Abstract: A kit for use alone as an iceboat or for easy mounting on a canoe to convert the canoe to a sailboat, includes a light-weight, rectangular frame with a front crossbar for receiving a mast, a rear crossbar for supporting a seat and a rear ice runner, and a pair of arms which can be folded against the frame or extended outwardly from the front crossbar for receiving front ice runners or portions of their outer ends.

Abstract: A latch assembly for securing a boat to a trailer for loading the boat onto the trailer although the boat may be floating at varying water levels relative to the trailer. The latch assembly includes a first latch, provided with a retentive framework and spring loaded door, mounted on the bow of a boat and a second or mating latch, having a framework provided with an elongated and vertically oriented latch pin. The framework of the mating latch is hingably mounted to a trailer post located adjacent the front of the trailer so as to incline in conformity with the bow of a boat. The spring loaded door of latch strikes the elongated latch pin at a vertical position dependent upon the water level, boat height, and trailer level and opens and then closes to captivate the latch pin. As the trailer is removed from the water, the latch slides down the latch pin until the boat rests upon the trailer bed.

Abstract: This invention is an adapter for a diver's buoyancy compensator vest which allows conversion from a single tank to a double tank configuration to be quickly and readily made. The adapter includes a pair of elongated rod-like members with tank locking wedges mounted on the end thereof with wing nuts. The conversion back to a single tank can be readily accomplished by simply disconnecting the adapter and removing the same from the vest.

Abstract: A method and system for aerially transporting loads between a loading site and a discharging site. A lift balloon is ballasted with liquid ballast at a discharging site and propelled to a loading site, where a load is suspended from the balloon. The liquid ballast is removed from the balloon in an amount corresponding to the weight of the suspended load. The ballast is recirculated from the loading site to the discharging site through a conduit. At the discharging site, the balloon is reballasted and the load is removed therefrom. The liquid ballast may also be moved through an aerial conduit connecting the lift balloon to a ballast site. In a further aspect of the invention, an elongated envelope houses a plurality of pear-shaped balloons to reduce the aerodynamic drag thereon.

Abstract: There is disclosed a truck crane of the type having a crane mounted to a truck frame and using wheels for movement which is convertible to a crawler type crane of the type including a truck cab having its own power source and drive train, the frame thereof being split and being engageably disengageable into a forward motive frame section and a rear crane frame section, and the drive train being similarly disengageable to permit the forward motive frame section to be separable from the rear crane frame section, the rear crane frame including a plurality of outrigger jacks positioned on opposed sides of the rear crane frame section, and the frame including a plurality of first mount means positioned on opposing sides thereof, a pair of portable crane tracks, at least one of the pair of crane tracks having an independent power source carried thereon and including flexible motive means for interconnecting the independent power source to a separate control system, and each of the pair of portable crane tracks incl

Abstract: A boat has a body, a mast arranged on the body so that under the action of a wind force component acting in a first lateral direction transverse to a longitudinal axis the mast turns relative to at least a portion of the body in a first lateral direction, and an element which resists the turning of the mast in the first lateral direction and urges the mast to turn in a second lateral direction which is opposite to the first lateral direction.

Abstract: The hull and bulkheads of vessels are constructed from a plurality of rectangular, in plan, curved steel plates. The plates are rolled to a slight arc of a circle the axis of which is parallel to the longer dimension of the plates. The plates have a mid-plate recurve to which are welded girders with the recurved portion parallel to the long side edges of the plates. The plates on the shell of the ship are arranged with their long edges longitudinal. The long edges of adjacent plates are joined by butt welding as are the shorter edges. Preferably the plates have widths of 4 to 20 feet and radius of curvature of 20 to 100 feet.

Abstract: Aircraft wing equipped with high-lift flaps and with at least one pylon for suspending an engine. According to the invention, the upper part of the pylon is bent to avoid discontinuity of the wing leading edge between said pylon and the high-lift flaps regardless of whether or not said flaps are in out-spread position. The invention improves aerodynamic performances both in smooth configuration and in high-lift configuration.

Abstract: A twin outboard drive and more particularly to an improved transmission and shifting arrangement for such drives. The drives include forward, neutral and reverse transmissions of the bevel gear type and which provide counter-rotation of the respective associated propellers. One of the transmissions is shifted in one direction to shift from neutral to forward while the other transmission is shifted in the opposite direction to shift from neutral to forward. A pair of remote control shift levers are provided and a motion transmitting means connects the shift levers with the transmissions so that the transmissions are shifted in opposite directions when the shift levers are moved in the same direction. In some embodiments, this is accomplished by a crank and follower mechanism and in other embodiments, it is accomplished by a cam and follower arrangement.

Abstract: A work platform and helicopter assembly for working on a high-voltage power line such as an EHV power line. A work platform comprising a rectangular base of electrically conductive material is disposed transversely across a pair of helicopter skid tubes that extend longitudinally beneath the helicopter fuselage. The work platform is attached to the skid tubes such that the skid tubes may be laterally displaceable, upon landing, or take-off, with respect to the work platform. The work platform includes a workman supporting portion that extends laterally from the side of at least one skid tube to support a workman working on a high-voltage power line. The work platform, skid tubes and helicopter are electrically connected so that they will all be at the same electrical potential when working on a power line. The work platform may include a portion adapted to carry cargo between the skid tubes.

Abstract: A power actuator on the base section of a multi-section telescoping crane boom can bridge at least one intermediate boom section to operate a biased locking pin retract mechanism employed in a system for remotely controlling the operation of a manual fly section of the telescoping boom. To enable the crane operator to know with certainty that the biased locking pin is in a fully engaged position, a visual indicator on the boom readily viewable from the crane operator's cab is directly mechanically linked to the biased locking pin and moves to the indicating position only when the locking pin is fully engaged.

Abstract: A tube cover has top and bottom flat portions stitched together along mutual peripheral edges, and a hitch which consists of a plurality of crossing straps that are interconnected by stitching, and a D-ring attached to one of the straps.

Abstract: A device for the erection of the mast of a sailing board adapted for use in the sport of windsurfing includes an articulated joint in which separate members are kept coupled together by means of a system comprising a flexible rope and a spring, where a displacement of the mast from the vertical attitude causes the loading of the spring thus creating a force tending to bring the mast back to a vertical attitude. The device may be assembled on a track that allows a change in the position of the foot of the mast through the operation of a pedal.

Abstract: A foldable wing or airfoil, which is especially but not exclusively adapted for a projectile, and which incorporates interengaging telescopable fin sections. A nose in the foldable wing, which is hingable in the region of one end through a pivot in a longitudinal groove, has a chamber opening facing away from its leading edge and which is located between the wing part surfaces for receiving the interlocking fin sections, which sections are profiled in U-shaped configuration. The chamber also receives a base or root spar which is hinged in the region of its leading end in the chamber, and wherein the front ends of the fin sections straddle the root spar and are each hinged along the root spar offset relative to each other.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing and launching a float from a ship includes first and second arms; a device pivoting the first arm for swinging movement relative to the second arm, the second arm being adapted to be fixed to a ship; a bias device connected between the first and second arms for biasing the first arm in a direction away from the second arm; a storing device for releasably holding a float to the second arm; a retaining shaft axially movable between a retaining position and a releasing position; a blocking assembly connected to the storing device and connected to the retaining shaft in such a manner that in the retaining position of the retaining shaft the storing device holds the float to the second arm and such that movement of the retaining shaft to its releasing position releases the blocking assembly so that the holding device releases the float from the first arm, the retaining shaft in its retaining position also cooperating with the second arm in a manner to restrain swinging of the second arm by th

Abstract: A pressure relief device for an engine room of a small watercraft. The engine room is defined by an engine encasement, has an engine inside and is hermetically sealed with an engine cover. The pressure relief device has an opening provided in the engine encasement and a one-way valve which closes watertightly the opening through a grommet under normal conditions when the engine room pressure is below a given level of pressure, while it opens only outwards when the inside pressure goes up over the given level. It is desirable to employ a fastening member to secure the one-way valve on the opening in the engine encasement.

Abstract: A raising and lowering aid for trolling motors which includes a pair of torsion springs, each having one end fixed with respect to the deck fixture of the trolling motor bracket and the opposite end engaging a pair of connector bars which are pivotally mounted to the deck fixture at one end and slidably mounted at the opposite end to conventional, parallel pivoting primary arms, also pivotally supported by the mount shoe. The springs are adjustable with respect to the deck fixture in order to adjust the spring tension and the raising and lowering aid operates to assist the user in retracting the trolling motor from the water on the bracket and lowering the trolling motor into the water from the bracket during operation.

Abstract: An automatic control system for a vehicle such as a fork lift truck automates the transportation, loading and unloading operations of the vehicle in a work area. Leader cables disposed in the work area are supplied with instruction signals of respectively different frequencies from terminal units in response to commands from a central control device. Any cable or a combination of two cables forms a ehicle guideway along which the travel of the vehicle is controlled by instruction signal pickup coils on the vehicle and along which loading and unloading stations for the vehicle are located. Loading and unloading are effected without using the leader cables, the necessary instruction signals then being received from the central control device by the vehicle from a coil disposed at the loading and unloading station.

Abstract: The invention concerns a hull and a submerged propeller unit demountably fitted to the hull and continuously rotatable through 360.degree. of azimuth relative to the hull to give full thrust in any required direction. An aperture in the hull is surrounded by a fixing flange to which extend a drive input shaft for the propeller unit and at least one steering drive shaft. At least one steering drive motor is mounted in the vessel and is connected to the steering drive shaft to effect rotation thereof. A gearbox casing of the propeller unit fits in the aperture with a circumferential flange releasably bolted to the fixing flange. A stem depends from said casing and is rotatably supported therein at its upper end to act as a steering tube for a propeller rotatably supported at its lower end. A steering gear wheel in said casing through which the stem passes and to which it is secured effects rotation thereof.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention comprises a compliant structure for use in reducing bending stress at the ends of an elongated cylindrical tether which may, for example, be used to connect a floating platform supported by a body of water to the floor thereof. The apparatus comprises a plurality of tubular support members concentrically arranged about the elongated cylindrical tether at the tether's end connection. Each tubular support member is connected to each adjacent tubular support member in a manner that allows the entire assembly of tubular members to deflect in unison as the cylindrical tether deflects.