Boat anchor

Abstract

An anchor for mooring a water craft to a shore or beach that included a straight shaft that is pointed on one end and is arranged on connecting to a torque producing device on its other end. The shaft includes an auger fixed thereto adjacent to the pointed end and is to loosely fitted into a cylindrical tube wherefrom fins or blades are attached to extend oppositely outwardly from the cylindrical tube sides that are sloped outwardly from their lower ends to facilitate their travel into the shore or beach. A torque applying handle or driver is provided for attachment to the shaft other end, and a mooring line connector is secured to the cylindrical tube, adjacent to a top end thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a boat anchors.

2. Prior Art

Previously boat anchors have generally consisted of large heavy weights for positioning on a shore and connect to a floating device, such as a boat, by a line. Like the invention, the objective of earlier anchors is to prohibit a floatation device, such as a boat, from floating away from the shore. The majority of such anchors are designed to work by submerging the anchor attached by a line, chain, or the like, to a floating device. Such anchors have protruding arms or mechanical devices designed to either dig into the sea floor soil or catch outcroppings in the bottom of the body of water.

Where the water craft is a boat that has moved near to a shore or beach, traditional anchors are not designed to stabilize the boat to the shore. Traditionally, permanently fixed structures are constructed to allow boats to be secured to a shore. In locations where permanently fixed structures are not available, boat owners have generally attempted to secure the boat to such shores in variety of ways.

A general practice to secure a boat to a shore or beach has consisted of hammering large stakes into the shore or beach Such stakes, however, have substantial drawbacks in that, unless the stakes are driven especially deep, the stakes can easily break free and thereby not adequately secure the boat. Whereas, if the stakes are deeply driven, removing the stakes takes great effort.

Another common practice employed by boat owners is to take the traditional boat anchor and place it into a hole. This method has the same limitations as driving stakes into the ground. To properly secure the boat, the hole has to be deep enough to provide the resistance to the forces as are applied to the boat, such as tides, winds and wave action. Also, removing such traditional boat anchor usually requires digging up the anchor.

For various reasons a boat anchor may be required to be moved several times in a short period of time. Prior to the invention, the anchors listed above have required great effort and time, and none have provided the stability to secure a heavy object, such as a boat, and are easily installed and removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for anchoring a boat or other floatation devices to a shore or beach. The invention includes a shaft with an auger or screw located at the end of the shaft. On the opposite end of the shaft is provided a device for creating torque, generally a hand bar. However, such devise for providing torque may be either a hand bar or a power device for turning a driver fitted into a cavity that has been formed into a shaft top end.

A hollow tube or cylinder is fitted over a shaft end to slide along the shaft for positioning between the auger or screw end and the opposite shaft end and has an inner diameter that is sufficiently greater than the shaft diameter to allow for free passage of sand and small rocks out from between the shaft and tube or cylinder inner surface. Multiple vanes are attached to the outside of the hollow cylindrical tube, and the tube or cylinder includes a ring, or other devise fixed onto its outer tube surface that is for tying a mooring line to the anchor. As an alternative to the ring, a self locking device can be fitted thereto to assist in securing the mooring line to the anchor.

A torque applied to the shaft turns the auger to dig or screw the shaft auger end into the shore or beach, pulling the blades extending out from the hollow cylindrical tube outer surface into the shore or beach. So installed, the vanes utilize the resistance of the shore or beach material to prevent the anchor from moving. The anchor is removed by reversing the torque direction applied to the shaft, with the arguer blades pushing the blades out of the soil.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a boat anchor with installed line that is easily, efficiently and securely turned into a shore or beach for anchoring a water craft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boat anchor that is easily removed from the shore or beach and is structured to facilitate cleaning debris from between the opposing shaft and cylinder walls.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a boat anchor whose auger end can be turned manually or by a driver for applying a torque to turn the boat anchor cylindrical tube portion into a shore or beach, pulling blades or fins that extend at right angles outwardly from the outer surface of the cylindrical tube into the shore or beach, securely anchoring the device into the shore or beach, and is easily removed by applying a reverse torque to the auger, turning it out of the shore or beach.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may take form in the arrangement of component parts that are herein shown as preferred embodiments and will be described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof:

FIG. 1 Shows a typical use of a boat anchor of the invention for tethering a boat to a shore or beach;

FIG. 2. Shows a profile perspective view of the boat anchor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 Shows a front elevation view of the boat anchor of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 Shows an exploded view of the boat anchor of FIG. 2, illustrating how an anchor shaft slides through a hollow anchor cylindrical tube, and how a hand bar is attached to the shaft;

FIG. 5 Shows a side elevation view of the boat anchor of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 Shows a side elevation view of the boat anchor of the invention that is shown as including a drive adapter that is capable of applying a rotational torque to a drive cavity arranged on an anchor shaft head end, showing an anchor cylindrical tube as including a longitudinal slot, and showing a mooring line locking device; and

FIG. 7 Shows a profile sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 illustrating the relationship of the outer and inner diameters, respectively, of the anchor shaft and cylindrical tube to provide a desired gap between the shaft outer surface and the cylindrical tube inner surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A first embodiment of a boat anchor 10 of the invention, hereinafter referred to as anchor, is illustrated in FIG. 1, that shows the anchor 10 positioned into the shore or beach 11, and shows a mooring line 12 attaching a water craft, shown as a boat 13, to the anchor 11. In practice, multiple anchors 10 may be utilized to secure different sections of the boat 13, and, of course, the anchor 10 may be utilized to secure any type of floatation device.

FIG. 2 shows an overall view of the anchor 10 as comprising a vertical shaft 14 that extends the entire length of the anchor 10. A pointed tip 15 is formed at the end of the shaft 14 that assists in inserting the vertical shaft 14 into the ground 11. Proceeding upwards along the longitudinal axis of the vertical shaft 14, an auger or screw 16 is shown as having two screw turns or vertical revolutions about the shaft 14 and is spaced apart from the pointed tip 15. It should, however, be understood that the auger or screw 16 may make only one turn, or more than two turns or vertical revolutions about the shaft 14, within the scope of this disclosure.

A cylindrical tube 17 is fitted over the shaft 14, above the auger 15, that is shown in FIG. 4 exploded apart therefrom. The cylindrical tube 17 is to slide freely along the longitudinal axis of the shaft 14 and its inner wall is spaced apart from the shaft 14 outer surface a desired distance, as shown best in FIG. 7. This spacing distance provides an open area between the opposing surfaces of the shaft 14 and cylindrical tube 17 that allows water and debris to freely travel out of the anchor 10, during its removal from a shore or beach, preventing corrosion on the anchor.

Fins or blades 18 are attached and extend outwardly from opposite sides of the cylindrical tube 17, aligning with the cylindrical tube longitudinal axis. FIGS. 2 through 6 show two fins or blades 18 connected to extend oppositely from the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical tube 17. It should, however, be understood, more than two such fins or blades, that are each connected along the cylindrical tube longitudinal axis and are spaced equidistantly apart, may be used, as described, within the scope of this disclosure. The fins or blades 18 will generally extend outwardly from along the majority of the length of the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical tube 17. The portion of each of the blades that is nearest to the auger 16 are preferably tapered outwardly from their lower ends. That taper is to assist the blade in setting the anchor into the beach or shore, as shown in FIG. 1.

A mooring ring 19 is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, attached to the outer surface of the cylindrical tube 17, proximate to a top end thereof, that is to receive the mooring line 12 fitted thereto, that, as shown in FIG. 1, connects, on its opposite end, to boat 13. The size of the ring is determined by the type of mooring line anchor connection arrangement. Additionally, FIG. 6 shows a self locking mooring device as an alternative to the mooring ring 19.

The shaft 14 top end 20, opposite to the pointed shaft end 15, is to couple to a torque generation arrangement, that is shown as a hand bar 21, in FIGS. 2 through 4. Which coupling is shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, as a lateral hole 22 that receives a cotter pin 23, bolt or like connector, not shown. With, in the arrangement of FIG. 6, the coupling is shown in broken lines as a sided hole 34, that receives a sided driver fitted therein, as discussed below. Which coupling allows for the attachment of a hand bar 21, or other device or devices, for creating torque on the shaft 14.

Shown best in FIGS. 2 through 4, the hand bar 21 includes a solid bar 21a that is secured at its mid point across a hollow collar 21b, and the hollow collar 21b includes the lateral hole 22 that cotter pin 23 is shown fitted through, mounting the hand bar 20 onto the shaft 14 top end 20. So arranged, the solid bar 21a is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 14, and the solid bar 21a length is determined by the amount of torque that is anticipated to be required to turn the auger anchor 10 shaft 14 into the shore or beach. Different soils may require different length of hand bars 21 solid bars 21a The hollow collar 21b is connected onto, to extend from the center of, the solid bar 21a, such that the hollow collar 21b is perpendicular to the solid bar 21a. The lateral hole 22 in the collar 21b aligns across the center of the hollow collar to align with a hole 23 formed through the shaft 14, as shown in FIG. 4. With the hollow collar hole 22 and shaft hole 23a aligned, a cotter pin 24 is fitted therethrough, securing the hand bar 21 onto the shaft 14 top end 20.

FIG. 6 shows a power device 30 as an alternative to the hand bar 21. The power device 30 is shown as including a cylindrical center body 31 wherefrom hand engaging bars 31a extend from opposite ends of the cylindrical body 31. The power device has a sided drive 32 that is fitted through, to extend from, a center of a collar 33 that is secured to an undersurface of center body 31. The sided drive 32 is to fit into an axial sided cavity 34 formed into a top end 36 of an adapter 35 that is mounted onto the top end 20 of the shaft 14. Which coupling is illustrated as a pin 37 that is fitted through aligned holes through the adapter 35, and through the shaft hole 23a, as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the pin 37 is for maintaining the adapter 35 onto the shaft 14 end 20, and includes a head end 37a for gripping by and operator, and a pin body 37b that is fitted through the aligned holes and has a lateral hole for receiving a straight leg of a clip 38 fitted therethrough. As shown, the power device drive 32 functions as a quick release coupling into the sided cavity 34, functioning like a conventional socket drive and socket, for manual turning by an operator gripping the ends of the hand engaging bar 31a. While a manually operated power device 30 is shown in FIG. 6 for applying a torque to shaft 14, it should be understood that a motor for turning the device drive 32 along with a power source, such as a battery and switch, are within the scope of this disclosure. Whether manual or motor driven, the power device 30 provides for applying a torque to turn the shaft 14 as described.

In operation, the anchor 10 vertical shaft 14 end 15 is urged into the shore or beach by creating rotational torque on the shaft 14, causing the auger 16 to turn. When the turning auger 16 engages the surface of the shore or beach it turns therein and, with continued turning, also pulls the cylindrical tube 17 that includes the fins or blades 18, into that shore or beach. When the vertical cylindrical tube 17 has been inserted to a desired depth, the torque applied to the auger 16 is stopped. A mooring line 12 is then attached to the ring 19 that is located on the vertical cylindrical tube and has an appropriate center opening to allow for different materials to be used as the mooring line and to, as required, allow for fitting of more than one mooring line thereto. As an alternative to ring 18, a mooring line connection device 50, that is self locking, is shown included with the auger anchor 10 of FIG. 6 and is described below, that may be utilized for pulling taut and securing the mooring line 12 to anchor 10.

The mooring line connection device 50 is shown in FIG. 6 mounted onto a top end of cylindrical tube 17 and consists of a body 51 that is connected along its edge 51a to the side of the cylindrical tube 17, extending outwardly therefrom. A guide pulley 52 is mounted to the side of the body 51 through a bearing to turn freely and receives the mooring line 12 that connects to a water craft, as indicated by an arrow A, and is passed around a pulley sheave 52a. A pawl 53 is connected at 54 to the side of the body 51, adjacent to the guide pulley 52, to pivot pawl teeth 54 into engagement with the mooring line 12 surface when a pawl trigger 56 is moved towards a section of the mooring line 12 that has passed over the pulley sheave 52a. So arranged, the mooring line 12 end section opposite to the line coupling to a water craft, is fitted in the pulley sheave 52a, around the guide pulley 51, passing freely between the pawl teeth 54 and the pulley sheave 52a, moving the water craft towards the anchor 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1. With the mooring line 12 taut between the anchor and water craft, the pawl trigger 56 is depressed towards the mooring line 12, causing the pawl teeth 54 to engage and lock into the mooring line. To release which mooring line, the pawl trigger 56 is lifted off or the mooring line 12, releasing the pawl teeth 54 from the mooring line that can then pass out from around the guide pulley 52.

In operation, applying a torque to the shaft 14 turns the shaft 14 and auger 16 into the shore or beach, pulling the cylindrical tube 17 and attached fins or blades 18 therewith. Portions of the shaft 14 and cylindrical tube 17 travel into the shore or beach collecting debris between the opposing shaft and cylindrical tube surfaces that, if not removed, may later hinder removal or re-installation of the auger anchor 10. To facilitate such debris removal the cylindrical tube 17 of FIGS. 5 and 6 is shown as including an optional longitudinal slot 60 that water may be passed through to clean out collected debris. Additionally, to further facilitate removal of debris from between the shaft 14 and cylindrical tube 17 opposing surfaces, a space or gap 61 is provided between the opposing outer surface of shaft 14 and inner surface of cylindrical tube 17. This space or gap encourages an out flow of collected debris material after removal of the anchor 10 from the short or beach. In practice, by a selection of a shaft 14 having an appropriate outside diameter B to accommodate a cylindrical tube 17 that has an appropriate inside diameter C, with the shaft centered in the cylindrical tube, an appropriate space or gap 61 is provided that is of a size to encourage discharge of collected debris after anchor 10 removal from the shore or beach. In practice, the respective diameters B and C of the shaft and cylindrical tube are selected to provide a space or gap 61 of approximately one eighth to one half of an inch. Incorporation of the space or gap 61 will facilitate prevention of collected debris from remaining in the cylindrical tube 17 as could cause undue friction between the shaft and the tube that could prevent the rotational movement of the shaft. In addition, the presence of space or gap 61 will assist in preventing the anchor material from corroding.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention in a boat anchor has been shown and described herein, it should be understood, that although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiment but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiment components. Thus, the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

1. A boat anchor comprising, a vertical shaft having a first lower and a second upper ends, where said first end is shaped to have a pointed tip, and said shaft first end, adjacent to said pointed end, includes a spiral, screw, or auger device located on the exterior surface of said shaft, and said shaft second end includes a centrally located cavity formed to receiver a driver means fitted therein; a cylindrical tube is provided for loosely fitting over said shaft between said first and second shaft ends to be in a sliding relationship; at least a pair of blades or fins are individually attached to extend outwardly from the exterior surface of said cylindrical tube and a mooring line attachment means is fixed to said cylindrical tube outer surface for maintaining a mooring line thereto; and a torque producing device is arranged for connection to said shaft second end, coupling into said cavity to provide a rotational torque on the shaft, and said torque producing device is attached to said shaft by a coupling arrangement.

2. The boat anchor as recited in claim 1, wherein the interior diameter of said tube is greater than the outside diameter of said shaft creating a space or gap, and the width of said space or gap is such as to accommodate a passage of debris out from between opposing outer and inner surfaces of said shaft and cylindrical tube.

3. The boat anchor as recited in claim 3, wherein, with the shaft centered in the cylindrical tube, the space or gap is from one eighth to one half of an inch.

4. The boat anchor as recited in claim 1, wherein a pair or blades or fins are individually secured along the cylindrical tube or sleeve longitudinal axis to project outwardly from opposite sides thereof.

5. The boat anchor as recited in claim 1, wherein the auger has at least one turn.

6. The boat anchor as received in claim 1, wherein the torque coupling device driver means is a hand bar that includes a body with hand engaging bars extends oppositely therefrom and an attachment collar arranged for connection to the top end of the shaft.

7. The boat anchor as recited in claim 1, wherein the torque producing device is a power device that includes a body wherefrom hand engaging means extend out from opposite sides thereof and has a sided drive extending therefrom for fitting in a sided opening formed in the shaft second or top end for turning said shaft.

8. The boat anchor as recited in claim 1, wherein the mooring line attachment means is a ring that is secured onto, to extending outwardly from the cylindrical tube outer surface, proximate to a top end thereof.

9. The boat anchor as recited in claim 1, wherein the mooring line attachment means includes a body for attachment onto, to extend outwardly from, the cylindrical tube outer surface, proximate to a top end thereof, and has a guide pulley pivotally mounted thereto, and a pawl secured to said body to pivot towards a sheave of said guide pulley, moving teeth formed along a side of said pawl into engagement with a mooring line that has passed around said guide pulley sheave.