Tower leg support and storage device
A superstructure, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on the superstructure, and a storage device configured for attachment to the rotatable device are disclosed. The superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. The rotatable device and storage device may form a rack for mounting board-like objects on, for instance, a boat such that the items may be stored outboard of a passenger compartment, but may be rotated such that a user may select a position for the device for ingress and egress to and from the device.
The present application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/599,756, filed Aug. 6, 2004 and titled “Tower Leg Support and Rack,” and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,317, filed Apr. 29, 2005 and titled “Rotating Storage Device,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,315, filed Apr. 29, 2004 and titled “Rotating Board Rack,” the entirety of each being incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to a superstructure mounted on a boat, a support structure for the superstructure, and a storage device for use with the superstructure, and more particularly, to a positionable superstructure, support structure, and storage device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is common to have a tower or superstructure mounted on a boat for a variety of functions. For instance, the tower may be used for radar, weather sensors, radio or other communications equipment, speakers, lights, beacons, tow pylons, flags, or other devices and equipment. The tower is often made of metal tubing, such as square or round aluminum tubing, and spans from points fore and aft of a pilot or other area. Even for a small power boat, an exemplary tower may be 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. Regardless of attached equipment, such a structure can be quite heavy.
For a number of reasons, it is occasionally desirable to collapse or remove the tower from the boat. By way of example, a dock or slip space rented for the season may not provide sufficient clearance for the tower. If a boat owner does not anticipate using the boat in the near future, it may be useful to cover the interior and/or entrance portions of the boat for protection from the elements, from vandals or thieves, or from trespassers. Furthermore, a dry-dock space for storage or repair may require the removal of such a tower.
In addition, boats historically often suffer from a need for size-economical storage space. It is not uncommon to store extra water skis, wake boards, fishing poles, and the like on a boat. Typically, such items are simply piled into a passenger area of the boat. Beneficially, the items are easily stored or accessed by a passenger when needed. On the other hand, the items stored in this manner are then underfoot, loose, and cumbersome, at the minimum. In addition, bringing such items into the passenger area after use often meant bringing in items that would drain water into the cabin.
One solution to these shortcomings has been to provide storage devices that allow the items to be mounted outboard of the passenger compartment or otherwise mounted on the exterior of the boat. In this manner, water dripping from the stored times is directed out of the passenger area, and the items are not in the way of passengers in the interior of the boat. One such instance of such outboard storage is to provide a storage device mounted to the support structure for the boat tower.
Current tower-mounted storage devices have several other shortcomings. Such tower-mounted storage devices are generally fixed to the outboard side of the tower support structure, an awkward location for the items to be stored in and removed from the device. A user has to reach around the support structure to which the storage device is mounted in order to access the storage device. In such position, a person needs to be careful when storing or removing an item in the storage device and often the boat needs to be properly steadied. In addition, utilization of the tower support structure for storage may also restrict the ease of collapsing or removing the tower. Moreover, these storage devices may be mounted such that the boat is greater than the legal width, typically 102 inches, permitted for over-land transport of the boat on a trailer.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved storage device and a tower that can be simply collapsed or removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one aspect, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on a superstructure is disclosed. A storage device is configured for attachment to the rotatable device for the storage of loose items. Preferably, the superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. Therefore, the storage device is preferably configured to hold water skis, wake boards, oars, fishing poles, and the like. The rotatable device may be moved or rotated between a plurality of positions. In at least one position, the storage device is generally oriented towards a person for inserting or storing items, or items stored therein are generally disposed towards the interior or passenger area, or towards passengers in general. In a second position, the storage device is generally oriented such that the device and items therein are generally disposed away from passengers or the passenger compartment. Accordingly, a user may selectively position the device for use, such as fore ingress and egress of the items to and from storage in the device.
In accordance with other aspects, the rotatable device includes a pair of bearings to permit the rotation of the storage device. The pair of bearings distribute the weight and torque from the storage device and stored items through the rotatable device and the superstructure.
In accordance with a further aspect, the bearings preferably include a braking mechanism to adjustably control the amount of friction in the rotatable mount. In use, the amount of force or tension within the rotatable mount may be adjusted as necessary to control the rotation of the rotatable device.
In accordance with another aspect, the rotatable device includes one or more components for securing the position of the device. The component may be a securing member that is shiftable between positions to secure and release a portion of the device to rotate relative to another portion of the device. The securing member may include an end received by a receiving structure of the device to prevent or restrict relative motion. The securing member may include an elongate portion that is shiftable either in a longitudinal or linear manner, or may include an elongate portion that is threadably shifted. Alternatively and in addition, more than one securing member may be provided, and one may be shifted threadably while another may be linearly shifted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
In one form, the tower structure 10 includes an upper support structure 20 and a pair of spaced tower supports or legs 22 that hold the upper support structure 20 elevated above the boat hull 16. The upper support structure 20 further includes a crossbar 24 spanning between a pair of front support arms 26 secured to the boat 14 by respective front anchor members 28. As depicted, the front anchor members 28 may provide a particular mounting orientation between the front support arms 26 and the boat 14 so that the front crossbar 24 is elevated a predetermined distance for ease of an individual's movement in a passenger compartment of the boat 14.
Each leg 22 extends from one of the front support arms 26 downwardly to the boat hull 16. The leg 22 preferably includes an upper support plate 40 joined to a lower support plate 42 by the storage device 12. An upper mount 30 joins one end 34 of the leg 22 (i.e., an upper end of the upper support plate 40) to the front support arm 26, and a lower mount 32 joins an opposite end 36 of the leg 22 (i.e., a lower end of the lower support plate 42) to the boat surface 16. As illustrated, the lower support plate 42 generally flares upwardly and forwardly from the boat surface 16, and the upper support plate 40 generally flares forwardly and downwardly from the arm 26, the storage device 12 being located between and joining the upper and lower plates 40, 42. The leg 22 may optionally include various internal designs, shapes, openings, or other features for decoration, weight saving, structural support, and the like. Additionally, to permit the tower 10 to be retrofitted to an existing boat, it is preferred that the upper mount 30 and the lower mount 32 are variably securable so that the leg 22 may be installed with boats 14 and towers 10 having different configurations in terms of design, shape, length, or width, for instance.
As previously stated, the tower 10 also includes the storage device 12 secured to and preferably forming a portion of the leg 22. Herein, the storage device 12 is depicted as a diamond-shaped structure having an exemplary securing member or rack 44 extending therefrom for securing items thereto. In the present form depicted in
Referring now to
The upper mount 30 secures the front support arm 26 to the upper end 34 of the tower support legs 22. The upper mount 30 includes a bracket 80 mounted to one of the front support arms 26, and a tongue 82 extending upwardly from an upper edge 81 of the upper support plate 40. The bracket 80 preferably includes a concave upper surface 83 allowing the bracket 80 to mate with the front support arms 26, commonly elongate tubular structures having a convex outer surface. The bracket 80 is joined to the front support arms 26 by welds, fasteners, or other securing methods suitable for use on a boat.
In a preferred embodiment, the bracket 80 is variably attached to the upper support plate 40. In this regard, the bracket 80 includes a receiving slot 84 to receive the tongue 82 therein. The slot 84 is sized and shaped to allow pivoting between the bracket 80 and the leg 22. Accordingly, the receiving slot 84 preferably has a length that is longer than a length of the tongue 82, and the tongue 82 includes curved edges 86, both of which facilitate relative movement or pivoting between the leg 22 and the bracket 80.
To secure the tongue 82 to the bracket 80 in the variable attachment, both the tongue 82 and the bracket 80 preferably include openings to receive a fastener 87 therethrough. For example, the bracket 80 includes generally oval-shaped or elongated apertures 88 and the tongue 82 includes generally circular openings 90. The elongated apertures 88 also permit the relative movement or pivoting between the leg 22 and the bracket 80. For example, the elongated shape of the opening 88, the tongue curved edges 86, and the oversized length of the slot 84 permit the leg 22 to pivot relative to the bracket 80 when the fasteners 67 are only loosely fastened.
In this configuration, the variable attachment between the upper support plate 40 and the bracket 80 permits adjustment of the tower 10 during installation or pivoting of the leg 22 for ease of storage. For example, during installation, the bracket 80 may be initially attached to the upper support plate 40 in a loose engagement. In this manner, the tower front support 20 and the leg 22 may then be pivoted, urged, or otherwise moved into the correct orientation on the boat 14 to secure the front support arm 26 at the desired elevation or position and also be received in the front anchor 28 and the lower mounts 32 at the same time. Once correctly positioned, the tower 10 may be firmly secured. On the other hand, during storage of the tower 10, the leg 22 may be removed from the lower mounts 32 and pivoted at the upper mount 30 to collapse the leg 22 inwardly to the tower front support 20 to form a more compact structure for ease of storage. For instance, the legs 22 may be removed from the lower mounts 32 by first loosening the fasteners 62. Next, the tower support tongue 58 may be removed from the lower mount receiving slot 60. Upon removal of the leg 22 from the lower mount 32, the legs 22 may then be rotated or pivoted around the upper mount 30 so that the leg 22 is clear of the boat 14. At such point, the entire tower 10 may then be collapsed or removed as desired. Alternatively, the leg 22 may also be released from the upper mount 30 to further collapse or dissemble the tower 10.
Referring to
The storage device 12 is secured to the tower 10, and preferably, secured to the legs 22 via the upper and lower mounts 102a and 102b. As illustrated in
The upper mount 102a includes a securing portion 131, which in this embodiment defines an L-shape with an upper section of the mount 102a. The securing portion 131 is received in a corresponding recess 132 in the upper plate 40. Fasteners 134 secure the upper mount 102a to the upper support plate 40. The lower mount 102b is secured in a similar fashion to the lower plate 42. In this manner, the upper support plate 40 and the lower support plate 42 may be separate pieces that are joined together with the central shaft 100 via the mounts 102a and 102b of the storage device 12. Therefore, the storage device 12 forms a structural portion of the leg 22 for supporting weight and stress from the crossbar 24, including when accessories are mounted to the tower 10 or a person is being towed by the boat 14.
It should be noted that, while the mounts 102a, 102b are preferably the separate structures described above, it is also acceptable for the mounts 102a, 102b to be integral with the central shaft 100 so that the shaft 100, the upper mount 102a, and the lower mount 102b are a single component. However, use of the separate mounts 102a, 102b is advantageous in that the storage device 12 may be secured to a variety of different structures (i.e., different types of towers 10, varying surfaces of the boat 12, varying types of scaffolding, etc.) simply by changing the configuration, shape, or structure of the mounts 102a, 102b that are joined to the central shaft 100. For instance,
Alternatively, while it is preferred that the upper support plate 40 and lower support plate 42 are separate pieces, these components may also be a single piece. In this manner, the single leg 22 may include a corresponding recess or recesses (not shown) for receipt of the upper mount 102a, the lower mount 102b, and the central shaft 100 therein. In this alternative configuration, the storage device 12 does not necessarily form a structural portion of the leg 22, but is secured to the one-piece leg 22.
Referring to
For ease of relative rotation between the bearing portions 110, 112 and the elongate body 140, a low-friction member 152, such as nylon, delron, or the like, may be provided therebetween. Referring to the lower bearing portion 112, which is illustrated in
It can be appreciated, however, that the bearing portions 110, 112 may include any number of low-friction members 152. Optionally, the inner surfaces 146, 148 as well as the low-friction member 152 may also be lubricated with a suitable marine lubrication. Alternatively, the bearing portions 110, 112 may also be assembled without use of the low-friction member 152, but instead use the marine lubricant on the inner surfaces 146 and 148.
The bearing portions 110, 112 also preferably include a tension control device or braking mechanism 153 to control how freely the bearing portions 110, 112 rotate around the central shaft body 140 by providing an adjustable frictional engagement between the bearing portions 110, 112 and the central shaft body 140. Again referring to the lower bearing portion 112, in one form, the braking mechanism 153 includes a tension surface 154 within the elongate body recess 144b that frictionally engages a tensioning assembly 156 in the lower bearing half-member 142b. If more resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion 112 is desired, the tensioning assembly 156 is tightened against the tension surface 154 to provide more shaft tension. Alternatively, if less resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion 112 is desired, the tensioning assembly 156 is loosened against the tension surface 154.
In a preferred embodiment, the tensioning assembly 156 includes a tension clamp or brake shoe 158, which is preferably nylon, delron, or like material, having a mating surface 160 that is contoured to engage the tension surface 154. A biasing member 162, such as a spring or pair of springs, biases the mating surface 160 of the brake shoe 158 against the tension surface 154. A positioning member 164, such as a set screw, pin, or the like, may be used to increase or decrease the resistance of the tension shoe 158 as described above. That is, for example, the positioning member 164 may be used to move the brake shoe 158 into a tighter or looser engagement with the tension surface 154. As the brake shoe 158 is tightened or loosened against the tension surface 154, more or less friction therebetween provides the increased or decreased resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion 112 as discussed above. The upper bearing portion 110 is preferably similar to the lower bearing portion 112 and is preferably joined to the elongate body 140 in a like fashion with a similar braking mechanism 153.
Referring to the upper bearing portion 110 illustrated in
As will be further described below, the storage device 12 further includes a knob assembly 172 and a handle assembly 174, which are both used to permit rotation of the bearing portions 110, 112 relative to the elongate body 140 and also to lock the bearing portion 112 relative to the body 140 to prevent relative motion therebetween. Because the wings 104 are attached to the bearing portions 110, 112 via the slots 170, as the bearing portions 110, 112 are rotated relative to the body 140, the wings 104 are also rotated relative to the body 104 in a similar rotational direction. Preferably, the upper bearing portion 110 includes the knob assembly 172 while the lower bearing portion 112 includes the pull handle assembly 174. However, both the bearing portions 110, 112 may have either of the assemblies 172 or 174 as desired. Optionally, while it is preferred that the storage device 12 include both the knob assembly 172 and the handle assembly 174, the device 12 may also include only one of either the knob assembly 172 or the handle assembly 174.
Referring to
As depicted in
Once the lower bearing portion 112 and handle assembly 174 are assembled as described above on the central shaft 100, the biasing member 190 preferably biases the locking pin 178 within an interfering or locking position. That is, the biasing member 190 biases an end 192 of the locking pin 178 within one of a plurality of locking holes 200 in the bearing recess 144b of the central shaft 100 (see
As shown in
The friction surface 154 of the central shaft bearing recess 144 may also include surface features for directing the pin end 192 towards the locking holes 200. For example, the regions laterally proximate each locking hole 200 on the friction surface 154 may be generally flat transversely to the direction of the locking hole 200 or be recessed into the locking hole 200 such that the biased pin 178 contacting this proximate region is generally directed towards the locking hole 200. Moreover, this proximate region would also allow an operator to tactilely recognize or “feel” when the pin 178, which is not located in a particular locking hole 200 but is contacting the proximate region, is either moving towards or away from the particular locking hole 200 based on the increased or decreased resistance to rotation of the bearing portion 112 and the handle 176.
Turning to the upper bearing portion 110,
Preferably, the knob assembly 172 permits the storage device to be tightly secured to the elongate body 140. For instance, once the storage device is positioned so that both the knob assembly 172 and the handle assembly 174 engage the holes 200 as described above, the knob 212 is rotated to translate the pin end 214 into its corresponding hole 200. The knob 212 may be rotated until the pin end 214 is tightly secured within the hole 200. In this manner, the storage device 12 is tightly secured to the elongate body 140 and prevented from further rotation. Of course, if the knob 212 is not tightened as described above, the biasing of the handle assembly 174 into the holes 200 will still prevent the further rotation of the storage device 12 about the elongate body 140. When it is desired to reposition the storage device 12 to a new position about the elongate body 140, the knob assembly 172 is first loosened by turning the knob 212 in the opposite direction to translate the pin end 214 out of its corresponding holes 200. Once the end 214 is sufficiently removed from the hole 200, the handle assembly 174 is counter biased as previously described to permit the storage device to move relative to the elongate body.
As illustrated in
When in use, the holding knob 212 is preferably used in conjunction with the pull handle 176 to rotate the storage device 12 about the central shaft body 140. As described above, the user first unlocks or unscrews the holding knob 212 to translate the pin 210 from its corresponding hole 200. At this point, the storage device may not yet rotate freely due to the handle assembly 174 still being locked. To rotate the storage device 12, the user pulls the handle 176 away from the bearing portion 112 to counter bias the pin 178 such that the pin end 192 is also removed from its corresponding hole. Upon removal of both pins 210 and 178 from their corresponding holes 200, the storage device 12 is unlocked at both bearing portions 110 and 112 and, therefore, also free to rotate above the elongate body 140.
To rotate the storage device 12 to a new position, in one form, the user rotates the lower bearing portion 112, as described above, with one hand, while the user's second hand grasps the holding knob 212 to rotate the upper bearing portion 212 in a corresponding direction. Once the storage device 12 has been rotated to a new position corresponding to a new hole 200, the handle 176 is first released so that the pin end 192 may again be biased into the new positioning hole 200. At such point, the storage device 12 will be prevented from further rotation and is in a locking engagement with the central shaft 100.
If desired to tightly lock the storage device 12, the knob assembly 172 may be tightly secured to the elongate body 140 as described above by rotating the knob 212 to translate the pin end 214 into its corresponding hole 200. While the biasing of the handle assembly 174 into its corresponding hole 200 is sufficient to prevent further rotation, tightly securing the knob assembly 172 is preferred to prevent the storage device 12 from rattling, vibrating, or rubbing against the elongate body 140 due to motion of the boat 14. Moreover, it is also preferred that the pin end 214 be received in the corresponding hole 200 as merely tightening the pin end 214 on the central shaft elongate body 140 may damage the surface of the body 140 such as by compressing, scarring, or dimpling the surface of the elongate body 140.
Additionally, if desired, when in use, if the user feels that the rotation of the storage device 12 is either too restrictive or too free (i.e., too loose), then the user may adjust the tension on either of the upper bearing portion 110, lower bearing portion 112, or both by adjusting their corresponding braking mechanisms 153 as previously described. The braking mechanisms 153 are advantageous to control the speed of rotation of the storage device 12, which are often tilted inboard or outboard depending on the orientation of the tower support leg 22 where it may rotate at a fast rate of speed due to the angle of the storage device 12 and the weight of the items stored thereon. The braking mechanism 153, therefore, helps prevent sudden shifting of the storage device 12 upon the unlocking and provides a device to adjust the amount of force required to rotate an unlocked storage device.
In an alternative form, as illustrated in
The tower 1010 is collapsible. In this regard, each of the front support arms 1020 includes a connection 1034 with the front crossbar 1015 that is preferably quickly and easily connected or disconnected so that the front crossbar 1015 and an upper, corner portion 1036 of each of the front support arms 1020 may be separated from a lower portion 1038 of each front support arm 1020. Once separated, the lower portion 1038 of the front support arm 1020 may be collapsed such as being folded forward onto itself with a hinge joint 1040. Furthermore, when separated, the rear support legs 1024 of the rear support structure 1016 may rotate around the rear anchors 1028 so that the rear support structure 1016 and the portion of the front support structure 1014 (i.e. the crossbar 1015 and corner portions 1036) connected thereto by the bridges 1018 may be lowered downward.
As depicted in
The depicted storage devices 1012 are shown in a generally rearwardly facing position. As previously described with regard to the storage device 12, the storage devices 1012 may also be moved between and to a plurality of positions, preferably by rotating about itself. To simplify such rotation, it is preferred that the storage device rotate around a central shaft 1050 (see
As shown in
As shown in
The connections 1062 are secured to the central shaft 1050 similar to how the upper and lower mounts 102a, 102b are secured to the central shaft 100. For example, bolts 1066, which are presently depicted as being driven through a recess 1068 aligned with the axis R, may be used to secure the connections 1062 to the central shaft 1050. A pair of pegs 1069 is used at the junction between the connection 1062 and the central shaft 1050 to ensure proper orientation between the central shaft 1050 and the connection 1062 when secured. As described above, in order to provide a storage device 1012 for various towers 1010 where the direction, such as C1 and C2, of the adjoining portion of the tower 1010 vary, the only components that need to be changed or altered are the connections 1062. That is, the tower 1010 may not be tubular, may have an opening with a different gauge size to meet with the mount section 1060, or may have joining members (upper and lower leg portions 1052, 1054) at different angles from the axis R than those depicted by directions C1, C2. In this case, the connection 1062 with a mismatched configuration may simply be removed from the central shaft 1050 and replaced with another connection that is properly configured for that tower.
In this embodiment, the storage device 1012 includes a body 1070 that is secured to and rotates around the central shaft 1050. The body 1070 may be rotatably secured to the central shaft 1050 to form one or more bearings such as top bearing 1072 and bottom bearing 1074. Use of the top and bottom bearings 1072, 1074 distributes torque due to items stored in the device 1012 through the central shaft 1050 and the tower 1010 itself.
For each bearing 1072, 1074, the body 1070 includes a pair of half-cylinders such that the pair, when joined, form a cylindrical outer bearing portion 1076. An inner surface of the outer bearing portion 1076 includes grooves wherein the grooves contact similar mating grooves 1078 on the central shaft (see
As discussed above, the storage device 1012 may be provided with a plurality of positions. As can be seen in
The storage device 1012 may be rotated around the central shaft 1050, as has been discussed, and positioned according to the holes 1098. More specifically, the outer bearing portion 1076 of the top bearing 1072, for instance, may have a spring-loaded pin 1100 mounted on a knob 1102 similar to the handle assembly 174 described with the previous embodiment. The pin 1100 is spring-biased to an interfering or locking position with the holes 1098. That is, when the storage device 1012 is rotationally positioned such that the pin 1100 is aligned with a hole 1098, the pin 1100 is spring-biased into the hole 1098 such that the storage device 1012 is prevented from further rotation. In order to allow the storage device 1012 to rotate, the knob 1102 is pulled outward, thereby counter-biasing the pin 1100 so that the pin 1100 retracts from the hole 1098 and, thus, the storage device 1012 is released such that the storage device 1012 may be rotated. In addition, the portion 1096 of the central shaft 1050 may include similar surface features for directing the pin 1100 towards the holes 1098 as described above with the previous embodiment.
It should be noted that the present embodiments have been described principally in reference to the boat 14. However, the storage devices 12, 1012 and/or the towers 10, 1010 could be used with other vehicles, such as off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and the like as well as other support structures such as rigging, scaffolding, and the like. Furthermore, the storage devices 12, 1012 describe a rotatable mount that may be also adapted for uses other than a storage device with the exemplary rack 44, 1090, such as rotatably mounting a light, speaker, camera, or other implements.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus for securing items, the apparatus comprising:
- a central portion;
- an upper bearing and a lower bearing operably coupling the central portion to a portion of a support structure and permitting the apparatus to rotate relative to the support structure portion; and
- a body portion for securement of the items.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion includes a frame for receiving items for securement.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion permits securement of items thereto.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus may be substantially locked in at least a first position.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 further including a biased locking member, a receptacle for each locked position, the position of the apparatus being substantially locked by receipt of the locking member within one of the receptacles.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a braking mechanism operably coupled to one of the upper bearing and the lower bearing to adjustably control the relative rotation.
7. In combination with a superstructure on a boat, an apparatus for securement of items, the apparatus comprising:
- a central portion;
- an upper connection for securing the central portion to an upper portion of the superstructure;
- a lower connection for securing the central portion to a lower portion of the superstructure, the upper and lower connections being positioned to allow rotation of the central portion about the upper and lower portions of the superstructure; and
- a body portion for securement of the items.
8. The combination of claim 7 wherein each of the upper and lower connections have first and second portions positionable about the upper and lower portions of the superstructure, the first and second portions being joined to secure the connections to the superstructure.
9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the upper and lower portions of the superstructure include a respective upper terminus and lower terminus, and the apparatus is securable to and between the upper terminus and lower terminus.
10. A superstructure for a boat, the superstructure comprising:
- an extending portion secured relative to a deck of the boat, the extending portion having a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion;
- an apparatus for securement of items, the apparatus rotatable relative to the extending portion; and
- an upper bearing and a lower bearing mountable to the extending portion mounting portions for operably coupling the apparatus to the extending portion.
11. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein the bearings are securable around the mounting portions.
12. The superstructure of claim 11 wherein the mounting portions and bearings include cooperating bearing surfaces and grooves providing for relative motion therebetween.
13. The superstructure of claim 10 further including a body portion, wherein the mounting portions each include a terminus, the apparatus is secured to each terminus, and the bearing portions permit relative motion between the body portion and each terminus.
14. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is lockable in at least a first position relative to the extending portion.
15. The superstructure of claim 14 further including a receptacle for each lockable position, wherein the apparatus includes a biased pin, and the apparatus being positionable relative to each receptacle to permit the biased pin to be received in a receptacle to lock substantially the position of the apparatus relative to the extending portion
16. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein one of the upper bearing and the lower bearing includes a braking mechanism to adjustably control the rotation of the apparatus relative to the extending portion.
17. An accessory device including:
- a central portion having an upper end and a lower end;
- a bearing portion generally secured around a portion of the central portion and rotatable relative thereto;
- an upper securement and a lower securement respectively provided on the central portion upper and lower ends; and
- a securing member shiftable relative to the central portion and bearing portion between a first position permitting the bearing portion to rotate relative to the central portion and a second position generally restricting relative rotation between the central portion and the bearing portion.
18. The accessory device of claim 17 wherein the upper and lower securements are fixedly securable with respective portions of a superstructure on a boat.
19. The accessory device of claim 17 wherein the central portion includes receiving structure for the securing member, the receiving structure defining a plurality of selectable positions for the bearing portion relative to the central portion, and the securing member is received by the receiving structure to generally restrict relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
20. The accessory device of claim 19 wherein the securing member includes a threaded portion threadably received by the bearing portion, the threaded portion having an end received by the receiving structure for preventing relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
21. The accessory device of claim 19 wherein the securing member includes an elongate portion linearly shiftable relative to the bearing portion and central portion, the elongate portion having an end received by the receiving structure for restricting relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
22. The accessory device of claim 21 further including a second securing member including a threaded portion threadably received by the bearing portion, the threaded portion having an end received by a portion a second receiving structure for preventing relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 8, 2005
Publication Date: Jan 26, 2006
Inventor: James Schultz (Lake Zurich, IL)
Application Number: 11/198,983
International Classification: B63B 17/02 (20060101);