Patent Application
20210345627
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure and prior art relates to fish cleaning devices and more particularly pertains to a new fish cleaning device for mounting on a horizontal pier rail.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a platform that has a drink aperture, a tool aperture, a plurality of hook apertures and a pair of storage holes each extending therethrough. A pair of grapples is each removably coupled to the platform. Each of the grapples releasably engages a top pier rail having the platform being horizontally oriented on the top pier rail. In this way a fish can be positioned on the platform for filleting the fish. A pair of legs is each pivotally coupled to the platform. Each of the legs extends downwardly from the platform when the legs are positioned in a deployed position. In this way each of the legs abuts horizontal pier rails thereby retaining the platform in the horizontal orientation. A clamp is pivotally coupled to the platform to engage the fish for retaining the fish on the platform for filleting the fish.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The platform 12 has a top surface 28, a bottom surface 30 and a perimeter surface 32 extending therebetween, and the perimeter surface 32 has a front side 34, a back side 36, a first lateral side 38 and a second lateral side 40. Each of the drink aperture 14, the tool aperture 18, the hook apertures 22 and the storage holes 26 extend through the top 28 and bottom 30 surfaces. The drink aperture 14 is positioned closer to the back side 36 than the front side 34 of the perimeter surface 32. Additionally, the drink aperture 14 is positioned closer to the second lateral side 40 than the first lateral side 38 of the perimeter surface 32. The tool aperture 18 is positioned between the drink aperture 14 and the second lateral side 40 of the perimeter surface 32. Moreover, the tool aperture 18 is elongated between the front 34 and back 36 sides of the perimeter surface 32 to accommodate handles of the pliers 20. Each of the handles of the pliers 20 abuts a bounding surface 42 of the tool aperture 18 thereby inhibiting the pliers 20 from falling through the tool aperture 18.
Each of the hook apertures 22 is positioned between the tool aperture 18 and the second lateral side 40 of the perimeter surface 32. The hook apertures 22 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the second lateral side 40. The storage holes 26 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the back side 36 of the perimeter surface 32. The bottom surface 30 has a lip 44 extending downwardly therefrom, and the lip 44 is aligned with and is coextensive with each of the first lateral 38, second lateral 40 and back 36 sides of the perimeter surface 32.
A pair of grapples 46 is provided and each of the grapples 46 is removably coupled to the platform 12. Each of the grapples 46 releasably engages a top pier rail 48. The top pier rail 48 may be a top plank on a railing of a boat pier or other fence-like structure that is located near a body of water. The platform 12 is horizontally oriented on the top pier rail 48 thereby facilitating a fish to be positioned on the platform 12 for filleting the fish.
Each of the grapples 46 is inserted into a respective one of the storage holes 26 for temporary storage. Each of the grapples 46 has a first end 50 and a second end 52, and each of the grapples 46 is elongated between first 50 and second 52 ends. Each of the grapples 46 has a bend 54 thereon defining a rail space 56 between a first portion 58 and a second portion 60 of the grapples 46. Thus, each of the grapples 46 has a J-shape. The top pier rail 48 is positioned in the rail space 56 of each of the grapples 46 having the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12 resting upon the top pier rail 48. Additionally, the bend 54 on each of the grapples 46 is positioned closer to the second end 52 than the first end 50. The first portion 58 of each of the grapples may have a length of approximately 8.0 inches and the second portion 60 of each of the grapples may have a length of approximately 4.0 inches. Additionally, the first portion 58 and the second portion 60 of each of the grapples may be spaced apart from each other a distance of approximately 2.0 inches.
A set of first retainers 62 is each coupled to the first lateral side 38 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12. Each of the first retainers 62 has a curved portion 64 extending away from the first lateral side 38 and the first retainers 62 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the first lateral side 38. The first portion 58 of a respective one of the grapples 46 is extendable through the curved portion 64 of each of the first retainers 62 having the rail space 56 in the respective grapple 46 being spaced rearwardly from the back side 36 of the perimeter surface 32. A set of second retainers 66 is each coupled to the second lateral side 40 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12. Each of the second retainers 66 has a curved portion 68 extending away from the second lateral side 40 and the second retainers 66 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the second lateral side 40. The first portion 58 of a respective one of the grapples 46 is extendable through the curved portion 68 of each of the second retainers 66 having the rail space 56 in the respective grapple 46 being spaced rearwardly from the back side 36 of the perimeter surface 32.
A pair of legs 70 is each pivotally coupled to the platform 12. Each of the legs 70 extends downwardly from the platform 12 when the legs 70 are positioned in a deployed position. In this way each of the legs 70 abuts horizontal pier rails 72 thereby retaining the platform 12 in the horizontal orientation. Additionally, each of the legs 70 rests against the platform 12 when the legs 70 are positioned in a stored position.
Each of the legs 70 has a top end 74, a bottom end 76 and a rear surface 78 extending therebetween. The top end 74 of each of the legs 70 is pivotally coupled to the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12. The rear surface 78 of each of the legs 70 extends downwardly from the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12 when the legs 70 are positioned in the deployed position. In this way the rear surface 78 of each of the legs 70 can abut the horizontal pier rails 72 when the platform 12 is positioned on the top pier rail 48. The top end 74 of each of the legs 70 is positioned closer to the back side 36 than the front side 34 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12 and each of the legs 70 is positioned adjacent to a respective one of the first 38 and second 40 lateral sides of the perimeter surface 32.
A plurality of beams 80 is each coupled to the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12. Each of the beams 80 extends between the front 34 and back 36 sides of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12. Additionally, the beams 80 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the first 38 and second 40 lateral sides of the perimeter surface 32. A hook 79 is coupled to and extends downwardly from a respective one of the beams 80. The hook 79 has a distal end 81 with respect to the respective beam 80 and the hook 79 is curved between the distal end 81 and the respective beam 80. In this way the hook 79 can support a fishing net.
A locking unit 82 is pivotally coupled between each of the legs 70 and the platform 12. The locking unit 82 is positionable in a locked position when the legs 70 are positioned in the deployed position. Moreover, the locking unit 82 retains each of the legs 70 in the deployed position when the locking unit 82 is positioned in the locked position. In this way the locking unit 82 can support 86 the weight of the platform 12 when the platform 12 is positioned on the top pier rail 48.
The locking unit 82 comprises a member 84 that extends between each of the legs 70, and the member 84 is centrally positioned between the top 74 and bottom 76 ends of the legs 70. The locking unit 82 includes a support 86 that comprises a pair of second arms 88 each angling outwardly away from a first arm 90 such that the support 86 has a Y shape. The first arm 90 has a distal end 92 with respect to the second arms 88 and each of the second arms 88 has a distal end 94 with respect to the first arm 90. The distal end 94 of each of the second arms 88 is pivotally coupled to the member 84 having the first arm 90 being directed away from the support 86.
The locking unit 82 comprises a rod 96 that extends through each of the beams 80. The rod 96 is positioned closer to the front side 34 than the back side 36 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12. The locking unit 82 includes a shaft 98 that has a primary end 100 and a secondary end 102. The primary end 100 is pivotally coupled to the rod 96 having the shaft 98 being centrally positioned with respect to the front side 34 of the perimeter surface 32. The secondary end 102 is pivotally coupled to the distal end 92 of the first arm 90 of the support 86. Each of the shaft 98 and the first arm 90 are oriented collinear with each other when the legs 70 are positioned in the deployed position. Thus, each of the shaft 98 and the support 86 lies on a line that is oriented at an angle with respect to a line extending through the top 74 and bottom 76 ends of the legs 70. Each of the shaft 98 and the support 86 lies against the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12 when the legs 70 are positioned in the stored position.
The locking unit 82 includes a tube 104 that is slidably positioned around the shaft 98. The tube 104 covers an intersection between the shaft 98 and the support 86 when the legs 70 are positioned in the deployed position. In this way the legs 70 are retained in the deployed position. The tube 104 is displaced from the intersection between the shaft 98 and the support 86 thereby facilitating the support 86 and the shaft 98 to be folded to lie against the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12. In this way the legs 70 can be positioned in the stored position.
A knife sheath 106 is coupled to the platform 12 to insertably receive a fillet knife 108 for temporary storage. The knife sheath 106 is positioned on the bottom surface 30 of the platform 12. The knife sheath 106 has an open end 110 for insertably receiving the fillet knife 108 and the open end 110 is aligned with the front side 34 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12.
A clamp 112 is pivotally coupled to the platform 12 and the clamp 112 engages the fish to retaining the fish on the platform 12 for filleting the fish. The clamp 112 has a first edge 114 and a second edge 116 each extending in opposite directions from a pivot 118. The pivot 118 is pivotally coupled to the top surface 28 of the platform 12. The second edge 116 has a plurality of recesses 120 each extending toward the pivot 118 to define a plurality of teeth 122 on the second edge 116. Moreover, the second edge 116 is biased to engage the top surface 28 of the platform 12 to frictionally engage the fish. The first edge 114 is manipulated to pivot 118 the second edge 116 away from the top surface 28 thereby facilitating the fish to be positioned beneath the clamp 112 or to be removed from the clamp 112. Additionally, the clamp 112 is positioned adjacent to an intersection of the first lateral side 38 and the front side 34 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12.
A ruler 124 is coupled to the platform 12 to measure the length of the fish. The ruler 124 is positioned on the top surface 28 of the platform 12, and the ruler 124 is aligned with and is coextensive with the front side 34 of the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12. The ruler 124 has measuring indicia 126 printed thereon comprising graduated increments of distance, such as inches or centimeters. A handle 128 is coupled to the perimeter surface 32 of the platform 12 for carrying the platform 12. A pair of D-rings 130, or other similar releasable coupler, is provided and each of the D-rings 130 are suspended from the platform 12 support 86 supporting various objects when the platform 12 is positioned on the top pier rail 48.
In use, each of the legs 70 is positioned into the deployed position and the tube 104 is slid over the intersection between the shaft 98 and the support 86 to lock the legs 70 in the deployed position. Each of the grapples 46 is slid into the respective first 62 and second 66 receivers. The platform 12 is rested upon the top pier rail 48, the top pier rail 48 is inserted into the rail space 56 in each of the grapples 46 and the rear surface 78 of each of the legs 70 abuts the horizontal pier rails 72. In this way the platform 12 is retained on the top pier rail 48 on a horizontal plane for filleting fish. Thus, fish can be cleaned and filleted on a pier or the like when a fish cleaning station is not available.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
