Abstract:
A folding push-pole holder for recreational boats and the like has a flush-mounted body member, a foldable hook member and a detent mechanism. The flush-mounted body member has facilities for mounting on an associated boat surface, requiring only screw-diameter holes drilled in the boat surface. The foldable hook member lies flat when not in use, and upright when extended for holding a pole. A detent mechanism keeps the foldable hook member in either the extended or retracted position until it is changed by a force exerted on the foldable hook member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to U.S. patent application titled, “Low-profile folding chock,” attorney reference number 2620.22, inventor Bernd Czipri, filed even date here within. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to folding pole holders for boats and more particularly to low-profile folding pole holders for push-poles used with flat boats. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Retractable cleats and other similar devices are widely used within boats for securing mooring lines and the like thereto. These retractable cleats typically include a base member, and a retractable cleat member that is telescopingly received within the interior of the base. 
         [0004]    Heretofore, these devices have generally been constructed such that the mounting post portion of the retractable cleat passes downwardly, requiring substantial holes to be drilled/cut into the surface (e.g. gunnels) of the boat. These holes create a larger area for water seepage into the hull of the boat, even though proper sealing (e.g. gaskets) precautions are taken. Further adding to this, the area where the cleat is stored when in the retracted position provides for a funnel into which water collects, requiring very good sealing between the shafts of these devices and the framework. Often, boat owners do not want to drill/cut such large holes into the gunnels of their boat in case they wish to relocate the device to a different location. One would appreciate that filling and finishing a few small screw holes in a fiberglass gunnel is easier to perform than one large hole and a few small screw holes. 
         [0005]    What is needed is a low profile push-pole holder that requires minimal drilling into the gunnels of a boat. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One aspect of the present invention is to provide a folding push-pole holder that includes a base member and a folding hook member. The base member has a bottom surface to be mounted on an associated boat surface, one or more screw holes for attachment to the boat and a cavity for accepting a hook member. The folding hook member hingedly attaches to the base member and swings upwardly into an extended position to hold a pole (e.g. push pole) and swings downwardly into a retracted position, substantially flush in the cavity. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, a folding pole holder for a boat is disclosed including a flush mounted body member with a hook member hingedly coupled to the flush mounted body member. A detent holds the hook member either in an extended position or in a retracted position until changed by an outside force. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, a folding pole holder for a boat is disclosed including a flush mounted body member that has a way to attach to a surface of a boat and a hook member for holding a pole. The hook member is hinged to the flush mounted body member such that the hook member does not require holes to be cut in the surface of the boat for allowing the hook member to extend and retract. The hook member in held by a device for holding, either an extended position or in a retracted position, until changed by an outside force. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, a folding pole holder for a boat is disclosed including a flush mounted body member that has a generally oval shaped central opening. One side of the central opening is substantially flat. The flush mounted body member has a hinge hole near one end of the substantially flat side and a hinge threaded hole near a distal end of the substantially flat side. A hook member has a linear edge for interfacing with the flush mounted body member and a longitudinal bore local to the linear edge. One or more longitudinal grooves are cut/formed in the hook member. A hinge pin passes through the hinge hole, through the longitudinal bore of the hook member and is held in the threaded hole. A detent mechanism has a detent member that is urged into one of the longitudinal grooves when the hook member is rotated about the hinge pin and one of the longitudinal grooves faces the detent mechanism. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a folding hook of a first embodiment in the open position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a folding hook member of a first embodiment in the closed position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of the folding hook of a first embodiment in the opened position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of a chock member of a second embodiment in the open position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a chock member of a second embodiment in the closed position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view from the top of a folding chock of the second embodiment, a folding chock member ready to be inserted into the base member. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view from the bottom of the folding chock of the second embodiment with the folding chock member ready to be inserted into the base member. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the folding chock of an alternate mounting arrangement in a retracted position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the folding chock of an alternate mounting arrangement mounted to a gunnel of a boat. 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  illustrates a plan view of a typical boat showing side views of multiple folding hooks in a retracted position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  illustrates a plan view of a typical boat showing side views of multiple folding hooks in an extended position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  illustrates a plan view of the typical boat showing a side view of the folding chock mounted to the gunnel and positioned in an extended position is shown. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  illustrates a perspective view of one of the folding chock holding a rope. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , perspective views of a flush-mounted, folding hook  10  of a first embodiment is shown extended ( FIG. 1 ) and retracted ( FIG. 2 ). The folding hook  10  includes a hook member  12  for holding a pole such as a push pole  50  (see  FIG. 11 ) as used to navigate flats boats. The folding hook  10  has a hinge pin  14  to hingedly interface the hook member  12  to flush-mounted body member  18 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the folding hook  10  has a low-profile when the hook member  12  is retracted. In some embodiments, holes or countersunk holes  15  are provided for mounting to the gunnel  62  of a boat  60  (see  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). Since the screws are the only part of the folding hook  10  that go through a surface of the boat, the structure of the boat isn&#39;t impacted and, if the folding hook  10  is later removed, there is minimal repair work required to fill the holes. 
         [0026]    The longitudinal grooves  11  are described later. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an exploded view of the folding hook  10  of a first embodiment in the opened position is shown. The hook member  12  hinges to the body member  18  by, for example, a pin  14  that passes through a first hole  17  in the flush-mounted body member  18 , through a longitudinal bore  13  in the hook member  12  and threads into a threaded hole  19  in the opposite side of the flush-mounted body member  18 . This construction is provided as an example of hingedly mounting the hook member  12  to the flush-mounted body member  18 . Other constructs with other hinge mechanisms are known, all of which are included here within. 
         [0028]    To maintain the hook member  12  in either the opened position (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) or in the closed position (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), a detent mechanism is provided. There are many known detent mechanisms known in the industry, including the example shown in  FIG. 3 . In this, the hinge member  12  has longitudinal grooves  11  (see  FIG. 2 ) that interfaces with spring loaded balls  6 , such that when the hook member  12  is in the desired position, the springs  7  push the balls  6  into the longitudinal grooves  11  to hold the hook member  12  in position. In the embodiment shown, the balls  6  and spring members  7  are held in cavities  5  formed in the flush-mounted body member  18  by a plate  8  that is screwed into the body member  18  by one or more screws  9 . It is anticipated that any number of balls  6  and springs  7  be provided, including a single ball  6  and spring  7 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a perspective view of a folding chock  20  of a second embodiment is shown. The flush-mount, folding chock  20  includes a chock member  32  that has two opposing edges  22 / 24  for holding a rope  70  (see  FIG. 13 ) such as an anchor rope. As with existing, fixed chocks, the opposing edges  22 / 24  are angled to allow for placing the rope  70  into the folding chock  20  by angling the rope at the same angle as the edges  22 / 24 , but resists releasing the rope  70  when the rope is at a different angle. The chock member  32  has hinge pins  26  for hingedly interfacing the chock member  32  with the flush-mounted body member  38 . In some embodiments, holes or countersunk holes  15  are provided for mounting to the gunnel  62  of a boat  60  (see  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). In this example, the flush-mounted body member  38  is affixed to gunnel  62  (or other location) of the boat  60  with screws or other fasteners (not shown) passing into holes  15 . Since the screws are the only part of the flush-mount folding chock  20  that go through a surface of the boat  60 , the structure of the boat  60  isn&#39;t impacted and, if the flush-mount folding chock  20  is later removed, there is minimal repair work required to fill the holes. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , exploded views of the folding chock  20  of the second embodiment shown from the top ( FIG. 6 ) and bottom ( FIG. 7 ). The chock member  32  is shown ready to be inserted into the body member  38 . The chock member  32  hinges to the flush-mounted body member  38  by, for example, pins  34  that interface with cavities  35  in the flush-mounted body member  38 . The pins  34  are then held within the cavities  35  by plates  3 , the plates being fastened to the flush-mounted body member  38  by screws  9  that screw into holes  3 . This construction is provided as an example of hingedly mounting the chock member  32  to the flush-mounted body member  38 . Other constructs with other hinge mechanisms are known, all of which are included here within. 
         [0031]    To maintain the chock member  32  in either the opened position (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) or in the closed position (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), a detent mechanism is provided. There are many known detent mechanisms known in the industry, including the example shown in  FIG. 6 . In this, the chock member  32  has longitudinal grooves  11  that interface with spring loaded balls  6 , such that when the chock member  32  is in the desired position, the springs  7  push the balls  6  into the longitudinal grooves  11  to hold the chock member  32  in position. In the embodiment shown, the balls  6  and spring members  7  are held in cavities  5  formed in the body member  38  by plates  8 . The plates  8  are held to the flush-mounted body member  38  by one or more screws  9  screwed into holes  2 . It is anticipated that any number of balls  6  and springs  7  be provided, including a single ball  6  and spring  7 . 
         [0032]    In some embodiments, a drain opening or gap  40  is provided in the flush-mounted body member  38  to provide drainage and drying of any moisture, should moisture or water seep underneath the flush-mounted body member  38 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a perspective view of the folding chock  20  of an alternate mounting arrangement is shown in a retracted position ( FIG. 8 ) and mounted to a boat ( FIG. 9 ). In this arrangement, bolts  45  are formed on the bottom surface of the flush-mounted body member  38 , thereby eliminating the need for separate mounting screws and producing a better looking surface for the flush-mounted body member  38 . The bolts  45  pass through holes in the gunnel  62  or other location of a boat  60  and are secured from beneath with, for example, bolts  46 . 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , plan views of a typical boat showing side views of multiple folding hooks  10  with the hook member  12  in a retracted position ( FIG. 10 ) and extended position ( FIG. 11 ) are shown. The folding hooks are mounted on, in this example, the gunnel  62  of the boat  60 . It is preferred that the hook member  12  alternate in direction as shown (port/starboard in this example) so that the push pole  50  is held securely between the hook members  12  of the folding hooks  10 . The body member  18  is affixed to the gunnel  62  either by screws through holes  15  (as in  FIGS. 1-3 ) or by bolts  45  formed in the bottom of the body member  18  (as in  FIGS. 8-9 ). 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 12 , a plan view of the typical boat  60  showing a side view of the folding chock  20  mounted to the gunnel  62  and positioned in an extended position is shown. The flush-mounted body member  38  is affixed to the gunnel  62  either by screws through holes  15  (as in  FIGS. 4-7 ) or by bolts formed in the bottom of the body member  38  (as in  FIGS. 8-9 ). 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 13 , a perspective view of the folding chock  20  holding a rope  70  is shown. In this mode, the rope  70  opposes the angle of the edges  22 / 24  and, therefore, when taught, will not exit the chock  20 . The rope  70  is removed from the folding chock  20  when it is not taught by angling the rope  70  to align with the edges  22 / 24 , in which position, the rope  70  fits easily between the edges  22 / 24 . 
         [0037]    Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
         [0038]    It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.