Floating Wading Aid

Abstract

A floating wading aid provides stability and support to a wader walking between pontoons at about the center of buoyancy of those pontoons, with suitable frame structure provided. The pontoons may be fillable with air or floating objects, and a movable platform may be provided.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a floating device intended to aid a wader in maintaining stability and balance while wading, especially in areas with uneven or muddy bottoms. The floating wading aid also provides a means of transporting gear and other items while wading. In particular, the floating wading aid makes it much easier for a person wading to lift his or her feet out of the mud while applying downward force to the handles of the floating wading aid. Prior art floatation devices include a U-shaped rigid pontoon (see U.S. Pat. No. 8,292,683 to Axtell) and configurations that fully enclose a wader within a rigid structure (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,695 to Jackson). Prior art double pontoon boats exist for use by a person sitting in a seat anchored well above the pontoons using oars to maneuver the boat and are not designed for use by a wader. No prior art devices provide the usability and portability of this invention.

This floating wading aid: (1) is easily maneuverable by a person wading between the pontoons or within the U-shaped pontoon while grasping the wading aid (using handles on the pontoons or frame) at about the “center of buoyancy” of the pontoons (the “wading position”); (2) permits a wader to enter into the wading position without climbing over portions of the pontoons or framing; and (3) is convenient to transport and store. Other desirable features would include a platform to hold items being transported and/or a seat that would be located at approximately the center of buoyancy but could be moved forward to allow a person to wade in the wading position without obstruction, with the seat allowing a user to sit with a low profile with his or her weight supported in whole or in part by the pontoons. Particularly in a hunting situation, it is desirable that the user's profile remains as low as possible and the position of the platform as a seat should be as low as possible, at or slightly above or below water level.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This floating wading aid includes one or more flotation units (referred to as pontoons). A preferred configuration of the invention is referred to as a double pontoon configuration, with two pontoons parallel to each other. Another configuration is a single U-shaped pontoon. The wader would either walk between the double pontoons or within the U-shaped pontoon with the floating wading aid providing significantly improved stability.

For purposes of this invention the pontoons have a center of buoyancy (sometimes called a center of floatation) measured front to back at the location marked as C/B in FIG. 1. Center of buoyancy is a well-known concept, and refers to the point where the buoyant force, or the upward force, caused by hydrostatic pressure (resulting from the displaced water) acts on the pontoons. In the case of the present invention, a wader wading between the pontoons would apply downward force on the handles of the pontoons. If those handles are located at about the center of the center of buoyancy, the floating wading aid would remain substantially horizontal as a wader applies force against the handles. In the context of this invention is not necessary that the floating wading aid remained exactly horizontal, and as used in this description, center of buoyancy does not mean an exact point, but a range of distance (ideally comprising less than 20% of the total pontoon length) at about the point that represents the center of buoyancy.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention the pontoons to not have fixed rigidity but in one state are flexible and capable of being enlarged to a more rigid shape that will effectively displace water. For purposes of this description, this type of flexible structure is referred to as a “fillable sleeve.” In one embodiment the fillable sleeve is an inflatable pontoon that, when filled with air, provides a suitable shape for displacing water. In another embodiment the fillable sleeve includes pockets or divided spaces that may be filled with more rigid floating objects to create the rigidity to provide suitable water displacement. In many duck hunting situations, the wader is likely to be transporting duck decoys and those decoys would constitute suitable rigid floating objects for placement in the fillable sleeve to provide rigidity and water displacement capability. The fillable sleeve may be made of canvas, nylon, or another fabric or other flexible and water resistant material and may include a separate inflatable rubber bladder. For convenience, a reference to “fillable sleeve” refers to both the sleeve and any inner bladder, if applicable. The fillable sleeve pontoons, whether air inflatable or configured to be filled with objects like duck decoys, make this floating wading aid easy to transport and store.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of one configuration of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of another configuration of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a configuration of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a frame configuration for the invention with pontoons omitted.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a configuration of the invention with fillable sleeve pontoons filled with duck decoys.

FIG. 6 shows an end view of a configuration of the invention with fillable sleeve pontoons filled with duck decoys.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of another configuration of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention comprises pontoons—either two pontoons 2, 4 as shown in FIG. 1 or a single U-shaped pontoon 3, as shown in FIG. 2. For purposes of this description and for convenience, “pontoons” refer to either or both of the double pontoons 2, 4 or the single U-shaped pontoon 3. The term “U-shaped” means a pontoon with portions at the front and on both sides of the wader, with the front portion being flat, rounded or even a point (in which case the U is more of a V). The pontoons have a forward and a rearward end (as seen by a forward facing wader in the wading position), with a center of buoyancy (C/B) between the forward and rearward ends. As shown in FIG. 1, a frame 6 is supported by the pontoons 2, 4 and provides rigidity to keep the pontoons properly spaced when in use. The frame may contact the pontoons on their upper surface, with the buoyancy of the pontoons applied at the upper surface of the pontoon against the frame. Alternatively, the frame may be in contact with the lower surface of the pontoons. The frame should have the minimum amount of structure necessary to maintain the pontoons in position and support the other elements of this invention. No portion of the frame should interfere with a wader standing between the pontoons in wading position and no portion of the frame should obstruct a wader from moving into wading position between the pontoons.

A platform 10 may be provided that in at least one position is forward of the center of buoyancy and is supported either directly by the pontoons or by portions of the frame (and in in turn supported by the pontoons). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the platform may be rotatable from a position forward of the center of buoyancy to a position substantially at the center of buoyancy. In the forward position, the platform is above water level, ideally at about the level of the top of the pontoons, and forward of the center of buoyancy and out of the way of a walking wader in wading position. In the rearward position, the platform may be at the same level as in the forward position (see FIG. 3), or alternatively be below that level, at or slightly below water level (as shown in FIG. 7). Alternate confirmations for a platform could include a platform that slides forward and back to the positions described. A platform is not necessary to use the present invention and the platform could be fully removable. The platform 10 could be a rectangular basket with four low walls, or a flat surface with one, two, three or no walls.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a hinge 8 allows the platform to rotate on an axis perpendicular to the pontoons, at a location forward of the center of buoyancy. A preferred configuration for this hinge 8 is a cylindrical hinge rod attached to the frame 6 at each end.

In operation, a wader would rotate the platform to the forward position as shown in FIG. 1, step between the pontoons, grasp handles 20 incorporated in or attached to the pontoons or handle portions 22 incorporated in the frame 6 (See FIG. 5), and wade to the desired location. Once in the desired location, the platform could be rotated to the rearward position and the user could sit on the platform. Ideally the rearward position would put a user's weight at about the center of buoyancy of the pontoons.

For clarity, most of the figures do not include frame detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the platform 10 rests on the pontoons 2, 4 or, alternatively, on portions of the frame 6 structure with the load ultimately exerted on the upper portion of the pontoons. As shown in FIG. 2, in the forward position of a single U-shaped pontoon configuration the platform would rest on the pontoon 3 or alternatively on the frame 6. Appropriate platform structure and frame structure, and the alignment of the platform with the frame structure to provide the different platform levels, is well known to one skilled in the art. FIG. 4 provides an illustration of a possible frame configuration with the pontoons removed for clarity.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the configuration in which the fillable sleeve is configured to be filled with rigid objects, such as duck decoys. Individual decoy pockets may be created with dividers 18 and straps 19—ideally with the latter having Velcro closures—to hold the decoys in position. In this configuration preferably the frame 6 is below the pontoon and is attached to the floating pontoons 2, 4 by support straps 9 on the lower surface of the pontoons (under water when in use) that permit removal of the fillable sleeve from the frame. In this configuration the frame is supported by the support straps 9 as the buoyancy of the pontoon exerts upward force by virtue of those straps. FIGS. 5 and 6 also show a configuration in which the handle portions 22 of the frame 6 are extendable at junction 16 in a manner well known in the art to facilitate wading in different depths of water. In the decoy-filled configuration handles 22 incorporated in the frame as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are preferable to handles Incorporated on the upper surface of the pontoons.

As shown in FIG. 7, it is also desirable to include a second platform 14 mounted in the forward position with the rotating platform 10 in its forward position on top of the second platform 14. When the rotating platform 10 is rotated to the rearward position, the second platform remains in the forward position and may be used for gear storage or as a place for a dog to sit (out of the water and behind a user sitting on the platform in the rearward position). The platform 10 in the rearward position could also serve as a ramp for a dog to use to climb onto the second platform. The second platform 14 is especially desirable for a single U shaped pontoon configuration where the center of buoyancy is forward of the typical center of buoyancy for a similarly sized double pontoon configuration.

Other pontoon configurations could be utilized, such as a four pontoon configuration with two sets of two pontoons, all parallel to each other. The single U-shaped pontoon could be replaced with three pontoons, or 2 pontoons could be used in a V configuration. The location of the frame on the pontoons could be adjusted to accommodate a situation where a significant load (like a dog's weight) is expected on the second platform, so that the weight distribution across the pontoons would cause the pontoons to be level (front to back).

Claims

1. A floating wading aid comprising two pontoons each having a forward end, a rearward end, and a center of buoyancy between said ends and a frame attachable to the pontoons maintaining the spacing of the pontoons but not interfering with the movement of a wader between the pontoons at said center of buoyancy.

2. The floating wading aid of claim 1 wherein said pontoons are fillable sleeves.

3. The floating wading aid of claim 2 wherein said fillable sleeve pontoons are configured to contain multiple floating decoys.

4. The floating wading aid of claim 2 wherein said fillable sleeve pontoons are configured to be filled with air.

5. The floating wading aid of claim 1 further comprising a platform extending between said pontoons and in one position forward of the center of buoyancy.

6. The floating wading aid of claim 3 further comprising support straps on the bottom of said pontoons for receiving portions of said frame.

7. The floating wading aid of claim 5 with said platform rotatable from said position forward of the center of buoyancy to a position substantially at said center of buoyancy.

8. The floating wading aid of claim 1 further comprising handles on said pontoons substantially at said center of buoyancy.

9. The floating wading aid of claim 1 further comprising frame portions substantially at said center of buoyancy serving as handles.

10. The floating wading aid of claim 7 further comprising a second platform in a fixed position forward of said center of buoyancy.

11. A floating wading aid comprising a U-shaped pontoon comprising a fillable sleeve and having a forward end at the front portion of the U-shaped pontoon, a rearward end, and a center of buoyancy between said ends and a frame attachable to the pontoon not interfering with the movement of a wader at said center of buoyancy.

12. The floating wading aid of claim 11 wherein said fillable sleeve pontoon is configured to contain multiple floating decoys.

13. The floating wading aid of claim 11 wherein said fillable sleeve pontoon is configured to be filled with air.

14. The floating wading aid of claim 11 further comprising a platform in one position extending over said pontoon forward of said center of buoyancy.

15. The floating wading aid of claim 11 further comprising support straps on the bottom of said pontoon for receiving portions of said frame.

16. The floating wading aid of claim 14 with said platform rotatable from said position forward of the center of buoyancy to a position substantially at said center of buoyancy.

17. The floating wading aid of claim 11 further comprising handles on said pontoon substantially at said center of buoyancy.

18. The floating wading aid of claim 11 further comprising frame portions at said center of buoyancy serving as handles.

19. The floating wading aid of claim 16 further comprising a second platform in a fixed position forward of said center of buoyancy.