Abstract:
A small planing watercraft manufacturing system includes a hull loading station, an engine mounting station, an adhesive applying station, a deck assembling station, a clamping station, a curing station and a watercraft unloading station that are disposed in a closed loop-shaped travel path in the order named with the hull loading station and the watercraft unloading station located adjacent to each other. By virtue of the closed loop-shaped travel path, the manufacturing system requires only a small space for installation thereof, can be constructed at a relatively low equipment cost and is able to produce small planing watercrafts with increased efficiencies.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a manufacturing system for small planing watercrafts, wherein after an engine is mounted on a hull, a deck is attached by adhesive bonding to the hull to thereby produce a small planing watercraft. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Small planing watercrafts of the type including a jet pump mounted on a rear portion of the hull are known. The jet pump is driven by an engine to pump up water from the bottom of the hull and subsequently eject the pumped water rearward to thereby propel the watercraft forward. A conventional manufacturing system used for producing such planing watercrafts will be described with reference to FIG.  9 . 
     As shown in FIG. 9, the conventional small planing watercraft manufacturing system  200  has a straight or rectilinear travel path  203  along which carriers  202  travel with hulls  201  carried respectively thereon. In the straight travel path  203 , a hull loading station  207 , an engine mounting station  208 , an adhesive applying station  209 , a deck assembling station  210 , a clamping station  211 , a curing station  212  and a watercraft unloading station  213  are disposed in the order named as viewed from a supply end  205  toward a discharge end  206  of the travel path  203 . 
     For assembly of a small planing watercraft  215 , a hull  201  is placed or loaded on each of the carriers  207  at the loading station  207 . The carrier  202  with the hull  201  supported thereon is then transferred along the travel path  203  to the engine mounting station  208 . At the engine mounting station  208 , an engine  216  is mounted on the hull  202 . The hull  202  carried on the hull carrier  202  is further advanced along the travel path  203  to the adhesive applying station  209  where an adhesive  217  is applied to a bonding portion of the hull  201 . Thereafter, the hull  201  is transferred by the carrier  202  to the deck assembling station  210 . 
     At the deck assembling station  210 , a deck  218 , which is standing by on the right side of the deck assembling station  210  with parts or accessories mounted thereon, is placed on the hull  201 . Thereafter, at the clamping station  211 , the hull  201  and the deck  218  are damped together so that respective bonding surfaces of the hull  201  and deck  218  are closely fitted with each other via the adhesive  217 . The hull  201  and deck  218  thus clamped are fed to the curing station  212  where the adhesive  217  is caused to cure to thereby firmly joining the hull  201  and the deck  218  together. A complete small planing watercraft  215  is thus produced. 
     The complete small planing watercraft  215  is transferred to the unloading station  213  where the watercraft  215  is discharged to an inspection area  219  which is provided contiguously with the discharge end  206  of the travel path  203 . At the inspection area  219 , the complete small planing watercraft  215  is tested for water jet performance. If the test results are satisfactory, the small planing watercraft  215  will be forwarded to a subsequent processing station (packaging station, for example) for storage or shipment. 
     In the conventional manufacturing system  200 , the carrier  202  becomes empty when the small planing watercraft  215  is discharged from the unloading station  213 . In preparation for the next loading process, the empty carrier  202  is returned to the loading station  207  through a carrier return path  220 . The foregoing processes are repeated until a desired number of small planing watercrafts  215  are produced. 
     Since all of the stations  207 - 213  are disposed in the straight travel path  203 , the entire length of the travel path  203  is relatively large. The conventional manufacturing system  200  having such long travel path requires a relatively large space for installation thereof. 
     Additionally, since the carrier  202  becomes empty at the unloading station  213  which is located at one end (discharge end  206 ) of the straight travel path  203 , the carrier return path  220  extending from the one end to the other end (supply end  203 ) of the straight travel path  203  must be provided to return the empty carrier  202  to the loading station  207  which is located at the supply end  205  of the straight travel path  203 . To insure continuous processing of the watercrafts  215  along the stations  207 - 213 , a certain large number of empty carriers must be present on the carrier return path  220 . With this requirement, a total number of carriers  202  used on the conventional manufacturing system  200  is relatively large. Due to the necessity of the carrier return path  220  and use of an increased number of carriers  202 , equipment cost of the conventional manufacturing system  200  is considerably large. 
     In order to reduce the equipment cost, an attempt may be made to reduce the number of carriers  202  used in the manufacturing system  200 . However, attempted reduction in number of the carriers  202  will give rise to a problem that, due to an insufficient number of empty carriers returned to the loading station  207 , the productivity of the manufacturing system is considerably reduced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing system for small planing watercrafts, which requires a relatively small space for installation thereof, can be constructed at a relatively low equipment cost and is able to produce small planing watercrafts with increased efficiencies. 
     To achieve the foregoing object, according to the present invention, there is provided a manufacturing system for small planing watercrafts, comprising a plurality of hull carriers, a closed loop-shaped travel path along which the hull carriers travel in succession, a hull loading station for loading a hull on each of the hull carriers, an engine mounting station for mounting an engine onto the hull, an adhesive applying station for applying an adhesive to a bonding portion of the hull, a deck assembling station for assembling a deck onto the hull such that a bonding portion of the deck comes face to face with the bonding portion of the hull, a clamping station for clamping together the respective bonding portions of the hull and deck with the adhesive held therebetween, a curing station for causing the adhesive to cure, with the bonding portions being kept clamped, to thereby firmly join the bonding portions to form a complete small planing watercraft, and a watercraft unloading station for unloading the complete small planing watercraft from the hull carrier. The hull loading station, engine mounting station, adhesive applying station, deck assembling station, clamping station, curing station and watercraft unloading station are disposed in the closed loop-shaped travel path in the order named with the hull loading station and the watercraft unloading station located adjacent to each other. 
     Since all of the processing stations are disposed in succession along the length of the closed loop-shaped travel, the manufacturing system is smaller in length than the conventional manufacturing system having a straight travel path. Additionally, since the hull loading station and the watercraft unloading station are located adjacent to each other, it is possible to return an empty hull carrier from the watercraft unloading station to the hull loading station in a short time. This will increase the productivity of the manufacturing system. Use of the closed loop-shaped travel path makes it unnecessary to provide a separate carrier return path as done in the conventional manufacturing system. Adjacent arrangement of the hull loading station and the watercraft unloading station that can be realized by the use of the closed loop-shaped travel path is able to reduce the total number of hull carriers used in the manufacturing system. Thus, the manufacturing system can, therefore, be constructed at a relatively low cost. 
     The manufacturing system may further include a plurality of deck carriers, a second closed loop-shaped travel path along which the deck carriers travel in succession, a deck loading station for loading a deck on each of the deck carriers, a deck parts assembling station for assembling deck parts onto the deck, and a deck unloading station for unloading the deck from the deck carrier before the deck is assembled on the hull at the deck assembling station. The deck loading station, parts assembling station and deck unloading station are disposed in the second closed loop-shaped travel path in the order named with the deck unloading station located next to the deck assembling station. 
     Due to the use of the closed loop-shaped second travel path, the deck loading station and the deck unloading station can be located adjacent to each other. This arrangement enables return of an empty deck carrier from the deck unloading station to the deck loading station in a short time, which will increase the productivity of the manufacturing system. In addition, since the travel path and the second travel path are arranged with the deck loading station located next to the deck assembling station, it is possible to convey the decks to the deck unloading station in synchronism with the conveyance of the hull to the deck assembling station. This arrangement further increases the productivity of the manufacturing system. 
     In one preferred form of the present invention, the curing station includes at least one pair of curing units disposed in direct opposite relation across the travel path for receiving a preassembled watercraft composed of the hull and the deck being clamped together at the respective bonding portions, so as to cure the adhesive held between the bonding portions, and a turntable located on the travel path and disposed centrally between the pair of curing units for rotary motion through an angle of 90 degrees to ensure that the preassembled small planing watercraft is allowed to be supplied into or discharged from either one of the curing units. Since the curing units are arranged crosswise the travel path, the curing station is able to reduce the length of the travel path. Additionally, since one of the curing units is disposed inside the loop-shaped travel path, the space of the manufacturing system can be used efficiently. 
     Preferably, the curing units each include a generally U-shaped frame for accommodating therein a major part of the preassembled small planing watercraft with the watercraft carried on the hull carrier, a gate that can be opened and closed to allow the watercraft to be introduced into or discharged from the curing unit with a fore-end or a rear-end of the preassembled watercraft directed forward, and a hot air blower mounted on the frame and the gate for directing hot air onto the bonding potions of the hull and deck being clamped, so as to heat the adhesive to cure. 
     The deck carrier may include a deck reversing means for reversing the deck while supporting the deck in a horizontal plane on the deck carrier. The deck reversing means preferably comprises a first grip member for gripping a fore-end portion of the deck, and a second grip member for gripping a rear-end portion of the deck, the first and second grip members being rotatably mounted on two opposed vertical support members of the deck carrier such that the grip members are rotatable about a common horizontal axis extending between the vertical support members. The deck reversing means enables a human operator to assemble deck parts or accessories on both of a front side and a back side of the deck without being forced to take uneasy postures. 
     The manufacturing system may further comprise a transfer machine disposed between the deck unloading station and the deck assembling station for unloading the deck from the deck carrier at the deck unloading station, then moving the deck from the deck unloading station to the deck assembling station, and finally placing the deck on the hull carried on the hull carrier at the deck assembling station. The transfer machine thus provided lowers the work load on the human operator. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the general arrangement of a small planing watercraft manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrative of the manner in which an engine is mounted on a hull at an engine mounting station of the small planing watercraft manufacturing system; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which an adhesive is applied to a bonding portion of the hull at the adhesive applying station of the small planing watercraft manufacturing system; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrative of the manner in which a deck is placed on the hull at a deck assembling station of the small planing watercraft manufacturing system; 
     FIG. 5A is a side view showing the manner in which the deck and the hull are clamped together at a clamping station of the small planing watercraft manufacturing system; 
     FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 B— 5 B of FIG. 5A; 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic plan views illustrative of the manner in which the adhesive is cured to firmly join the hull and the deck together at the curing station of the small planing watercraft manufacturing system; 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of an inspection area in which a complete small planing watercraft is tested for water jet performance; 
     FIG. 8 is a side view, with parts cut-away for clarity, showing the manner in which parts or accessories are assembled on the deck by a human operator at a parts assembling station disposed in a second carrier travel path; and 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the general arrangement of a conventional small planing watercraft manufacturing system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings and FIG. 1 in particular, there is shown the general arrangement of a manufacturing system  10  for small planing watercrafts according to an embodiment of the present invention. The small planing watercraft manufacturing system  10  has a carrier travel path  13  of a closed loop shape along which hull carriers  12  travel in succession with or without a hull  11  carried thereon. The manufacturing system  12  also includes a hull loading station  14 , a first parts assembling station  16 , an engine mounting station  18 , a second part assembling station  20 , an adhesive applying station  22 , a deck assembling station  24 , a clamping station  26 , a curing station  28 , a third parts assembling station  30  and a watercraft unloading station  32  that are disposed in the carrier travel path  13  in the order named with the hull loading station  14  and the watercraft unloading station  32  located adjacent to each other. 
     The hull loading station  14  forms a first station in the manufacturing system  10  when viewed in the direction of travel of the hull carriers  12  indicated by the arrows shown in FIG.  1 . At the hull loading station  14 , a hull  11  is loaded on the hull carrier  12 . The first parts assembling station  16  is disposed immediately downstream of the hull loading station  14 , and at this station  16 , parts or accessories, such as operation cables (not shown), are assembled on the hull  11  while the hull  11  is supported on the hull carrier  12 . The engine mounting station  18  is disposed immediately downstream of the first parts assembling station  16 , and at this station  18 , an engine  33  is mounted on the hull  11 . The second parts assembling station  20  is disposed immediately downstream of the engine mounting station  33 . At the second parts assembling station  20 , other parts or accessories, such as fuel hoses (not shown), are assembled on the hull  11  that is carried on the hull carrier  12 . 
     The adhesive applying station  22  is disposed immediately downstream of the second parts assembling station  20 , and at this station  22 , an adhesive  34  is applied to a bonding portion  11   a  (FIG. 3) of the hull  11  while the hull  11  is carried on the hull carrier  12 . The deck assembling station  24  is disposed immediately downstream of the adhesive applying station  22 . At the deck assembling station  24 , a deck  35  is assembled on the hull  11  so that a bonding portion  35   a  (FIG. 4) of the deck  35  comes face to face with the bonding portion  11   a  of the hull  11  (which has been coated with the adhesive  34 ). The clamping station  26  is disposed immediately downstream of the deck assembling station  24 , and at this station  26 , the bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  (FIG. 5B) of the hull  11  and deck  35  are tightly clamped together. The curing station  28  is disposed immediately downstream of the clamping station  26 . At the curing station  28 , the adhesive  34  is caused to cure while the bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  (FIG. 5B) are kept clamped. Thus, the hull  11  and the deck  35  are firmly joined together at the bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  to thereby form a complete small planing watercraft  37 . 
     The third parts assembling station  30  is disposed immediately downstream of the curing station  28 . At the third parts assembling station  30 , other parts or accessories, such as seats (not shown), are assembled on the complete small planing watercraft  37 , thereby finishing the assembly of the small planing watercraft  37 . The finished small planing watercraft  37  is unloaded from the hull carrier  12  at the watercraft unloading station  32  which is disposed immediately downstream of the third parts assembling station  30 . In the Illustrated embodiment, the finished small planing watercraft  37  is fed from the watercraft unloading station  32  into an inspection area  38 . The inspection area  38  is contiguous to a forward end (left end in FIG. 1) of the watercraft unloading station  32  when viewed from the above but it is provided at a higher level in overlapping relation to the travel path  13  so that the hull carrier  12  can pass below the inspection area  38  as it moves from the watercraft unloading station  32  to the hull loading station  14 . The inspection area  38  may be provided inside or outside the closed loop-shaped travel path  13  to avoid interference with the travel path  13 . 
     The manufacturing system  10  also has a second travel path  40  of a closed loop shape along which deck carriers  39  travel in succession with or without a deck  35  carried thereon. The closed loop-shaped second travel path  40  comes close to the first-mentioned loop-shaped travel path (hereinafter referred to, for brevity, as “first travel path”)  13  at the deck assembling station  24 . A deck assembling station  41 , a deck parts assembling station  43  and a deck unloading station  45  are disposed in the second travel path  40  in the order named as viewed in the travel direction of the deck  35  indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 1 such that the deck unloading station  45  in the second travel path  40  is located in lateral juxtaposition with the deck assembling station  24  in the first travel path  13 . 
     The deck loading station  41  forms a first station among those  41 ,  43 ,  45  disposed in the second travel path  40 . At the deck loading station  41 , a deck  35  is carried on the deck carrier  39 . The deck parts assembling station  43  is disposed immediately downstream of the deck loading station  41 , and at this station  43 , deck parts or accessories (not shown) are assembled on the deck  35  while the deck  35  is carried on the deck carrier  39 . The deck unloading station  45  forms the last station among those  41 ,  43 ,  45  disposed in the second travel path  40 . At the deck unloading station  45 , the deck  35  assembled with the deck parts or accessories is unloaded from the deck carrier  39  before it is assembled or placed on the hull  11  which has been placed at the deck assembling station  24 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the first travel path  13 , which extends from the hull loading station  14  successively through the first parts assembling station  16 , engine mounting station  18  and second parts assembling station  20  to the adhesive applying station  22 , is straight or rectilinear. The first travel path  13  curves rightward as it extends from the adhesive applying station  22  through the deck assembling station  25  to the clamping station  26 . Similarly, a portion of the first travel path  13 , which extends from the clamping station  26  successively through the curing station  28  and the third parts assembling station  30  to the watercraft unloading station  32 , is straight or rectilinear. The first travel path  13  curves rightward as it extends from the watercraft unloading station  32  to the hull loading station  14 . 
     A hull stock area  50  indicated by phantom lines shown in FIG. 1 is provided in the vicinity of the hull loading station  14  for temporarily storing hulls  11  before they are assembled with the deck  35  to form small planing watercrafts. A first transfer apparatus or machine  51  is disposed between the hull stock area  50  and the hull loading station  14 . The first transfer machine  51  is used to pick up one hull  11  at a time from the hull stock area  50 , transfer the hull  11  to the hull loading station  14  and load or place the hull  11  onto the hull carrier  12  at the hull loading station  14 . 
     Similarly, an engine stock area  53  indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 1 is provided in the vicinity of the engine mounting station  18  for temporarily storing engines  33  before they are assembled on the hulls  11 . A second transfer apparatus or machine  54  is disposed between the engine stock area  53  and the engine mounting station  18 . The second transfer machine  53  is used to pick up one engine  33  at a time from the engine stock area  53 , transfer the engine  33  to the engine mounting station  18  and place the engine  33  onto the hull  11  at the engine mounting station  18 . 
     A third transfer apparatus or machine  56  is disposed between the deck assembling station  24  in the first travel path  13  and the deck unloading station  45  in the second travel path  40 . The third transfer apparatus  56  is used to unload the deck  35  from the deck carrier  39  at the deck unloading station  45 , transfer or move the unloaded deck  35  from the unloading station  45  to the deck assembling station  24  and place the deck  35  onto the hull  11  supported on the hull carrier  12  at the deck assembling station  24 . 
     A crane  57  is provided in the vicinity of the watercraft unloading station  32  and the inspection area  38 , so as to move the finished small planing watercraft  37  from the watercraft unloading station  32  to a test position  90  provided within the inspection area  37 . 
     The second travel path  40  is straight or rectilinear as it extends from the deck loading station  41  to the deck parts assembling station  43 . From the deck parts assembling station  43  to the deck unloading station  45 , the second travel path  40  first curves rightward, then extends straightforward and finally curves rightward again. The second travel path  40 , as it extends from the deck unloading station  45  to the deck loading station  41 , takes a curvilinear course. 
     A deck stock area  58  indicated by phantom lines shown in FIG. 1 is provided in the vicinity of the deck loading station  41  for temporarily storing decks  35  before they are assembled with the hulls  11  to form small planing watercrafts. A fourth transfer machine or apparatus  59  is disposed between the deck stock area  58  and the deck loading station  41 . The fourth transfer apparatus  59  is used to pick up one deck  35  at a time from the deck stock area  58 , transfer the deck  35  to the deck loading station  41  and load or place the deck  35  onto the deck carrier  39  at the deck loading station  41 . 
     Operation of the small planing watercraft manufacturing system  10  will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8. Using the first transfer apparatus  51  shown in FIG. 1, a hull  11  is picked up from the hull stock area  50 , the transferred to the hull loading station  14  and finally placed or loaded on one of the hull carriers  12  which has been transferred to the hull loading station  14 . The hull carrier  12  with the hull  11  carried thereon is advanced to the first parts assembling station. After parts or accessories, such as operation cables (not shown), are assembled on the hull  11  at the first parts assembling station  16 , the hull  11  carried on the hull carrier  12  is transferred to the engine mounting station  18 . 
     While the hull carrier  12  with the hull  11  carried thereon is at rest at the engine mounting station  18 , one engine  33  is picked up from the engine stock area  53 , then transferred to the engine mounting station  18  and finally placed or mounted on the hull  11  by using the second transfer apparatus  54 . As shown in FIG. 2, a guide groove  13   a  extends across the engine mounting station  18 . The guide groove  13   a  is continuous and forms the closed loop-shaped travel path  13  (FIG. 1) along which the hull carriers  12  are fed in succession. Each hull carrier  12  has a leg  12   a  (FIG. 5A) extending downward from the undersurface of the hull carrier  12  and slidably received in the guide groove  13   a . Though not shown, a suitable conveyor means such as a conveyor chain may be installed in the guide groove  13   a  in which instance the respective legs  12   a  of the hull carriers  12  are connected to the conveyor chain at longitudinal intervals. 
     After the engine  33  is mounted on the hull  11  at the engine mounting station  18 , the hull  11  is transferred by the hull carrier  12  to the second parts assembling station  20 . At the second parts assembling station  20 , other parts or accessories, such as fuel hoses (not shown), are assembled on the hull  11 . The hull  11  carried on the hull carrier  12  is thereafter advanced to the adhesive applying station  22 . 
     The adhesive applying station  22 , as shown in FIG. 3, includes an adhesive applying apparatus  60  used for applying an adhesive  34  (FIG. 1) to a bonding portion  11   a  of the hull  11 . The adhesive applying apparatus  60  comprises a rectangular roof frame  42  supported at respective corners by four vertical support columns  61  such that a longitudinal centerline of the rectangular roof frame  42  lies directly above a portion of the guide groove  13   a  extending across the adhesive applying station  22 . The rectangular roof frame  62  has a movable crossbeam  64  mounted such that crossbeam  64  is movable relative to the roof frame  62  in a longitudinal direction of the roof frame  62  (X—X direction in FIG.  3 ). The adhesive applying apparatus  60  also includes a carriage  65  mounted on the crossbeam  64  for movement in a Y—Y direction along the crossbeam  64 , and an adhesive applicator or gun  71  mounted on the lower end of a vertical support rod  67 . A control box  68  is also mounted on a lower end portion of the support rod  67 . The support rod  67  is guided for vertical movement by a channel-shaped guide member  66  extending downward from the carriage  65 . An upper end of the support rod  67  connected via a wire cable (not designated) to a hanger unit  72  which is equipped with a counterbalance  73  for canceling out the weights of the adhesive gun  71  and control box  68 . 
     The adhesive gun  71  has a pair of grips  71   a ,  71   a  adapted to be gripped by a human operator (not shown) for manipulation of the adhesive gun  71  in such a way that a nozzle  71   b  of the adhesive gun  71  moves along the bonding portion  11   a  of the hull  11 . In the illustrated embodiment, the bonding portion  11   a  is formed by a peripheral edge at an open upper end of the hull  11 . The bonding portion may include other parts of the hull  11 , such as longitudinal ribs  11   b  formed on the bottom wall of the hull  11 . The adhesive applying apparatus  60  of the foregoing construction is actuated in appropriate manner such that the adhesive  34  (FIG. 1) is uniformly applied on the bonding portion  11   a  of the hull  11 . 
     After the bonding portion  11   a  of the hull  11  is coated with the adhesive  34  at the adhesive applying station  22 , the hull  11  is transferred by the hull carrier  12  to the deck assembling station  24 . In timed relation to the arrival of the adhesive-coated hull  11  at the deck assembling station  24 , a deck  35  carried on one deck carrier  39  reaches the deck unloading station  45 . Then, by using the third transfer apparatus, the deck  35  is unloaded from the deck carrier  39  at the deck unloading station, then transferred to the deck assembling station  24  and finally assembled or placed on the adhesive-coated hull  11  at the deck assembling station  24  such that a bonding portion (peripheral edge)  35   a  of the deck  35  overlies the adhesive-coated bonding portion  11   a  (peripheral edge) of the hull  11 , as shown in FIG.  4 . The hull  11  thus assembled with the deck  35  is subsequently transported by the hull carrier  12  to the clamping station  26 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5A, at the clamping station  5 A, the respective bonding portions (peripheral edges)  11   a ,  35   a  of the hull  11  and deck  35  are tightly clamped together by means of a plurality of clamp tools  75 . The bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  thus clamped together form a peripheral edge  36   a  of a temporarily assembled small planing watercraft  36 . As shown in FIG. 5B, each of the clamp tools  75  has a pair of clamp jaws  77   a ,  77   b  for clamping the peripheral edge  36   a  of the watercraft  36  and a pair of grip portions  76   a ,  76   b  for being gripped by a human operator. When the grip portions  76   a ,  76   b  are gripped together, the clamp jaws  77   a ,  77   b  firmly grip the bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  of the hull  11  and deck  36 , which form the peripheral edge  36   a  of the preassembled watercraft  36 . With this clamping, the bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  are closely fitted together via a film of the adhesive  34 . The preassembled watercraft  36  with its peripheral portion  36   a  clamped by the clamp tools  75  is then transferred by the hull carrier  12  to the curing station  28 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the curing station  28  includes two curing units  80 ,  80  disposed in direct opposite relation across the loop-shaped first travel path  13 , and a turntable  87  disposed centrally between the curing units  80 ,  80 , the turntable  87  being located on the travel path  13 . The preassembled watercraft  36  which has been transferred to the curing station  28  is turned through an angle of 90 degrees by means of the turntable  87  so that a longitudinal centerline (not shown) of the preassembled watercraft  36  is aligned with a common longitudinal centerline (not shown) of the inside and outside curing units  80 ,  80 . The preassembled watercraft  36  is then fed into one of the curing units  80  (inside curing unit in the illustrated embodiment) for the purpose of curing the adhesive  34  (FIG. 5B) held between the bonding portions  11   a ,  35   a  of the hull  11  and deck  35 . 
     Since the curing station  28  has two curing units  80 ,  80 , it is possible to improve the efficiency of the curing process by using the curing units  80 ,  80  alternately. The number of curing units  80  provided in the curing station  28  is not limited to two as in the illustrated embodiment. Rather, two or more pairs of inside and outside curing units may be provided in the curing station  80  in view of an intended capacity of the manufacturing system  10 . 
     Unlike the curing station  28  of the present invention, the conventional curing station  212  (FIG. 9) is comprised of an elongated curing furnace extending on and along the straight travel path  203 . A preassembled watercraft carried on the hull carrier  202  passes through the curing furnace while the bonding portions of the hull  201  and deck  218  are kept clamped together. During that time, the adhesive  217  held between he bonding portions is caused to cure so that the hull  201  and the deck  218  are firmly joined together at a peripheral edge of the preassembled watercraft. Since the curing process requires a relatively long time as compared to other processes, the curing furnace disposed on and along straight travel path  203  is necessarily made longer than the other stations. The conventional manufacturing system  200  having such long curing furnace is, therefore, considerably large in length. 
     In the case of the curing station  28  of the present invention, since the curing units  80 ,  80  are arranged crosswise the first travel path  13 , a length of the travel path  13  that is occupied by the curing station  28  is considerably smaller than the length of the travel path  203  occupied by the curing furnace of the conventional curing station  212  (FIG.  1 ). This means that the curing units  80  arranged crosswise the travel path  13  contribute to the reduction of the overall length of the manufacturing system  10 . In addition, the curing unit  80  disposed inside the loop-shaped travel path  13  improves the efficiency of use of the space inside the manufacturing system  10 . Furthermore, two curing units  80  that can be used alternately will increase the efficiency of the curing process. 
     As shown in FIG. 6A, each of the curing units  80  includes a generally U-shaped frame  81  for accommodating therein a major part of the preassembled watercraft  36  while being carried on the hull carrier  12 , a gate  82  that can be opened and closed to allow the watercraft  36  to be introduced into or discharged from the curing unit  80  with the bow  36   b  or the stern  36   c  directed forward, and a hot air blower  85  mounted on the frame  81  and the gate  82  so as to direct hot air therefrom onto the peripheral edge  36   a  of the preassembled watercraft  36 . The hot air blower  85  has a plurality of nozzles  86  arranged along the full circumference of the curing unit  80  such that the peripheral edge  36   a  of the preassembled watercraft  36  is heated uniformly by streams of hot air ejected from the individual nozzles  86  of the hot air blower  85 . 
     The gate  82  is a hinged gate composed of two gate members  83  and  84  pivotally connected by hinges  83   a ,  84   a  to opposite fore-ends of the U-shaped frame  81 . The gate members  83 ,  84  are normally disposed in an open position shown in FIG.  5 A. After the preassembled watercraft  36  supported on the hull carrier  12  has been introduced into a space defined by the U-shaped frame  81 , the two gate members  83 ,  84  are brought to a closed position shown in FIG.  6 B. The watercraft  36  is now fully received inside the curing unit  80  in such a condition that the nozzles  86  of the hot air blower  85  are distributed uniformly alongside the peripheral edge  36   a  of the preassembled watercraft  36 . Then, the hot air blower  85  is driven to direct hot air from the nozzles  86  onto the peripheral edge  36   a  of the preassembled watercraft  36  to thereby heat the adhesive  34  (FIG. 5B) until the adhesive  34  is caused to cure. By thus curing the adhesive  34 , the hull  11  and the deck  35  are firmly joined together along the peripheral edge  36   a  of the preassembled watercraft  36 , and the preassembled watercraft  36  is converted into a complete watercraft  37 . 
     The watercraft  36  with the hull  11  and deck  35  firmly joined together (now, converted into the complete watercraft  37 ) is subsequently transferred to the third parts assembling station  30 , as shown in FIG.  1 . At the third parts assembling station  30 , remaining parts or accessories, such as seats (not shown), are assembled on the watercraft  37  to thereby finish the manufacturing process. The finished complete watercraft  37  is, thereafter, advanced to the watercraft unloading station  32  from which the watercraft  37  is delivered by the crane  57  to the inspection area  38 . In this instance, the watercraft  37  is unloaded from the hull carrier  12 . The hull carrier  12  is thereafter returned to the hull loading station  51 . In this instance, since the watercraft unloading station  32  and the hull loading station  14  are located adjacent to each other, return of the empty hull carrier  12  to the hull loading station  14  is achieved in a short period of time. 
     The inspection area  90 , as shown in FIG. 7, has a water pool  91  of elongated rectangular shape in which water  96  is held for securing the water jet performance test effected on the watercraft  37 . The water pool  91  has a longitudinal partition wall  92  and a plurality of curved flow guide plates  93  arranged in such a manner that, when the watercraft  37  while being anchored in a test position set on one side of the partition wall  92  is driven to eject a water jet  95  backward, the water jet  95  will enter between the curved flow guide plates  93  and thus be guided by the flow guide plates  93  to flow in a direction indicted by the arrow shown in FIG.  7 . The thus guided water jet  95  produces a stream of pool water  96  flowing from one side to the other side of the partition wall  92  and subsequently returning to the one side. By thus circulating the pool water  96  smoothly, the water jet performance of the watercraft  37  can be checked with high inspection accuracies. Reference numeral  94  shown in FIG. 7 denotes anchor ropes  94  used for securing the watercraft  37  in the test position during the water jet performance test. 
     FIG. 8 shows the deck carrier  39  as it is in the deck parts assembling station  43 . As shown in this figure, the deck carrier  39  has a deck reversing means  100  for reversing the deck  35  while supporting the deck  35  in a horizontal position on the deck carrier  39 . The deck reversing means  100  comprises a front grip member  103  for gripping a fore-end portion  35   b  of the deck  35 , and a rear grip member  107  for gripping a rear-end portion  35   c  of the deck  35 . The front grip member  103  is rotatably mounted on a horizontal support shaft  102  projecting inwardly from an upper end portion of a front vertical support member  101 . Similarly, the rear grip member  107  is rotatably mounted on a horizontal support shaft (not shown) projecting inwardly from an upper end portion of a rear vertical support member  105 , the non-illustrated support shaft being aligned with the support shaft  102 . The front and rear grip members  103 ,  107  can be locked against rotation relative to the horizontal support shafts  102  at at least two positions diametrically opposite to each other. They can be locked at any desired angular position relative to the axes of the support shafts  102 . 
     The deck  35  is supported in a horizontal position on the deck carrier  39  while the fore-end and rear-end portions  35   b  and  35   c  are gripped by the front and rear grip members  103 ,  107 , respectively, of the deck reversing means  100 . In the initial state as achieved at the deck loading station  41  (FIG.  1 ), the deck  35  is loaded on the deck carrier  39  with its front side facing upward. At the deck parts assembling station  43 , deck parts or accessories are assembled on the front side of the deck  35  by a human operator  108 . In this instance, since the front side of the deck  35  is facing upward, the human operator  108  can undertake the necessary part assembling operations without being forced to take difficult or uneasy positions. Then, the deck  35  is reversed with the agency of the deck reversing means  100 . By thus reversing, the back side of the deck  35  is now facing upward. This arrangement again allows the human operation to assemble other deck parts or accessories onto the back side of the deck  35  without taking difficult or uneasy postures. 
     In the embodiment described above, the small planing watercraft manufacturing system  10  has a total of ten working stations (i.e., the hull loading station  14 , first parts assembling station  16 , engine mounting station  18 , second parts assembling station  20 , adhesive applying station  22 , deck assembling station  24 , clamping station  26 , curing station  28 , third parts assembling station  30  and watercraft unloading station  32 ) all disposed in the closed loop-shaped travel path  13 . The number of stations is not limited to ten as in the illustrated embodiment but may be determined at option. Furthermore, the inspection area  90  may be disposed in the travel path  13 . 
     Similarly, the number of working stations disposed in the second travel path  40  is not limited to three (i.e., the deck loading station  41 , deck parts assembling station  43  and deck unloading station  45 ) as in the illustrated embodiment but may be determined at option. Furthermore, the adhesive applying apparatus  60  used in the adhesive applying station  22 , the clamp tools  75  used in the clamping station  26 , the curing units  80  used in the curing station  28  and the deck reversing means  100  incorporated in each deck carrier  39  are not limited to those described with respect to the illustrated embodiment but may be replaced by any other suitable apparatus. 
     Obviously, various minor changes and modifications are possible in the light of the above teaching. It is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. 
     The present disclosure relates to the subject matter of Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-370391, filed Dec. 4, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.