Patent Publication Number: US-2006016381-A1

Title: Tower leg support and storage device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      The present application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/599,756, filed Aug. 6, 2004 and titled “Tower Leg Support and Rack,” and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,317, filed Apr. 29, 2005 and titled “Rotating Storage Device,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,315, filed Apr. 29, 2004 and titled “Rotating Board Rack,” the entirety of each being incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention relates to a superstructure mounted on a boat, a support structure for the superstructure, and a storage device for use with the superstructure, and more particularly, to a positionable superstructure, support structure, and storage device.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      It is common to have a tower or superstructure mounted on a boat for a variety of functions. For instance, the tower may be used for radar, weather sensors, radio or other communications equipment, speakers, lights, beacons, tow pylons, flags, or other devices and equipment. The tower is often made of metal tubing, such as square or round aluminum tubing, and spans from points fore and aft of a pilot or other area. Even for a small power boat, an exemplary tower may be 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. Regardless of attached equipment, such a structure can be quite heavy.  
      For a number of reasons, it is occasionally desirable to collapse or remove the tower from the boat. By way of example, a dock or slip space rented for the season may not provide sufficient clearance for the tower. If a boat owner does not anticipate using the boat in the near future, it may be useful to cover the interior and/or entrance portions of the boat for protection from the elements, from vandals or thieves, or from trespassers. Furthermore, a dry-dock space for storage or repair may require the removal of such a tower.  
      In addition, boats historically often suffer from a need for size-economical storage space. It is not uncommon to store extra water skis, wake boards, fishing poles, and the like on a boat. Typically, such items are simply piled into a passenger area of the boat. Beneficially, the items are easily stored or accessed by a passenger when needed. On the other hand, the items stored in this manner are then underfoot, loose, and cumbersome, at the minimum. In addition, bringing such items into the passenger area after use often meant bringing in items that would drain water into the cabin.  
      One solution to these shortcomings has been to provide storage devices that allow the items to be mounted outboard of the passenger compartment or otherwise mounted on the exterior of the boat. In this manner, water dripping from the stored times is directed out of the passenger area, and the items are not in the way of passengers in the interior of the boat. One such instance of such outboard storage is to provide a storage device mounted to the support structure for the boat tower.  
      Current tower-mounted storage devices have several other shortcomings. Such tower-mounted storage devices are generally fixed to the outboard side of the tower support structure, an awkward location for the items to be stored in and removed from the device. A user has to reach around the support structure to which the storage device is mounted in order to access the storage device. In such position, a person needs to be careful when storing or removing an item in the storage device and often the boat needs to be properly steadied. In addition, utilization of the tower support structure for storage may also restrict the ease of collapsing or removing the tower. Moreover, these storage devices may be mounted such that the boat is greater than the legal width, typically 102 inches, permitted for over-land transport of the boat on a trailer.  
      Accordingly, there is a need for an improved storage device and a tower that can be simply collapsed or removed.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In accordance with one aspect, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on a superstructure is disclosed. A storage device is configured for attachment to the rotatable device for the storage of loose items. Preferably, the superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. Therefore, the storage device is preferably configured to hold water skis, wake boards, oars, fishing poles, and the like. The rotatable device may be moved or rotated between a plurality of positions. In at least one position, the storage device is generally oriented towards a person for inserting or storing items, or items stored therein are generally disposed towards the interior or passenger area, or towards passengers in general. In a second position, the storage device is generally oriented such that the device and items therein are generally disposed away from passengers or the passenger compartment. Accordingly, a user may selectively position the device for use, such as fore ingress and egress of the items to and from storage in the device.  
      In accordance with other aspects, the rotatable device includes a pair of bearings to permit the rotation of the storage device. The pair of bearings distribute the weight and torque from the storage device and stored items through the rotatable device and the superstructure.  
      In accordance with a further aspect, the bearings preferably include a braking mechanism to adjustably control the amount of friction in the rotatable mount. In use, the amount of force or tension within the rotatable mount may be adjusted as necessary to control the rotation of the rotatable device.  
      In accordance with another aspect, the rotatable device includes one or more components for securing the position of the device. The component may be a securing member that is shiftable between positions to secure and release a portion of the device to rotate relative to another portion of the device. The securing member may include an end received by a receiving structure of the device to prevent or restrict relative motion. The securing member may include an elongate portion that is shiftable either in a longitudinal or linear manner, or may include an elongate portion that is threadably shifted. Alternatively and in addition, more than one securing member may be provided, and one may be shifted threadably while another may be linearly shifted. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary boat and a tower including a tower support or leg with a storage device secured and selectively positionable relative thereto;  
       FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the tower leg of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded side elevational view of a lower portion of the tower leg of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded side elevational view of an upper portion of the tower leg of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the tower leg taken through the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the storage device including a storage frame, a handle assembly, a knob assembly, and an elongate body, the storage device securable by securements with upper and lower support plates;  
       FIG. 7  is a partially exploded perspective view of the elongate body of the storage device of  FIG. 6  showing the components of the handle assembly;  
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the handle assembly;  
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the knob assembly;  
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an alternative tower securable with a boat, and an alternative storage device secured and selectively positionable relative thereto;  
       FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the storage device of  FIG. 10  including an elongate body having connections for securing the storage device to upper and lower portions of the tower; and  
       FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of the elongate body of the storage device of  FIG. 10 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a superstructure or tower  10  having a storage device  12  for storing or mounting items thereon are illustrated for use on a boat  14 . In the present embodiment, the storage device  12  is secured with and forms a part of the tower  10 . The tower  10  is typically secured either directly or indirectly to a deck surface or a hull  16  of the boat  14  so that boat passengers may pass below a central portion  10   a  of the tower  10 , and so that controls  18  of the boat may be located below the tower  10 . In this manner, a pilot of the boat  14  would be present below the tower  10  when operating the controls  18 . When operating the boat  14 , the pilot&#39;s ability to move within the tower  10  is preferably unhindered, as would be desirable for viewing the operational field of the boat including the water surface.  
      In one form, the tower structure  10  includes an upper support structure  20  and a pair of spaced tower supports or legs  22  that hold the upper support structure  20  elevated above the boat hull  16 . The upper support structure  20  further includes a crossbar  24  spanning between a pair of front support arms  26  secured to the boat  14  by respective front anchor members  28 . As depicted, the front anchor members  28  may provide a particular mounting orientation between the front support arms  26  and the boat  14  so that the front crossbar  24  is elevated a predetermined distance for ease of an individual&#39;s movement in a passenger compartment of the boat  14 .  
      Each leg  22  extends from one of the front support arms  26  downwardly to the boat hull  16 . The leg  22  preferably includes an upper support plate  40  joined to a lower support plate  42  by the storage device  12 . An upper mount  30  joins one end  34  of the leg  22  (i.e., an upper end of the upper support plate  40 ) to the front support arm  26 , and a lower mount  32  joins an opposite end  36  of the leg  22  (i.e., a lower end of the lower support plate  42 ) to the boat surface  16 . As illustrated, the lower support plate  42  generally flares upwardly and forwardly from the boat surface  16 , and the upper support plate  40  generally flares forwardly and downwardly from the arm  26 , the storage device  12  being located between and joining the upper and lower plates  40 ,  42 . The leg  22  may optionally include various internal designs, shapes, openings, or other features for decoration, weight saving, structural support, and the like. Additionally, to permit the tower  10  to be retrofitted to an existing boat, it is preferred that the upper mount  30  and the lower mount  32  are variably securable so that the leg  22  may be installed with boats  14  and towers  10  having different configurations in terms of design, shape, length, or width, for instance.  
      As previously stated, the tower  10  also includes the storage device  12  secured to and preferably forming a portion of the leg  22 . Herein, the storage device  12  is depicted as a diamond-shaped structure having an exemplary securing member or rack  44  extending therefrom for securing items thereto. In the present form depicted in  FIG. 1 , the rack  44  includes structure  45  defining slots  47  for receiving items such as wakeboards (not shown). It should be noted, however, the storage device  12  may be configured in a number of manners and may, accordingly, be used for storing a variety of objects typically used on a boat, such as but not limited to water skis, wakeboards, oars, paddles, fishing poles, flags, and the like. As illustrated, the tower  10  is provided with two storage devices  12  on respective port and starboard support legs  22 , though the tower  10  may alternatively be provided with a single storage device  12  or with several storage devices  12 . While it is preferred that the storage device joins the two separate plates  40  and  42 , the leg  22  may also form a single piece with the storage device  12  mounted thereon, or may form a plurality of separate pieces joined together by the storage device  12 . In addition, while it is also preferred to join the storage device  12  to the leg  22 , it is also acceptable for the storage device  12  to be secured to any portion of the tower  10  or the boat  14 .  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , the lower mount  32  may be secured to the sidewall or other surface of the boat hull  16 , for instance. In the depicted embodiment, the lower mount  32  includes a base  56 , which is preferably received within an opening in the hull  16  and positioned flush thereagainst. A tongue  58  extending from the lower end  36  of the lower support plate  42  is inserted and secured within a receiving slot  60  in the base  56 . The tongue  58  is preferably integral with and extends below a lower, mating edge  55  of the lower support plate  42 . When inserted into the base  56 , the lower, mating edge  55  rests on an upper surface  57  of the base  56 . The tongue  58  is secured to the base  56  through a plurality of fasteners  62  extending through apertures  64  in the base  56  and through apertures  66  in the tongue  58 . A second plate  68  may also be received within the receiving slot  60  and positioned between the tongue  58  and an inside surface of the base  56 . The cover plate  68  also includes apertures  70  for receipt of the fasteners  62  and, therefore, is also secured to the base  56  and tongue  58  within the receiving slot  60  by the fasteners  62 .  
      The upper mount  30  secures the front support arm  26  to the upper end  34  of the tower support legs  22 . The upper mount  30  includes a bracket  80  mounted to one of the front support arms  26 , and a tongue  82  extending upwardly from an upper edge  81  of the upper support plate  40 . The bracket  80  preferably includes a concave upper surface  83  allowing the bracket  80  to mate with the front support arms  26 , commonly elongate tubular structures having a convex outer surface. The bracket  80  is joined to the front support arms  26  by welds, fasteners, or other securing methods suitable for use on a boat.  
      In a preferred embodiment, the bracket  80  is variably attached to the upper support plate  40 . In this regard, the bracket  80  includes a receiving slot  84  to receive the tongue  82  therein. The slot  84  is sized and shaped to allow pivoting between the bracket  80  and the leg  22 . Accordingly, the receiving slot  84  preferably has a length that is longer than a length of the tongue  82 , and the tongue  82  includes curved edges  86 , both of which facilitate relative movement or pivoting between the leg  22  and the bracket  80 .  
      To secure the tongue  82  to the bracket  80  in the variable attachment, both the tongue  82  and the bracket  80  preferably include openings to receive a fastener  87  therethrough. For example, the bracket  80  includes generally oval-shaped or elongated apertures  88  and the tongue  82  includes generally circular openings  90 . The elongated apertures  88  also permit the relative movement or pivoting between the leg  22  and the bracket  80 . For example, the elongated shape of the opening  88 , the tongue curved edges  86 , and the oversized length of the slot  84  permit the leg  22  to pivot relative to the bracket  80  when the fasteners  67  are only loosely fastened.  
      In this configuration, the variable attachment between the upper support plate  40  and the bracket  80  permits adjustment of the tower  10  during installation or pivoting of the leg  22  for ease of storage. For example, during installation, the bracket  80  may be initially attached to the upper support plate  40  in a loose engagement. In this manner, the tower front support  20  and the leg  22  may then be pivoted, urged, or otherwise moved into the correct orientation on the boat  14  to secure the front support arm  26  at the desired elevation or position and also be received in the front anchor  28  and the lower mounts  32  at the same time. Once correctly positioned, the tower  10  may be firmly secured. On the other hand, during storage of the tower  10 , the leg  22  may be removed from the lower mounts  32  and pivoted at the upper mount  30  to collapse the leg  22  inwardly to the tower front support  20  to form a more compact structure for ease of storage. For instance, the legs  22  may be removed from the lower mounts  32  by first loosening the fasteners  62 . Next, the tower support tongue  58  may be removed from the lower mount receiving slot  60 . Upon removal of the leg  22  from the lower mount  32 , the legs  22  may then be rotated or pivoted around the upper mount  30  so that the leg  22  is clear of the boat  14 . At such point, the entire tower  10  may then be collapsed or removed as desired. Alternatively, the leg  22  may also be released from the upper mount  30  to further collapse or dissemble the tower  10 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 6-9 , an exemplary embodiment of the storage device  12  is illustrated in detail. The storage device  12  includes a central shaft  100 , upper and lower mounts  102   a  and  102   b , respectively, and a support frame  103  including a pair of wings  104  extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central shaft  100 . The wings  104  support the rack  44 , noted above, and include securements  106  in the form of rectangular openings for holding the rack  44  or other mounting device (see  FIG. 1 ). The storage device  12  further includes an upper bearing portion  110  and a lower bearing portion  112  to which the wings  104  are secured. The bearing portions  110 ,  112  permit the wings  104  to rotate around the central shaft  100  so that the wings  104  and the accompanying rack  44  can be rotated to a variety of positions relative to the central shaft  100 . As will be further described below, the central shaft  100  utilizes the upper and lower mounts  102   a  and  102   b  for securing with the legs  22 . As a result, the wings  104 , through the bearing portions  110  and  112 , may be rotated around the central shaft  100  to locate the wings  104  in a variety of positions relative to the tower  10  or other structure to which the storage device  12  is secured.  
      The storage device  12  is secured to the tower  10 , and preferably, secured to the legs  22  via the upper and lower mounts  102   a  and  102   b . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the upper mount  102   a  may be a separate component that is joined to an upper end surface  114   a  of the central shaft  100  by a fastener  116 . In one form, the fastener  116  includes a bolt  120  and alignment pins or pegs  122 . The bolt  120  extends through a hole  124  in the mount  102   a  and secures the mount  102   a  to the central shaft  100  through an opening  126  in the central shaft end surface  114   a . Spaced from the opening  126 , the central shaft end surface  114   a  also includes alignment holes  128  that receive the pegs  122  therein. Similarly, a lower surface  130  of the upper mount  102   a  includes similar alignment holes  128 , which also receive the pegs  122  therein. In this manner, the pegs  122  and the alignment holes  128  ensure proper orientation of the upper mount  102   a  to the central shaft  100 , which is preferably the central shaft end surface  114  abutting the upper mount lower surface  130 . The lower mount  102   b  is secured to an opposite end surface  114   b  of the central shaft  100  in a similar fashion.  
      The upper mount  102   a  includes a securing portion  131 , which in this embodiment defines an L-shape with an upper section of the mount  102   a . The securing portion  131  is received in a corresponding recess  132  in the upper plate  40 . Fasteners  134  secure the upper mount  102   a  to the upper support plate  40 . The lower mount  102   b  is secured in a similar fashion to the lower plate  42 . In this manner, the upper support plate  40  and the lower support plate  42  may be separate pieces that are joined together with the central shaft  100  via the mounts  102   a  and  102   b  of the storage device  12 . Therefore, the storage device  12  forms a structural portion of the leg  22  for supporting weight and stress from the crossbar  24 , including when accessories are mounted to the tower  10  or a person is being towed by the boat  14 .  
      It should be noted that, while the mounts  102   a ,  102   b  are preferably the separate structures described above, it is also acceptable for the mounts  102   a ,  102   b  to be integral with the central shaft  100  so that the shaft  100 , the upper mount  102   a , and the lower mount  102   b  are a single component. However, use of the separate mounts  102   a ,  102   b  is advantageous in that the storage device  12  may be secured to a variety of different structures (i.e., different types of towers  10 , varying surfaces of the boat  12 , varying types of scaffolding, etc.) simply by changing the configuration, shape, or structure of the mounts  102   a ,  102   b  that are joined to the central shaft  100 . For instance,  FIGS. 10-12 , which are described below, illustrate alternative mounts for the central shaft  100 . Furthermore, while is it illustrated and described that the upper mount  102   a  and the lower mount  102   b  are similar in structure, the mounts  102   a  and  102   b  may also have varying configurations depending on what structure the storage device  12  is to be secured to.  
      Alternatively, while it is preferred that the upper support plate  40  and lower support plate  42  are separate pieces, these components may also be a single piece. In this manner, the single leg  22  may include a corresponding recess or recesses (not shown) for receipt of the upper mount  102   a , the lower mount  102   b , and the central shaft  100  therein. In this alternative configuration, the storage device  12  does not necessarily form a structural portion of the leg  22 , but is secured to the one-piece leg  22 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 7 , the central shaft  100  is illustrated in more detail. The central shaft  100  includes an elongate body portion  140 , the upper bearing portion  110 , and the lower bearing portion  112  (shown in an exploded view for more detail). More specifically, the elongate body portion  140  is preferably a cylindrical shaft having the opposing end surfaces  114   a ,  114   b  thereon. The body portion  140  includes an upper recess  144   a  (not shown) and lower recess  144   b , respectively, for receipt of the upper and lower bearing portions  110  and  112 . The upper bearing portion  110  includes a pair of half-members  142   a  and  142   b  that, when joined together, form the bearing portion  110 . When assembled, the upper bearing  110  is received in the upper bearing recess of the elongate body portion  140 . Likewise, the lower bearing portion  112  also includes a pair of half-members  142   a  and  142   b  that, when assembled, form the bearing portion  112  and is received in the lower bearing recess  144   b.    
      For ease of relative rotation between the bearing portions  110 ,  112  and the elongate body  140 , a low-friction member  152 , such as nylon, delron, or the like, may be provided therebetween. Referring to the lower bearing portion  112 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 9  in an exploded view for convenience, an inner surface  146  of the bearing half member  142   a  and an inner surface  148  of the bearing recess  144   b  preferably include corresponding annular grooves  150  in which the low-friction member  152  is inserted. As depicted, the recess  144   b  and bearing half-member  142   a  include a pair of spaced grooves  150 , and the low-friction member  152  is a preferably a pair of space rings each received in a separate groove  150 . The upper bearing recess  144   a  and upper bearing portion  110  may include similar features.  
      It can be appreciated, however, that the bearing portions  110 ,  112  may include any number of low-friction members  152 . Optionally, the inner surfaces  146 ,  148  as well as the low-friction member  152  may also be lubricated with a suitable marine lubrication. Alternatively, the bearing portions  110 ,  112  may also be assembled without use of the low-friction member  152 , but instead use the marine lubricant on the inner surfaces  146  and  148 .  
      The bearing portions  110 ,  112  also preferably include a tension control device or braking mechanism  153  to control how freely the bearing portions  110 ,  112  rotate around the central shaft body  140  by providing an adjustable frictional engagement between the bearing portions  110 ,  112  and the central shaft body  140 . Again referring to the lower bearing portion  112 , in one form, the braking mechanism  153  includes a tension surface  154  within the elongate body recess  144   b  that frictionally engages a tensioning assembly  156  in the lower bearing half-member  142   b . If more resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion  112  is desired, the tensioning assembly  156  is tightened against the tension surface  154  to provide more shaft tension. Alternatively, if less resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion  112  is desired, the tensioning assembly  156  is loosened against the tension surface  154 .  
      In a preferred embodiment, the tensioning assembly  156  includes a tension clamp or brake shoe  158 , which is preferably nylon, delron, or like material, having a mating surface  160  that is contoured to engage the tension surface  154 . A biasing member  162 , such as a spring or pair of springs, biases the mating surface  160  of the brake shoe  158  against the tension surface  154 . A positioning member  164 , such as a set screw, pin, or the like, may be used to increase or decrease the resistance of the tension shoe  158  as described above. That is, for example, the positioning member  164  may be used to move the brake shoe  158  into a tighter or looser engagement with the tension surface  154 . As the brake shoe  158  is tightened or loosened against the tension surface  154 , more or less friction therebetween provides the increased or decreased resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion  112  as discussed above. The upper bearing portion  110  is preferably similar to the lower bearing portion  112  and is preferably joined to the elongate body  140  in a like fashion with a similar braking mechanism  153 .  
      Referring to the upper bearing portion  110  illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , in which the bearing half-members  142   a  and  142   b  are illustrated assembled together with a fastener  141 , the bearing portion  110  also forms a slot  170  to receive a portion of the wings  104  therein. The wing  104  is then secured to the bearing  110  in the slot  170  with a suitable fastener. The lower bearing portion  112 , when assembled, also forms a similar slot  170 . Therefore, the wing  104  is secured to both the upper bearing portion  110  and the lower bearing portion  112 . In this manner, the wing  104  is secured to the central shaft  140  through a pair of bearing via the bearing portions  110  and  112 . Such configuration is advantageous in that the dual support of the wings  104  at both bearing portions  110  and  112  distributes the weight of the wings  104  and the torque due to the items stored in the storage member  12  through the central shaft body  140 .  
      As will be further described below, the storage device  12  further includes a knob assembly  172  and a handle assembly  174 , which are both used to permit rotation of the bearing portions  110 ,  112  relative to the elongate body  140  and also to lock the bearing portion  112  relative to the body  140  to prevent relative motion therebetween. Because the wings  104  are attached to the bearing portions  110 ,  112  via the slots  170 , as the bearing portions  110 ,  112  are rotated relative to the body  140 , the wings  104  are also rotated relative to the body  104  in a similar rotational direction. Preferably, the upper bearing portion  110  includes the knob assembly  172  while the lower bearing portion  112  includes the pull handle assembly  174 . However, both the bearing portions  110 ,  112  may have either of the assemblies  172  or  174  as desired. Optionally, while it is preferred that the storage device  12  include both the knob assembly  172  and the handle assembly  174 , the device  12  may also include only one of either the knob assembly  172  or the handle assembly  174 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 7-9 , the rotation and locking of the bearing portions  110 ,  112  will be described in more detail. Turning first to the lower bearing portion  112 ,  FIG. 8  depicts the handle assembly  174  that is preferably included with the lower bearing portion  112 . The handle assembly  174  includes a pull handle  176  joined to a biased locking pin  178 . That is, in one embodiment, the pin  178  includes an externally threaded portion  180  that is received through an open shaft  184  in the lower bearing portion half-member  142   a  and joined to the handle  176  via an internally threaded aperture  182  in the handle  176 . Opposite the handle  176 , the pin  178  also includes an enlarged stop member  186  having a stop surface  188  facing the handle  176 . Between the inner surface  146  of the lower bearing portion half-member  142   a  and the stop surface  188 , the pin  176  further includes a biasing member  190 , such as a spring, surrounding the pin  178 . The biasing member  190  biases the handle  176  against the outer surface of lower bearing portion  112 , and as further described below, biases the locking pin  178  within an interfering or locking position with the central shaft  140 .  
      As depicted in  FIG. 8 , the inner diameter of the internally threaded handle aperture  182  may be larger than the outer diameter of the externally threaded portion  180  of the pin  178 . As a result, a coupling member  184  may be provided to allow the pin  178  and the handle  176  to be joined even with varying diameters. For instance, the coupling member  184  includes an outer diameter having external threads  184   a  sized to be threadably received in the handle aperture  182  as well as an inner aperture  184   b  having internal threads sized to threadably receive the threaded portion  180  of the locking pin  178  therein.  
      Once the lower bearing portion  112  and handle assembly  174  are assembled as described above on the central shaft  100 , the biasing member  190  preferably biases the locking pin  178  within an interfering or locking position. That is, the biasing member  190  biases an end  192  of the locking pin  178  within one of a plurality of locking holes  200  in the bearing recess  144   b  of the central shaft  100  (see  FIG. 9 ). When in this locking position, the interference of the pin end  192  within the locking holes  200  prevents the lower bearing portion  112  from rotating relative to the central shaft  140 . When it is desired to rotate the bearing portion  112 , the pull handle  176  is pulled away from the bearing portion  112  to counter-bias the pin  178  so that the pin end  192  is retracted from the locking hole  200 . At such point, the lower bearing portion  112 , as well as the attached wing  104 , is free to rotate relative to the central shaft body  140 . Once the pin  178  is counter-biased out of the locking hole  200 , the lower bearing  112  can be rotationally positioned around the central shaft  140  such that the pin  176  may be aligned with another locking hole  200 . At such new locking hole  200 , the pin end  192  is again biased into the new locking hole  200  via the biasing member  190  to prevent further rotation of the bearing member  112 . As will be described below, because the wing  104  is attached to both the upper bearing portion  110  and the lower bearing portion  112 , upon unlocking the upper bearing portion  100 , the unlocking and rotation of the lower bearing  112  also rotates the upper bearing portion  110  and, therefore, the entire storage device  12 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 7 , the central shaft  140  preferably includes a plurality of locking holes  200  that are circumferentially spaced about the central shaft  140  within the bearing recess  144   b  along the friction surface  154 . Each of the locking holes  200  corresponds to a predetermined position of the storage device  40 . As depicted, the central shaft  140  includes four locking holes  200  that are positioned about every 90°around the shaft body  140  such that the locking holes  200  correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, and outboard position to which the storage device  12  may be positioned. It will be appreciated, however, that any number of the locking holes  200  may be provided depending on the number of predetermined positions desired.  
      The friction surface  154  of the central shaft bearing recess  144  may also include surface features for directing the pin end  192  towards the locking holes  200 . For example, the regions laterally proximate each locking hole  200  on the friction surface  154  may be generally flat transversely to the direction of the locking hole  200  or be recessed into the locking hole  200  such that the biased pin  178  contacting this proximate region is generally directed towards the locking hole  200 . Moreover, this proximate region would also allow an operator to tactilely recognize or “feel” when the pin  178 , which is not located in a particular locking hole  200  but is contacting the proximate region, is either moving towards or away from the particular locking hole  200  based on the increased or decreased resistance to rotation of the bearing portion  112  and the handle  176 .  
      Turning to the upper bearing portion  110 ,  FIG. 9  illustrates the half-bearing member  142   a  together with the knob assembly  172 . As opposed to the biased handle assembly  174 , the knob assembly  172  includes a static pin member  210  extending through an opening  211  in the bearing half member  142   a  and joined to a holding knob  212 , preferably with a threaded engagement. The pin member  210  has an enlarged, inwardly angled end  214  that tapers to a flat end surface  216 . The angled or tapered configuration of the end  214  permits the pin  210  to easily translate into and out of holes  200 , which are also disposed in the upper bearing recess  144   a  in a like fashion as described above with regard to the lower bearing recess  144   b , in conjunction with the unlocking and rotation of the lower bearing  212 , as previously described. Optionally, the pin member  210  may also include a protective shaft  218  surrounding the pin  210 .  
      Preferably, the knob assembly  172  permits the storage device to be tightly secured to the elongate body  140 . For instance, once the storage device is positioned so that both the knob assembly  172  and the handle assembly  174  engage the holes  200  as described above, the knob  212  is rotated to translate the pin end  214  into its corresponding hole  200 . The knob  212  may be rotated until the pin end  214  is tightly secured within the hole  200 . In this manner, the storage device  12  is tightly secured to the elongate body  140  and prevented from further rotation. Of course, if the knob  212  is not tightened as described above, the biasing of the handle assembly  174  into the holes  200  will still prevent the further rotation of the storage device  12  about the elongate body  140 . When it is desired to reposition the storage device  12  to a new position about the elongate body  140 , the knob assembly  172  is first loosened by turning the knob  212  in the opposite direction to translate the pin end  214  out of its corresponding holes  200 . Once the end  214  is sufficiently removed from the hole  200 , the handle assembly  174  is counter biased as previously described to permit the storage device to move relative to the elongate body.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the pin end  214  is enlarged relative to the diameter of the hole  211 . In this manner, when loosening the knob assembly  172 , the pin  210  is prevented from being inadvertently removed from the bearing portion  110  because the enlarged head  214  will engage the inner surface of the bearing member  142   a  and thus be prevented from being removed from the bearing portion  110 .  
      When in use, the holding knob  212  is preferably used in conjunction with the pull handle  176  to rotate the storage device  12  about the central shaft body  140 . As described above, the user first unlocks or unscrews the holding knob  212  to translate the pin  210  from its corresponding hole  200 . At this point, the storage device may not yet rotate freely due to the handle assembly  174  still being locked. To rotate the storage device  12 , the user pulls the handle  176  away from the bearing portion  112  to counter bias the pin  178  such that the pin end  192  is also removed from its corresponding hole. Upon removal of both pins  210  and  178  from their corresponding holes  200 , the storage device  12  is unlocked at both bearing portions  110  and  112  and, therefore, also free to rotate above the elongate body  140 .  
      To rotate the storage device  12  to a new position, in one form, the user rotates the lower bearing portion  112 , as described above, with one hand, while the user&#39;s second hand grasps the holding knob  212  to rotate the upper bearing portion  212  in a corresponding direction. Once the storage device  12  has been rotated to a new position corresponding to a new hole  200 , the handle  176  is first released so that the pin end  192  may again be biased into the new positioning hole  200 . At such point, the storage device  12  will be prevented from further rotation and is in a locking engagement with the central shaft  100 .  
      If desired to tightly lock the storage device  12 , the knob assembly  172  may be tightly secured to the elongate body  140  as described above by rotating the knob  212  to translate the pin end  214  into its corresponding hole  200 . While the biasing of the handle assembly  174  into its corresponding hole  200  is sufficient to prevent further rotation, tightly securing the knob assembly  172  is preferred to prevent the storage device  12  from rattling, vibrating, or rubbing against the elongate body  140  due to motion of the boat  14 . Moreover, it is also preferred that the pin end  214  be received in the corresponding hole  200  as merely tightening the pin end  214  on the central shaft elongate body  140  may damage the surface of the body  140  such as by compressing, scarring, or dimpling the surface of the elongate body  140 .  
      Additionally, if desired, when in use, if the user feels that the rotation of the storage device  12  is either too restrictive or too free (i.e., too loose), then the user may adjust the tension on either of the upper bearing portion  110 , lower bearing portion  112 , or both by adjusting their corresponding braking mechanisms  153  as previously described. The braking mechanisms  153  are advantageous to control the speed of rotation of the storage device  12 , which are often tilted inboard or outboard depending on the orientation of the tower support leg  22  where it may rotate at a fast rate of speed due to the angle of the storage device  12  and the weight of the items stored thereon. The braking mechanism  153 , therefore, helps prevent sudden shifting of the storage device  12  upon the unlocking and provides a device to adjust the amount of force required to rotate an unlocked storage device.  
      In an alternative form, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10-12 , a modified tower  1010  and storage device  1012  are illustrated. The modified tower  1010  has a front support structure  1014 , a rear support structure  1016 , and a plurality of bridges  1018  connecting the front support structure  1014  and the rear support structure  1016 . In this alternative embodiment, the front support structure  1014  includes a front crossbar  1015  spanning a pair of front support arms  1020  secured to the boat by respective front anchors  1022 . As with the tower  10 , the front anchors  1022  provide a predetermined mounting orientation between the front support arms  1020  and a boat surface (not shown) so that the front cross bar  1015  is elevated a predetermined distance above the boat surface for ease of an individual&#39;s movement in the passenger compartment of the boat. The rear support structure  1016  includes a rear cross bar  1017  spanning a pair of rear support legs  1024  secured to the boat by respective rear anchors  1028 . The rear anchors  1028  include a pivoting joint, such as a hinge joint  1032  formed between the rear support legs  1024  and the rear anchor  1028 .  
      The tower  1010  is collapsible. In this regard, each of the front support arms  1020  includes a connection  1034  with the front crossbar  1015  that is preferably quickly and easily connected or disconnected so that the front crossbar  1015  and an upper, corner portion  1036  of each of the front support arms  1020  may be separated from a lower portion  1038  of each front support arm  1020 . Once separated, the lower portion  1038  of the front support arm  1020  may be collapsed such as being folded forward onto itself with a hinge joint  1040 . Furthermore, when separated, the rear support legs  1024  of the rear support structure  1016  may rotate around the rear anchors  1028  so that the rear support structure  1016  and the portion of the front support structure  1014  (i.e. the crossbar  1015  and corner portions  1036 ) connected thereto by the bridges  1018  may be lowered downward.  
      As depicted in  FIG. 10 , the tower  1010  also includes two storage devices  1012 , which are each secured to or formed from the rear support legs  1024  of the rear support structure  1016 . However, as with the tower  10 , the tower  1010  may also be provided with a single storage device  1012  or with several storage devices  1012 . Additionally, the storage devices  1012  may be provided on the front support arms  1020  or on other intermediate support legs (not shown). Broadly speaking, the storage device  1012  need not be mounted on any portion of the tower  1010 . It is simply viewed as convenient to do so when such a tower  10  is present on the boat.  
      The depicted storage devices  1012  are shown in a generally rearwardly facing position. As previously described with regard to the storage device  12 , the storage devices  1012  may also be moved between and to a plurality of positions, preferably by rotating about itself. To simplify such rotation, it is preferred that the storage device rotate around a central shaft  1050  (see  FIGS. 11 and 13 ) shared with the rear support leg  1024 , and, preferably, are vertically oriented.  
      As shown in  FIG. 10 , each rear support leg  1024  has an upper leg portion  1052  and a lower leg portion  1054  with the storage device  1012  located therebetween. In this depicted embodiment, the central shaft  150  is generally vertical while the balance of the rear support structure  1016  is not vertical. It should also be noted that the upper leg portion  1052  and the lower leg portion  1054  may form a single piece with the storage device  1012  mounted thereon, may form a plurality of pieces joined together, or may have other portions generally vertical. Furthermore, the storage device  1012  may also include an adapter portion mountable around a non-vertical portion such that the adapter forms the vertical central shaft  1050 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 11 , the central shaft  1050  is integral with a mount section  1060  wherein the mount section  60  is either integral with or joinable to the upper and lower leg portions  1052 ,  1054  by connections  1062 . As much of the tower  1010  is formed of tubular material such as steel or aluminum, the connections  1062  are cylindrical for being received with an end of the upper or lower leg portions  1052 ,  1054 . Although, the configuration may be reversed and many other types of connections may be used, such as the mounts  102   a ,  102   b  described with the previous embodiment. Each connection  1062  is oriented in a direction, represented by arrows C 1  and C 2 , generally along a center line of the portion  1052 ,  1054  of the rear support structure  1016  to which the connection  1062  is secured. As can be seen, the central shaft  1050  has an axis of rotation R through it center. The axis R being generally vertical as above-described. As can also be seen, arrows C 1  and C 2  have a skew orientation relative to the axis R.  
      The connections  1062  are secured to the central shaft  1050  similar to how the upper and lower mounts  102   a ,  102   b  are secured to the central shaft  100 . For example, bolts  1066 , which are presently depicted as being driven through a recess  1068  aligned with the axis R, may be used to secure the connections  1062  to the central shaft  1050 . A pair of pegs  1069  is used at the junction between the connection  1062  and the central shaft  1050  to ensure proper orientation between the central shaft  1050  and the connection  1062  when secured. As described above, in order to provide a storage device  1012  for various towers  1010  where the direction, such as C 1  and C 2 , of the adjoining portion of the tower  1010  vary, the only components that need to be changed or altered are the connections  1062 . That is, the tower  1010  may not be tubular, may have an opening with a different gauge size to meet with the mount section  1060 , or may have joining members (upper and lower leg portions  1052 ,  1054 ) at different angles from the axis R than those depicted by directions C 1 , C 2 . In this case, the connection  1062  with a mismatched configuration may simply be removed from the central shaft  1050  and replaced with another connection that is properly configured for that tower.  
      In this embodiment, the storage device  1012  includes a body  1070  that is secured to and rotates around the central shaft  1050 . The body  1070  may be rotatably secured to the central shaft  1050  to form one or more bearings such as top bearing  1072  and bottom bearing  1074 . Use of the top and bottom bearings  1072 ,  1074  distributes torque due to items stored in the device  1012  through the central shaft  1050  and the tower  1010  itself.  
      For each bearing  1072 ,  1074 , the body  1070  includes a pair of half-cylinders such that the pair, when joined, form a cylindrical outer bearing portion  1076 . An inner surface of the outer bearing portion  1076  includes grooves wherein the grooves contact similar mating grooves  1078  on the central shaft (see  FIG. 12 ). The surfaces between the grooves of the outer bearing portion  1076  and the grooves  1078  of the central shaft  1050  may be formed of or covered by a low-friction material, such as nylon or delron, or may be lubricated such as with a material suitable for marine lubrication applications. The body  1070  further includes a frame  1080 , which in the presented embodiment, includes two half-frames  1082  where each is secured to the outer bearing portions  1076 . A representational rack  1090  is shown secured to the frame  1080  (see  FIG. 10 ) as to securements  1092  (see  FIG. 11 ). The rack  1090 , as depicted, is designed to receive elongate or board-like objects such as skis, poles, wakeboards, and the like.  
      As discussed above, the storage device  1012  may be provided with a plurality of positions. As can be seen in  FIG. 12 , the portion of the central shaft  1050  forming the top bearing  1072  includes a portion  1096  with ports or holes  1098 , each hole  1098  corresponding to a particular position. In the preferred embodiments, the holes  1098  are located about every 90° such that the holes  1098  correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, or outboard position to which the storage device  1012  may be rotated. It should be noted that number and orientation of the holes  1098  may be varied to provide for more or different positions for the storage device  1012 .  
      The storage device  1012  may be rotated around the central shaft  1050 , as has been discussed, and positioned according to the holes  1098 . More specifically, the outer bearing portion  1076  of the top bearing  1072 , for instance, may have a spring-loaded pin  1100  mounted on a knob  1102  similar to the handle assembly  174  described with the previous embodiment. The pin  1100  is spring-biased to an interfering or locking position with the holes  1098 . That is, when the storage device  1012  is rotationally positioned such that the pin  1100  is aligned with a hole  1098 , the pin  1100  is spring-biased into the hole  1098  such that the storage device  1012  is prevented from further rotation. In order to allow the storage device  1012  to rotate, the knob  1102  is pulled outward, thereby counter-biasing the pin  1100  so that the pin  1100  retracts from the hole  1098  and, thus, the storage device  1012  is released such that the storage device  1012  may be rotated. In addition, the portion  1096  of the central shaft  1050  may include similar surface features for directing the pin  1100  towards the holes  1098  as described above with the previous embodiment.  
      It should be noted that the present embodiments have been described principally in reference to the boat  14 . However, the storage devices  12 ,  1012  and/or the towers  10 ,  1010  could be used with other vehicles, such as off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and the like as well as other support structures such as rigging, scaffolding, and the like. Furthermore, the storage devices  12 ,  1012  describe a rotatable mount that may be also adapted for uses other than a storage device with the exemplary rack  44 ,  1090 , such as rotatably mounting a light, speaker, camera, or other implements.  
      While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.