Patent Publication Number: US-6901875-B1

Title: Retractable marine fitting

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   Marine vessels may include fittings that may be accessed outside the vessel&#39;s hull while the vessel is stationary or during times of relatively slow movement. Such fittings may include a tow fitting. However, it may be desirable that the vessel&#39;s hull be streamlined for efficiency during relatively fast movement of the vessel. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a marine vessel including one embodiment of a retractable marine fitting in an extended position. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of one embodiment of a marine fitting. 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the marine fitting of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the marine fitting of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of one embodiment of a housing for one embodiment of a marine fitting. 
       FIG. 6  is a side, cross-sectional view of the housing of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a front, cross-sectional view of the housing of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of one embodiment of a marine hull, a housing secured thereto, and with one embodiment of a fitting positioned therein. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a marine vessel  10  including one embodiment of a retractable marine fitting  12  in an extended position. Fitting  12  may comprise a tow fitting, a hand rail, a tie-down cleat, a periscope, a wind measurement device, a navigational device, a communication device, or a mooring device. Vessel  10  may comprise any vessel adapted for use on or in water, such as a boat, a submarine, or a plane adapted for landing on water. In the embodiment shown, vessel  10  may comprises a boat. Vessel  10  may include a hull  14  and a control area  16  for crew members. Hull  14  may include an exterior surface  18  that may be generally streamlined and/or have a smooth surface so as to cut through the water during movement of vessel  10  therethrough. Fitting  12  may be moved from an extended position  20  into a retracted position  22  (shown in dash lines) within hull  14  so that hull  14  may have a substantially streamlined and smooth exterior surface  18  during movement of hull  14  through air and/or a body of water  24 . 
     FIG. 2  is a side view of one embodiment of marine fitting  12 . Fitting  12  may include an upper region  30  and a lower region  32  which may be secured together by a weld  34 . Lower region  32  may comprises a substantially solid, elongate member  36  which may include first and second bore holes  38  and  40 , respectively, therethrough. First bore hole  38  may be adapted for receiving a securing device, such as a pin  42 , therethrough so as to retain fitting  12  in a stowed or retracted position  22  (see  FIG. 1 ) and second bore hole  40  may be adapted for receiving pin  42  therethrough so as to retain fitting  12  in an extended or in-use position  20  (see  FIG. 1 ). Lower region  32  may comprise a protrusion, such as a cylindrical shaped tab  44  adapted for being received within a mating recess, such as a cylindrically shaped recess  46  in upper region  30  of fitting  12 . A lower portion of lower region  32  may comprise a recess  47  that may be adapted to receive a protrusion (not shown) therein, such as when fitting  12  is in a lowered or retracted position  22  within hull  14  (see  FIG. 1 ). Accordingly, recess  47  may be utilized to align fitting  12  into a predetermined position during retraction thereof. 
   Upper region  30  may comprise a top plate  48  that may define a substantially flat and smooth top surface  50  and a lower surface  52  that may define an outer region  54  and a ramped region  56 . Outer region  54  may be positioned substantially perpendicular to an elongate axis  58  of fitting  12  and ramped region  56  may be positioned at an acute angle  60  with respect to elongate axis  58 . Outer region  54  may extend substantially completely around lower surface  52  of top plate  48  and may be adapted for contacting a seal of a housing (see  FIG. 4 ) adapted for receiving fitting  12  therein. Ramped region  56  may also extend substantially completely around lower surface  52  of top plate  48  and may define a ramped surface  57  that may define an angle  60  in a range of greater than zero to less than ninety degrees, and, in the embodiment shown, may comprise an angle  60  of approximately forty five degrees. Ramped surface  57 , also referred to as a shoulder, may be adapted for mating with a mating ramped surface of a housing (see  FIG. 4 ) so as to position fitting  12  in a predetermined aligned position within hull  14  (see  FIG. 1 ) when the fitting is retracted therein. 
   Upper region  30  may further comprise a hook  62  extending downwardly from top plate  48  so as to allow securement of a tow line (not shown) to fitting  12 . Hook  62  may be positioned radially inwardly of shoulder  57 . Accordingly, in the embodiment shown, marine fitting  12  may comprise a tow fitting adapted to facilitate towing of vessel  10  (see  FIG. 1 ). Upper region  30  may further comprise transition structures  64  that may function to transition hook  62  to a base section  66  of upper region  30  so as to reduce point loading within fitting  12 . 
     FIG. 3  is a front view of marine fitting  12  of  FIG. 3  showing outer region  54  and ramped region  56  extending substantially around lower surface  52  of top plate  48 . 
     FIG. 4  is a top view of marine fitting  12  of  FIG. 3  showing top surface  50  of top plate  48 . In the embodiment shown, top surface  50  has a generally rectangular shape. However, any shape as may be desirable for a particular application may be utilized. 
     FIG. 5  is a side view of one embodiment of a housing  70  for one embodiment of a marine fitting  12  (see  FIG. 2 ). Housing  70  may include an upper region  72  and a lower region  74  which may be secured to one another by a weld  76 . Lower region  74  may include an elongate member  78  and a bore hole  80  extending therethrough for receiving pin  42  (see  FIG. 2 ) therethrough. Upper region  72  may include a top plate  82  having a top surface  84  that may be welded to hull  14  by a weld  86 . In the embodiment shown, top surface  84  of top plate  82  and exterior surface  18  of hull  14  may define a single plane  88  (shown in end view) such that an interface  90  between hull  14  and top plate  82  may define a smooth surface. Upper region  72  may be sized to receive upper region  30  of fitting  12 , including hook  62 . Bore hole  80  may be positioned in lower region  74  of housing  70  so as be aligned with first bore hole  38  of fitting  12  when fitting  12  is in a retracted position  22  (see  FIG. 1 ), and bore hole  80  may be aligned with second bore hole  40  of fitting  12  when fitting  12  is in an extended position  20  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     FIG. 6  is a side, cross-sectional view of housing  70  of  FIG. 5 . Upper region  72  of housing  70  may include a recess  92  that may define a surface  94  positioned substantially perpendicular to an elongate axis  96  of housing  70 . Surface  94  may include a recess  98  therein sized to received a seal, such as an elastomeric o-ring  100 , therein. Recess  92  may be sized to receive top plate  48  of fitting  12  (see  FIG. 2 ) such that lower surface  52  of top plate  48  may be positioned adjacent surface  94  of recess  92  and such that seal  100  may define a water tight seal between surface  94  of housing  70  and surface  52  of fitting  12 . Formation of a water-tight seal between fitting  12  and housing  70  may allow hull  14  to retain air therein so as to define a buoyancy effect in the hull, and may allow hull  14  to retain water therein so as to allow vessel  10  to be at least partially submerged under a body of water  24 . In the embodiment shown, recess  98  and seal  100  therein may each extend substantially completely around recess  92  such that in retracted position  22  (see  FIG. 2 ), fitting  12  may be sealingly received within housing  70 . 
   Upper region  72  of housing  70  may further include a ramped surface  102  that may define an angle  104  with elongate axis  96 , wherein angle  104  may be in a range of greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees. In the embodiment shown, ramped surface  102  may be inclined with respect to elongate axis  96  at an angle substantially similar to the angle of inclination of angle  60  (see  FIG. 2 ) of fitting  12 , such as an angle of forty five degrees. Ramped surface  102  of housing  70  may be inclined, and may be positioned a vertical distance  105  below top surface  84  of housing  70 , so as to receive ramped surface  57  of fitting  12  in a predetermined orientation so as to align fitting  12  in a unique position within housing  70  when fitting  12  is retracted therein. In other words, ramped surfaces  102  and  57  may define a depth control device to control the position of top surface  50  of fitting  12  with respect to top surface  84  of housing  70 . In the embodiment shown, each of ramped surfaces  102  and  57  have a substantially rectangular perimeter. However, any shape may be utilized as is desired for a particular application. Ramped surface  102  of housing  70  may also be positioned so as to abut ramped surface  57  of fitting  12  completely along the ramped surfaces such that fitting  12  is electrically connected to housing  70 . In other words, fitting  12  and housing  70  may both be manufactured to electrically conductive material and may define a smooth electrical conductivity path when ramped surface  102  of housing  70  receives ramped surface  57  of fitting  12  thereagainst. Furthermore, ramped surface  102  of housing  70  may be positioned so as to abut ramped surface  57  of fitting  12  completely along the ramped surfaces such that fitting  12  is aligned by housing  70  in a single, predetermined orientation when fitting  12  is retracted within housing  70 . 
     FIG. 7  is a front, cross-sectional view of housing  70  of  FIG. 5 . 
     FIG. 8  is a top view of one embodiment of a marine hull  14 , a housing  70  secured thereto, and with one embodiment of a fitting  12  positioned therein. In the embodiment shown, exterior surface  18  of hull  14 , top surface  84  of housing  70  and top surface  50  of fitting  12  are each substantially positioned in plane  88  when fitting  12  is in the retracted position  22  (see  FIG. 1 ) within housing  70 . In other words, exterior surface  18  of hull  14 , top surface  84  of housing  70  and top surface  50  of fitting  12  may each define a plane that is positioned substantially parallel to, and generally within approximately 0.25 inches (in), and more particularly within approximately 0.030 in or less, from plane  88  such that there is no substantial vertical step, i.e., a vertical discontinuity, between the hull, the housing and the fitting. Moreover, a gap  106 , i.e., a horizontal discontinuity, between housing  70  and hull  14  may be substantially small, such as approximately 0.25 in, and more particularly approximately 0.030 in or less, and a gap  108  between top plate  48  of fitting  12  and top plate  82  of housing  70  may be substantially small, such as approximately 0.25 in, and more particularly approximately 0.050 in or less. Due to the positioning of the exterior surfaces of hull  14  and top plates  84  and  50  substantially in single plane  88 , and due to the relatively small size of gaps  106  and  108 , marine vessel  10  may have a reduced susceptibility to radar detection. In other words, retractable fitting  12  may maintain the radar signature boundaries of marine vessel  10 . Stated yet another way, retractable fitting  12  may maintain the vertical steps and the horizontal gaps within hull  14  so as to reduce detection of vessel  10  by radar. Moreover, the smooth exterior surface of the vessel hull, housing and fitting may reduce drag of the vessel during motion of the vessel through air or a body of water. 
   In the embodiment shown, fitting  12 , housing  70 , hull  14  and weld  86  (see  FIG. 5 ) may each be manufactured of a conductive material such as metal, namely aluminum. Accordingly, through weld  86 , housing  70  and hull  14  may be in electrical contact with one another. Through ramped surfaces  57  and  102 , fitting  12  and housing  70  may be in electrical contact with one another. Stated another way, hull  14  and housing  70  may define a continuous path of conductivity, and fitting  12  and housing  70  define a continuous path of conductivity. Due to the smooth conductive transition from hull  14  to housing  70  to fitting  12 , marine vessel  10  may have a reduced susceptibility to radar detection. 
   Referring again to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , pin  42  may be placed through bore hole  80  of housing  70 , and through either of bore holes  38  or  49  of fitting  12 , manually or automatically, such as by a motor  110  (shown schematically in  FIG. 1 ). Moreover, fitting  12  may be raised or lowered manually or automatically such as by motor  110 . 
   Other variations and modifications of the concepts described herein may be utilized and fall within the scope of the claims below.