The present invention relates to docking and launching of a boat, and in particular, it relates to securing and releasing a boat to and from a docking line.
There have been a number of attempts in the past to secure a boat to a docking line. The following U.S. Patents describe examples of such devices:
Other boat securing devices using latches, although not specifically used for docking, are described in the following patents:
A latching mechanism for use in securing a boat that is afloat includes a main body having a channel for accepting a line that will dock the boat. A latching member is pivotally secured within the main body and is movable between a position that closes off the channel and movable to a position which opens the channel, the latch being pivotable about a pivot point on the main body. A spring force holds the latch in a closed position and a cable attached to the latch at a location on an opposite side of the pivot point when pulled pivots the latch to an open position against the spring force.
This disclosure describes a latch generally illustrated at 10 for use on a bow 11 of a boat 13 as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The bow latch 10 further includes a first bolt 16 and a second bolt 17 extending away from a boat facing surface 18 of the main body 12. The bolts 16 and 17 are sufficiently long to extend through a hull 19 of the boat 13. Both bolts have threaded surfaces which cooperate with nuts and washers 23 to secure the bow latch 10 to the exterior surface of the bow 11.
Bolt 17 further has a hollow interior extending from an end of the bolt into the interior of the main body 12 of the bow latch 10. A cable 20 is positioned within the interior of the bolt 17 for moving the hook member 14 which will be described subsequently.
The bow latch 10 is illustrated in the unlatched position in both
As more clearly illustrated in
Spring force 30 is directed toward the pin 26 thereby keeping, the hook member in the closed position as indicated by arrow 32. When the cable 20 is pulled in the direction of arrow 34, the hook member 14 pivots against the spring force 30 to an open or unlatched position as indicated by arrow 36. Inserting the hook member to an open or unlatched position releases the line 15 from the latch 10. Depending on the strength of the spring force 30, the hook member can be pivoted to an open position by the force of the line working against the hook member. Once the line is secured, the hook member is biased to the closed position keeping the line within the channel 22 of the latch 10. Of course, when the spring force exceeds the force of the line engaging the hook member 14, the cable 20 can be pulled to open the channel 22 manually and secure the line within the latch 10.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This Application is a Section 371 National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/009404, filed Oct. 30, 2007 and published as WO 2009/056151 A1 on May 7, 2009, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2008/081751 | 10/30/2008 | WO | 00 | 9/14/2010 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60984583 | Nov 2007 | US |