Abstract:
A device and method of attaching an above deck tower to a boat deck is described. The tower generally has a plurality of legs that extend down to the boat deck surface for mounting purposed. The device of the present invention comprises a fitting adapted to receive the legs of the tower and two mounting devices. The mounting devices and the fitting can all be rotated relative to each other so that the tower mounting points can all be uniformly oriented for easy installation and removal of the tower from the boat deck.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of structures that are generally referred to as towers are in use on recreational and pleasure boats. The towers are typically fabricated from metal tubing or pipe. The towers form a structure over part of the deck surface of the boat. The tower is typically fastened to some part of the deck of the boat and extends upward from the deck surface. The towers are also known to those of ordinary skill in the art variously as arches, half towers, tuna towers, towers, hardtops, and hardtop support systems. The towers can be used to provide sunshade, shelter from the elements, mounting points for a variety of equipment for various purposes, and additional control stations. 
     The present invention is directed to a device for easily mounting, removing and replacing towers on the deck of almost any boat. In the prior methods and devices for attaching these structures to boat decks, the most common method is to utilize mating male and female fittings. Generally, in the prior methods, the female fitting is attached in some manner to the upper surface of the boat deck. The towers all have several legs that form the mounting points on the deck. In order to be able to place and withdraw the male component from the female component of the fitting, it is necessary for the female component of the fittings to all have the same directional orientation. One problem with creating the proper orientation is that the deck mounting surfaces on many boats is generally not flat but varies over its surface at some angle to the horizontal. Due to this variation in the deck surface, it is difficult to install the plurality of fittings with a uniform vertical orientation for the female fitting. Consequently, mounting and removing the towers can be difficult. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for mounting towers on boat decks that overcomes the problems described above. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mounting device that can be adjusted to provide a uniform vertical orientation for a female fitting so that a tower can be easily mounted, removed and reinstalled. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device for mounting an above deck structure to a boat deck surface, wherein the above deck structure comprises a plurality of legs for mounting to the boat deck surface, comprising: a first mounting means comprising a top side and a bottom side wherein the bottom side is placed in contact with the boat deck surface; a second mounting means comprising a top side and a bottom side wherein the bottom side is placed in contact with the top side of the first mounting means and can slidingly rotate with respect to the bottom side of the first mounting means so that the top side of the second mounting means will be displaced through a range of angles with respect to a plane of the boat deck surface; a plurality of fittings adapted to receive the legs of the above deck structure and further adapted to receive the top side of second mounting means wherein the fitting can rotate relative to the top side of the second mounting means so that the fitting may be displaced through a range of angles with respect to a centerline of the boat; and means for rigidly attaching the first mounting means, the second mounting means and the fitting to the boat deck surface in a fixed position with respect to each other. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While this specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming that which is regarded as the present invention, the objects and advantages of this invention may be more readily ascertained from the following description of a preferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates of a tower mounted to a boat. 
     FIGS. 2A,  2 B and  2 C illustrate the side, front and top view respectively of a fitting for mounting a tower to a boat. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the top and front views respectively of the preferred embodiment of the mounting device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of the tower structure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is directed to a device for mounting towers to the surface of a boat deck. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical tower  10  mounted to the upper deck  11  of a boat  12 . The tower  10  illustrated in FIG. 1 is referred to as a radar tower because it is used to mount a radar unit  14 . As shown in FIG. 1, the typical tower  10  has a plurality of legs  15  that are typically fabricated from annular metal pipe. The plurality of legs  15  are attached to the deck  11  at a plurality of mounting points  16 . 
     FIG. 1 is set forth herein to illustrate a type of structure with which the present invention may be used. However, neither FIG. 1 nor the description herein should be limited to the particular type of tower  10  illustrated therein nor limited to the mounting of a tower on the upper deck  11 . Rather, as is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art, the present invention can be utilized with any similar structure mounted on any deck location of a boat without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 2A,  2 B and  2 C illustrate perspective views of a fitting  18  that will be mounted to the boat deck  11  at the plurality of mounting points  16 . The plurality of legs  15  of the tower  10  typically will each be provided with a foot  17  of generally rectangular cross section. The foot  17  is illustrated in FIG.  4 . The foot  17  will be slidingly placed in slot  19  of the fitting  18 . The foot  17  will be provided with a through hole  21  that will align with a through hole  20  in fitting  18  when the foot  17  is placed into slot  19 . A locking pin as known to those of ordinary skill in the art will be placed through holes  20  and  21  to securely lock tower  10  to the fitting  18  at each of the plurality of mounting points  16 . If it is desired to remove the tower  10 , each of the locking pins are removed from the holes  20  and  21  and the tower  10  can be removed and replaced if necessary. 
     The fitting  18  further comprises a machined cylindrical recess  22  in bottom surface  24 . The outside diameter of fitting  18  is D while the diameter of the machined cylindrical recess  22  is D 2  as illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 2C. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a mounting device  26 . The mounting device  26  is generally a truncated cylinder with outside diameter D 1  equal to outside diameter D 1  of fitting  18 . Mounting device  26  comprises cylindrical protrusion  28  on one surface  25  and a second flat surface  27  not parallel to surface  25 . In the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, second flat surface  27  forms an angle A with respect to surface  25  of approximately 7.5°. 
     The use of the mounting device  26  to mount a tower  10  to a boat deck  11  will now be described in detail. As described above, a plurality of fittings  18  will be utilized at each of the plurality of mounting points  16  to removeably mount the tower  10  to the boat deck  11 . At each of the plurality of mounting points  16 , a first mounting device  26  will be placed on the surface of the boat deck  11 . The cylindrical protrusion  28  will be placed onto the surface  11  of the boat deck and held temporarily in place by caulking or by other means known to those of ordinary skill in the art. A second mounting device  26  will be placed into the cylindrical recess  22  in fitting  18 . In particular, the cylindrical protrusion  28  on the second mounting device  26  will be placed into the cylindrical recess  22 . At this point, the fitting  18  may be rotated relative to the second mounting device  26 . The second flat surface  27  on second mounting device  26  is then placed on top of the second flat surface  27  on the first mounting device  26 . 
     After placement of the second mounting device  27  and fitting  18  on top of the first mounting device  26 , the second mounting device  27  may be rotated relative to the first mounting device  26 . By rotating the second mounting device with respect to the first mounting device, an almost infinite range of adjustment of the upper surface  28  of the second mounting device from about 0 to 30° with respect to the boat deck surface  11  is obtained. Further, the fitting  18  may be rotated with respect to mounting devices  26 . Rotation of the fitting  18  with respect to the mounting devices  26  accommodates angularity of the mounting surface for the fitting  18  through 360° with respect to the centerline of the boat. When the desired angle of orientation of the fitting  18  is determined through the above described relative rotations, the fitting  18  is affixed to the boat deck  11  as described below. 
     The fitting  18  comprises a plurality of mounting holes  30  as illustrated in FIGS. 2A,  2 B and  2 C. When the desired angle of orientation of fitting  18  is determined, the cylindrical protrusion  28  on the second mounting device  26  is marked with the location of the plurality of mounting holes  30 . Holes are then drilled at the location of the plurality of mounting holes  30  through the first and second mounting devices  26  and also through the boat deck surface  11 . A typical fastening device such as a bolt is then placed through each of the plurality of mounting holes  30 , through the holes in the first and second mounting devices  26  and through the deck surface  11 . After drilling and placement of the bolt, a nut typically would be placed on the end of the bolt under the deck surface. At the end of this process, the fitting  18  thus would be held rigidly in place at the proper angle of orientation. The process of determining the proper angle of orientation of the fitting  18  by rotating the second mounting device  26  with respect to the first mounting device  26  and also the fitting  18  with respect to the first and second mounting devices  26  is then repeated for each of the plurality of mounting points  16  required for the tower  10 . Each of the remaining fittings  18  are then similarly bolted in place to the boat deck  11 . 
     At the end of this process, each of the plurality of mounting points  16  for the tower  10  are provided with a fitting  18  uniformly mounted and oriented so that the tower is easily mounted, removed and/or replaced as described above. Thus, the present invention accomplishes the objective set forth above of solving the problems of prior mounting devices for towers on boat decks with uneven surfaces as well as the other objectives noted above. 
     The purpose of the above description is to illustrate the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention without implying a limitation therefrom. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the embodiments just described merely illustrate the principles of the present invention. Many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.