Patent Publication Number: US-6988458-B1

Title: Boat washing and towing device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This invention relates to a towing and washing device and, more particularly, to a boat washing and towing device for removing undesirable debris from a boat hull. 
   2. Prior Art 
   All kinds of vegetation rapidly grows and accumulates on the bottom of boats slowing down the speed of such boats and increasing their fuel consumption. Soiling is prevented primarily by the use of different toxic paints however; the use of such toxic paints is being restricted in several countries because of the environmental detriments thereof. This development has given rise to a vigorous need for an alternate boat washing means. 
   A proper cleaning of the bottom of a boat can be performed by pulling the boat ashore but this is an expensive measure and very time consuming. The extended exposure of the boat&#39;s hull to air and sunlight is also detrimental to its paint finish and can cause a boat to look much older than it really is. 
   The practice of cleaning a boat manually in the water is well known in the prior art. One attempt at the above-described practice is the development of a manual scrubbing belt. However, such belts suffer from the disadvantage that they must be manually drawn back and forth across the hull&#39;s undersurface. This device requires two operators, one situated on each side of the boat to be cleaned. Thus, the device inconveniently can only be used where two operator platforms are available. Such a practice is also time consuming and can be dangerous to the individuals performing the task. 
   Another problem arising with boats is the issue of proper towing. Many towing means are not sufficiently designed to properly balance a boat in the water, which can lead to hull damage when maneuvering the boat in close quarters common in docks and marinas. Such towing devices are usually also limited in the number of alternately sized watercrafts they can accommodate. 
   Accordingly, a need remains for a boat washing and towing device in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a washing and towing device that is automatic in its cleaning operation, provides hull protection, saves time and money, is effective in use, and adaptable to boats of different sizes. Such a device advantageously eliminates the dangerous task of manually cleaning a boat&#39;s hull under water. A clean boat hull ensures that the vessel moves through the water with as little resistance as possible, thus requiring less fuel and saving the boat owner a considerable amount of money. The boat towing and cleaning device will be appreciated by both private owners as well as owners of marinas for whom the device can advantageously generate greater revenues. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a boat cleaning and towing device. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a device for removing undesirable debris from a boat hull. 
   The device includes a plurality of buoyant support members, preferably a plurality of pontoons, sized and shaped for defining a plurality of respective elongated cavities therein. Such support members are adjustably positionable adjacent to the hull while the boat is situated in a body of water. The support members are provided with a plurality of pivotal access panels for conveniently allowing an operator to selectively access the cavities as needed. Each of the support members has a contoured inner surface for effectively adapting to a general shape of the boat hull. 
   A plurality of elongated rocker arms and a plurality of associated scrubbing assemblies are operably attached thereto. Such rocker arms extend inwardly from the support members and are selectively spaced along a longitudinal length thereof such that the scrubbing assemblies can be effectively supported at front and rear end portions of the support members. The rocker arms are laterally adjustable such that the scrubbing assemblies can advantageously be positioned along alternating planes during operating conditions. The scrubbing assemblies may include a plurality of adjustable panels and a plurality of brushes operably connected thereto. Such panels are pivotal between a plurality of quadrants so that the brushes can advantageously be adapted to the boat hull&#39;s outer surface. The scrubbing assemblies are independently operable such that an operator can effectively maintain continuous surface contact with the outer surface during unstable swaying conditions. 
   A plurality of hydraulic separators are positioned between the support members adjacent to the front and rear end portions thereof. Such hydraulic separators include associated pistons secured to the support members and telescopically extendable along a substantially horizontal plane such that a spatial relationship between the support members can be selectively adjusted during operating conditions. The separators preferably include a plurality of motors and a plurality of pumps operably connected thereto. Such pumps cooperate with the motors so that a predetermined volume of fluid is selectively deliverable to the separators via a plurality of flexible lines for effectively causing the pistons to oscillate between extended and retracted positions during operating conditions. 
   A mechanism is included for effectively discharging a predetermined volume of fluid outwardly through the scrubbing assemblies wherein the fluid is directed laterally towards the boat hull for advantageously assisting an operator to remove the debris therefrom. Such a discharging mechanism is partially disposed within the cavities. 
   The discharging mechanism preferably includes a plurality of motors that has a plurality of drive shafts extending outwardly therefrom. A drive belt is operably connected to the drive shafts and a plurality of water pumps having a plurality of driven shafts connected thereto and positioned adjacent to the drive shafts respectively. Such a mechanism may further include a plurality of drive belts operably connected to the driven shafts and the drive shaft respectively such that the driven shafts are caused to operate in sync with the drive shafts and a plurality of high-pressure water conduits having opposed end portions in fluid communication with the water pumps and the scrubbing members respectively. 
   The device preferably further includes a plurality of propeller engines mounted adjacent to the rear end portions of the support members respectively. Advantageously, such engines are for allowing an operator to effectively tow the boat between remote locations during non-scrubbing conditions. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a boat washing and towing device for removing undesirable debris from a boat hull, in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the device shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the scrubber assemblies engaged about the hull of a boat; 
       FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the device shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the function of the hydraulic separators; and 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  4 — 4 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, this embodiment is provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures. 
   The device of this invention is referred to generally in  FIGS. 1–4  by the reference numeral  10  and is intended to provide a boat washing and towing device. It should be understood that the device  10  may be used to wash and tow many different types of boats and should not be limited to only small water craft. 
   Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  includes a plurality of buoyant support members  20 , consisting of a plurality of pontoons, sized and shaped for defining a plurality of respective elongated cavities  21  therein, as best shown in  FIG. 4 . Such support members  20  are adjustably positionable adjacent to the hull  31  while the boat  30  is situated in a body of water. The support members  20  are provided with a plurality of pivotal access panels  22  for conveniently allowing an operator to selectively access the cavities  21  as needed. Each of the support members  20  has a contoured inner surface  23  for effectively adapting to a general shape of the boat hull  31 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , a plurality of elongated rocker arms  41  and a plurality of associated scrubbing assemblies  40  are operably attached thereto. Such rocker arms  41  extend inwardly from the support members  20  and are selectively spaced along a longitudinal length thereof such that the scrubbing assemblies  40  can be effectively supported at front  24  and rear  25  end portions of the support members  20 . The rocker arms  41  are laterally adjustable such that the scrubbing assemblies  40  can advantageously be positioned along alternating planes during operating conditions. This feature advantageously ensures that all surfaces of the hull  31  are engaged by the scrubbing assemblies  40  and thus performs a thorough cleaning of the same. 
   The scrubbing assemblies  40  include a plurality of adjustable panels  42  and a plurality of brushes  43  operably connected thereto. Such panels  42  are pivotal between a plurality of quadrants so that the brushes  43  can advantageously be adapted to the boat hull&#39;s  31  outer surface  32 . The scrubbing assemblies  40  are independently operable such that an operator can effectively maintain continuous surface contact with the outer surface  32  during unstable swaying conditions, thus advantageously minimizing any chances of damage to the hull  31  through uncontrolled collisions. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , a plurality of hydraulic separators  50  are positioned between the support members  20  adjacent to the front  24  and rear  25  end portions thereof. Such hydraulic separators  50  include associated pistons  51  secured to the support members  20  and telescopically extendable along a substantially horizontal plane such that a spatial relationship between the support members  20  can be selectively adjusted during operating conditions, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . This feature advantageously allows the device  10  to accommodate boats  30  with hulls  31  of varying sizes. The separators  50  include a plurality of motors  52  and a plurality of pumps  53  operably connected thereto. Such pumps  53  cooperate with the motors  52  so that a predetermined volume of fluid is selectively deliverable to the separators  50  via a plurality of flexible lines  54  for effectively causing the pistons  51  to oscillate between extended and retracted positions during operating conditions. Since the apparatus  10  is employed in water the use of the separators  50  is always readily available. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a mechanism  60  is included for effectively discharging a predetermined volume of fluid outwardly through the scrubbing assemblies  40  wherein fluid is directed laterally towards the boat hull  31  for advantageously assisting an operator to remove the debris therefrom without the need of manual labor. Such a discharging mechanism  60  is partially disposed within the cavities  21 . 
   Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the discharging mechanism  60  includes a plurality of motors  61  that has a plurality of drive shafts  62  extending outwardly therefrom. A drive belt  63  is operably connected to the drive shafts  62  and a plurality of water pumps  64  having a plurality of driven shafts  65  connected thereto and positioned adjacent to the drive shafts  62  respectively. Such a mechanism  60  further includes a plurality of drive belts  66  operably connected to the driven shafts  65  and the drive shaft  62  respectively such that the driven shafts  65  are caused to operate in sync with the drive shafts  62  and a plurality of high-pressure water conduits  67  having opposed end portions in fluid communication with the water pumps  64  and the scrubbing members  43  respectively. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  further includes a plurality of propeller engines  70  mounted adjacent to the rear end portions  25  of the support members  20  respectively. Advantageously, such engines  70  are for allowing an operator to effectively tow the boat  30  between remote locations during non-scrubbing conditions, thus conveniently eliminating the need for separate towing and washing devices which saves the boat owner a considerable amount of money. During towing procedures the support members  20  advantageously protects the boat hull  31  from damage due to collisions with a dock side, as often happens when maneuvering large vessels in small bodies of water. 
   While the invention has been described with respect to a certain specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
   In particular, with respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the present invention may include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation. The assembly and use of the present invention are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art.