Abstract:
A system that will result in less physical effort in the lowering or raising of a marine folding tower, spotting station, driving station, fishing tower, or tuna tower. The system will be installed on a fishing boat, pleasure boat, or other marine vessel. The system comprises at least one gas spring, or hydraulic or electric ram or shock absorber of any size or style that attaches to both the upper frame assembly and lower frame assembly of the tower or other station.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to marine folding towers mounted over the deck area of recreational, pleasure, and fishing boats. 
       CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL RESEARCH 
       [0003]    There are no rights to this invention under federally sponsored research and development. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Various types of towers generally referred to as “boat towers”, “tuna towers”, or “fishing towers” are in common use on recreational, pleasure, and fishing boats. Such towers form a structure over part of the deck surface of the boat to provide an elevated piloting or control station, a spotting station, a location for mounting electronic equipment, shelter from the elements, and shade from the sun. 
         [0005]    These marine tower structures must be lowered to pass beneath limited clearance bridges and other objects, to permit safe transport on vehicles, and to facilitate storage. Folding boat towers which pivot in a forward and downward direction, or a backward and downward direction, into a temporarily stored position are known in the art. Previous devices in use require either considerable physical effort to move the tower between the upright and lowered positions or additional, expensive parts and equipment for automatic operation. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,461 B1 to James discloses a telescoping boat tower apparatus on the deck structure of a boat. The apparatus includes lower and upper frame assemblies, tubular supports, and a standing platform positioned above the console of the boat. An elongated sealed interior chamber defined between tubular supports in telescoping coaxial alignment is connected to a source of pressurized fluid whereby the upper frame assembly is vertically movable with respect to the lower frame assembly. Four pressurization chambers are required, and additional parts, including either a plastic alignment cap or guides or centering rollers, sealing o-rings, and air compressors, are necessary to avoid binding, insure uniform lifting, reduce friction, and improve alignment. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,716 B1 to Ankney et al. discloses a frame assembly for a lift mechanism for Bimini tops which is automatic and not manually operated and which utilizes a combination of a pneumatic, hydraulic, or electromechanical system and springs. The Bimini top is raised or lowered without a manual stage by toggling a switch at the helm. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,999 B2 to Bierbower discloses a light-weight rotatable watersport tower used for wakeboarding. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,222 B2 to Himmel discloses a vertically moveable roof for a yacht. A plurality of hydraulically operated telescopic bars allow vertical displacement of the roof. The roof is not rotatable, and a compressor powered by batteries is required to force the flow of hydraulic fluid and move the telescopic bars. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,413 B2 to Jackson et al. discloses a hinge assembly and releasable footer for folding a light-weight boat tower of the type used to pull a wakeboarder or water skier. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,163 to Pastor et al. discloses a light weight adjustable boat top with a hydraulic piston and spring mechanism connected to the top frame and a leg of the boat top assembly. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,666 to Hastings discloses an articulated, pivotable boat top assembly appropriate for light-weight tee-tops which provide cover for boat center consoles. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,788 to Larson et al. discloses a boat tower which can be rotated from an upright position to a lowered position. The tower is attached to the boat with pinned connections. The pins are removed from the aft connections and the tower rotates about the pins of the forward connections. This arrangement is only appropriate for light-weight boat towers such as water sport performance systems. In addition, in this arrangement the pins must be removed from the connections, resulting in loose parts that must be stored, and removal of the pins may require the use of tools, depending upon the configuration. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,016 to Hansen discloses a segmented, collapsible frame structure for a convertible boat top with pivotable connections between frame members. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,595 to Green discloses a tuna tower which may be prefabricated in quantity and packaged in cartons as a plurality of sub-assemblies, spars and braces and which may be mounted on a plurality of boats having different beam measurements. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    This invention comprises a folding marine tower apparatus attachable atop and extending upward from the deck structure of a vessel, including one or more gas spring or hydraulic or electric rams or shock absorbers attached to the upper and lower frame assemblies of the folding tower or station. By attaching one end of the gas spring or shock absorber to the upper frame assembly and the other end to the lower frame assembly, the folding action requires substantially less manual effort. The gas spring/shock absorbers may be of different lengths, diameters, and materials, and may operate by electric, gas, hydraulic, air, or other function. The present invention provides an improved alternative by providing a folding boat tower which, by the utilization of pressurized fluid, preferably pressurized air, facilitates the downward movement of the upper frame assembly into a lowered position to allow clear passage of the vessel under bridges and other objects and easier and more stable transport of the vessel on trailers with less wind drag and noise, and further facilitates the upward movement required to return the upper frame assembly to the upright, operating position above the lower frame assembly. 
         [0017]    The purpose of this invention is to provide a convenient means for temporarily reducing the height clearance of a vessel equipped with the folding marine tower apparatus which has the following characteristics: ease of use; safe, convenient, and quick operation of a heavy folding boat tower with minimal physical effort by only one person having limited technical skill and knowledge; simple, low-cost construction, with few parts; ease of installation on new vessels; ease of retrofitting existing vessels; and low maintenance and high energy efficiency, resulting from a simple, durable construction having few parts none of which are motorized. 
         [0018]    In every action involving a lifting or lowering motion, such as folding a boat tower, there are masses in movement which must be controlled. Otherwise, the kinetic energy caused by the mass in motion can result in damage to the vessel and injury to the operator. Gas spring/shock absorbers are used when return assistance or load support counterbalance is required throughout the motion. Gas spring/shock absorbers counter-balance heavy loads to provide assistance in raising, lowering, controlling opening and closing forces, slowing rate of movement, and setting alternative positions. Pneumatic springs and hydraulic shock absorbers respectively use a compressed gas or fluid, contained in a cylinder and variably compressed by a sliding piston, to exert a force. The spring or shock absorber smooths out or dampens a sudden shock impulse and dissipates kinetic energy as the air or fluid pressure builds to resist force exerted on the piston. 
         [0019]    With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly point out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 
         [0020]    The instant invention satisfies the foregoing needs and fulfills additional objects and advantages that will become apparent from the description which follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a marine folding tower in the upright position mounted on a boat, with side-mounted gas springs or shock absorbers. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a marine folding tower in the upright position with side-mounted gas springs or shock absorbers. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a marine folding tower in the upright position with a side-mounted gas spring or shock absorber. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a marine folding tower in a partially folded down position with side-mounted gas springs or shock absorbers. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a marine folding tower in a completely folded down position with a side-mounted gas spring or shock absorber. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a marine folding tower in the upright position with front-mounted gas springs or shock absorbers. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a side view of a marine folding tower in the upright position with a front-mounted gas spring or shock absorber. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    With reference to the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or similar parts throughout the various views.  FIG. 1  illustrates the marine folding tower  10  of the present invention mounted on the deck  11  of a boat  12 . The boat has a bow or forward area  13 , bow rails  14 , center console  15 , port side  16 , starboard side  17 , gunwhales  18  on each side, a stern or aft area  19 , and a hull  20 . 
         [0029]    The tower is comprised of two sections or frame assemblies, a lower frame assembly  30 , which is fixed in a stationary position to the boat&#39;s deck, and an upper frame assembly  50 , which is rotatable from an upright position as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  6  and  7  to a downward or folded position around pivot points  31  on the port side and starboard sides of the lower frame assembly  30  as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  7 . 
         [0030]    The tower&#39;s lower frame assembly  30  typically includes a plurality of spaced apart forward support legs  32  and aft support legs  33  having upper ends  34  and lower ends or footers  35 . The footers  35  are fixably attached to the deck  11 , hull  20 , gunwhales  18 , or center console  15 . Appropriate fittings attached to the deck  11  or other described surface receive the legs  32  and  33  of the lower frame assembly  30  to maintain the lower frame assembly  30  in an upright position. The upper ends  34  of the support legs  32  and  33  fixably connect to pairs of longitudinal rails  37  and transverse rails  38 . As represented in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , an inverted U-shaped strut  39  on the aft side of the lower frame assembly  30  furnishes additional stability. The support legs  32  and  33  and rails  37  and  38  together support the upper frame assembly  50  of the tower  10  when the tower is in the upright position. A floor  36  is attached to the rails  38  as foot support for the operator of the vessel. 
         [0031]    A pair of opposed ladder sub-assemblies  40  provide access to and additional support for the tower&#39;s upper frame assembly  50 . Each ladder sub-assembly  40  is comprised of a pair of spaced apart, side rails  41  and  42 , connected as by welding to a plurality of parallel rungs  43 . The lower portion of the aft side rails  42  is fixably attached to the deck  11 , hull  20 , or gunwhales  18 . As displayed in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the lower portion of the forward side rails  41  may be fixably attached to the aft side rails  42 . The aft support legs  33  of the tower&#39;s lower frame assembly  30  may be identical to the aft side rails  42  of the ladder sub-assemblies  40 . 
         [0032]    The tower&#39;s upper frame assembly  50  typically includes a pair of spaced apart lower side rails  51 , a pair of spaced apart upper side rails  52 , a pair of spaced apart lower transverse rails  53 , and a pair of spaced apart upper transverse rails  54 . The rails  51 ,  52 ,  53 , and  54  are attached to spaced apart forward support posts  55  and aft support posts  56 . An upper control console  57  with steering  58  and electrical control box  59  may be mounted on the forward upper transverse rail  54 . The upper frame assembly  50  may be locked in an upright position above the lower frame assembly  30  by any of a variety of known releasable attachment devices, such as male/female connectors, at the lower ends of the aft support posts  56  of the upper frame assembly and the upper ends of the aft support legs  33  or the aft side rails  42  of the tower&#39;s lower frame assembly. A seat assembly  70  consisting of a bench  71 , seat-back  72 , and a pair of spaced apart, parallel arm rest rails  73  may be mounted on the aft upper transverse rail  54 . Legs, rails, and struts of the tower frame assemblies  30  and  50  and the ladder sub-assemblies  40  may be fabricated from metal tubing or pipe. 
         [0033]    The tower&#39;s upper frame assembly  50  is rotatably attached to the tower&#39;s lower frame assembly  30  by ball and socket joint, clevis pin, or other commonly used hinge assembly at port and starboard pivot points  31 . The invention utilizes one or more gas spring/shock absorbers to facilitate manual raising and lowering of the tower&#39;s upper frame assembly by rotation about the pivot points  31 . The gas spring/shock absorber assemblies  60  typically include a cylindrical body  61  under pressure with a sealed upper end  62  and lower end  63 , and a piston rod  64 . The gas spring/shock absorber assemblies  60  have an upper end  65  and a lower end  66 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  depict a pair of gas spring/shock absorbers  60  attached at the upper end  65  by side mounts  80  to a flange  81  attached to the forward support posts  55  of the tower&#39;s upper frame assembly  50  and at the lower end  66  by side mounts  82  to a flange  83  attached to the tower&#39;s lower frame assembly  30 . The side mounts  80  and  82  may be any of a number of known hinge assemblies. 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  demonstrates operation of the side mounted gas spring/shock absorbers  60  to move the tower&#39;s upper frame assembly  50  into a folded down position. The operator  100  can lower or raise the upper frame assembly  50  of the tower manually by pulling with one or both hands on a side rail  51  or  52 , a transverse rail  53  or  54 , a forward support post  55 , or an aft support post  56 . 
         [0036]    The upper frame assembly  50  may be locked in the fully open, downward position to the deck  11 , center console  15 , hull  20 , or lower frame assembly  30  by any of a variety of known releasable attachment devices. 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  show an alternate configuration of the invention consisting of a pair of gas spring/shock absorbers  60  attached at the upper end  65  by front mounts  90  to the forward support posts  55  of the tower&#39;s upper frame assembly  50  and at the lower end  66  by front mounts  91  to the forward support legs  32  having pivot points  31  on the tower&#39;s lower frame assembly  30 . The front mounts  90  and  91  may be any of a number of known hinge assemblies. 
         [0038]    Gas spring/shock absorbers accommodate a wide range of end fittings. Connecting parts for attaching the gas spring/shock absorbers  60  to the tower parts may be such known devices as hinge heads, fork heads, elbow joints, ball and socket joints, clevis style end fittings, or mounting brackets. A ball and socket joint allows rotation about the mounting point to prevent side loading and eliminate misalignment. A locking shroud can be used to fix the gas spring in the extended position. 
         [0039]    Gas spring/shock absorbers have several advantages when installed as part of a marine folding tower assembly. When one or more gas spring/shock absorbers are properly placed to achieve leverage and force to lift or lower the top frame assembly of a tower or other station, the physical effort to move the top frame assembly is greatly reduced. The gas spring/shock absorbers can be used manually or with power. Gas spring/shock absorbers are self contained, maintenance free devices and are supplied ready for installation. On compression, gas spring/shock absorbers do not bounce back, and the extension rate can be controlled, giving a smooth return. Gas spring/shock absorbers can be provided in a wide range of body sizes and stroke lengths. The force provided can be specified to suit the particular application. Extension and compression velocities can be customized. Locking gas spring/shock absorbers can be locked in any position throughout the stroke. Gas spring/shock absorbers can be made of aluminum where low weight is important. 
         [0040]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to various embodiments of the invention, persons skilled in the art will understand that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The optimum dimensional relationships of the parts of the invention, including variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are readily apparent and obvious to those persons skilled in the art. All equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. For example, while the embodiments illustrated depict a marine tower which folds in a downward direction for storage over the bow area of a vessel, the scope of the invention also includes a marine tower which folds in a downward direction for storage over the aft area.