Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of the filing date of our prior application Ser. No. 10/801,275 filed Mar. 16, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,197,845, and the provisional application No. 60/455,982, filed Mar. 19, 2003 referenced therein, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This invention relates to fishing equipment and, more particularly, to an outrigger holder apparatus for mounting on a structural portion of a boat, such as, the top of a boat. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In the prior art of sport fishing equipment, it is known to use outriggers to play out trolling lines away from the sides and back of the boat. These outriggers can be moved in line with the hull and in-board of the boat when they are not being used for trolling. Thus, they are adjustable between the trolling position and the storage position. 
   These outriggers can be mounted on bases which are either fixed to the gunnels or tops of the boats. They can be adjustable, in that the outrigger can be swung outwardly to a plurality of fixed positions. 
   Prior art outriggers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,927,754, 3,008,259, 3,161,390, 3,190,594, 3,724,791, 5,445,102, and 5,592,893. These patents also show the holders for the outriggers. Many of these patents disclose two means of adjustment: one means of rotating the outrigger holder to move it in a horizontal plane and another means of angling the outrigger holder in a vertical plane. 
   On a boat which has a T-top, it is desirable to have an outrigger mounted on top of the T-top, while having its control mechanism mounted below the T-top. Outriggers specifically designed for T-top boats are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,993,346, 5,738,035 and 5,778,817. One of the problems presented by these devices is the awkwardness and strength needed in operating them. For example, in the &#39;346 patent, when the fisherman using the device wishes to rotate the outrigger, he will grab the lever 170 in one hand and push upwardly with his other hand on the extension of the lever member. This is done to retract the plunger from the bore, enabling the tubular element in turn to move the outrigger into another position. The weight of the outrigger must be borne throughout this procedure; making it extremely difficult. 
   In addition, the “T” Top construction of the boat is generally made of a light weight, somewhat flimsy tubing. Thus it is desirable to provide a strengthening support to tie in the tubing and provide a more rigid support for the outrigger holder. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   We have invented an outrigger holder which is easy to manipulate to move the outrigger held thereby from inboard to outboard positions and back; all from under the structural part of the boat upon which the outrigger holder is mounted. This ease of movement is provided by a new bearing structure which absorbs the weight of the outrigger holder portion during indexing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded side elevation, partially broken away and shown in section, of an adjustable outrigger holder apparatus in accordance with our invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation, partially in section of a portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded side elevation partially in section of a portion of an apparatus as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded side elevation partially in section of a portion of an apparatus as shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the apparatus. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to the Figures,  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with our invention which comprises an outrigger holder portion designated generally  10  secured to a mounting plate  12  mounted on top of a structural portion  14  of a boat. A retractable, rotatable key portion designated generally  16  is positioned below the structural portion  14  of the boat. 
   A retractable, rotatable key portion  16  comprises a handle means  18 , a driver tube  20  attached thereto, a pin base  22  affixed to the other end of the driver tube  20  and a plurality of pins  24  fixed to and extending upwardly from the pin base  22 . Each pin  24  is frustro-conical to allow for insertion into mating holes in the upper portion as will be more fully described herein after. 
   As can be seen more clearly in  FIG. 2 , a bearing bushing  26  is positioned about the drive tube  20  to provide a bearing surface between the mounting plate  12 . The bushing has an outwardly extending flange to rest it on the upper surface of the mounting plate. 
   Resting upon the bushing  26  is a spring cup  28 . Positioned about the drive tube  20  and within the confines of the upwardly extending cylindrical wall of the cup is a spring  30 . 
   When the apparatus is in a fixed position, the spring  30  is collapsed and exerts a force against the bottom of the spring cup and the undersurface of the annular pin base  22 , thus driving the pin base into engagement with a mating part in the outrigger holder portion  10 . 
   The outrigger holder portion  10  comprises a housing  32   FIG. 3 . 
   Extending through this part is a driven tube  34  terminating in a forked end portion designated  36  which provides an open slot  38  at the end of the tube  34 . 
   The upper end of the driven tube  34  terminates in a mating portion of the outrigger holder vertical adjustment assembly, designated generally  40 . 
   A bearing bushing  42  is positioned about the driven tube  34  to provide a bearing surface between the driven tube  34  and the housing  32 . The bushing  42  has an outwardly extending flange to rest it on the under surface of a relieved portion of the mounting housing  32 . 
   There is a hole  44  on a diameter through the cylindrical wall of the driven tube  34 . Mounted through and extending from this hole is a support pin  46 . 
   Embracing the driven tube  34  is a segment seat  48  with a half-circular detent  50  formed on a diameter in the seat  48  and dimensioned to embrace the support pin  46 . 
   A bearing bushing  52  is positioned about the driven tube  34  to provide a bearing surface between the driven tube and the flower  54 . The bushing  52  has an outwardly extending flange to rest it on the upper surface of the flower  54 . 
   The inside housing  32  is configured with inwardly extending ribs  56 . The flower  54  has a peripheral configuration to mate with the ribbed configuration of the housing  32 . Thus the flower  54  is keyed into the inner walls of the housing  32 , by its complementary configured outer periphery; which prevents it from being rotated in the assembled condition. A “C” spring clip  55  is retained in a groove  57  in the ribs  56  of the housing  32 . When the flower  54  is positioned within the housing  32 , the spring clip  55  is compressed slightly and inserted into the grooves and released, to thereby retain the flower in the housing. 
   The flower  54  has holes  56  therein on its lower surface. These holes are positioned to mate with the pins  24  of the drive tube  20 , in the fixed condition of the apparatus as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   There is a diametrically extending hole  60   FIG. 2  through the cylindrical wall of the drive tube  20 . Fixedly mounted through this hole in the wall of the tube  20  is a drive pin  62 . The drive pin  62  is positioned and dimensioned to fit within the slot  38  of the driven tube 
   The housing  32  is fixedly mounted to the mounting plate  12 . With the apparatus in the fixed position as shown in  FIG. 1 , the pins  24  are in engagement with the holes  56  in the flower  54  and thus prevent the drive tube  20  from rotating. This is its normal, at rest condition. 
   To rotate the driven tube  34  and thus reposition the outrigger holder in a horizontal plane, the handle  18  is first pulled down until the pins  24  are disengaged from the flower  54 . The handle and drive tube  20  can now be rotated. Upon rotation, the drive pin  62  engages the driven tube  34  and rotates it See  FIG. 4 . During this rotation, the weight of the outrigger holder and outrigger, is absorbed by the bearing surfaces provided by the lower surface of the segment seat  48  and the upper surface of the bearing bushing  52 . Any downward force is expended against the resistance provided by the fixed structure of the flower  54  retained in the housing  32 . Thus the force is absorbed above the structure of the boat upon which the outrigger holder is mounted. 
   When one stops exerting a downward force on the handle  18 , the force of the spring  30  takes over and moves the key portion upwardly to a position for re-engagement of the pins  24  within the holes  56  of the flower  54 . 
   Thus we have provided an indexing means whereby an outrigger holder can be rotated horizontally to move an outrigger inboard or outboard to a plurality of fixed positions, without contending with the weight of the outrigger. Our invention comprises, a mounting means for mounting an outrigger holder on a structural part of a boat; said mounting means further comprising a housing means for fixedly mounting the outrigger holder apparatus on said structural part; an outrigger holder means mounted in said housing means for rotation therein; a bearing means engaging said outrigger holder and said housing means for providing a bearing there between positioned above the structural part to bear the weight of the outrigger holder above the structural part upon rotation of the outrigger holder; said mounting means for the outrigger holder further comprising an indexing means for adjusting the position of the outrigger holder means to a plurality of fixed positions in a horizontal plane from underneath the structural part upon which the outrigger holder means is mounted; said indexing means having a first portion engaging said housing means and a second portion for selectively engaging and disengaging with said first portion; said second portion when disengaged from said first portion being positioned to engage and rotate said outrigger holder means without bearing the weight of the outrigger holder means. 
   The outrigger holder apparatus further comprising a release and turning mechanism engaging said mounting means for the outrigger holder means for moving the outrigger holder to and holding the outrigger holder in, a plurality of fixed horizontal positions. 
   We have invented an outrigger holder apparatus wherein the release and turning mechanism further comprises a lock engaging said outrigger holder and said mounting means; and a key being movable to disengage from said lock said and mounting means and thereby allow said key to be rotated in a horizontal plane to rotate the outrigger holder to a different fixed position. 
   We have invented an outrigger holder apparatus wherein said lock comprises a flower engaging said housing; said flower having a plurality of holes therein; said key having a plurality of pins extending therefrom being positioned for insertion into and retraction from said holes in said flower. 
   We have further invented an outrigger holder apparatus wherein said lock comprises a flower engaging said housing; and said apparatus further comprises a bearing mounted in and extending above said flower; and a segmented seat positioned above said bearing to rest upon said bearing; said outrigger holder having a tube portion extending through said housing and a pin extending through the wall of said tube; said seat having a detent therein and said pin being disposed in said detent to bear upon said seat. 
   We have further invented an outrigger holder apparatus wherein said key further comprises a tube portion and a pin extending through the wall of said tube portion; and said outrigger holder further comprising a tube portion with a slot therein; said tube portions being juxtaposed such that the pin in the tube portion of the key is in the slot of the tube portion of the outrigger holder. 
   We have further invented an outrigger holder apparatus wherein said lock comprises a flower in the housing means having a plurality of holes therein; said key further comprising a tube portion with a pin base at one having a plurality of pins extending therefrom being positioned for insertion into and retraction from said holes in said flower; said tube portion having a handle at an end opposite from the end with the pin base; a bushing mounted about said tube portion for insertion through the structural part of the boat to provide a bearing between the tube portion and the structural part; said bearing having a lip extending therefrom above the structural part; a spring cup embracing said tube portion above said bushing and said lip and resting upon said lip and containing a spring which is positioned about said tube portion; said spring engaging said pin base; whereby when said handle is pulled in an axial direction with respect to said tube portion, the pin base compresses said spring as the pins in the base are disengaged from said lock. 
   We have used the term “flower” for the part numbered  54 . However, it will be understood by those in the art that this part may have other shapes, so long as it can be fixedly mounted in the housing and perform the same functions of support and locking as this part.

Technology Category: b