Abstract: A water ski vest is provided with a back brace for supporting the back of a skier. The back brace is positioned on the outside of the back portion of the vest, and an adjustable waist strap is attached to the back brace and extends through slots in the vest so that the back brace can be pulled tightly against the back. Additional straps extend around the outside of the back brace and the vest.

Abstract: A boat with dual hulls is constructed of outwardly concave cylindrical hull plates that are substantially free of compound curvature. The respective hull portions may be closed at their ends by outwardly concave cylindrical bow and stern plates.

Abstract: A bicycle operated watercraft assembly is disclosed. A bicycle is mounted on a main framework including front and rear outrigger arms to which are secured a pair of laterally spaced floats. The front wheel of the bicycle is disposed in a rotatable channel to which is secured a steerable paddle for controlling the course direction of the watercraft. Propulsion paddles are rotatably secured at the rear of the main framework. The paddles are driven from the bicycle through the drive chain which is operatively connected with a shiftable gear train mounted on the drive shaft for the paddles. The bicycle is secured in place by front and rear struts which are adjustable in length to support different sized bicycles. Rear brackets hold the bicycle against rearward movement during operation.

Abstract: A floatation device for use by swimmers and which is to be positioned over a user's upper arm in encircling relation therewith, includes an extension adapted to extend over the shoulder of the swimmer to stabilize the device against slippage longitudinally of the user's upper arm, and another extension that can be grasped by a supervisor of the swimmer in the event of an emergency, the respective extensions being formed contiguously with the floatation device.

Abstract: A spreader bar for use in connection with a harness worn by a sailboarder. The spreader bar is fixedly interconnected with the harness and includes a sheave adapted to engage a line affixed at its ends to one arm of the wishbone boom of a sailboard. The spreader bar allows the user to support his weight on the boom line with the sheave adapted to roll on the line in response to movement of the board sailor or the boom. The sheave is supported so as to be easily engaged and disengaged from the boom line.

Abstract: A gate for attachment to the hopper of a railway car or other vehicle which carries particulate material. The gate has a pair of sloping walls with facing surfaces, and the lower ends of the walls are spaced apart to permit the particulate material to be discharged into a trough below the spaced ends from which the particulate material is removed by a vacuum hose. A pair of separately operable, rotatable valves of arcuate cross-section are disposed at the space between the ends of the walls to block or permit particulate material flow into the trough. Pneumatically operable agitators are mounted on the walls to prevent bridging of the space between the wall ends of the material during removal thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a crawler track belt assembly with flexible parallel belts interconnected by transverse grouser bars. The bars have guide portions spaced transversely apart and mutually aligned longitudinally with guide portions of other bars. A track bed of the vehicle has parallel, longitudinally extending, guide grooves which receive and guide the guide portions of the belt to maintain track alignment. To reduce belt tension, the lower track bed has a lateral profile which resembles a catenary. The vehicle body has spaced sponsons defining a hull tunnel therebetween, and in water is powered by a water jet having a primary intake adjacent the tunnel roof. If the primary intake becomes blocked, a secondary intake on the track bed is swept by the crawler track belt assembly to maintain the secondary nozzle free of obstruction. The water jet discharges through a rotatable nozzle which can be directed to assist in clearing the primary intake of blockage.

Abstract: A mast foot assembly for adjustably and releasably holding a mast to a mast track disposed on a surface of a sailing device. A base member is disposed on the upper surface of the mast track and has a pair of first bores at respective ends thereof disposed over the slot. It also has a central mounting portion between the first bores with a second bore therethrough normal to the upper and lower surfaces and having a first slot communicating between a side of the base member and the second bore. There is a retaining key member sized to slidably fit within the first slot in the base member and having a second slot communicating with an inner end thereof. A pair of nut members each having a treaded bore therein are disposed under the lower surface of the mast track. A pair of threaded members are carried by the base member and pass through respective ones of the first bores in threaded engagement with respective ones of the nut members.

Abstract: A sailing boat with an A-shaped mast pivotally connected to the topside of the cabin and sloping forwardly from the connection points. A backstay holds the mast in its inclined operating position. The jib and the mainsail are furling sails and are attached to forestays connected between the forward portion of the vessel and the mast.

Abstract: A combination boat storage and transporatation apparatus having a mobile trailer and a unitary, aerodynamically contoured, rigid cover cantelevered for raising and lowering by hydraulically activated cylinders on either side of the front end of the cover. The cover is supportable in its lowermost position so that it does not contact the exterior surface finish of the boat while at the same time securing against access to property in the interior of the boat. The cylinders are activated by a self-contained power unit secured by a key mechanism.

Abstract: A water skier safety alarm which is characterized by a flag-deploying mechanism mounted on a boat and designed to receive and deploy a flag when a water skier towed by the boat releases his grip on the tow rope handle. In a first preferred embodiment, the flag-deploying mechanism includes a mechanical linkage which employs a solenoid to normally retain a flag in lowered configuration when a water skier is gripping the tow rope handle and to deploy the flag when the handle is dropped, responsive to operation of a pressure-sensitive switch in the handle. In a second preferred embodiment, the flag is mounted on the telescoping end of an antenna and is stored in the antenna deployment housing when the water skier is gripping the tow rope handle. The flag is telescopically extended from the antenna housing responsive to dropping of the handle and activation of a pressure-sensitive switch in the handle.

Abstract: A swim fin includes a shoe assembly for attachment to the individual feet of the user, an outwardly projecting rigid support frame, a pivoted web, and a strap or band for yieldably limiting the extent of pivotal movement of the web relative to the supporting frame about a transverse pivotal axis. The web has a plan configuration that includes a substantially straight transverse trailing edge and a leading edge in the shape of a swept-back ellipse. Longitudinal sections across the web have proportional sectional configurations and a constant maximum thickness to length ratio between the upper and lower web surfaces.

Abstract: A yoke-type life preserver is provided including a relatively thick buoyant filler assembly loosely received within a flexible outer cover panel assembly for the life preserver and with the buoyant filler assembly being constructed to enable the life preserver to be readily flexed in order to conform to the torso curvature of a person wearing the life preserver. In addition, the yoke-type life preserver is constructed to be fully reversable and the attaching strap assembly of the life preserver is specifically designed to enable the strap to be secured about the wearer of the life preserver regardless of which side of the life preserver faces forwardly. In addition, the neck opening of the life preserver, at each end thereof, includes a flexible outstanding collar including a draw strap passing through a tubular collar hem to thereby enable the forwardly and upwardly facing collar of the life presever to be tightened about the wearer.

Abstract: A marine vehicle comprising a hull, a deck supported by the hull, and a seat apparatus mounted on the deck and including a generally vertical seat back member, a seat bottom member moveable relative to the seat back member between a horizontal position wherein the seat bottom member extends generally horizontally, and a vertical position wherein the seat bottom member extends generally vertically and downwardly from the seat back member, and a mechanism for moving the seat back member generally vertically between a lower position and an upper position.

Abstract: A tetrahedrally shaped pivotable sailing frame of four spars and a sail with balanced hydrofoils is disclosed. A hydrofoil sailboat is created by pivotally attaching the frame to a hull along a longitudinal axis of the hull. Tacking is accomplished by rotation of the frame about that axis. Although the sailing frame can be adapted to a variety of types of hulls, including windsurfers, catamarans, and multiple-hulled craft, a preferred embodiment of a hull is disclosed which in combination with the sailing frame affords the proper lift and forward vectors and obviates the need for a keel, live or dead ballast, or sail adjustments. The lift affords very high speeds and minimal wetted surface. The tetrahedral structure of the sailing frame is stiff, giving a level, stabilized ride and permitting an optimal surface area of sail. The hull design provides swift, easy tacking and reduces the possibility of backwinding.

Abstract: A transport system for conveying and dispensing non-fluid fluent material such as free-flowing packaging material includes a recycling system for automatically retrieving spilled material and a reservoir which automatically controls the input of material from a main supply based upon the height of material in the reservoir. Various air transport systems are incorporated.

Abstract: This invention relates to a remotely operated valve for closing and opening a conduit in communication with the interior of a boat to preclude water from entering or leaving the boat except when desired by the operator by the boat. The valve has application either as a means for keeping fresh water in the live well of the boat or as a means for bailing unwanted water from the interior of the boat. The valve has a main housing including a tapered bore and openings in communication with an interior water retaining portion of the boat and the exterior of the boat. A spring-urged tapered valve element having a passageway therein is mounted within the tapered bore of the main housing and is rotatable between first and second positions to bring the passageway of the valve element into and out of alignment with the openings in the main housing.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a stablilized cargo-handling system using means for stabilizing suspended cargo in all six degrees of freedom using six individually controlled cable in tension in a unique kinematic arrangement. Inertial and distance sensors, coupled with high-performance cable drives, provide the means to control the multi-cabled crane automatically. The distance sensors are used to track the target container or lighter during the pickup and setdown modes of operation; the inertial sensors are used to prevent pendulation during transfer of the cargo from the seagoing cargo ship to the vicinity of the receiving lighter. The complete stabilized shipboard crane system permits safe and efficient operations in relatively high sea states.

Abstract: A handboard having a convex top, a flat base and a flat extended lip in which the convex top supports the user's hand in its natural partially cupped position during use, the flat base presents minimal forward resistance in use and the flat extended lip increases a swimmer's pulling area on a downstroke.

Abstract: A jet ski hull includes upper and lower sections joined along a peripheral edge which edge is arranged to extend above the nominal waterline. In accordance with the present intention the lower hull section comprises (1) a central section extending from the bow of the ski to the stern thereof, 2) a concave section disposed on each side of the central section, (3) a pair of side walls joined to the upper hull section of the peripheral edge and extending downwardly and inwardly from the peripheral edge and (4) a transition section joining the lower portion of each side wall to a respective concave section. Each concave section defines a channel extending substantially the length of the hull for channeling water therethrough to prevent the hull from skidding during turns.