Patent Publication Number: US-6662740-B1

Title: Adjustable boat whip assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to devices used to maintain a boat in spaced relation from a dock, such devices being known in the art as boat whips, and more particularly to a boat whip assembly that is longitudinally adjustable along the length of the dock to accommodate boats having varying lengths. 
     Boat whips are well known in the art. FIG. 1 illustrates the use of a conventional boat whip  10 . As shown, a boat  12  is tied to a dock  14  by means of a pair of ropes, each indicated at  16 . Each rope  16  is attached at one end thereof to a cleat  18 , which is mounted on the boat  12 , and at its other end to a vertically oriented post  20 , which is secured in a suitable manner to the dock  14 . It is understood that the boat  12  can be secured to the dock  14  in any number of ways, and that the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 is for illustration purposes only. For example, the boat can be secured to a cleat (not shown) mounted on the top surface of the dock or on the post. 
     Without boat whips  10 , the boat  12  has a tendency to bang into the dock  14  and/or the posts  20  when waves move the boat  12  into and away from the dock  14 . During especially rough conditions where the waves greatly effect the movement of the boat  12 , such conditions can cause extreme damage to the boat  12  since nothing prevents the boat from engaging the dock. Prior to the introduction of boat whips, bumpers (not shown) were employed to protect the boat from banging into the dock. 
     Presently available boat whips  10  stand the boat  12  away from the dock  14 , thereby preventing damage to the boat. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the boat whip  10  comprises a base  22 , which is secured to the dock  14  by any suitable means, including wood screws  24 . The base includes an annular receptacle  26  for receiving a flexible (and typically cylindrical) rod  28 , which has one end seated therein and an opposite end having a thin line or tether (not shown) attached thereto. This thin line is secured at its other end to the cleat  18  provided on the boat  12 . The arrangement is such that the flexible rod  28 , since it extends over the body of the boat  12 , maintains the boat  12  in a spaced relation away from the dock  14 , thereby allowing the boat to move slightly toward and away from the dock, but never in contact with the dock. 
     The boat whip  10  described above, while effective in achieving its intended purpose, i.e., maintaining the boat  12  away from the dock  14 , does suffer from significant limitations. For example, when employing the boat whip  10 , it must be secured on the dock  14  typically by means by the permanent fastener  24  in a position generally adjacent to the boat&#39;s cleats  18 . It is very important that the spacing of the boat whips  10  be nearly identical to the spacing of the cleats  18  so that the boat whips  10  maximize their effect on the boat  12  by extending perpendicularly away from the dock  14  over the body of the boat. 
     One disadvantage of this arrangement is that boat whips  10  can only accommodate boats having identical or nearly identical spacing between cleats  18 . Once permanently affixed to the dock  14 , the boat whips  10  cannot be easily removed and reattached to accommodate boats having more or less spacing between the cleats  18 . Thus, another boat tied to a dock having a cleat spacing different than the cleat spacing of the boat for which the boat whips were employed could not take advantage of the boat whips since they would not keep the boat away from the dock. There is presently a need in the art for an adjustable boat whip assembly that can accommodate boats having varying sizes, especially having varying distances between their cleats. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, among the several objects of the present invention is the provision of an adjustable boat whip that can be easily adjusted to accommodate boats having varying spacing between cleats. 
     In general, an adjustable whip of the present invention for maintaining a boat in spaced relation to a dock comprises a boat whip, an elongate base member having means for mounting the base member on the dock, a whip support member having means for receiving the boat whip in a generally upright position, and interconnecting means for attaching the support member to the base member so that the support member can move along the length of the base member. Locking means is further provided for locking the support member to the base member. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the base member of the boat whip assembly comprises a structural tubular body having an upwardly extending top flange that is received in a slot provided in the support member. The arrangement is such that the support member is movable along the length of the base member. 
    
    
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out present invention: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a boat secured to a dock, and a prior art boat whip for maintaining the boat away from the dock; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the prior art boat whip shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an adjustable boat whip assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the boat whip shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating an adjustable boat whip assembly of another preferred embodiment; and 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  in FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     Corresponding reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 3, adjustable two boat whip assemblies of the present invention are each generally indicated at  30 . As shown, the boat  12  is secured to the posts  20  of the dock  14  in the manner set forth and illustrated in FIG.  1 . Specifically, ropes  16  attach the cleats  18  of the boat  12  to the dock  14  in the conventional manner. It is understood that different arrangements for securing the boat  12  to the dock  14  are known in the art. For example, the ropes  16  could be secured to cleats (not shown) mounted on the dock  14 . However, the boat whip assemblies  30  of the present invention are configured to accommodate boats having varying lengths between the cleats mounted on the boats. The primary advantage of this configuration is that different boats can be effectively secured to the dock without risk of the boats banging against the dock. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3-5, each boat whip assembly  30  comprises an elongate base member, generally indicated at  32 , and a whip support member, generally indicated at  34 . Although two separate base members  32  are shown in FIG. 3, it is conceivable that only one base member need be provided to accommodate any number of whip support members, e.g., two or more. Additionally, although one whip support member  34  is shown with a base member  32 , it is within the scope of the present invention to have two or more whip support members  34  per base member  32  to accommodate boats having more than two cleats. 
     The base member  32  comprises a bottom flange  36  having spaced-apart openings  38  provided therein for receiving permanent fasteners  40  (e.g., wood screws) for attaching the base member  32  to the dock  14 . As illustrated in FIG. 3, the base member  32  is attached to the dock  14  in a direction parallel to the direction of the dock  14  adjacent to the side of the dock where the boat  12  is secured. Although the drawing figures illustrate the base member  32  mounted on a top surface  42  of the dock  14 , it is contemplated, but not shown, that the base member  32  can be recessed within a channel formed in the dock. This arrangement would prevent boat operators and passengers from inadvertently stepping on or tripping on the base member. 
     Referring particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, the base member  32  further comprises an upwardly extending male member or top flange  44  that is parallel to but shorter than the bottom flange  36 . This arrangement renders the mounting of the permanent fasteners  40  more easily since the permanent fasteners  40  can be secured to the base member  32  and dock  14  with conventional tools, e.g., a screw driver or a socket wrench. Preferably, the base member  32  is fabricated from strong material, including, but not limited to, steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy, suitable for releasably securing the whip support member thereto in the manner illustrated in the drawings. 
     The whip support member  34  comprises a plate  46  of structurally strong material (also preferably fabricated from steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy) that is configured and arranged to move along the base member  32 . Specifically, the whip support member  34  has a downwardly opening female member or slot  48  (FIG. 5) formed therein that is dimensioned to snugly receive the top flange  44  of the base member  32  therein. The interconnection of the whip support member  34  to the base member  32  is broadly referred to herein as an interconnecting means. The whip support member  34  is received over the end (not designated) of the base member  32  and movable along the length of the base member  32 . As shown, the slot  48  is defined by a pair of inwardly extending fingers  50 ,  52  (see FIG.  5 ). Provided on a top surface  54  of the whip support member  34  is an upwardly extending, annularly shaped receptacle  56  for receiving the rod or whip  28  therein. As shown, the receptacle  56  is angled so that the whip  28  extends laterally away from the assembly  30  in a direction over the cleat  18  of the boat  12  generally perpendicular to the direction of the boat  12 . The whip  28  is secured to the whip support member  34  within the receptacle  56  by any conventional means, such as a set screw (not shown). 
     It is understood that the whip  28  is of conventional construction, it being fabricated from any suitable flexible material, such as fiberglass or some other thermoplastic material well known in the art. The whip  28  has one end (not designated), as described above, that is suitably secured within the receptacle  56  and an opposite end (not designated) that has a thin line or tether (not shown), which is secured to the appropriate cleat  18  of the boat  12 . This arrangement is well known in the art and does not require any further description herein. As will be described in more detail below, the whip support member  34  is movable along the base member  32  to accommodate boats having varying spacing between cleats. 
     Turning now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a base member, generally designated at  60 , of an alternate embodiment. Specifically, the base member  60  comprises a structural tubular body  62  having an upwardly extending male member or flange  64  (similar to flange  44 ) that is received in the slot  48  of the whip support member  34 . The tubular body  62  is secured in place on the dock  14  by a suitable permanent fastener  66 . The tubular body  62  provides greater structural support, and can be fabricated from any material that can be extruded, such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. 
     Turning now to FIG. 7, there is generally indicated at  70  a locking mechanism for releasably locking the whip support member  34  to the base member  32 . The locking mechanism  70  comprises a threaded fastener  72  (e.g., a thumb screw) which is threadably engaged to the whip support member  34  within a threaded opening  74  provided therein. The arrangement is such that the threaded fastener  72 , when tightened, engages a top surface  76  of the top flange  44  of the base member  32  for releasably locking the whip support member  34  to the base member  32 . By simply loosening or untightening the threaded fastener  72 , the whip support member  34  is unlocked, thereby allowing the whip support member  34  to move longitudinally along the length of the base member  32 . 
     Thus, the boat whip assembly  30  is capable of moving the whip  28  by loosening the threaded fastener  72 , adjusting the whip support member  34  to its appropriate location (e.g., adjacent the cleat  18  of the boat  12 ), and locking the threaded fastener  72  in place by tightening it. Accordingly, the system of the present invention can accommodate boats having varying distances between cleats, limited only by the length of the base member. 
     As mentioned above, several features not illustrated in the drawings include: the provision of one base member  32  or  60 ; the provision of more than two boat whip support members  34  movable along the base member  32  or  60 ; and the securing of the base member  32  or  60  within a recess provided within the dock  14 . 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structures embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.