embodiment of the invention from that shown in  FIG. 3 . This third preferred embodiment comprises the shaped rod  1  and the means for suspending the rod, loop  2  of the preceding embodiments, and another means for attaching the loop  2  to the railing  30 . Flexibly attached to the loop  2  by means of a ring  33  is a hook  41  which need not be a non-abrasive hook (see element  32  in  FIG. 3 ). The hook  41  is used to grasp a non-abrasive hanger  42 , which is used to form a strap (or “cow”) hitch  43  over a railing  30 . Preferably, the hanger  42  further comprises a bight  44  below the strap hitch  43  which is pinched off from the strap hitch  43  by a crimp  45 , to provide an easy grasp point for the hook  41 . 
       FIG. 5  depicts a fourth preferred embodiment in which the ring  33  is permanently looped through the bight  44 , so that the hanger  42  and hook  41  are a permanent unit. It can be seen clearly that to place this means for attaching the loop  2  around the railing  30 , the hook  41  and the bight  44  must be passed through the hitch  43  together. 
       FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  illustrate how a hose is placed in any of the first four preferred embodiments of the invention. A hose  34  (shown in dashed lines in the following illustrations to indicate environmental structure) may be placed in any of the foregoing preferred embodiments of the invention in three steps without having to thread one end of the hose through the helices.  FIG. 6  is a front view of the rod  1  portion of the four preferred embodiments showing the first step of positioning a hose  34  in it, which involves dropping a section  40  of the hose  34  into the first lower limb  15  of the first helix  6  and the third lower limb  113  of the second helix  8 , so that it rests substantially parallel to the rod  1 . 
     The second step using the preferred embodiments of the invention is shown in  FIG. 7 . Here, the right end  50  of hose section  40  is raised to a position behind the second forward limb  10  of the first helix  6 , and the left end  51  of the hose section  40  is raised to a position behind the fourth forward limb  18  of the second helix  8 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the final step in placing the hose  34  in the preferred embodiments of the invention. The right end  50  of the hose section  40  is rotated forward and placed in front of the second rearward limb  14  of the first helix  6 , and the left end  51  of the hose section  40  is rotated forward and placed in front of the fourth rearward limb  112  of the second helix  8 . 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of the rod  1  portion of a fifth embodiment showing the first step of positioning a hose in it. In this embodiment, note that the second helix  8  rotates in the same sense as the first helix  6  as seen from the ends (in contrast to the preferred embodiments, in which the helices rotate in opposite senses as seen from the ends). While this embodiment functions the same way as the preferred embodiments once a hose is placed in it, placing a section of hose in it is significantly more difficult. This is a seven-step process, with the first step illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Here, a section  40  of hose  34  is placed so that the left end  51  of hose section  40  rests on the third lower limb  113  of the second helix  8  of the rod  1 . 
     In  FIG. 10 , the second step involving the fifth embodiment, the left end  51  of the hose section  40  is lifted into position in front of the fourth rearward limb  112  of the second helix  8 . 
     Next,  FIG. 11  shows the third and fourth steps in this process. The third step is bringing the left end  51  of the hose section  40  down and behind the fourth forward limb  18  of the second helix  8 . The fourth step is bringing the right end  50  of the hose section  40  down below the rod  1  and back up behind the first forward limb  9  of the first helix  6 . 
       FIG. 12  is a front view of the fifth embodiment showing the fifth step of positioning the hose  34 . Here, the right end  50  of the hose section  40  is brought down in front of the first rearward limb  13  of the first helix  6  and passed rearward under the second lower limb  16  of the first helix  6 . 
     The sixth step in positioning the hose  34  in the fifth embodiment is shown in  FIG. 13 . Here, the right end  50  of the hose section  40  is brought up behind the second forward limb  10  of the first helix  6   
     The seventh and final step in positioning the hose  34  in this embodiment is shown in  FIG. 14 , in which the right end  50  of hose section  40  is passed forward over the second upper limb  12  of the first helix  6  and brought down in front of the second rearward limb  14  of the first helix  6 . It can be seen in this view that the hose  34  may now be slid to the right or left through the helices without obstruction. 
     It should be clear that the preferred embodiments are superior to this fifth embodiment in one way, namely, that they require fewer steps to ensconce a portion of the hose within the helical portions of the shaped rod  1 . However, this fifth embodiment is, in another way, superior to the preceding embodiments in that it is radially symmetrical about the midpoint of the rod and therefore is not only balanced end to end but also will not tilt forwardly or backwardly when suspended from the midpoint. 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the instant invention. Shaped rod  1  is flexibly suspended from a staff  150  by an eye bolt  151 . The staff  150  is of a length sufficient to suspend a hose above a cylindrical cavity in a boat or other object. The staff  150  depicted here is equipped with a male gimbal fishing rod end  152  specially adapted to fit rotatably in a fishing rod holder (not shown in this view—see  FIG. 17 ). 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the rod end  152  of the staff  150  of the sixth embodiment. Note the four obround cavities  160  which are shaped to engage pins within a typical fishing rod holder (see  FIG. 17 ). 
       FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the staff  150  of the sixth embodiment placed in a typical fishing rod holder  170  located on a gunwale  171  of a boat  172 . A hose  34  held by this embodiment stays well clear of the gunwale  171 . (The boat  172  and appurtenances and the hose  34  are shown in dashed lines as environmental structure.) 
       FIG. 18  is a front view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention, in which the right and left ends of the shaped rod  1  are formed into right eye  180  and left eye  181  instead of the helices shown in the preceding figures, and the right and left means for holding a hose are a right snap hook  182  and a left snap hook  183 . These snap hooks are typically formed from steel rod material of round cross-section, and have a spring-loaded snap portion along one side. 
       FIG. 19  is a side view of this seventh embodiment, showing the snap portion  190  of the right snap hook  182 . The snap portion  190  pivots about a hinge  191  with a spring bias tending to latch the snap portion bottom end  192  in line with the curved portion  193  of the snap hook  182 . To use this embodiment, a section of hose can be pushed into engagement with each snap hook by pressing the hose against the snap portion of each snap hook to open it. Once the hose is past the snap portion, the snap portion springs back into alignment with the rest of the snap hook so that the hose cannot become dislodged from the hook until the user intends to remove the hose from the snap hook.