Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to smaller boats having limited storage space and a device for overcoming this storage of space. The present invention provides boaters with a rack for carrying articles that would otherwise have to be left behind or crowded into the boat. The rack is supported on the outside of the boat hull. Heretofore, racks have been used for purposes such as net holders on trawlers, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,722 to Melchert et al. A minnow box is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,718 to Wagner, which is mounted on the gunwales of a boat and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,645 to Brown an exterior cooler holder is shown mounted on the rear of a vehicle. The problem with having a rack mounted on the outside of a hull is the danger of smashing into a dock, another boat or a piling. The aforementioned patents show different mounting brackets of interest to the present invention. In Melchert et al, the rack and the rod pivot in a pair of brackets on the hull. Melchert et al also shows a pair of rails on the rack below the brackets to rest against the hull. A similar pair of rails is shown in Victor, in which the rails have holes to adjust the angle of the platform. 
     It is a primary object of the invention to provide a rack for mounting to the outside of a boat hull which is removably attached to the hull with any permanent attachment. To accomplish this, a special type bracket forms part of the invention. The bracket conforms to the shape of the gunwales where part of the bracket presses against the exterior hull and over the gunwale. A tightening screw is threaded to an interior portion of the bracket such that it can tighten against the inside of the hull. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a rack and mounting bracket where the rack is adjustable to raise or lower the free end of the rack to prevent articles from sliding off the rack into the water. One way in which the invention raises or lowers the free end of the rack is a tightening screw threaded into the rack and has a pad for resting either against the mounting bracket or against the hull. It is important to realize that neither the rack nor bracket is permanently attached to the hull. 
     Still another object is to provide a rack that is mounted on the outside of the hull and can in a moment&#39;s notice pivot into the boat to avoid possible damage. 
    
    
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, in which; 
     FIG. 1 shows a bracket of the present invention having a pivoting element for attaching to a rack of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a top view of FIG. 1 taken along the line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the inventions, showing a bracket of FIG. 1 and a rack with a free end adjustment. 
     FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the free end adjustment of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment of the invention where the free end adjustment is a pivotal rod attached to the bracket and adjustably mounted to the rack. 
     FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows a top view of a rack of the back of the invention mounted on the outside of a boat, the outline of the boat is shown. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-6 ( 7 ), there is shown a removable rack for mounting on the outside of a boat hull. FIG. 4 ( 7 ) shows a small boat hull B with a rack  10  mounted on the outside of hull B. The rack  10  is used to hold articles that would normally over-crowd the boat. A pair of brackets  12  is clamped to the boat hull B, and pivotally connects to rack  10 . The capability to pivot the rack  10  can prevent damage to the rack  10  when nearing the docks, pilings or another boat. 
     FIG. 1 shows a bracket  12  of the invention having a pair of integral legs  14  and  16  parallel to one another. Each leg  14  and  16  are integrally connected to top cross member  18 . Leg  16  has a pair of bends  20  and  22  for fitting the leg over a gunwale of boat B. The upper portion of leg  16  will extend past a gunwale  24 , as shown in FIG. 4, where leg bends at  20  toward leg  14 . The leg  16  extends inward to cover the gunwale  24  and then bends at  20  to again extend parallel to leg  14 . Bracket  12  is slid over the side of the hull of boat B, where a threaded screw  26  with a swivel pad  28  is tightened by a knob  30  on the screw  26 . Threaded screw  26  is inserted in a threaded hole (not shown) in leg  14  such that tightening the screw  26  draws leg  16  to the outside of the hull. Member  18  rest on the top of the gunwale  24  giving support to the bracket  12 . A rack  10  is connected by hinges  32  to a pair of brackets  12  so that the rack  10  is supported by the brackets  12  on the outside of the boat B. A hinge pin  34  allows the rack  10  to be pivoted into the boat whenever it becomes necessary. To protect the hull of boat B, the bracket  12  is lined with a protective material  36 , such as rubber. 
     Hinge  32 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are bolted to bracket  12  by a bolt  38 . FIG. 2 shows the rack  10  pivoting horizontally to adjust the position of the rack  10  on the side of the boat B. Bracket  12 ′ represents bracket  12  after adjusting the position of the rack  10 . 
     In FIG. 3, a rack  10  is shown for use on boats which have deeper hulls; therefor, the rack  10  has a top rail  40  level with the top of bracket  12 . Rack  10 , as stated, has a top rail  40  to which is welded to vertical posts  42 . A bottom rail  44  completes each of a pair of sides  46  and  48  of FIG. 7. A pair of top rails  50 , which are longer than top rails  40 , and a similar pair of longer rails form bottom rails which are welded to bottom rails  44 . Vertical posts, not shown, similar to posts  42  are welded to top rails  50  and bottom rail, not shown. There are horizontal posts  52 , which form the bottom of rack  10 . 
     The rack  10 , in FIG. 4, is shown with cage-like side walls  54  welded to the rails and posts. The boat hull B has more vertical side walls and the bracket  12  adjusts to the new slope by raising the height of the rack above the gunwale  24 . To aid in the support of rack  10 , an additional supporting bracket  56 , is welded to the bottom of the rack  10 , forming a second embodiment of the invention. Bracket  56  has a vertical support  58  and a supporting arm  60  where it is welded at an angle between post  58  and the bottom of the rack. A threaded screw  62 , similar to screw  26 , has a pad  64  for engaging the hull. Tightening the screw  62  adjusts the rack upwardly, while loosening the screw lowers the rack. 
     An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5 where the rack  70  is used in boats with lower height hulls such as Jon. Rack  70  is supported on the hull of boat B by a bracket  12 , similar to the bracket in FIG.  1 . Leg  16  has a pivot  72  welded to it which connects a pivot arm  74  to the bracket  12  and to rack  70  raising or lowering member  76  on the bottom of rack  70 . Member  76  has a plurality of holes  78  for connecting to the pivot arm  74 , thereby, adjusting the height of the rack. The rack  70  has lower rails  80  with vertical posts  82  and upper rails  84 . The upper rails  84  are somewhat shorter than lower rail  80 . 
     The use of a rack of the invention, no matter which embodiment used, provides boats with little or no space for storage, a removable space on the outside of the boat hull. Generally the type of boat that needs external storage space would be smaller open fishing boats of less than  24  feet in length. This type of boat has a hull, which rises a foot and a half to maybe two feet from the water; in other words, the boat has a small area in which people, fishing gear, coolers, etc. can fit. The rack of the invention removes some of the space problems. The brackets  12  of the invention are usable with each of the embodiments of the rack in FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 . With a rack  10  or  70  pivotally connected to the brackets  12  by hinges  32  and pins  34 , the brackets  12  are inserted over the gunwales of the hull to the place where the leg  16  with its bends to accommodate the gunwale which presses against the outside of the hull. Threaded screw  26  tightens leg  16  against the hull by pressing its pad  28  against the inside of the hull, as shown in FIGS. 3-5. 
     Most boat hulls have a continuous curve from the bow to the stern. FIG. 2 shows adjusting the rack to fit against the hull. The hinge  32  allows the rack to move horizontally by loosening bolt  38  and sliding the bracket  12  to adjust the distance between the rack and the hull, as shown by the dashed line  12 . 
     In order to pivot the rack into the boat the hinge  32  and the rack are pivotally connected by a pin  34 , FIGS. 2,  3 ,  4  and  5 . The only rack, which will not pivot freely, is FIG. 5 where pivot arm has to be released at pivot  72  or lower member  74 . 
     While several embodiments have been disclosed, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized from studying the drawings, disclosure and claims.

Technology Category: b