Patent Publication Number: US-4650427-A

Title: Spring action boat motor support

Description:
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 679,499, filed on Dec. 7, 1984, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention. 
     This invention relates to apparatus for securing a boat motor in fixed position during trailering. 
     2. Prior Art. 
     In order to protect a boat motor&#39;s propeller and lower housing during trailering, it is desirable to tilt the lower housing upward in order to further remove it from the road. Most motors today have a tilting mechanism which can secure the lower housing in an upward tilt position. These mechanisms are satisfactory so long as the trailer does not hit a bump or dip in the road. Unfortunately, this occurs often, resulting in the lower motor housing breaking the tilting mechanism as well as causing damage to itself or to the propeller. Another major problem is vibrational damage to the vibration of the boat motor during trailering. Because of the seriousness of this problem, many devices have been devised to try to overcome this type of problem, e.g.: 
     
         ______________________________________                                    
U.S. Pat. No.                                                             
         INVENTOR   ISSUED   TITLE                                        
______________________________________                                    
1,285,517                                                                 
         White      11/19/18 BOW REST AND                                 
                             CLAMPING DEVICE                              
2,491,246                                                                 
         Bloomfield 12/13/49 DOORSTOP                                     
2,782,052                                                                 
         Albrecht,  02/19/57 BOAT TRAILER                                 
         et al               ATTACHMENT FOR                               
                             SUPPORT OF BOAT                              
                             POWER MEANS                                  
2,901,267                                                                 
         Holsclaw   08/25/59 OUTBOARD MOTOR                               
                             SUPPORT                                      
2,939,670                                                                 
         Anderson   06/07/60 OUTBOARD MOTOR                               
                             SUPPORTING TRAIL-                            
                             ER ATTACHMENT                                
2,977,084                                                                 
         Brown,     03/28/61 OUTBOARD MOTOR                               
         et al               TILT-UP RACK                                 
2,981,222                                                                 
         Cunefare   04/25/61 STEERING DEVICE                              
                             FOR OUTBOARD                                 
                             MOTOR                                        
3,011,800                                                                 
         Mitsuyasu  12/05/61 TOW BAR                                      
3,096,959                                                                 
         Wagner     07/09/63 OPERABLE                                     
                             MOUNTING MEANS                               
                             FOR OUTBOARD                                 
                             MARINE MOTOR                                 
3,173,644                                                                 
         Burfiend   03/16/65 SAFETY PROP                                  
3,416,759                                                                 
         Arnett     12/17/68 OUTBOARD MOTOR                               
                             SUPPORT BRACKET                              
                             MEANS                                        
3,693,576                                                                 
         Driscoll   09/26/72 OUTBOARD MOTOR                               
                             STABILIZER                                   
3,941,344                                                                 
         Paterson   03/02/76 MOTOR SUPPORT                                
4,125,236                                                                 
         Landwerlen 11/14/78 TRANSOM SAVER                                
4,331,431                                                                 
         Estes      05/25/82 TRANSOM SAVER                                
4,501,561                                                                 
         Speelman   02/26/85 BRACE DEVICE FOR                             
                             MOTOR BOAT                                   
                             DRIVE UNIT                                   
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     However, these devices have not provided the ease of attachment, the simplicity of construction, or the necessary securement desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a device for easily securing a boat motor in a tilt position during trailering that is simple in construction, yet provides the necessary support to prevent the motor from kicking upward if the trailer hits a bump or hole in the road. 
     These and other objects and advantages of this invention shall become apparent from the ensuing descriptions of the invention. 
     Accordingly, an adjustable boat motor support means attachable to the boat transom or trailer and motor to prevent the motor from kicking up during hauling on a trailer is provided comprising a vertically expandable first assembly pivotly mounted at one end to the boat transom and having a seating member at its opposite end in which the lower motor housing can rest, and a motor attachment assembly vertically adjustably attachable at one end to the first assembly and attachable at its opposite end to the lower motor housing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the support means attached to the boat transom and motor. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the figures, a preferred embodiment of support means 1 is shown attached to transom 2 of boat 3 mounted on trailer 4 wherein motor 5 is tilted in position for trailering. 
     More particularly support means 1 comprises an expandable first assembly having a hollow lower tubular shaft 6 into which spring 7 can fit along with the lower end 8 of upper tubular shaft 9. It also comprises a motor assembly, having rod member 10 whose threaded end 11 extends through opening 12 of tine 13 of cradle member 14 which is attached and extends outward from shaft 9. 
     In a preferred embodiment, bar 15 is fixed mounted by bolts or screws 16 to the lower section of transom 2. Bar 15 is further provided with a threaded opening 17 into which is screwed plug means 18 having a flat shoulder member 19. Lower tubular shaft 6 is provided with a plugging end member 20 having a parallel pair of ear members 21 which fit about pin 22 that passes through alignable openings 23 in ear members 21 and end member 20 and held in position by snap-on ring 24. 
     In a more preferred embodiment, shaft 6 with parallel, vertical slots 25 which permit pin 26 to extend through one of openings 27 of shaft 9 when lower end 9 is positioned in lower tubular shaft cavity 28. Pin 26 is held in place by the expansion force of compressed spring 7 that is positioned in cavity 28 between plugging end member 20 and lower end 8. In a more preferred embodiment pin 26 can also be held in slots 25 by snap-on ring 30. 
     In a preferred embodiment, cradle member 14 has two tines 13 and 31 that form a V-shaped piece into which the lower motor assembly housing 32 can be positioned. In this embodiment it is preferred that the extending end of tine 13 having an offset shoulder member 33 in which opening 12 extends in order not to interfere with the positioning of housing 32. 
     It is preferred that a second spring 34 be placed over rod 10 in order to provide an expansion force to help prevent wing nut 35 from unscrewing during trailering. In this embodiment, washer 36 and bolt 37 are atached to threaded end 11 to be positioned between shoulder member 33 and pulling member 38 which extends outward from rod 10 a sufficient distance to provide a means to grip rod member 10. Finally, rod 10 is provided with a J-shaped end 39 which hooks around the opposite side of lower motor assembly housing 32 that is positioned between tines 13 and 31. 
     Thus in operation, lower tubular shaft 6 is pivotly mounted to transom 2 and upper tubular shaft 9 is pushed into lower tubular shaft 6 so that cradle member 14 can be positioned below lower motor assembly housing 32. Then one allows spring 07 to push shaft 9 upward until lower motor assembly housing 32 is in position between tines 13 and 31. Pin 26 is then slipped through slots 25 and one of openings 27 and snap-on ring 30 attached to pin 26. Finally, elbow 39 is positioned on the lower motor housing 32 and tightened in position by wing nut 37 or bolt 35, thus secured motor 5 is prevented from vibrating or kicking up during trailering. 
     There are of course, other obvious alternate preferred embodiments not specifically shown such as connecting the motor support to the trailer rather then the boat transom, but which are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.