US3216388A

US3216388A - Dinghy stowing support

Info

Publication number: US3216388A
Application number: US313518A
Authority: US
Inventors: John B Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-10-03
Filing date: 1963-10-03
Publication date: 1965-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-09

Description

Nov. 9, 1965 J. B. SMITH DINGHY STOWING SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001'.- 3, 1965 INVENTOR. JUH/Y 5 577/777 Nov. 9, 1965 J. B. SMITH 3,216,388

DINGHY STOWING SUPPORT Filed 001;. 3, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN 3 577 7 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 3,216,388 DINGHY ST OWING SUPPORT John B. Smith, 632 Pembroke St, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Filed Oct. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 313,518 5 Claims. (Cl. 11443.5)

This invention relates to a support by which a dinghy can be supported in stowed condition and more particularly to such a support which is mounted on a step projecting aft from the transom of a cruiser so that the length of the dinghy in stowed position will extend transversely of the length of the cruiser.

It has been customary to stow a dinghy on its side on a step or shelf projecting aft from the transom of a cruiser, but it has been difiicult to secure such a dinghy in place reliably, and particularly in somewhat rough water it has been difiicult to hoist the dinghy safely onto such a step. Either in launching or in mooring a dinghy preparatory to stowing it it has also been difiicult to hold the dinghy in proper relationship to the step without the dinghy striking the step or the step Striking the dinghy undesirably in rough water, and it has also been a problem to maintain the desired relationship between the dinghy and the step while a person is stepping from such a step into the dinghy, or from the dinghy onto the step.

It is a princapl object of the present invention to provide a dinghy support which will couple the dinghy securely and in definite relationship to the step of a cruiser without restricting the relative movements of the dinghy and the cruiser to an undesirable degree, so that a person can board the dinghy or disembark from the dinghy easily, and the launching and stowing of the dinghy will be facilitated.

A further object is to provide a combined dinghy mooring and support structure which can be engaged with and disengaged from the dinghy quickly and easily. More specifically, it is an object to connect the dinghy and the cruiser step at two locations spaced lengthwise of the dinghy so as to preevnt yawing of the dinghy relative to the step while allowing the dinghy to roll relative to the step and to be tilted between stowed position and moored position, either during lauching or stowing of the dinghy.

Another object is to provide a dinghy support and mooring structure including two elements which can be attached to the dinghy independently of each other and will therefore enable separate manipulation of the attaching elements.

Another object is to provide such a dinghy mooring and support structure which is easy to install on the cruiser step and on the dinghy, is compact, is not objectionably in the way, and which can be retracted to lie in superposed registry with the step when not attached to a dinghy.

A further object is to provide a support for a dinghy in stowed position having adequate strength to carry the weight of the dinghy, which will hold the dinghy in a desirable attitude when stowed, and which will prevent the dinghy from washing off or working oil? the step when the cruiser is underway, with the dinghy in stowed condition.

The dinghy support includes two brackets secured to the step projecting aft from the transom of a cruiser in positions spaced apart transversely of the cruiser. On the gunwale of a dinghy are mounted two fittings spaced lengthwise of the dinghy a distance corresponding to the spacing of the brackets and which are engageable by the ends of the brackets projecting aft beyond the trailing edge of the step. The portions of the brackets secured to the dinghy fittings are pivoted relative to the bracket arms about horizontal axes to enable the dinghy to be swung relative to the step. Preferably each bracket also is pivotally mounted to swing about an upright axis 3,216,388 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 between a position in which the arm of the bracket extends fore and aft with its aft end projecting beyond the trailing edge of the step and a position in which the bracket arm is in registry with the step and does not project beyond its edge.

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective of the stern portion of a cruiser and a dinghy behind it, showing the dinghy support installation in which the dinghy is moored to the cruiser step by the dinghy support structure.

FIGURE 2 is a plan of one bracket of the dinghy support shown attached to a dinghy fitting; FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of such bracket and fitting; and FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the bracket and fitting.

FIGURE 5 is a top perspective of a support bracket, the bracket mount and the dinghy fitting, showing parts in exploded relationship.

FIGURE 6 is an elevation of the stern portion of the cruiser side and the stern of a dinghy with the dinghy support in side elevation mooring the dinghy to the cruiser step, and FIGURE 7 is a similar view with the dinghy uptilted into stowed position supported from the step.

FIGURE 8 is a plan of a dinghy support bracket in inoperative position overlying the step.

FIGURE 9 is a bottom perspective of a dinghy support bracket mounted beneath a cruiser step, and FIG- URE 10 is a side elevation of such support bracket with parts broken away.

The stern portion 1 of a cruiser shown in FIGURES 1, 6 and 7 is intended to be merely representative of a typical stern portion of a cruiser which may be from twenty feet to sixty feet in length ordinarily. The width of the transom 2 of such a cruiser is from six to twelve feet, and such transom usually is flat or nearly flat. The transom is shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 as having a slight curvature. A step or shelf 13 customarily is provided projecting rearwardly from such a transom a short distance above the water to enable a person to board a dinghy from the cruiser or disembark from a dinghy to the cruiser easily by stepping on the step between the cruiser and the dinghy. Consequently, the height of the step above the Water When the cruiser is not underway is approximately equal to the height of the dinghy freeboard. In general, the length of the dinghy should not appreciably exceed the Width of the transom, and a longer dinghy usually has somewhat greater freeboard than a shorter dinghy. Consequently, on larger cruisers the height of the step above the water is usually somewhat greater than the step on smaller cruisers.

Stowing a dinghy on its side on the step of a cruiser presents two principal problems: first, the problem of handling the dinghy, of placing it on the step conveniently during a stowing operation, and removing the dinghy from the step during the launching operation; and second, the problem of holding the dinghy in place in stowed position on the step during pitching and rolling of the cruiser in rough weather. Both of these problems are solved satisfactorily by use of the stowing support of the present invention, and, in addition, the dinghy can be moored securely to the step by the same mechanism While it is being loaded, or while people are boarding or disembarking from the dinghy. These results are accomplished by attaching the dinghy positively to the step by the support mechanism at locations spaced apart a substantial distance lengthwise of the dinghy so that the dinghy Will be held with its length generally parallel to the transom 2 and the trailing edge of the step 3. The connections between the step and the dinghy are accomplished by two separate brackets of similar construction, one being a port bracket and the other a starboard bracket.

FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5 show the port bracket installation including the bracket arm having a relatively wide,

flat base portion 4 and a narrower shank 5 projecting from the base portion. Cruiser transoms customarily have spaced series of slots through them as shown in FIGURE 1 with solid bands between the slot series extending generally radially of the transom curvature. It is desirable for the port bracket to be mounted in the unslotted bands of the step, and consequently where the transom and step are curved somewhat it is desirable for the base portion and shank portion of the support bracket arms to be angled somewhat as shown in FIGURE 2, so that in operative position the base portion of the arm will be aligned with an unslotted band of the step, and the shank 5 of the bracket arm will extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cruiser. The base and shank portions of the starboard bracket arm will be angled correspondingly in the opposite direction so that when the base portions of the port bracket and the starboard bracket are centered in unslotted portions of the step, their shanks 5 will be in parallel relationship. If the transom of the cruiser is flat and the trailing edge of the step is straight, the

bracket arms

4 and 5 can be in straight alignment instead of being at an angle relative to each other. The other portions of the bracket will be the same.

The aft end of the bracket arm shank 5 is bifurcated to form a clevis 6 which straddles the lug 7 of a connecting plug 8 pivotally connected to the arm clevis by the pivot pin 9 extending through aligned apertures in the clevis and lug. Preferably, as shown in FIGURE 5, the lug 7 has a protruding corner engageable with the clevis slot, constituting a stop limiting downward swinging of the plug relative to the arm in the substantially horizontal position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The opposite corner of the lug is rounded generally concentrically of the pivot-receiving aperture so that the plug can swing upward from approximately horizontal through an angle of at least 100 from the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 6 to the position of FIGURE 7. The end of the plug 8 has in it a slot 8' receiving a toggle 10, which is pivotally mounted in the slot by the pivot pin 11.

The dinghy 12 shown in FIGURES 1, 6 and 7 is merely representative, although it is preferred that the gunwales be substantially straight amidships. Such dinghys frequently are made of molded polyester resin reinforced with glass fiber mat or glass fiber cloth, but they may be constructed of aluminum, plywood or wood planking. On one gunwale of the dinghy, and preferably the port gunwale, are mounted fittings engageable with the bracket arm plugs 8 respectively. Each of these fittings provides a socket member including a cylindrical socket tube 13 integral with a mounting plate 14, which can be secured by screws 15 to the gunwale of the dinghy with the axis of the cylindrical socket upright. The cylindrical shank 16 of a swivel fitting is received in this socket, and such fitting has a flange 17 at the base of the shank to limit its movement into the socket 13. A cotter key 18 extending through a hole in the shank 16 at the end of the socket 13 opposite that engaged by the flange 17 prevents removal of the shank from the socket without interfering with its swivel action.

At the opposite side of the flange from the shank the fitting has a lug end 19 in which is a cylindrical aperture 20 of a size to receive loosely the plug 8 of the bracket arm. Lug 19 is sufficiently thin so that when the plug 8 is moved fully into the aperture 20 the toggle can drop from a position aligned with the slot 8' into the latching position shown in FIGURE 3, so that the plug and the lug 19 will be held in connected relationship against inadvertent displacement. These elements can be disconnected readily, however, simply by swinging the toggle 10 up into alignment with the plug so that the plug can be withdrawn from the aperture 20. The loose fit between the plug and such aperture enables a reasonable amount of relative tilting between the plug 8 and lug 19 without subjecting the parts to substantial stress.

In use the dinghy 12 can be brought alongside the step 3 into the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 6, and the dinghy gunwale can then be moved toward the trailing edge of the step 3 to insert first one plug 8 and then the other plug through the aperture 20 of the corresponding dinghy fitting lug 19, with the toggles 10 in alignment with the plug slots 8'. When the toggles are re leased to the positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, the dinghy will be moored securely to the step, although the dinghy may roll relative to the step as the cruiser pitches and rolls with waves passing under it. It is desirable for the dinghy to be thus attached to the cruiser step while the cruiser is directed bow-on to any waves which there may be; Passengers may then conveniently disembark from the dinghy onto the step 3 and the dinghy may be unloaded.

T o stow the dinghy a line 21 is attached to an oarlock socket or other fixture on the gunwale of the dinghy, opposite that carrying the dinghy support fittings, and such line can then be pulled inboard to swing the dinghy from the solid line position shown in FIGURE 6, through the broken line position of that figure into the position shown in FIGURE 7. The line 21 can then be suitably secured to hold the dinghy from tilting back into the water, or the upper side of the dinghy may be otherwise suitably secured. In the position of FIGURE 7 the dinghy is supported by the bracket arms and the gunwale is held spaced from the cruiser transom sufficiently far so that the dinghy is tilted into a position in which it tends to remain even if the upper side is not secured in any way. To launch the dinghy it is merely necessary to push the upper side away from the transom and pay out the line 21 to lower the dinghy through the broken line position of FIGURE 6 into the solid line position. When the dinghy is loaded, the toggles 10 can simply be swung upward into alignment with the slots 8' and the dinghy pushed away from the step 3 to withdraw the plugs 8 from the fitting apertures 20 to free the dinghy.

While the dinghy is in use the cotter pins 18 can be removed from the fitting shanks 16 so that these swivel fittings can be removed from the gunwale of the dinghy, but such fittings do not project above the gunwale sufficiently to be objectionable ordinarily, and consequently, such fittings usually would remain anchored to the dinghy gunwale at all times. If the rearward projection of the bracket arms should be objectionable, or if it should be desired to protect them from being damaged by an object alongside the step of the cruiser, such bracket arms can be retracted into position in registry with the step 3. For this purpose the base portions 4 of the bracket arms can be mounted to swing around the axis of the pivot mounting bolt 22, which, as shown best in FIGURE 3, extends through the base portion 4 of the bracket arm and the step 3. The bracket arm can thus be swung from the operative fore and aft position shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 into the inoperative, retracted athwartships position shown in FIGURE 8. The bolt 22 can be secured by lock nuts 23 to enable the arm to swing in this manner.

In order to provide a firm bearing for the

arm

4, 5 when it is in its operative position and also to prevent wearing of the step 3 by swinging of the bracket arm, a Wear plate 24 may be mounted on the step between the bracket arm and the adjacent surface of the step. This wear plate has an aperture 25 near one end through which the bolt 22 ex tends. It is desirable to be able to latch the bracket arm in its operative position, and it may also be desirable to latch the bracket arm in its retracted, inoperative position of FIGURE 8. For this purpose the bracket arm has in it an aperture 26 spaced from and extending parallel to the aperture 22' through which the pivot bolt 22 extends. Also, the wear plate 24 has in it an aperture 27 spaced from its aperture 25 a distance equal to the spacing of the bracket arm apertures 22' and 26. Consequently, the apertures 26 and 27 will be aligned when the bracket arm is in its fore-and-aft operative position shown in FIGURE 2. These apertures can be held in such aligned registry by inserting through them a latch pin 28 which preferably has a bent end 29 to facilitate its placement and removal. This latch pin should have a reasonably snug fit in the apertures 26 and 27, but need not be secured in place.

When the latch pin 28 is withdrawn from the apertures 26 and 27, the

bracket arm

4, 5 can be swung readily about the pivot bolt 22. An aperture corresponding to aperture 27 can, if desired, be provided in the step at a location spaced approximately 90 from the aperture 27 in the wear plate to enable the latch pin to be inserted through the bracket arm aperture 26 and such other aperture for holding the bracket arm in the retracted position shown in FIGURE 8. Otherwise, the latch pin can simply be inserted directly into the wear plate aperture 27 as a convenient place for storing it, as shown in FIGURE 8, until the bracket arm is to be swung again into its operative position.

In a case where the step 3 is higher than desirable to engage a fitting on the gunwale of the dinghy 12, the bracket can be mounted on the underside of the step instead of above it, as described in connection with FIGURES 1 to 7, inclusive. Such an alternative type of bracket mounting is shown in FIGURES 9 and 10. The

bracket arm

4, 5 used for this installation can be the same as the bracket arm previously described, and the dinghy fitting and plug 8 also Will be the same. The only difference is that in assembling the bracket its arm will be inverted in the manner shown in FIGURES 9 and 10. If such a bracket arm is to be swingable into a retracted position, it is preferred that the pivot bolt 22" extend through a hole in the bracket arm base 4 which is located closer to the shank 5, as shown in FIGURES 9 and 10. Again, such bolt can be secured in place by lock nuts 23'.

In this instance also the wear plate 24 is mounted on the surface of the step adjacent to the bracket arm, which in this instance will be the underside of the step. The bracket arm can be secured in its operative fore-and-aft position by the latch pin 28, which now extends through the step 3 first and then through the wear plate and bracket arm. By placing the pivot bolt 22" closer to the shank 5 of the bracket arm, the end portion of the base 4 remote from the bracket arm shank will bear against the wear plate so as to provide a mounting having better stress-resisting characteristics than if the pivot bolt were mounted adjacent to the end of the base 4 remote from the shank 5. When it is desired to swing the bracket arm into its retracted position, the latch pin 28 can be pulled out by grasping its bent end 29, after which the bracket arm can be swung through approximately 90 into registry with the step 3. The latch pin can be stored by replacing it in the same aperture in the step.

The plug 8 of this bracket will normally be held substantially in horizontal position as described previously,

and can be connected to and disconnected from the lug 19 of the dinghy fitting as also described above. The operation of mooring the dinghy, stowing it and locking it by the use of this bracket is the same as already described, so that this explanation need not be repeated.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dinghy stowing support for a cruiser transom step comprising a plurality of separate elongated bracket arms, pivot means securing said bracket arms respectively to the transom step spaced athwartships for independent swinging independent about upright axes between operative positions in which their lengths extend generally fore and aft and retracted positions in which their lengths extend generally athwartships, independent first attachment elements one for each of said brackets, pivot means separately mounting said first attachment elements respectively on said bracket arms for swinging of each attachment element about a horizontal athwartships axis relative to its bracket arm, when such bracket arm is in its fore and aft position, between a position projecting aft from its bracket arm and an upwardly swung position, and second attachment elements secured to the gunwale of the dinghy and engageable respectively with said first attachment elements when said bracket arms are in their generally fore and aft positions for swinging upwardly with said first attachment elements and with such dinghy gunwale as the dinghy is tilted on its side into stowed position.

2. A dinghy stowing support for a cruiser transom step comprising a plurality of separate elongated bracket arms, pivot means securing said bracket arms respectively to the upper side of the transom step spaced athwartships for independent swinging about upright axes between operative positions in which their lengths extend generally fore and aft and retracted positions in which their lengths extend generally athwartships, independent first attachment elements one for each of said brackets, pivot means separately mounting said first attachment elements respectively on said bracket arms for swinging of each attachment element about a horizontal athwartships axis relative to its bracket arm, when such bracket arm is in its fore and aft position, between a position projecting aft from its bracket arm and an upwardly swung position, and second attachment elements secured to the gunwale of the dinghy and engageable respectively with said first attachment elements when said bracket arms are in their generally fore and aft positions for swinging upwardly with said first attachment elements and with such dinghy gunwale as the dinghy is tilted on its side into stowed position.

3. A dinghy stowing support for a cruiser transom step comprising a plurality of separate elongated bracket arms, pivot means securing said bracket arms respectively to the underside of the transom step spaced athwartships for independent swinging about upright axes spaced a substantial distance from opposite ends of said bracket arms between operative positions in which their lengths extend generally fore and aft and retracted positions in which their lengths extend generally athwartships, independent first attachment elements one for each of said brackets, pivot means separately mounting said first attachment elements respectively on said bracket arms for swinging of each attachment element about a horizontal athwartships relative to its bracket arm, when such bracket arm is in its fore and aft position, between a position projecting aft from its bracket arm and an upwardly swung position, and second attachment elements secured to the gunwale of the dinghy and engageable respectively with said first attachment elements when said bracket arms are in their generally fore and aft positions for swinging upwardly with said first attachment elements and with such dinghy gunwale as the dinghy is tilted on its side into stowed position.

4. A dinghy stowing support for a cruiser transom step comprising a plurality of brackets secured to the transom step spaced athwartships, independent first attachment elements one for each of said brackets, pivot means separately mounting said first attachment elements respectively on said brackets for swinging of each attachment element about a horizontal athwartships axis relative to its bracket between a position projecting aft from its bracket and an upwardly swung position, second attachment elements secured to the gunwale of the dinghy, and swivel joint means closely coupled with said pivot means and connecting said second attachment elements respectively with said first attachment elements for swinging upward therewith and with such dinghy gunwale as the dinghy is tilted on its side into stowed position.

5. A dinghy stowing support for a cruiser transom comprising a plurality of bracket arms extending fore and aft and supported from the transom spaced athwartships, independent first elements, one for each of said bracket arms, pivot means separately mounting said first elements respectively on said bracket arms for swinging of each first element about a horizontal athwartships axis relative to its bracket arm between a position extending aft from its bracket arm and an upwardly swung position, second elements secured to the gunwale of the dinghy, and engageable projection and socket elements carried by said first and second elements, forming swivel joint means closely coupled with said pivot means and connecting said first and second elements for swinging upward relative to said bracket arms with such dinghy gunwale as the dinghy is tilted on its side into stowed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,610 4/14 Steinhauer 93O X 2,294,864 9/42 Palmer 9-30 2,473,557 6/49 Woodruff 93 1 X 3,143,991 8/64 Anderson 114-435 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.