Abstract:
The invention relates to a watercraft mounting system that embodies a multi-faceted tube and a mating clamp system adapted to carry an accessory. The designs of the railing and clamp have geometry to prevent rotation while allowing flexibility of adjustment in multiple positions.

Description:
Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/020,045, filed Jul. 2, 2014. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to systems for carrying or mounting accessories on watercraft. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     It is known to have side or transverse rails on watercraft such as canoes, kayaks, sailboats, powerboats and the like to which are mounted various common accessories, viz., fishing rod holders, cup holders, tackle or bait boxes, and the like. The side rails typically run fore to aft adjacent the cockpit and usually beyond for a substantial length of the watercraft. The rails serve as handles and take the form of hollow metal tubes which are generally cylindrical although the tubes can be solid and made of steel or any other suitable material. 
     Mengo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,291 shows a fishing rod holder system for adapting a fishing rod holder to a round or four-sided square side rail. The patent does not address the adjustment of the position of the fishing rod holder with reference to the rail and any such adjustment is severely limited by the four-sided feature of the rail. The system of this patent uses two opposed separate plates connected by bolts with the rail sandwiched between the opposed plates. One of the plates carries the rod holder. 
     Wilcox, U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,775 B2 discloses a bracket assembly for holding accessories on a boat rail. The bracket includes mounting plates which are held on the boat rail by bolts and wing nuts. The orientation of the assembled bracket including accessories with respect to the boat rail is not adjustable about the rail. 
     Wegman, U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,124 B2 discloses a fishing rod holder mounted on a tube or rail of a watercraft having a plate which is bolted to a cap to secure the holder to the tube or rail. The plate and cap have mounting channels therein which provide for two positions of the fishing rod holder to the rail. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The combination comprising a tubular handrail on a watercraft having more than four essentially identical surfaces each extending along the longitudinal dimension to form the exterior surface of the tubular handrail and a clamping system having interior surfaces for extending around said tubular handrail such that said surfaces prevent rotation of the clamping system about the rail when the clamping system is closed and provide incremental adjustability of the orientation of the clamping system about said tubular handrail. 
     A watercraft comprising the combination comprising a tubular handrail on a watercraft having more than four essentially identical surfaces each extending along the longitudinal dimension to form the exterior surface of the tubular handrail and a clamping system having interior surfaces for extending around said tubular handrail such that said surfaces prevent rotation of the clamping system about the rail when the clamping system is closed and provide incremental adjustability of the orientation of the clamping system about said tubular handrail. 
     There are two features which are part of this invention:
         1) Multi-faceted tube that serves as a handle and mounting rail   2) Clamping system that mounts to the multi-faceted tube and is provided with means for holding accessories.       

     Tube with Mechanical Interference Features 
     The foundation of the invention is a tube-like handrail structure with a multi-faceted profile in the form of essentially identical surfaces each of which extend along the lengthwise or longitudinal dimension of the tube. The edges of each surface or facet abut the edge of the adjacent facets. The edges are all parallel to the longitudinal center line of the handrail tube. The exterior surface of this tube is such that the tube has a closed profile comprised of more than four identical surfaces. These identical surfaces or facets provide a mechanical feature to prevent rotation of items clamped to the tube. The facets also allow for a series of adjustments around the tube at angles that correspond to the number of facets on the tube. The number of facets may vary from five to twelve or more. The identical surfaces are preferably flat. However, the identical surfaces can be slightly concave or convex. 
     Clamping System 
     The clamping system has a profile which interlocks with the multi-faceted tubular handrail structure to provide mechanical interference and prevent rotation. The design of the clamp system is such that it has two halves that form and close tightly around the tube structure and are clamped together via a clamping means. The interior surface of the clamp has surfaces which when the clamping system is closed about the tube structure engage with facets on the tubular handrail. 
    
    
     
       THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view of the multifaceted tubular handrail of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exterior and one open end of a preferred multifaceted tubular handrail of this invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the preferred clamp of this invention in the open position disposed about the handrail. 
         FIG. 4  shows the clamp and handrail of  FIG. 3  as the clamp is closed but not locked onto the handrail. 
         FIG. 5  shows the clamp loosened to slide along the tubular handrail. 
         FIG. 6  shows the clamp as it is manipulated to begin to open up to release from the handrail. 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view taken from the right side in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  shows two clamps fully clamped onto the handrail of the rail of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 10  shows three clamps on the handrail locked onto the handrail 30° apart with respect to each other. 
         FIG. 11  shows the clamp of  FIGS. 3 to 10  with a cup holder accessory attached. 
         FIG. 12  is similar to  FIG. 11  with the clamp being attached to the upper or open end of the cup holder. 
         FIG. 13  shows a variety of accessories attached to the handrail of this invention. 
         FIG. 14  shows typical watercraft equipped with the handrail of this invention. 
         FIG. 15  shows a typical watercraft which is additionally equipped with a transverse handrail according to this invention. 
         FIG. 16  is a sectional view showing the identical surfaces on the handrail having a slightly convex shape. 
         FIG. 17  is a sectional view showing the identical surfaces of the handrail having a concave shape. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning to the drawings in further detail: 
       FIG. 1  discloses a tubular member  10  which serves as the handrail on a watercraft. The tubular member  10  has a hollow interior  12  and a cylindrical interior surface  14 . The exterior surface has a plurality of essentially identical surfaces or facets  16 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the tubular member has 12 facets, each of which is disposed 30° from the adjacent facets. The edges  18  of each facet  16  abut the edges of the adjacent facets and each facet runs the length of tubular member  10 . The edges  18  are all parallel to the longitudinal center line of tubular member  10 . 
     A preferred embodiment of the clamping system, generally  20 , is shown in  FIGS. 3 to 8 . 
     In this embodiment, the clamp comprises two arcuate elements  22  and  24  joined by hinge  26 . The inner surfaces of the arcuate elements  22  and  24  have a series of flat surfaces or facets  28  which abut the flat facets  16  on the tubular member  10  so that when the clamp is closed, the clamp cannot rotate about the tubular member. The combined inner surfaces of the arcuate elements  22  and  24  typically have the same number of facets as the tubular member  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , each arcuate member has seven facets which is sufficient to provide a wide range of adjustability about the tubular member  10  and also provide secure locking. The arcuate members  22  and  24  may have, for example, four facets each for a tubular member having ten facets or six facets each for a tube having fourteen facets. Many such variations are possible. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  display how the clamping system attaches and interfaces with the multi-faceted tubular member  10 . This particular clamping system is hinged at the top, but could also be two separate pieces and clamped together accordingly. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  display how the clamping system  20  tightens down onto the tubular member  10 . This particular embodiment uses a latch system with an adjustable tension knob  30 , threaded eye bolt  31 , and a locking lever  32  to lock the system into the clamped position. The threaded eye bolt  31  attaches to the locking lever  32  and can be swung open when the cam  66  and/or knob is loose to allow the clamping system to be removed from the tubular member. In  FIG. 5  the locking lever  32  is loosened so that the clamping system can be slid along the tubular member  10 . In  FIG. 6 , the locking lever  32  is in a position that the clamping system is more open and allows the clamp to rotate around the tubular member  10 . 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate cutaway views of the clamp system. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates how the clamping system can be adjusted along the tubular member  10  when loose. Clamp  34  when in the locked position cannot be moved. Clamp  36  can be unlocked and slid along the length of the tubular member  10 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates how the clamping system can be rotated incrementally around the tubular member  10  to different angles which are determined by the number of flat angles on the tubular member. Clamp  38  is positioned at 0° while clamp  40  is locked in at 30° and clamp  42  at 60°. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  illustrate the clamp system provided with an accessory (cup holder  44  in this illustration). The cup holder  44  can be attached to the clamping system by a variety of means including bolts, rivets or by plastic heat welding. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a variety of accessories  46 ,  47 ,  48 ,  50  and  52  mounted to the tubular member  10 . 
       FIG. 14  illustrates tubular members  10  attached to a watercraft  54  and carried by a series of spaced apart uprights  56 . 
     The tubular members run along the sides of the watercraft and are adapted to receive the clamping system described above. The tubular member may also or alternatively run transversely across the longitudinal dimension of the hull of the watercraft, normally in proximity to the seating area or the cockpit, as shown at  58  in  FIG. 15 . 
     The clamping system  20  has two arcuate members  22  and  24  adapted to be joined together to form a central opening  64 . A series of flat surfaces  28  are disposed about the interior of the central opening which can be brought into engagement with at least some of the flat surfaces on the tubular handrail  10 . The two arcuate members are joined by a hinge  26 . The clamping system has a locking lever  32  which provides multistage locking where in one position  68  the clamping system is loose enough to slide along the tubular handrail, a second position  70  which allows the clamping system to rotate around the tubular handrail, and a third position  72  where the clamping system is secured to the tubular handrail. 
     The identical surfaces need not be flat. The identical surfaces can also be convex in shape,  60 , as shown in  FIG. 16 , or concave,  62 , as shown in  FIG. 17 . 
     In operation, the clamping system carrying an accessory  44 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 ,  50  and/or  52  can be easily adjusted along the length of the tubular member  10  or rotated incrementally about the tubular member  10 . By first lifting up on the tension knob  30  and then pulling out on locking lever  32 , the clamp system is loosened and can be rotated about tubular member  10 . In the case where the tubular member  10  has twelve facets the clamp can be rotated and/or slid along tubular member  10 , and then in 30° increments, locked into place by pushing the locking lever  32  into its locked position. This provides adjustment of the orientation of any accessory around the tubular member  10  as well its position along the length of the tubular member  10 .