Abstract:
A fish tail propelled water vessel uses a pair of back and forth reciprocating pedals to rotate a flywheel back and forth, the paddle blade of the vessel attached to the flywheel so that the reciprocating flywheel swishes the blade through the water in side to side fashion thereby propelling the vessel. A cable attaches each pedal to its respective side of the flywheel in order to cause rotation of the flywheel. A pedal cable helps balance the pedals thereby assuring smooth pedaling of the device. Holding one of the pedals forward of the alignment point with the other pedal, holds the blade to that side, thereby steering the vessel to the opposing side.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a human powered boat wherein a seated operator uses a pair of reciprocating pedals that power a side to side swishing fish tailed paddle, wherein the paddle is used for both propulsion of the vessel as well as steering of the vessel. 
     2. Background of the Prior Art 
     A pedal boat is a human powered water vessel that is typically used near shore and is often used where motorized boats are not appropriate such as in creeks, shallow draft rivers, small lakes or where regulations prohibit the use of motorized watercraft. These relatively small vessels are great for all kinds of activities including fishing, picnicking, and water photography, among many other uses. As a pedal boat is much more stable relative to its kayak and even canoe brethren, it is not unusual to see families with small children take to the water for a day of fun. As locomotion of the pedal boat is provided by one or more of the passengers of the boat, these vessels are also a good source of exercise. 
     Typically, a pedal boat is comprised of a pair of pontoons with seating overtop and between the pontoons, with the shell of the boat being made from an upper and a lower plastic form attached to each other. Foot pedals (occasionally some pedal boats have hand pedals) are located for access by the front seat passengers who rotatably pedal the pedals to make the boat move, forward pedaling for forward movement and reverse pedal for reverse movement. An axle that connects the left and right pedal pairs of the front passengers has a multi blade paddle wheel thereon that scoops through the water. Pedaling of the pedals rotates the axle, which rotates the blades of the paddle through the water in order to move the vessel. A tunnel between the seats provides the clearance for the rotating paddle. Typically a small handle is linked to a rudder that steers the boat. This basic design results in a low cost boat that provides hours of enjoyment. 
     A drawback of the typical pedal boat lies in the fact that, due to size constraints, the tunnel within which the paddle rotates, is relatively small, so that the paddle wheel itself is relatively small. A small paddle wheel means that even with rigorous pedaling of the pedals, only very slow speeds are obtained. While acceptable to some, many pedal boat operators want speed as well as a more rigorous workout than can be achieved with limited sized paddle wheels. 
     In order to address these concerns, some human powered boats rely on a fish tail paddle instead of the rotating paddle wheel found on the pedal boats described above. In a fish tail propulsion system, a single blade that is normally aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the vessel, is placed in the water and is swung side to side much like the tail of a fish in order to provide propulsion for the vessel. As such fish tail paddles are often located aftward of the hull of the vessel, their size if much less constrained relative to an under hull paddle wheel, so that relatively large paddles can be used. The use of a large paddle requires substantial energy from the operator in order to swing the paddle back and forth so that a rigorous workout can be achieved. Additionally, the large paddle can generate speeds for the vessel that are greater relative to the possible speed of a paddle wheel pedal boat. 
     While fish tail paddle powered boats are preferred by many relative to paddle wheel pedal boats, the fact that the blade of these boats goes from side to side, as opposed to continually in a circle in the case of paddle wheel blades, the mechanical architecture tends to be much more complex. This often results in the requirement that a substantial portion of the available real estate of the vessel is occupied by the propulsion system. Additionally, this complexity makes such boats more expensive to purchase as well as to maintain. Additionally, many fish tail paddle vessel operators complain that the articulation mechanism used to swing the paddle is jerky or otherwise not smooth, especially at the end of each pedal cycle. 
     What is needed is a human powered water vessel that uses a side to side swishing fish tail paddle configuration, that addresses the above stated problems. Specifically, such a vessel must be relatively simple in design and construction so as to be readily affordable to potential purchasers of this type of device. Such a vessel must be able provide a rigorous workout to an operator of such a vessel that desires a workout, all while allowing relatively strong speeds through the water. Powering the vessel by the operator must be relatively smooth across the entire pedaling cycle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art by providing a water vessel that uses a paddle, aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the vessel and located aftward along the hull structure along this longitudinal axis, wherein side to side reciprocation of the paddle, in a fish tail manner, provides propulsion for the vessel, such paddle reciprocation in response to forward and aft reciprocation of a set of pedals used by the operator. The pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle is of relatively simple design and construction so that it is relatively inexpensive to produce, using standard manufacturing techniques. This makes the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle available at price points that many consumers of such devices find very attractive. The entire power movement cycle provided by the operator of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle is smooth across the entire pedal reciprocation cycle and lacks the jerks often experienced by operators of prior art fish tail devices. The pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle is designed so as to not unduly occupy real estate on board the vessel. 
     The pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle of the present invention is comprised of a vessel that has a forward end and an aft end joined by a port side and a starboard side with a longitudinal midline axis passing through the vessel between the forward end and the aft end. A paddle structure is attached to the vessel and is capable of pivoting about a vertical axis that passes through the midline axis such that a paddle blade of the paddle structure is capable of radially swishing back and forth on either side of the midline axis. A port pedal structure is attached to the vessel on the port side of the midline axis and has a port pedal that is capable of reciprocating back and forth toward the forward end and the aft end while a starboard pedal structure is attached on the starboard side of the midline axis and has a starboard pedal that is capable of reciprocating back and forth toward the forward end and the aft end. The port pedal structure and the starboard pedal structure are located equidistant to the midline axis on their respective side of the midline axis and the port pedal and the starboard pedal are, when aligned with one another, located equidistant from the forward end of the vessel. A first cable has a first end attached to the port pedal structure and a second end attached to the paddle structure to the port of the vertical axis while a second cable has a third end attached to the starboard pedal structure and a fourth end attached to the paddle structure to the starboard of the vertical axis. Whenever the port pedal and the starboard pedal are aligned, the paddle blade is located on the midline axis. As the port pedal and the starboard pedal are each reciprocated back and forth in opposing direction to one another, the paddle blade swishes back and forth. A pulley is located on the midline axis and forward of the port pedal structure and the starboard pedal structure. A third cable has a fifth end attached to the port pedal structure and a sixth end attached to the starboard pedal structure such that the third cable passes over the pulley. The port pedal structure has a port radial guide with a first radial groove thereon while the starboard pedal structure has a starboard radial guide with a second radial groove such that the first cable passes through the first groove, the second cable passes through the second groove and the third cable passes through both the first groove and the second groove. The paddle structure is comprised of a flywheel that has a half-moon shaped power guide with a third groove on its outer radial edge and a connector bar that forms the base of the power guide such that a first pin passes through the connector bar in order to pivotally attach the paddle structure to the vessel. An outrigger structure is connected to and extends rearwardly from the connector bar in a direction opposite to the direction of the power guide. A second pin attaches the paddle blade to the outrigger structure. The outrigger structure is pivotally attached to the connector bar and is capable of pivoting between a raised position and a lowered position such that when the outrigger structure is in the lowered position, the outrigger structure rests on a lip located on a tail that extends from the connector bar. A first resilient member connects the second pin with the outrigger structure to the port of the midline axis whenever the paddle blade is on the midline axis while a second resilient member connects the second pin with the outrigger structure to the starboard of the midline axis whenever the paddle blade is on the midline axis. The first resilient member may be a first spring or a first resilient cord or both while the second resilient member may be a second spring or a second resilient cord or both. The paddle blade is capable of being rotated 180 degrees in order to change direction of propulsion created by the paddle blade. A seat is located on the vessel such that the seat is positioned so as to allow an operator sitting in the seat to be able to reach the port pedal structure and the starboard pedal structure and reciprocate the two pedals. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle. 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear elevation view of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral  10 , is comprised of a pair of pontoons of appropriate construction, namely a starboard pontoon  12  and a port pontoon  14 , joined by a frame superstructure  16 . It is expressly recognized that while the foregoing description is directed at a pontoon structure, the present invention works equally well when installed on other water vessels such as traditional V-hulled boats. 
     As seen, the frame superstructure  16  has a forward connection bar  18  that is attached to the pair of pontoons  12  and  14  via appropriate fasteners  20  and an aft connection bar  22  that is also attached to the pair of pontoons  12  and  14  via fasteners  20 . A connection bridge  24  extends between the forward connection bar  18  and the aft connection bar  22 . A forward mast  26  extends upwardly from the forward connection bar  18  on either side of the midline of the vessel  10 , the forward mast  26  having one or more braces  28  connecting the forward mast&#39;s horizontal leg  30  with the connection bridge  24 . 
     A seating sub-frame  32  has an aft mast  34  that rises from the aft connection bar  22  while a seat rail  36  extends from the midpoint of the aft mast  34  and connects to either the connection bridge  24 , to one of the braces  28  or both. A pair of side rails  38  extends from either side of the connection bridge  24  and connects with the aft mast  34  on either side of aft mast&#39;s midpoint. A riser  40  extends upwardly from the aft mast  34  and may have a brace  42  that connects the riser  40  with the seat rail  36 . A seat  44  with back  46  is attached to the seat rail  36  and to the side rails  38  in appropriate fashion and may have appropriate means (not illustrated) of any appropriate design known in the art for adjusting the seat  44  either forward or aftward depending on the needs of the user. 
     A pair of pedal structures  48  is provided such that each pedal structure  48  is pivotally attached to the forward mast  26  on either side of the midpoint of the forward mast  26 . As seen, each pedal structure  48  comprises a pair of down rails  50  that are each pivotally attached to the forward mast  26  such that a foot rest  52  connects the distal ends of the down rails  50 , the foot rests  52  being rotatable. A splash guard  54  may connect the pair of down rails  50 . A cable guide  56  having a groove  58  on its outer radius is attached to the inner down rail  50  of each pedal structure  48 . Each cable guide  56  has a forward attachment point  60  and a rearward attachment point  62 . 
     A paddle structure  64  is provided and comprises a flywheel  66  that has a half-moon rail  68  with a groove  70  on the outer radius thereof. A connector bar  72  connects the ends of the half-moon rail  68  while a tail  74  extends rearwardly from the midpoint of the connector bar  72 , the end of the tail  74  having a lip  76  (the tail  74  may also extend to the midpoint of the half-moon rail  68  as shown). The flywheel  66  is rotatably attached to the seating sub frame  32 , by passing a pin  78  through the connector bar  72  and the tail  74  such that the pin is attached to the midpoint of the aft connection bar  22  and to the aft mast  34 , allowing the flywheel  66  to rotate back and forth about the pin  78 . Two sets of outrigger bar  80  pairs are pivotally attached to the connector bar  72  on either side of the tail  74  and have a cross bar  82  extending between the lower outrigger bars  80  towards their distal ends. A holding tube  84  is attached to the distal ends of the outrigger bars  78 . A blade pin  86  is rotatably held within the holding tube  84  and has a blade  88  located on the end thereof. A wing structure  90  is attached to the blade pin  86  while a first spring  92  extends between one of the wings of the wing structure  90  and the upper outrigger bar  80  on one side of the vessel  10  while a second spring  94  extends between the other wing and the other upper outrigger bar  80 . Similarly, a first cable  96  (which may be resilient (bungee, etc.,)) extends between one of the wings of the wing structure  90  and the upper outrigger bar  80  on one side of the vessel  10  while a second similar cable  98  extends between the other wing and the other upper outrigger bar  80 . Advantageously, the springs  92  and  94  and the cables  96  and  98  are attached to their respective points on the wing structure  90  so as to be readily detached therefrom and reattached in similar rapid fashion. 
     A lift cable  100  has an end attached to the holding tube  84  and passes over an upper pulley  102  located at the top of the riser  40 , over a lower pulley  104  located on the aft mast  34  and over a handle pulley  106  and is attached to a handle  108 , the handle  108  being pivotally attached to the aft mast  34 . A holder  110  having a saddle  112  on its upper end extends upwardly from the side rail  38  that is proximate to the handle  108 . 
     A starboard drive cable  114  has a first end attached to the forward attachment point  60  of the cable guide  56  located on the starboard side pedal structure  48  and a second end attached to the flywheel  66  at a point on the starboard side of the half-moon rail  68  proximate the connector bar  72 . The starboard drive cable  114  passes through the groove  58  of its respective cable guide  56 , over a starboard guide pulley  116  attached to the starboard side rail  38 , and through the groove  70  of the half-moon rail  68 . Similarly, a port drive cable  118  has a first end attached to the forward attachment point  60  of the cable guide  56  located on the port side pedal structure  48  and a second end attached to the flywheel  66  at a point on the port side of the half-moon rail  68  proximate the connector bar  72 . The port drive cable  118  passes through the groove  58  of its respective cable guide  56 , over a port guide pulley  120  attached to the starboard side rail  38 , and through the groove  70  of the half-moon rail  68 . A pedal cable  122  has one end attached to the rearward attachment point  62  of one of the cable guides  56  and an opposing end attached to the rearward attachment point  62  of the other cable guide  56 , the pedal cable passing through the grooves  58  of each cable guide  56  and over a pedal pulley  124  attached to the forward mast  26 . 
     The various components of the frame superstructure  16  are made from an appropriate strong material such as aluminum tubing. If desired, the flywheel  66  may be made from steel in order to give the flywheel  66  additional mass which helps with certain types of pedaling. 
     In operation of the pedal powered boat using a fish tail paddle  10 , whenever the pedal structures  48  are aligned with one another (foots rests  52  even in side by side relationship), the flywheel  66  is symmetric down the midline of the vessel  10  such that the tail  74  points straight back. This assures that the blade  88  is aligned along the longitudinal axis of the vessel  10 . A user uses the pedal structures  48  to both move and steer the vessel  10 . When the user pushes the starboard pedal structure  48  forward, the starboard drive cable  114  is pulled forward, causing the flywheel  66  to rotate (counterclockwise in  FIG. 1 ). The rotation of the flywheel  66  causes the port drive cable  118  to be pulled back which causes the port side pedal structure  48  to pivot back toward the user. Once the starboard side pedal structure  48  is at maximum extension, the user then pushes the port side pedal structure  48  forward, causing a pull on the port drive cable  118 , thereby changing the direction of rotation of the flywheel  66  (now clockwise in  FIG. 1 ), and the starboard side pedal structure  48  to be pulled back toward the user. Once the port side pedal structure  48  is at maximum extension, the user then once again pushes the starboard side pedal structure  48  forward, causing a pull on the starboard drive cable  118 , thereby again changing the direction of rotation of the flywheel  66 . The user keeps pedaling in this manner. As the blade  88  is attached to the flywheel  66 , the back and forth rotation of the flywheel  66  causes the blade  88  to swish back and forth in lock step, thereby propelling the vessel  10  through the water. The pedal cable  122  keeps the two pedal structures  48  balanced in position with one another thereby assuring smooth pedaling. In order to turn the vessel  10 , then either the pedal structure  48  on the side opposite the side to which a turn is desired is held forward, in order to keep the blade  88  on this opposite side (keep starboard pedal structure  48  in the forward position keeps the blade  88  on the starboard side of the longitudinal axis of the vessel  10 , turning the vessel  10  to port), or the user pushes more on the starboard side pedal structure  48  (starboard side pedal structure is more forward than aftward of alignment with the opposite pedal structure  48 ) in order to turn the vessel  10  to port. As the blade  88  is rotatable within the holding tube  84 , the blade  88  has a tendency to twist in other than straight forward operation of the vessel. The springs  92  and  94  dampen such twisting and return the blade  88  to the center line while the cables  96  and  98  limit the amount of twisting. Although the springs  92  and  94  can be used for limiting blade  88  twist, the use of separate cables  96  and  98  helps prevent premature fatigue of the springs  92  and  94 . If reverse direction of travel of the vessel  10  is desired, then the springs  92  and  94  and the cables  96  and  98  are disconnected from the wing structure  90  and the blade  88  is rotated 180 degrees and the springs  92  and  94  and cables  96  and  98  are reattached to the wing structure  90 —the rotation of the blade  88  can be accomplished in any known fashion such as having the blade pin  86  locked in position by a lock nut (not illustrated), having some form of spring loaded tongue and groove structure within the hold tube  84  (also not illustrated) so that the blade  88  and its pin  86  can be lifted (or lowered) rotated the 180 degrees and then released and returned back to position under the spring loading, etc.). 
     If the blade  88  needs to be lifted up, either partially or fully out of the water, then the handle  108  is pulled upwardly causing the lift cable  100  to pull upwardly on and lifting the holding tube  84  as the outrigger bars  80  are pivotally attached to the connector bar  72 . If desired, the handle  108  is seated within the saddle  112  of the holder  110  in order to hold the blade  88  out of the water for extended periods of time. When the blade  88  is to be lowered, the handle  108  is lowered (removed from the saddle  112 , if necessary) causing the lift cable  100  to lower the holding tube  84  back down. In the lower most position, the cross bar  82  connecting the lower outrigger bars  80  sits on the lip  76  of the tail  74 . 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.