WO1990001000A1

WO1990001000A1 - Houseboat

Info

Publication number: WO1990001000A1
Application number: PCT/AU1989/000310
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lambertus Derksen; Raymond Alvin VORHAUER
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-07-21
Filing date: 1989-07-21
Publication date: 1990-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-21
Also published as: KR900701597A

Abstract

A hull (4) for a trailable houseboat (2), the hull having sidewalls, bottom, bow and stern, the bottom having passages (30) which extend from the bow to the stern, the arrangement being such that when the hull is stationary and supporting a predetermined load, the passages are generally submerged and wherein when the hull is travelling above a predetermined speed, the hull is raised and water and air enter the passages to thereby improve the floatation of the hull.

Description

HOUSEBOAT

This invention relates to a houseboat.

More particularly, this invention relates to a houseboat and hull therefor, the arrangement being such that a houseboat can be made which can quite readily be towed behind a car or truck.

According to the present invention there is provided a trailable houseboat comprising a hull, a roof, sidewalls, and roof support means, said roof support means including actuating means for raising the roof from a trailing position in which the roof is adjacent the top of the hull to an operating position in which the roof is spaced from the top of the hull, said sidewalls spanning the region between the top of the hull and the roof in the operating position.

In a preferred embodiment, the roof is generally rectangular and the roof support means comprise post means located near respective corners of the roof. Preferably, each post means includes telescopically mounted post elements. Preferably further, the actuating means includes fluid actuated rams located internally of said post elements. Preferably, the actuating means includes control means for independently operating at least some of said rams.

The invention also provides a hull for a trailable houseboat, said hull having sidewalls, bottom, bow and stern, the bottom having passages which extend from the bow to the stern, the arrangement being such that when the hull is stationary and supporting a predetermined load, said passages are generally submerged and wherein when said hull is travelling in a forward direction with said predetermined load above a predetermined speed, the hull is raised and water and air enter said passages.

Preferably further, the passages include wider cross-sectional area portions near the bow and narrower cross-sectional portions near the stern.

The invention also provides a houseboat including a hull as defined above, said houseboat including a roof, sidewalls, and roof support means, said roof support means including actuating means for raising the roof from a trailing position in which the roof is adjacent the top of the hull to an operating position in which the roof is spaced from the top of the hull, said sidewalls spanning the region between the top of the hull and the roof in its operating position. The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a houseboat constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a bow end view of the houseboat;

Figure 3 is a stern end view of the houseboat;

Figure 4 is a stern end view with the roof lowered;

Figure 5 is a side view of the hull of the invention;

Figure 6 is an underside view of the hull;

Figure 7 is a more detailed view of the bow of the hull;

Figure 8 is a more detailed view of the stern of the hull;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view of part of the hull;

Figure 10 is a schematic cross-section through an extensible strut;

Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-section through another expansible strut;

Figure 12 is a sectional view along the line 12-12;

Figure 13 is a sectional view along the line 13-13; and

Figure 14 is a more detailed cross-sectional view of part of the strut.

The houseboat 2 of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises a hull 4, roof 6 and sidewalls 8. It is preferred that the hull comprises an integral moulding from fibre reinforced plastics material. A suitable material is glass fibre reinforced polyester moulded in the usual way. The hull includes a hinged door 10 located at the stern of the boat. The sidewalls 8 are preferably formed from flexible material such as canvas into which are formed flexible windows 12. The front and rear walls 14 and 16 include doors 18 and 20 which preferably comprise rigid elements and are hingedly connected between the hull and the roof.

The houseboat includes four roof support means 22, 24, 26 and 28, the first pair being located near the bow of the boat and the second pair being located near the stern of the boat. The lower ends of the support means are mounted on a flat floor 34 of the houseboat. In use, the roof support means are operated so as to lift the roof 6 from a lower position which is shown in Figure 4 to a raised position as illustrated in full lines in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In the lowered position, the frontal area of the houseboat is relatively low and the task of towing the houseboat is therefore very much easier than that which would be applicable if the user attempted to tow the houseboat with its roof in the erected position. In use, the houseboat is used in conjunction with a trailer (not shown) which is partially submerged when launching and taking the houseboat from the water.

In accordance with the preferred shape of the hull of the invention, a number of longitudinally extending passages 30 are formed between adjacent float portions 32, as best seen in Figures 7 and 8. For most of their length, the passages 30 are of uniform cross-section and have an upper lateral dimension of 240mm. Each has a vertical depth of about 145mm. The bottom dimension i.e. between adjacent lower corners of the floats 32 is preferably 285mm. The float portions themselves have lateral dimensions of say 363mm. The overall width of the bottom of the hull is therefore about 2,300mm measured between the bottom corners of the outermost float portions 32. The floor 34 is provided and its lower face is supported by the upper parts of the passages 30 as shown. The floor 34 may comprise plywood which is covered with a supporting layer of fibreglass. This also acts to form sealed air chambers within the float portions 32. Alternatively, the float portions 32 may be filled with foamed plastics material such as polyurethane. In addition, the float portions may be provided with a number of transverse baffles 36 for additional strength and also for forming separate water tight compartments. This of course is an important safety feature should one of the walls of the float portion 32 be ruptured or develop a leak. Drainage plugs 38 can be provided in the usual way.

The bow of the boat is formed with a novel shape which has important functions in use. It will be seen from Figures 7 and 9 that forward bottom wall portions 40 of the floats 32 and swept upwardly to a level well above the floor 34, as best seen in Figure 8. In addition, the forward parts 41 of the sidewalls of the float portions taper towards one another so as to form narrow upper ends 42, as best seen in Figure 7. The forward parts 43 of the sidewalls of the sides of the hull also taper inwardly, the tapering extending to a higher level for streamlining and better aesthetic appearance. The tapering is such that the upper ends 42 of the float portions have lateral dimensions which are about one third of their base dimensions. It will be appreciated that the forward portions 45 of the passages between the floats will be correspondingly increased in size, again as seen in Figure 6. In this respect it is preferred that the distance D is 550mm and the lateral dimension of the ends 42 about 100mm. Also the radius of curvature R, marked on Figure 8 is preferably about 290mm.

The shape of the tapering forward parts 41 and 43 of the floats has a significant functional effect as well as improving the overall asthetics of the hull. Generally speaking, the configuration of the boat is such that when carrying a predetermined load, the stationary water line 44 shown in chain lines in Figure 8 measured at the stern is about 6mm above the tops 46 of the passages 30. When however the boat is in motion, the hull is elevated so that the moving water line 48 is approximately 12.2mm below the tops 46. Thus air pockets are formed in the passages 30. This occurs when the boat is travelling at or above a predetermined speed. In the example described above, this occurs when the boat is travelling at about 8 or 9 knots per hour. In one embodiment the weight of the houseboat is about 1400kg and can carry at least 10 people.

The existence of the air passage tends to reduce substantially the drag on the hull as it is moved through the water. It has been found that an outboard motor of relatively small size can be fitted to the stern of the boat in order to drive it above the predetermined speed. For instance in the illustrated example, the horsepower rating of the outboard motor can be as low as 10 h.p. This keeps costs low and also it makes the houseboat very economical to run. It will be appreciated from a consideration of Figures 5 and 6 that the effective cross-sectional areas of the passages 30 between the floats 32 decreases in area from the forward part 45 to the point marked 50 where the passage becomes of constant cross-section along the length. This point is approximately 600mm from the forward edge of the hull. This increases the velocity of water entering the passages 30 and also induces a flow of air with the water. These effects create the air passage and achieve the elevation of the hull, as described above. The passages 30 and floats 32 also make the hull easy to steer particularly in cross winds.

Figure .9 shows one form of the roof support means 22, 24, 26 and 28. The structure of each is the same and therefore only one of the support means 22 will be described. It comprises three telescopically mounted post elements 52, 54 and 56 which are square or round in cross-section. The elements are snugly received within one another so as to provide considerable resistance to lateral forces. The elements are preferably made from steel and have a wall thickness of about 3mm, the base element 52 being 75 x 75mm. The lower element 52 is provided with a mounting flange 54. Located within the elements 52, 54 and 56 are respective stages 58, 60 and 62 of a telescopic hydraulic ram. When fluid under pressure is supplied to the ram, the elements extend (when sufficient pressure is provided) so that the roof support means 22 assumes its extended position, as shown in Figure 2. In this position the roof support means can support the roof in its operative position, as shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the element 56 is connected to an end wall 63 of the uppermost post element 56 which, in turn, is connected to the underside of the roof 6 so that it cannot be inadvertently dislodged. In the illustrated arrangement, the elements 52, 54 and 56 have extended lengths of 820mm, 630mm and 540mm. In the extended position of the support means, the ends of the post elements overlap by about 150mm for increased stability.

A preferred form of expansible strut 100 for raising and lowering the roof 6 is illustrated in Figures 11 to 14. The illustrated arrangement includes first, second and third telescopically mounted fluid tubes 104, 106 and 108. The tubes are located within telescopically mounted support tubes 110, 112 and 114. The tube 104 is connected to a base 116 which has an end plug 118 which extends into the interior of the tube 104. An O-ring 120 forms a seal with the inner surface of the tube 104. An inlet hydraulic line 122 conveys hydraulic fluid to and from the end plug 118 and into the interior of the tube 104. The corresponding end of the second fluid tube 106 has mounted therein an end plug 124 having a passage 126 passing axially therethrough. The plug 126 includes an O-ring 128 which forms a seal with the inner surface of the tube 104. This arrangement is illustrated on a larger scale in Figure 14.

Similarly, the end of the third tube 8 has mounted therein a plug 130 which includes a fluid passage 132 and an O-ring 134 which seals against the inner surface of the second tube 16. The other end of the tube 8 is sealed against an end plate 136 which may include connecting means for connecting the strut to a load to be moved thereby.

It will be appreciated that when fluid under pressure is introduced through the line 122, the tubes 104, 106 and 108 will move away from one another under the influence of the fluid. Movement of the tubes 104, 106 and 108 is limited by the support tubes 110, 112 and 114 as will be described hereinafter.

The first support tube 4 is coupled to an end cap 138 which includes a circular opening 140 which forms a guide surface against the outer surface of the second support tube 112. The cap 138 can be mounted to the tube 104 by threads (not shown) or the like.

The second support tube 112 has mounted therein a guide plug 142. The guide plug 142 has a cylindrical bore 144 which forms a guide surface for the outer surface of the first fluid tube 104. The plug 142 also has a cylindrical surface 146 which forms guide surface against the inner wall of the support tube 110. The plug 142 thus constrains the second support tube 112 to concentric movement relative to the tubes 104 and 110. A stop sleeve 148 is located between the plug 142 and the end cap 138 so as to limit the axial movement of the second support tube 112 relative to the first support tube 110.

The second support tube 112 includes an end cap 150 and the third support strut 114 includes a guide plug 152. A stop sleeve 154 is located between the plug 152 and cap 150. The guide plug 152, cap 150 and sleeve 154 function analogously to the plug 142, cap 138 and sleeve 148 and therefore need not be described in detail.

The end of the third support tube 114 is connected to the end plate 136. It will thus be appreciated that the extension of the guide tubes 110, 112 and 114 is limited by the guide plugs 142 and 152 coming into engagement with the sleeves 148 and 154. This of course will also limit the extension of the fluid tubes 104, 106 and 108.

In the preferred form, the tubes 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 are aluminium and the plugs and caps can be moulded from plastics material such as polyethylene. The tubes can have the following dimensions:

Tube 104 32mm outside diameter

Tube 106 28.5mm outside diameter

Tube 108 25.4mm outside diameter

Tube 110 80mm outside diameter Tube 112 60mm outside diameter Tube 114 50mm outside diameter

The length can be chosen to suit requirements. For instance one suitable arrangement would have a minimum length of 800mm and a maximum expanded length of 2040mm.

The arrangements illustrated in Figures 10 to 14 have been found to enable very compact, inexpensive and stable system for raising and lowering the roof 6. Hydraulic pumps (not shown) can be provided for operation of the rams. Each is provided with a relief valve to return the pressurised fluid to a reservoir (not shown) for controlling the extension of the respective rams. Manually operable pumps can be provided for actuating the rams. A special form of lever can be provided for simultaneously operating the forward pair or rear pair of the rams so as to control the plane of the roof as it is elevated.

All of the internal fixtures of the houseboat such as cooking stove, seating, beds and the like are located at a predetermined height relative to the top of the hull so as not to interfere with the roof when it is lowered to its lower position, illustrated in Figure 4. The doors 18 and 20 can be stowed within the hull and hingedly connected at tops and bottoms after elevation of the roof 6. The sidewalls 8 and front and rear walls 14 and 16 can be left connected to the roof and hull during the raising and lowering operations. Alternatively the could be removed during the stages of the operation. It will be appreciated that the houseboat of the invention can be used as a caravan or mobile home when not in the water.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A hull (4) for a trailable houseboat (2), said hull having sidewalls, bottom, bow and stern, the bottom having passages (30) which extend from the bow to the stern, the arrangement being such that when the hull is stationary and supporting a predetermined load, said passages are generally submerged and wherein when said hull is travelling in a forward direction with said predetermined load above a predetermined speed, the hull is raised and water and air enter said passages.

2. A hull as claimed in claim 1 wherein the passages (30) include wider cross-sectional area portions (45) near the bow and narrower cross-sectional portions near the stern.

3. A hull (4) for a houseboat (2) the hull, bow, stern, bottom and sidewalls the bottom of the hull being characterised by elongate float portions (32) which extend from the bow to the stern and passages (30) defined between adjacent float portions and wherein, at the bow, the float portions have sidewalls (41,43) which taper towards one another and a bottom wall (40) which is swept upwardly.

4. A hull as claimed in claim 3 including a floor (34) which is located adjacent to top defining walls (46) of the passages.

5. A hull as claimed in claim 4 wherein the float portions (32) include baffles (36).

6. A hull as claimed in claim 4 wherein the float portions (32) are filled with foamed plastics material.

7. A hull as claimed in claim 3 wherein there are four of said float portions (32) the outer lateral walls being contiguous with the sidewalls of the hull.

8. A trailable houseboat (2) comprising a hull (4), a roof (6), sidewalls (8), and roof support means (22,24,26,28), said roof support means including actuating means for raising the roof from a trailing position in which the roof is adjacent the top of the hull to an operating position in which the roof is spaced from the top of the hull, said sidewalls spanning the region between the top of the hull and the roof in the operating position.

9. A houseboat as claimed in claim 8 wherein the roof (6) is generally rectangular and the roof support means comprise post means located near respective corners of the roof.

10. A houseboat as claimed in claim 10 wherein the sidewalls (8) comprise flexible fabric and include flexible windows (12).

11. A houseboat as claimed in claims 9 or 10 wherein all internal fixtures are located at a predetermined height relative to the top of the hull (4) so as not to interfere with the roof (6) when it is in its trailing position.

12. A houseboat as claimed in claim 9 wherein roof support means (22,24,26,28) each comprises a three stage hydraulic ram (58,60,62;104,106,108) .

13. A houseboat as claimed in claim 12 wherein each three stage hydraulic ram is located within telescopically mounted post elements (52,54,56;110,112,114) .

14. A houseboat as claimed in claim 13 wherein said post elements comprise aluminium.