ANCHOR LOCK DEVICE

Abstract

An anchor lock device for a vessel including a roller carriage having two sets of rollers positioned in a rectangular configuration thus forming a channel for guiding a rode. The anchor lock device further including a mounting system for attaching the anchor lock device to a vessel. The mounting system includes movable components for engaging the anchor lock device when use of the anchor is desired and for storing the anchor and rode when not in use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and incorporates herein by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/506,880 filed on Jul. 12, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an anchor lock device and, more particularly, to an anchor managing and mounting system for deploying and retracting an anchor as well as for securing, storing and transporting said anchor when not in use.

A typical anchor is used to secure a vessel (such as a boat) to the bed of any body of water (such as a river, lake, ocean and the like), in order to prevent the vessel from drifting away from the desired location due to the wind, the current or because of the movement of other vessels. Typically, a vessel is attached to the anchor by a rode. When the anchor and rode are not in use, they are stored so that the boat may move freely once more.

A variety of anchor systems are currently employed to facilitate the engagement and disengagement of the anchor. In its most simple embodiment, the anchor and rode are engaged by manually hoisting them from the vessel and disengaged by pulling them from the water into the vessel. In alternative embodiments, the use of a mechanical device, such as a winch or spool is employed to deploy and/or retract the anchor via the rode. Regardless of the type of anchor system used, attempts to engage and retrieve an anchor can be very time consuming and cumbersome because current devices designed for this purpose do not sufficiently manage the anchor and rode. Specifically, such devices may obstruct rode movement, causing the rode to become caught between different parts of the device, potentially weakening or damaging the rode. Such devices are simply designed for deploying and/or retracting the anchor and do not function to store and/or transport the anchor system. Furthermore, these devices are not designed to keep the rode compactly stored and to keep the anchor out of the way when it is not in use. These devices also fail to allow for accessible and efficient deployment of the anchor when its use is desired.

Thus, it would be advantageous to develop an anchor managing system which includes a roller carriage for facilitating fluid movement of the rode as it is extended and retracted, as well as a mounting system which provides for convenient storage of the anchor system when it is not in use and which allows for efficient deployment of the anchor when its use it desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an anchor lock device which provides a system for managing an anchor which is mechanically connected to the anchor lock device by a rode. The anchor lock device may include fixed or articulating support plates, and a frame supporting elongated rollers as guides for managing a rode when releasing and/or retrieving the rode. When the rode reaches the end, or apex of the anchor lock device, it then employs the weight of the boat anchor to force the rode over the last roller and toward a vertical drop into the roller carriage. The roller carriage is where the majority of the rope managing takes place and where the anchor is held securely when fully retrieved.

The anchor lock device may be mounted to a vessel's deck via a fixed or articulating mounting base, in a stationary position or as multiple articulating parts. An articulating structure preferably provides selective rotational movement outward over the water when an anchor is deployed, or inward over/into the boat once the anchor has been fully retrieved and secured. The mounting system is designed to position the anchor over the edge of the vessel at a sufficient distance to provide sufficient clearance, such that the anchor may be freely raised and lowered, giving the anchor enough space to prevent it from hitting the side of the vessel. When the anchor lock device is in the engaged position, the roller guides and the weight and force of the anchor ensures that the rode travels up and down in a substantially vertical, unobstructed manner. When the anchor is fully retrieved, the mounting system may be used to place the anchor lock device in the disengaged or storage position. The resulting clearance provided by positioning the entire system inwardly lets the vessel maneuver freely through the water, giving it additional space to avoid a variety of obstacles and allowing protective coverings to fit as intended. The anchor lock system also preferably allows for standard boat covers to be fit on the boat.

Specific advantages and features of the present assembly will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of several illustrative embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of one embodiment of an anchor lock device mounted to a vessel.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a roller carriage of the anchor lock device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the roller carriage of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the roller carriage of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the roller carriage of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the roller carriage of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a mounting system of an anchor lock device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mounting system of FIG. 7 as connected to a roller carriage, with the roller carriage positioned facing downward.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the mounting system of FIG. 7 as connected to a roller carriage, with the roller carriage positioned facing upward.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting system of the anchor lock device of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a mounting system of an anchor lock device of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the mounting system of the anchor lock device of FIG. 11 as connected to a roller carriage, with the roller carriage positioned facing upward.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the mounting system of the anchor lock device of FIG. 11 as connected to a roller carriage, with the roller carriage positioned facing upward.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the mounting system of the anchor lock device of FIG. 11 as connected to a roller carriage, with the roller carriage positioned facing upward.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting system of the anchor lock device of FIG. 11.

It should be understood that the present drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments disclosed herein are sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should also be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Like numbers utilized throughout the various figures designate like or similar parts or structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, more particularly by reference numbers, FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the anchor lock device 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The present anchor lock device 10 is configured for managing the engagement and/or the disengagement of an anchor 12, as well as the deployment and retrieval of the anchor 12. The anchor 12 is preferably mechanically connected to the anchor lock device 10 by a rode 14. The rode 14 may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to, a rope, a chain, a cable, a wire and the like. The anchor lock device 10 may include a roller carriage 16 for facilitating the fluid movement of the rode 14 as anchor 12 is deployed and/or retrieved. The anchor lock device 10 may further include a mounting system 18 for securing the anchor lock device 10 to a vessel 20. The mounting system 18 may be designed to provide convenient storage of the anchor 12 and the rode 14 when not in use and to allow for efficient deployment of said anchor 12 when its use it desired.

The mounting system 18 is further preferably designed to position the anchor 12 over the edge of the vessel 20 at a sufficient distance to provide the desired clearance, such that the anchor 12 may be freely raised and lowered, giving the anchor enough space to prevent it from hitting the side of the vessel 20. When the anchor lock device 10 is in the engaged (or outward) position, the roller guides and the weight and force of the anchor 12 ensures that the rode 14 travels up and down in a substantially vertical, unobstructed manner When the anchor is fully retrieved, the mounting system 18 may be used to place the anchor lock device 10 in the disengaged or storage position. The resulting clearance provided by positioning the entire system inwardly lets the vessel 20 maneuver freely through the water, giving it additional space to avoid a variety of obstacles (including other vessels, docks, trailers, etc.) and allowing protective coverings to fit as intended.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-6, the roller carriage 16 is designed to facilitate unobstructed movement of the rode 14 as it is deployed and/or retracted. The roller carriage 16 includes a frame 22 for supporting a plurality of rollers 24. The rollers 24 design to cooperate with each other, rotating to promote the movement of the rode 14 as the anchor 12 is deployed and/or retrieved. In one embodiment, the rollers 24 may each include a bearing 28 as well as a roller cap 30 (shown in FIG. 6) secured to at least one end of each of the rollers 24. The bearings 28 and the roller caps 30 provide structural support to the frame 22 and rollers 24. The frame 22 may further include a plurality of brackets 26, and as shown in FIGS. 2-6, each bracket 26 forms a side wall of the roller carriage 16. An end of each of the individual bearings 28 may extend through an opening in a corresponding roller cap 30, allowing each bearing 28 to be received by a bracket opening 32 (shown in FIG. 6) within each bracket 26 and movably secured therein via a bolt 34. In alternative embodiments, the rollers 24 may be secured within the frame 22 by any mechanism which allows for the rotational movement of said rollers 24.

In one embodiment, a first pair of rollers 24A may be spaced apart and positioned above a second pair of rollers 24B which are also spaced apart. The first pair of rollers 24A are preferably aligned such that their longitudinal axes are perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the second pair of rollers 24B, such that the two sets of rollers 24A and 24B form a channel 36 therebetween for receiving and guiding the rode 14. This configuration of rollers 24 facilitates the unobstructed movement of the rode 14 regardless of the angle and/or direction it is being moved through the channel 36, preventing the rode 14 from contacting parts that may cause damage and eliminating any area where the rode 14 may become lodged as it is being released and/or retrieved. Furthermore, the rollers 24 may be adequately spaced and/or sized to accept the upper throat of a variety of anchors 12.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate one embodiment of the mounting system 18A which includes a base plate 38 for securing the anchor lock device 10 to a vessel 20. The base plate 38 may attach the anchor lock device 10 to the vessel by any conventional attachment process, including but not limited to the use of bolts, hinges, welding, direct attachment and the like. In alternative embodiments, it is envisioned that the base plate 38 may be integrated into the structure of the vessel 20, thus being secured to the vessel 20 by unitary construction. The base plate 38 may further include a pair of support plates 40, positioned generally parallel with respect to each other and positioned generally perpendicular with respect to the base plate 38. Each support plate 40A and 40B may include an arced channel 42 for receiving a rotating guide pin 44.

Further, each support plate 40A and 40B is operably attached to a corresponding rotatable arm 46A and 46B respectively, via an axis pin 48, the connection between the support plates 40 and the rotatable arms 46 designed for allowing the rotatable arms 46 to hingedly rotate forward over the edge of vessel 20 for positioning of the anchor 12 when in use and for hingedly rotating back and up over the vessel 20 for providing storage thereof when such use is not in use. The rotating guide pin 44 moves within the arched channel 42, synchronizing the movement of the rotatable arms 46A and 46B, allowing for both upward and rearward/inward rotation. The rotatable arms 46A, 46B may each further include a pair of carriage members 50 which serve to fixedly attach the roller carriage 16 to the mounting system 18A. The mounting system 18A may further include a pair of guide rollers 52 which are positioned substantially parallel to each other between the rotatable arms 46, and above the roller carriage 16. The guide rollers 52 are designed to cooperate with each other, rotating to allow the movement of the rode 14 as the anchor 12 is raised and/or lowered. In one embodiment, the guide rollers 52 may each include a bearing 28 as well as a roller cap 30 secured to each end of each of the guide rollers 52, the bearings 28 and the roller caps 30 for providing structural support thereto. In one embodiment, a rode guide 54 may be positioned between, in front of or in back of the guide rollers 52 to assist in directing and positioning the rode 14.

FIGS. 11-15 illustrate yet another embodiment of the mounting system 18B which includes a pair of support arms 56, positioned generally parallel with respect to each other for securing the anchor lock device 10 to the vessel 20. The support arms 56 may attach the anchor lock device 10 to the vessel 20 by any conventional attachment process, including but not limited to the use of bolts, hinges, welding, direct attachment and the like. In alternative embodiments, it is envisioned that the support arms 56 may be integrated into the structure of the vessel 20, thus being secured to the vessel 20 by unitary construction. Vessel 20 may include a winch, as shown in FIG. 14. Each support arm 56A and 56B is operably attached to a corresponding rotatable arm 46C and 46D respectively, via an axis pin 48 such that the connection between the support arms 56 and the rotatable arms 46 is designed for positioning of the anchor 12 when in use and for providing storage when such use is not required. A stopping pin 49 may be included to prevent further forward rotation past a predetermined position. The axis pin 48 serves to synchronize the movement of the rotatable arms 46A and 46B, allowing for upward rotation of the anchor lock device 10. The rotatable arms 46A, 46B may each further include a pair of carriage members 50 which serve to fixedly attach the roller carriage 16 to the mounting system 18B. The mounting system 18B may further include a pair of guide rollers 52 which are positioned substantially parallel to each other between the rotatable arms 46. The guide rollers 52 are designed to cooperate with each other, rotating to promote the movement of the rode 14 as the anchor 12 is raised and/or lowered. In one embodiment, the guide rollers 52 may each include a bearing 28 as well as a roller cap 30 secured to each end of each of the guide rollers 52; the bearings 28 and the roller caps 30 for providing structural support thereto.

Thus, there has been shown and described an embodiment of a novel anchor lock device. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required.” Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. An anchor lock device comprising:

a mounting system for attaching the anchor lock device to a vessel;

a roller carriage including a first pair of rollers and a second pair of rollers, the two sets of rollers being positioned in a generally four-sided configuration forming a channel therebetween for guiding a rode;

a rotatable arm connected to the roller carriage, said rotatable arm also being hingedly connected to the mounting system for selective rotation between a deployed position and a retracted position, wherein in the deployed position the roller carriage is moved over the edge of a vessel, and wherein in the retracted position the roller carriage is rotated back over the vessel.

2. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein the roller carriage includes a frame having a plurality of brackets for operably securing the rollers thereto.

3. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein the first set of rollers are positioned substantially parallel to each other as well as above and substantially perpendicular to the second set of rollers.

4. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein the rollers are sized and spaced to accept the upper throat of an anchor therebetween.

5. The anchor lock device of claim 4 wherein in the retracted position, the roller carriages support and hold the anchor in place with the throat of the anchor positioned in the channel.

6. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein each of the rollers further includes a bearing for structural support.

7. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein each of the rollers further includes a roller cap positioned at each end of each roller for structural support.

8. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein the mounting system further includes a base plate for attaching the anchor lock device to a vessel.

9. The anchor lock device of claim 8 wherein the mounting system includes a set of support plates, each support plate having an arced channel for receiving a rotating guide pin.

10. The anchor lock device of claim 8 wherein the support plates are rotatably attached the rotatable arms.

11. The anchor lock device of claim 1 wherein the rotatable arms are connected to the mounting system via an axis pin.