Abstract:
An adjustable top mount is disclosed including an adjustable head adapted to receive an arm adapter, the adjustable head having teeth separated by spaces, the arm adapter having a support tube adapted to receive an outrigger boom, a knob assembly operatively engaged to the adjustable head, wherein the knob assembly releasably secures the arm adapter in a position of a plurality of positions, a baseplate operatively engaged to the adjustable head, and a tapered pin slidably positioned within a portion of the baseplate, the tapered pin releasably engaged to the teeth and releasably movably positioned in a space of the spaces.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/473,661, filed on May 27, 2003, entitled ADJUSTABLE TOP MOUNT. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to the field of sport fishing, and particularly to an outrigger mounting system having a adjustable outrigger mounting arm assembly capable of rotational movement.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Saltwater sport fishing typically consists of anglers positioned on boats that are then dispatched to prolific offshore fishing areas. One useful method of catching game fish involves a technique known as trolling. Trolling is the practice of baiting hooks that are subsequently lowered and dragged behind the stern of a slow moving vessel by the angler. In order to increase the chances of hooking a fish, it is beneficial to have as many lines in the water as possible. To a game fish, the wake of a vessel generally creates the appearance of a large school of smaller fish to be preyed upon. The angler can strategically simulate bands of straggling or displaced fish from the school with numerous baited lines. These simulated straggling fish are misinterpreted to be the disadvantaged and weakened fish that game fish frequently utilize as a food source.  
         [0004]     As stated above, an angler will often drag as many baited lines from behind the boat as possible, thereby increasing the chances of hooking a fish. However, as more baited lines are used, the probability of the lines becoming entangled with one another increases. This is a problem that occurs in a variety of situations, such as with a narrow beam boat or any boat that is in the process of being turned. As a result, sport fishing outriggers have been developed to assist in keeping the various lines separated. However, the positioning and lowering of outrigger booms presents additional problems of rotational movement and preventing the booms from contacting the water. This problem has brought forth various attempts to create mechanisms to rotate the boom and that prevent the boom from contacting the water.  
         [0005]     Outriggers consist of a long pole, or boom, having one end secured to the boat with deployment resulting from an outward lateral extension of the boom from a side of the boat. Baited fishing lines often have integrated release clips that are attached to the outriggers, thereby providing sufficient separation between the lines to prevent tangling. When a fish is hooked on the bait line, the line clip releases from the outrigger, thus allowing the angler to reel in the fish.  
         [0006]     Outriggers are required to be freely stowable to a position beside the boat for close quarters operation and docking. For practicality, the outrigger should be swung laterally outward to its deployed position. The prior art includes various types of mounting schemes including outrigger units for horizontal and vertical mounting, on center consoles, flybridges, half towers, tuna towers, radar arches, and/or T-tops. Prior patents disclose a variety of methods for mounting, deploying, and locking such outriggers into place (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,102 and 3,724,791), with each having distinct drawbacks. Such drawbacks include overall mechanical complexity; powered operation; non-durable construction; and/or ineffective position adjustment and locking mechanisms that slip and/or wear out.  
         [0007]     Although the prior art discloses a vast array of mechanisms and mounting locations for outrigger mounts, the prior art fails to disclose or otherwise teach a simple and durable outrigger system having an effective boom locking mechanism, a boom stop that prevents excessive lowering, and a positionable arm that allows for both vertical and rotational movement of the boom. This is of particular importance with respect to the excessive forces experienced by an outrigger mount during operation. Both wind and movement (of the boat) impart forces on to a boom, thereby increasing the stresses on the outrigger mount of the boom. Generally, the longer the boom, the greater the stresses at the outrigger mount. If the position adjustment and/or locking mechanism were to succumb to these increases in stress, the outrigger might swing in an unrestricted manner during a critical maneuver or operation, with potentially disastrous or life-threatening results to passengers of the outrigger equipped boat or other surrounding vessels. Accordingly, an outrigger assembly with a novel position adjustment and locking mechanism is disclosed that alleviates this and other shortcomings of the prior art.  
         [0008]     As described in the aforementioned prior art, the mounting and operation of a conventional outrigger system can be complicated. Booms of considerable length must be stored in an upright position to allow the vessel to pass beneath low bridges, as well as for close quarters maneuvering. Similarly, should the boat pass under or through an object that limits clearance, the boom must be vertically lowered and/or rotated in from the extended position on a non-vertical plane. Preferably the outrigger mount not only rotates in the non-vertical plane in a 360° arrangement from a position on the vessel, but also allows the boom attachment arm to be easily raised and lowered in a vertical plane. Thus, in the operation of a one way of several conventional outrigger booms, the boom is inserted into a vertically adjustable boom attachment arm, usually as part of an elbow, and locked into position with a locking pull pin. The outrigger boom is then rotated in a non-vertical plane to a point determined by the user. Additionally, either before or after the boom is rotated in the non-vertical plane, the user may raise or lower the boom within a vertical plane with respect to the outrigger mount.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, what is lacking is an outrigger assembly having an effective boom locking mechanism, and a positionable arm that allows for both vertical and horizontal rotational movement of the boom to eliminate the complicated and problematic outrigger mounts commonly used to support outrigger booms.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned needs for an outrigger assembly by providing an outrigger assembly having a positionable arm that allows for both vertical and horizontal rotational movement of the boom.  
         [0011]     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an adjustable top mount, including an adjustable head adapted to receive an arm adapter, the adjustable head having teeth separated by spaces, the arm adapter having a support tube adapted to receive an outrigger boom, a knob assembly operatively engaged to the adjustable head, wherein the knob assembly releasably secures the arm adapter in a position of a plurality of positions, a baseplate operatively engaged to the adjustable head, and a tapered pin slidably positioned within a portion of the baseplate, the tapered pin releasably engaged to the teeth and releasably movably positioned in a space of the spaces.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view illustration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a partially sectioned front view illustration of the present invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a sectioned isometric view illustration of the present invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 4   a  is a side view illustration of the present invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 4   b  is an alternative side view illustration of the present invention of  FIG. 4   a.    
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view illustration of the present invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is an exploded isometric view illustration of the drainage system of the present invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view illustration of the present invention of  FIG. 1  mounted to a substrate. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as adjustable top mount  10 . Adjustable top mount  10  includes arm assembly  11   a  and head assembly  11   b.    
         [0021]     As is shown in  FIG. 1 , arm assembly  11   a  further includes an arm adapter  14  operatively engaged to a support tube  16 . It is preferred that support tube  16  be employed to engage a fishing accessory, such as an outrigger boom. Such a fishing accessory can be secured within support tube  16  by way of a pull pin  20  that passes at least partially through a hole  18  in support tube  16  and engages the fishing accessory. Pull pin  20  incorporates a lanyard cable  24  that is preferably secured to arm assembly  11   a  through a cable screw  26  that passes at least partially through lanyard cable  24  and into screw hole  22  on arm assembly  11   a , adjacent to arm adapter  14 .  
         [0022]     Arm adapter  14  includes a pivot bolt bore  28  for receiving a pivot bolt  36  therethrough (discussed in detail below) and a plurality of detents  29 . Plurality of detents  29  is preferably provided to receive bullets  40  from head assembly  11   b , as discussed below.  
         [0023]     Head assembly  11   b  is provided to operatively engage arm adapter  14  of arm assembly  11   a . Head assembly  11   b  includes adjustable head  12  having a pivot bolt bore  30  and detent bores  32 . Adjustable head  12  further includes teeth  34   a  with spaces  34   b  positioned there between. Prior to receiving arm adapter  14 , adjustable head  12  is secured to a baseplate  56  by way of an adjustable headbolt  38 , as detailed below.  
         [0024]     Adjustable head  12  accommodates arm adapter  14  into a position that permits alignment of pivot bolt bore  28  and pivot bolt bore  30 . In this way, pivot bolt  36  can be passed through both pivot bolt bore  28  and pivot bolt bore  30  to maintain the orientation of adjustable head  12  to arm adapter  14 . Preferably, pivot bolt bore  28  accommodates a pivot bushing  35  for pivot bolt  36  to pass through, so as to reduce friction between pivot bolt  36  and pivot bolt bore  28 .  
         [0025]     Pivot bolt  36  incorporates a threaded portion  37  to engage a knob assembly  11   c  upon passage through pivot bolt bore  30 . Knob assembly  11   c  includes a threaded lobe knob  48 , a thrust washer  42 , and bullets  40 . Once pivot bolt  36  passes through pivot bolt bore  30 , thrust washer  42  is positioned thereon, with a spring washer  44  and a washer  46  positioned adjacent thereto, and is slid towards detent bores  32  of adjustable head assembly  12 .  
         [0026]     As thrust washer  42  is positioned adjacent to detent bores  32 , bullets  40  aligned in corresponding detent bores  32 . Thus, as thrust washer  42  approaches detent bores  32 , bullets  40  are kept from falling out of their respective detent bores  32 . Bullets  40  pass through detent bores  32  and rest in respective detents of plurality of detents  29 . As threaded lobe knob  48  engages threaded portion  37  of pivot bolt  36 , thrust washer  42  pushes bullets  40  further through their respective detent bores  32  and deeper into their respective detents of plurality of detents  29 . Appropriate tightening of threaded lobe knob  48  ensures that the desired orientation of arm adapter  14  with respect to adjustable head  12  is maintained. Loosening of threaded lobe knob  48  permits the user to alter the orientation of arm adapter  14  with respect to adjustable head  12 . A “C” clip  50  can be used to prevent over-loosening of threaded lobe knob  48 , thereby precluding threaded lobe knob  48  from disengaging from pivot bolt  36 . A plug  52  can be employed to prevent access to “C” clip  50 .  
         [0027]     Adjustable head  12  is further operationally engaged to baseplate  56 , as mentioned above, through adjustable headbolt  38 . A portion of adjustable headbolt  38  passes through adjustable head  12  and headbolt bore  58 , engaging a washer  74  and a locknut  76  positioned underneath baseplate  56 . Headbolt bore  58  and locknut  76  are sufficiently tightened together so as to form an adequate fit between adjustable head  12 , seating washer  54 , and baseplate  56 . Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 2 , seating washer  54  can be tapered so as to permit a greater degree of alignment and a tighter fit of adjustable head  12  to base plate  56 , due to the inclination of the tapers of seafed washer  54 . A base plate spacer  78  can be used to position baseplate  56  above a substrate, such as a boat structure. Prior to securing baseplate  56  to adjustable head  12 , a tapered pin  62  is inserted into tapered pin bore  60  of baseplate  56 .  
         [0028]     Tapered pin  62  accommodates a washer  64 , secures a shoulder bushing  66 , and further accommodates a slide pull spring  68 . Slide pull spring  68  is secured to shoulder bushing  66 , and is further secured to pin retainer  70 . A slide pull knob  72  is secured to pin retainer  70 . In operation, as further detailed below, slide pull knob  72  is utilized by a user to cause tapered pin  62  to engage and disengage spaces  34   b  between teeth  34   a.    
         [0029]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , adjustable head  12  is illustrated engaging baseplate  56  and tapered pin  62 . As further shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , tapered pin  62  operatively engages spaces  34   b  between teeth  34   a . The engagement between tapered pin  62  and spaces  34   b  prevents undesired rotation of adjustable head  12  about rotation axis  80  (horizontal rotation). The tapering of tapered pin  62  allows for a better fit due to the varying size of the taper, and, additionally, wears better than more traditional round pins which increase the size of the opening they mate to over time. Furthermore, teeth  34   a  may be tapered as well, thus wearing consistently with tapered pin  62 . In operation, spring  68  is under constant tension in its resting state sufficient enough to propel tapered nose  65  of tapered pin  62  into space  34   b  between teeth  34   a . In order to prevent tapered pin  62  from extending to far into space  34   b , a tapered cavity  61  is provided. The tapered shape of tapered cavity  61  preferably compliments the tapered shape of tapered nose  65  of tapered pin  62 , thus providing a stopping point that prevents tapered pin  62  from entering to far into space  34   b.    
         [0030]     Additionally, tapered pin  62  is movable out of space  34   b . In order to do so, a user applies a pulling force on pull knob  72 . By pulling on pull knob  72 , tapered pin  62  is likewise pulled out of space  34   b.    
         [0031]     By way of example, tapered pin  62  can include a threaded portion  63  that mates with a threading in pull knob  72 , thereby permitting the applied pull force on pull knob  72  to be transmitted to tapered pin  62 . Once the appropriate amount of pull force has been applied to cause tapered pin  62  to exit a space  34   a , the user can rotate adjustable head  12  about rotation axis  80  (horizontal rotation) to a desired position. Once adjustable head  12  is placed in the desired position, the user ceases the application of the pull force on pull knob  72 , causing spring  68  to return to its resting state and propelling tapered pin  62  into a space  34   b  corresponding to the new desired position of adjustable head  12 .  
         [0032]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the operative engagement between adjustable head  12  and arm adapter  14  is illustrated. As described above, once threaded lobe knob  48  is sufficiently loosened, bullets  40  are similarly loosely positioned within detents  29  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). When sufficiently loose within detents  29 , bullets  40  permit arm adapter  14  to rotate about an axis perpendicular to rotation axis  80  (vertical rotation) of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In this way, the user can rotate support tube  16 , and any attached accessory, into a desired position. The rotation of arm adapter  14  and associated support tube  16  is halted by stop shoulders  13   a  and  13   b . Stop shoulders  13   a  and  13   b  respectively form stopping points for the rotation of arm adapter  14  and associated support tube  16  in a particular direction by preferably contacting arm assembly  14  and interrupting the rotation of arm assembly  14 .  
         [0033]     By way of further example, as is shown in  FIG. 4   a , as arm adapter  14  is rotated in a first direction  100 , the rotation is halted by stop shoulder  13   a . Likewise, as arm adapter  14  is rotated in a second direction  110 , the rotation is halted by stop shoulder  13   b . Preferably, the rotation (vertical rotation) of arm adapter  14  and associated support tube  16  can be between 0° and 180° off of rotation axis  80 . It is contemplated, however, that further degrees of rotation can be employed, limited only by contact the might occur between support tube  16  and a substrate that adjustable top mount  10  is mounted upon.  
         [0034]     With respect to positioning of support tube  16 ,  FIG. 5  illustrated the preferred ranges of motion,  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c ,  16   d ,  16   e ,  16   f ,  16   g , and  16   h.    
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a drainage system for the removal of moisture from the present invention is illustrated. As is shown in  FIG. 6 , adjustable head  12  incorporates drainage holes direct moisture from adjustable head  12  into drainage area  57   a  of baseplate  56 . Baseplate  56  further includes at least one baseplate drainage slot  57   b  for the movement of moisture out of an area internal to baseplate  56 . If baseplate spacer  78  is used, at least one baseplate drainage slot is aligned over a respective baseplate spacer drainage slot  86 , which is preferably further connected to a drainage cavity  84 , so that moisture can be removed to the atmosphere outside of baseplate  56 .  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the preferred embodiment of adjustable top mount  10  is illustrated mounted to a substrate  90 . Preferably, mounting substrate  90  is a support plate that can be clamped (as shown) or welded to a tube frame  92 . In this way, adjustable top mount  10  can be free from interfering with the user or others in the area. More preferably, adjustable top mount  10  is mounted to a substrate, such as mounting substrate  90 , in a manner that facilitates ease in operation for the user. For example, it may be preferred that adjustable top mount  10  be mounted in an orientation that positions pull knob  72  towards an area external to tube frame  92 . It is contemplated that other orientations are possible, based upon the structure and nature of tube frame  92 , or other mounting scheme.  
         [0037]     Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above and in the following Figures, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.