Abstract:
A boat having chairs which are swingably mounted in transversely spaced relation at opposite sidewalls of the boat. The boat includes a lower deck and a vertically spaced upper deck, the latter extending generally in a single plane and generally substantially continuously across the boat&#39;s interior at the level of the upper surface of the sidewalls of the boat, to effectively shed substantially all high wave water. Each of the chairs has a supporting pedestal mounted at or above the top deck along the upper surface of both boat sidewalls, so the swinging seat of the chair can be swung outside the boat sidewalls. Each chair is pivotally mounted upon the upper surface of a swinging frame which encircles the chair&#39;s pedestal, and its axis of pivot relative to the frame is disposed at the front of the chair, which provides a force opposing the force vectors presented by high waves, and facilitates movement of the chair for greater comfort and safety. Side rails are mounted upon and extend upwardly from each chair pedestal and along each sidewall.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a Continuation-in-Part of Parent application Ser. No. 09/993,001, filed Nov. 26, 2001 entitled KELLER RIDE ON PRINCIPLE. A full and complete copy of said application is set forth at the end of this application in support thereof. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The conventional practice of people riding in a planing boat has been to ride down in the boat, probably because boats were conventionally constructed to accommodate them in the lower portions of the boat. As a consequence, both the passengers and the driver rode in the lower portions of the boat. The instrument panel, console, or helm were usually mounted directly in front of the driver and most, if not all, of the passengers were located in what has been known as the “catch basin,” most of which was located at and slightly rearward of amidships.  
           [0003]    As a consequence of the above, the driver in an effort to reach shelter and relative safety, in adverse weather condition, will normally increase the speed of the boat so as to reach shelter in a minimum of time. This causes the boat bow to elevate and obstruct the drivers vision, which in turn increases danger of collision with other boats and passengers and consequent injuries.  
           [0004]    The existence of the “catch basin” at the lowermost portion of the boat and the location of its passengers therein or closely adjacent thereto has substantially contributed to the relatively frequent “swamping” of boats in which the entire boat fills with water, frequently leading to injuries and/or drowning. Close quarters of passengers and mixing thereof with supplies and baggage frequently lead to confusion and accidents, including injuries. My boat is designed to provide a clear deck for occupation by the passengers, to thereby obviate the problems which are an outgrowth of the conditions, as described above. I have eliminated the “catch basin” and its many disadvantages.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    An important advantage of my boat is the retention of substantially all of the horizontal space within the boat at the passenger level, for the passengers convenience and enjoyment. This is made possible by retaining all of the area of the lower deck for supplies, and/or all other objects other than ordinary supplies, while the passengers frequent only the upper deck. This upper deck extends across the entire open area at the level of the top of the sidewalls of the boat. The tops of such sidewalls were frequently, in earlier years, called “gunnels.” The upper deck of my boat is clear of most everything but the console or helm, and even that area can be increased by swinging the swingable chairs (with or without the passengers therein) outwardly beyond the sidewalls of the boat.  
           [0006]    The upper deck of my boat extends from boat to stern and from the upper surface of one sidewall to the upper surface of the opposite sidewall, all at substantially the level of the upper surface of the sidewalls of the boat. This provides a relatively spacious area to accommodate the passengers and, along with the high hand rails, promotes safety. The hand rails at each side and at the rear of my boat are at least 34 inches high. The chair seats are disposed approximately 16 inches above the upper deck. As a consequence, the chairs can be swung outwardly of the sidewalls of the boat and the passengers may or may not remain in them at that position.  
           [0007]    The most important aspect of the upper deck, however, is that it extends in substantially a flat plane, at substantially the level of the upper surface of the sidewalls of the boat, and substantially continuously, from bow to stern. As a consequence, substantially all water which hits that deck flows over the outer edge of the upper deck at the side opposite that from which the water approaches the boat, and not into the lower deck and into a “catch basin” area, as is so common in boats as heretofore constructed. Thus, the possibility of my boat, as so constructed, being “swamped” is non-existent, since substantially all of such water flows across the deck and returns to the original body of water for which it originated.  
           [0008]    The upper deck of my boat is substantially continuous because the only lack of continuity which exists is provided by the very minimum of space existent between the covers of the hatches, which constitute a major portion of my upper deck. The interior of the fixed hatches is utilized for the storage of supplies and any other items which the passengers do not wish to retain in their immediate possession. Any seepage is disposed of by the bilge pump, a common item at the lower deck of substantially all boats. The only seepage which occurs is that which makes its way into the lower deck by passing between the close-fitting hatch covers, or between the edge of the deck opening and an adjacent hatch cover. The cover and the openings are closely fitted to preclude any substantial seepage.  
           [0009]    A second important feature of my boat is the provision and disposition of a plurality of swingably mounted fisherman&#39;s chairs at or adjacent to the upper surfaces of the opposite sidewalls of the boat. The swingable mounting of these chairs enables the operator to clear the deck, except for the passengers, if he so desires, and thereby add to the stability of the boat and increase the safety provided thereby. In addition, the strong high railings of my improved boat, which extend along the length of the boat above its sidewalls, provide a strong measure of safety by preventing passengers from being washed overboard in the event of heavy waters.  
           [0010]    The swingable mounting of the chairs of my boat is unique in that it includes a double pivotal mounting of the chairs at the outer and inner ends of the swinging frame. As a consequence, when a heavy wave hits the side of the boat, the pivot at the outer end of the frame, the latter being locked in non-swinging relation, will provide an additional safety feature in that the frame, with its moving opening at its outer end and the boat&#39;s inertia will be opposed by the inertia of the pivot pin within that opening, plus the weight of the chair and its occupant, if any. This will cause a torque to be created in the frame in a direction opposite to that of the wave, which reduces the power vector of the wave. The inertia of the seat and of its occupant causes the front part of the seat to swing with the movement of the pivot at the front of the chair, which brings the back of the chair into a position facing the power vector and the occupant facing in the direction in which the water is moving. The inertia of the occupant&#39;s body holds the occupant within the confines of the chair, which saves lives.  
           [0011]    My new boat has many new safety and convenience features. The provision of a deck which is clear except for passengers, is a vast improvement in that it substantially reduces or eliminates confusion, inconvenience, and possible injuries, and even deaths, which are much more likely to be experienced in a small boat of prior construction. The disposition of an upper deck at a level abreast of the upper surfaces of the sidewalls of the boat is a marked safety feature, in that it is impossible to swamp my new boat. This is true because almost all of any water which is directed toward the interior of my boat is shed by my upper deck, for the simple reason that the water has no free access to the boat&#39;s interior. Consequently, it is caused to run off the deck and back into the source from which it originated. Also, my boat is much more convenient, enjoyable, and safer than prior boats because there is much more room, no baggage or other objects to trip over, etc., since all supplies and other objects are disposed within the hatches under hatch covers. These covers have conforming outer edges which cooperate with each other and the opening-defining edges of the upper deck to present a substantially continuous, seepage-less surface to any on-coming water.  
           [0012]    Another feature of my invention is the positioning of swinging chairs, with seats for humans which are pivotally mounted at and along the sidewalls of the boat, capable of being swung to a position outward of the sidewalls of the boat.  
           [0013]    A further advantageous feature is the use of a swinging frame to pivotally support similar chairs to facilitate movement and comfort of the occupant of the chair while entirely clearing the deck, if desired, except for the driver&#39;s console or helm and the driver.  
           [0014]    A still further feature, as described above, is the introduction of an inertia pivot which operates through a pivot pin connected to the forward portion of such a chair and extending downwardly through an opening in the chair supporting plate, to produce a resulting inertia force which opposes another force, such as that created by the striking of the side of the boat by a huge wave.  
           [0015]    Each of the above features, as well as more limited features set forth hereinafter, are believed to be new and are known to be beneficial in the light of my past experience with boats, which has been substantial. These features described above, alone and in combination with each other, are different and beneficial to a substantial degree over boats of the prior art, as pointed out and claimed herein. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    A detailed description of the preferred embodiments of my invention, “Boat with Swing Seating” is hereinafter described with specific reference to the drawing in which:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of my swing chair;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of my off-set pedestal about which my swing chair swings;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of my pedestal shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the swinging frame of my invention, which swings about the pedestal shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, shown in inverted position;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the swing frame shown in FIG. 4, but in upright position and taken from above;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the swinging frame locking pin in isolated position apart from the frame;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inverted inertia control pivot pin and bushing, as seen from below;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pivot pin and its mounting plate, as seen from above;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of my boat, showing the relation between the hull, console or helm, and the side rail;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of one of my boats in which over 90% of the top deck consists of closely adjacent hatch covers, and the chairs have been removed;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11 is a starboard view of the preferred form of my invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 12 is a rear plan view of the hull, only, of my invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of the hull, only, of my invention, taken along line A-A of FIG. 14, with the swinging chairs, console, and rails removed;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the preferred form of my invention, with the swinging chairs and rails removed;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view of the hull, only, taken along line B-B of FIG. 14;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of my invention, taken from above and ahead of the hull; the chair pedestals being mounted in the upper surface of the hull sidewalls;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of my invention, taken from above and behind the hull; the chair pedestals being mounted on the upper deck immediately inward of the sidewalls of the hull;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of one of the caps for the railing posts by means of which the railing may be secured to the boat; and  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 19 is an exploded view of a cap and railing post which is supported by the chair pedestal of my invention, the latter not being shown. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]    My invention as shown in FIGS.  1 - 19 , inclusive, includes a number of novel features, the incorporation of which in a boat has already proved to have substantial merit. As shown in FIGS.  9 - 15 , inclusive, my boat includes a hull  26  having a bow  37  and stern  38 . It includes a lower deck  36  and flotation material  35  therebelow. The hull  26  has opposite sidewalls  41  and  42  which have upper surfaces  41   a  and  42   a.    
         [0037]    It also includes an upper deck  43  which is flat and extends between the sidewalls preferably at a level with the upper surfaces  41   a  and  42   a,  from sidewall  41  to sidewall  42  and from bow  37  to stern  38 . As shown, it has an opening  44  therein which is substantially closed off by a plurality of hatches  28 , the covers of which are configured to closely match the opening edges  44   a  and thereby preclude the entry of water into the opening and interior area beneath said opening. As a consequence, the hatch  28  covers, as shown, in combination with the remainder of the upper deck  43 , the entire interior of the hull  26 , above and at the level of the upper surface of sidewalls, and effectively sheds off the vast majority of the water which may reach the upper deck in the form of waves or precipitation. Thus, it is impossible for my above boat to swamp since the bilge pump, which is universally a part of a small motorized boat, will easily dispose of any and all seepage of water that may occur.  
         [0038]    I have found it most practical to dispose the upper deck at a level of three (3) inches or less below the upper surfaces  41   a  and  42   a  of the sidewalls  41  and  42 , inclusive, of the hull. It is most efficient, of course, if it is disposed at an even level with said upper surfaces.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIGS. 16 and 17 each show a pair of swinging chair seats  4  pivotally mounted at or along the upper surfaces of the sidewalls  41 ,  42 , one pair at the bow area of the sidewalls and the other pair at the stern end area. Each of the chairs  4  are of the type commercially available on the market but their mountings include a pair of pivots, as best shown in FIGS.  1 - 8 , inclusive.  
         [0040]    As shown in said figures, each such mounted chair  4  includes a pedestal  1 , a swing frame  2  pivotally mounted for swinging movement about the pedestal, with the chair  4  pivotally mounted atop the outer swinging end of the swinging frame.  
         [0041]    The mounting for each of said chairs  4  includes either an opening in the sidewall or a mounting base plate  5 , the latter of which is designed to be fixedly secured to the top deck  43 . Fixedly secured to the upper surface of the plate  5  as by welding is an upstanding metal tube which constitutes the pedestal  1 , which is supported by a pair of gussets  8  which extend from the tube toward the front of the base plate  5  and are disposed at an angle of approximately 60-90 degrees to each other. The base plate  5 , is secured to the top deck in any conventional manner, as shown in FIG. 17, with the angled portion extending away from the adjacent sidewall and its straight base portion extending parallel to and abutting said sidewall.  
         [0042]    The mounting for each of the chairs upon the upper surface of the sidewalls of the boat, as shown in FIG. 16 is accomplished by utilizing a somewhat longer pedestal  1  which extends downwardly into an opening in the sidewall provided at the lower end of the pedestal and within the sidewall.  
         [0043]    The swing frame  2  is shown in the exploded view of the chairs  4  and their mountings in FIG. 1. As shown, it includes a vertical cylinder  10  which fits over the metal tubular extension  6  of the pedestal  1  and rests upon bushing  7  which rests upon the upper end of pedestal  1 . The tubular extension  6  has an exterior diameter which is only slightly less than the interior diameter of the metal pedestal  1  which provides the necessary shoulder that supports the bushing  7  on the upper end of the extension  6 .  
         [0044]    The swing frame  2 , as shown in FIG. 1, includes a radially outwardly extending flat horizontal platform  2   a  which is adequately supported by a pair of support plates or brackets  2   b  and  2   c.  The horizontal platform  2   a  has a metal tube  12  of small rectangular cross-section welded to the outer extremity and under-surface of the platform  2   a.  A pivot hole  13  extends downwardly through the outer end of the platform  2   a  and through the upper and lower wall of the metal tube  12  to accommodate the reception of pivot pin  24 , which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.  
         [0045]    The swing frame  2  includes a locking pin  16 , shown in FIG. 4, which carries a spring  18 , a washer  19  and a cotter key  17  and extends through an opening provided therefor through the support plate  2   b,  and a lock pin supporting bracket  20 . The spring  18  is arranged and functions in the conventional manner to constantly urge the locking pin  16  inwardly through a bushing  21  and the wall of cylinder  10 , to engage one of eight (8) holes  9  which extend through the upper end of pedestal extension  6 , as shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0046]    Retaining post  14  functions to hold locking pin  16  in retracted position, when desired, and is utilized only when the chair occupant desires free swinging thereof about the pedestal  1 . The bushing  7  functions to facilitate such movement.  
         [0047]    As shown in FIG. 1, pivot pin  24  extends into opening  13  so that pivot pin plate  22  can rotate about the longitudinal axis of pivot pin  24 . Bushing  23  extends between platform  2   a  and pivot pin plate  22  to facilitate rotation of pivot pin  24  and chair  4  which is fixedly mounted at its underside upon pivot pin plate  22  via slots  25  in any suitable conventional manner.  
         [0048]    It will be noted, however, that pivot pin  24  is located adjacent one end of pivot pin plate  22  and, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, pivot pin plate  22  is secured to the bottom surface of each chair  4  so that pivot pin  24  is disposed adjacent the front of the chair. As a direct consequence, each chair  4  rotates about a vertical axis extending through the front portion of the seat of the chair. That axis of pivot is disposed at the outer end of platform  2   a  which enables a chair occupant to swing about pedestal  1  and also rotate about the axis of pivot pin  24 . Each of the four (4) chairs are similarly mounted for such movement about the vertical axis of the pivot structure provided by pedestal  1  and swing frame  2 .  
         [0049]    It will be noted that the upper end of the pedestal extension  6  would be open were it not for their use as mountings for side rails  34 , as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. This can best be appreciated by reference to FIG. 1, wherein the upper end of cylinder  10  and pedestal extension  6  are open. FIG. 10 shows openings  31  in the sidewalls, in which rail posts  32  may be mounted when the pedestals  1  are mounted on the upper deck  43 . FIGS. 18 and 19, however, show rail posts  32  and rail post cap  33  which are supported in FIGS. 16 and 17 by the otherwise open-ended pedestal extensions  6 . Rail posts  32  are made of wood encapsulated in PVC and are inserted in close-fitting relation in the otherwise open end of the pedestal extensions  6  and are each capped at their upper end with a rail post cap  33 . As shown in FIG. 18, each rail post cap  33  is adapted to receive therein the upper end of a rail post  32  in tight-fitting relation. A railing  34  is extended between and fixedly secured at its end portions to a pair of rail post caps  32  located in forward and rearward positions, at each side of the boat. Thus the side railings  34  are mounted in a most effective and protective position. Each side railing is approximately 37 inches high, which is a most effectively protective elevation.  
         [0050]    My boat, as described above, has substantial advantages. The adoption and usage of an upper deck at a level closely adjacent the upper surfaces of the sidewalls of a small boat, so as to make same incapable of being swamped, greatly increases the safety of that boat, as well as the enjoyment and comfort of its use. It provides a substantial increase in the enjoyment of the boat, since it multiplies the space available for usage by the passengers many fold. It effectively precludes sinking of the boat, with or without passengers. It substantially increases the amount of space made available to its passengers. It insures that substantially all of the water which strikes the area in which the passengers are located will be shed across its upper surface and discharged at the side of the boat opposite that from which it approached the boat.  
         [0051]    By insuring that substantially all of the water which hits the upper deck will run off the upper deck&#39;s upper surface, I have obviated the need for the area of small boats which have been designated as a “catch basin,” since my boat travels on a much more even keel, rather than a sharply inclined orientation as is customary for small boats. As a consequence the ride is much more comfortable and safer in my boat, since the area of vision afforded to a driver of my boat is not cut off by the elevated bow as encountered in a small boat, even at very moderate speeds.  
         [0052]    The use of the pivotal mounting of the chairs adjacent the front of the chair provides a valuable safety feature in that as a result of such a mounting, a substantial force opposite to the power vector of a much greater force (such as a huge over-powering wave) is created and applied, to thereby minimize the normal adverse consequences of such a force. When such a force against the boat as a whole is experienced, the effect of that force is conveyed to the chairs by the metal defining the opening  13 , which engages the pivot pin  24  and moves same in the general direction of the adverse power vector. Such movement of the pivot pin  24  causes the front end of the chair  4  to swing in the direction of movement of the power vector, thereby bringing the back of the chair behind its front and into a protective position relative to the occupant of the chair. Since the conventional chairs which are readily purchasable on the market have arms, as shown herein, the occupant is provided substantial protection against the power vector force when the above occurs.  
         [0053]    A further contribution to safety is provided by my boat by mounting side railings upon or adjacent to the sidewalls of the boat. By mounting side rails upon extensions of the pedestals, I have provided adequate protection for the passengers against being washed overboard by unusually large waves. By utilizing the chair pedestals as mountings for the side rails, I have maximized the area available to the passengers of the boat for their freedom and comfort.  
         [0054]    The position of the console and the drivers seat in the bow area are both contributions to safety in that the added weight toward the front of the hull  26  aids in maintaining the upper deck  43  at a level at or approaching horizontal, thereby improving vision, so as to avoid other boats having much greater restrictions in their visions.  
         [0055]    It is noteworthy that each of the chairs  4  is capable of being swung outwardly, away from the boats centerline, to thereby clear the upper deck  43  and, at the time, increases the stability of the boat for the further increase in the safety and comfort of its passengers.  
         [0056]    An added advantage of my invention is that its construction is compatible with all conventional mechanized power means for propulsion.  
         [0057]    It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention which comprises the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.