Troll Jack

Abstract

As stated above, many different troll motor bracket mounts are in use today but they all have one thing in common—they are all manually deployed, retracted, and secured. It would be significantly beneficial if a motor mounting bracket could be provided which meets the following criteria: Permits the operator to automatically deploy, stow, and secure the troll motor when in use on the water. Permits operators of any age, size, or physical condition to utilize a troll motor safely Be easy to install, operate, and maintain Allows operation from any position on the boat without having to stand over the motor Permits operation with one hand while fishing or enjoying other activities Utilizes technology available in today's marketplace Is easily installed as an aftermarket item for existing users and sold through original equipment manufacturers Is available in different sizes in order to accommodate a range of troll motor sizes This invention accomplishes all these objectives by incorporating a new bracket design with automated piston technology available in today's marketplace. One of even elementary knowledge of troll motors will appreciate the significance of this new design and its ease of use.

Description

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

The name TROLL JACK® has been approved by the USPTO for Trademark registration and assigned Trademark Serial Number 77548875 on Jun. 9, 2009.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to the automatic deployment and retraction of bow and transom mounted trolling motors on sport and fishing vessels.

Pleasure and sport boaters, primarily fishermen, have used smaller secondary motors commonly known as troll motors, for several decades. They are used worldwide in both freshwater and saltwater, generally on boats less than thirty feet in length, and provide a great range of maneuverability with little or no noise or disruption in the surrounding water. The vast majority of troll motors are powered by direct current supplied by an onboard battery source and are intended for use once the main engine, gasoline or diesel powered, is shut down.

In addition, a troll motor is usually mounted with a hinged bracket of some type that allows it to be retracted from the water and locked into position when the primary engine is in use. Numerous different bracket mounts have been designed and are in use today but they all have one thing in common—they are all manually deployed, retracted, and secured. Recently, manufacturers have introduced remote controlled steering for some troll motor models but even these are manually deployed.

Releasing a stowed and locked troll or retracting one typically requires more than one hand, reaching and bending over on the edge of the boat, and is inconvenient, difficult, sometimes dangerous. Attention must be diverted from fishing and other activities to operate the present mechanisms. In addition, operators should not be distracted or endangered to control the depth of a troll motor to maneuver water-bottom obstruction in shallow water. Others simply may not have sufficient dexterity or strength to adequately handle today's brackets. It is especially important when fishing in open lakes and bays where breaking waves and gusting wind occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This patent application described a newly designed troll motor bracket, TROLL JACK®, which utilizes the technology currently available in the field of gas compression, electronic actuators, and hydraulic cylinders, for the complete automation of the deployment and retraction of a troll motor for safety and convenience of the boater. The use of the remote control device permits operation from any position on the boat.

TROLL JACK® is designed to be used with new motors as sold by major manufacturers but can also be utilized with existing troll motors by replacing the current bracket with the TROLL JACK®.

DESCRIPTION

The use of today's technology in the hydraulic cylinder and electronic actuator version of the TROLL JACK® model allows the boater to raise and lower the troll motor with a simple rocker switch or a remote control key fob device. The gas compression TROLL JACK®® model is manually operated but utilizes the technology to neutralize the lifting force required to lower and raise the motor.

The TROLL JACK® utilizes an upper gated hinge and a lower guide sleeve to secure the troll motor shaft to the mechanism. The TROLL JACK® basically replaces the current hinged, double point, and manually operated mounts in use today. The upper “gated hinge” sleeve and the lower “guide sleeve” are both hinged to allow the troll motor shaft to deploy, or slide, through the bottom sleeve which absorbs much of the weight of the motor while also acting as a guide mechanism. This lower sleeve also secures the shaft, provides general stabilization, and reduces vibration when the troll motor is fully retracted and not in use. This safety feature is important when the boat is being run using the main boat engine, especially in rough water.

Essentially all bow-mounted troll motors in use today utilize a double attach point, double armed, hinged device between the deck mount plate and the troll motor itself. As stated above, the TROLL JACK® basically replaces this bracket with a device design permitting the motor to rest on and swivel around the lower bracket hinge point. It is powered by a 12 volt DC electronic actuator or hydraulic pump mounted in a boat compartment.

Brief Description of the Photographs

Photo 1

This photo, which is incorporated in and constitutes a part of this application, shows the Single Hinged Model of the TROLL JACK® mounting bracket with a typical standard troll motor shaft installed and resting in the midpoint deployed position. This illustrates how the troll motor would be installed and the components used in the design and construction of the Single Hinged Model of the TROLL JACK® mounting bracket.

The components of the Single Hinged Point model are shown as the top gated hinged Mounting Component, a Single Arm Deploy and Stow piece, the Automated Actuator cylinder, and the Single Hinged Lower Guide Sleeve.

Photo 2

This photo, which is incorporated in and constitutes a part of this application, shows the Single Hinged Model of the TROLL JACK® mounting bracket with the electronic actuator and a standard troll motor shaft installed, resting in the midpoint retracted position. The actuator is connected to a standard marine grade 12-volt battery and is operated by the remote control key fob device shown in the left side of the picture. When the TROLL JACK® is installed for use in a vessel, the battery would be located in a stowage compartment.

Photo 3

This photo, which is incorporated in and constitutes a part of this application, illustrates the initial TROLL JACK® “prototype” made with PVC, wood components, and an actual troll motor shaft. This initial design contemplated a 4 Bar Linkage mounting bracket and is shown with a typical standard troll motor shaft installed and resting in the midpoint deployed position. As shown, the components of the original 4 Bar Linkage model are the Upper gated hinge, the Linkage apparatus, the Actuator cylinder, and the Lower guide sleeve.

This effort proved that the fundamental idea had merit, would work, and also permitted insight into the radius requirements for the arc, the actuator length necessary, and a basis for reducing the overall mounting bracket size. Working with this prototype also led to the Single Hinged Point design that is the basis for this patent application.

Photo 4

This photo, which is incorporated in and constitutes a part of this application, illustrates clearly the Front Bracket and Guide Sleeve that is essential in stabilizing the troll motor shaft during retraction and deployment. The bracket is constructed of heavy-duty plastic material that reduces friction and eliminates deterioration due to saltwater exposure.

Claims

1. A mechanized solution for automating the deployment and retraction of a bow or transom mounted trolling motor on a marine vessel through the use of an automated piston cylinder (electronic actuator or a hydraulic piston using 12 volt direct current) to cause the linkage system to operate across the arc required to fully deploy and retract the trolling motor.

The automated cylinder can be operated with a deck mounted foot pedal or rocker switch, or with a wireless, battery operated, key fob device.

2. The use of a newly designed bracket for mounting a troll motor comprised of the following:

a) a single hinge point in the upper bracket, or gate hinge device, used to mount the troll motor shaft; b) a single arm component which permits the troll motor shaft to rest in a lower sleeve component; c) a single hinged lower guide bracket that stabilizes the troll motor shaft and rotates through an arc necessary to permit the shaft to travel from a horizontal position to a vertical position.