Information
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Patent Grant
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6224437
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Patent Number
6,224,437
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Date Filed
Friday, March 31, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, May 1, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Fletcher, Yoder & Van Someren
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 440 53
- 440 6
- 440 7
- 440 55
- 440 63
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A mount assembly for a trolling motor is provided. The mount assembly includes a bracket adapted to support the trolling motor. A pivoting member, such as a link or an arm, has a first end pivotally coupled to the bracket. The pivoting member is also pivotally coupled to an abutment adjacent a boat deck or gunwale at its second end. A support member is rigidly affixed to a surface of the bracket such that the support member sustains the overhung load of the trolling motor while it is in the stowed position on the boat deck or gunwale. The support member is flat and unobtrusive when the motor is in its run position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to trolling motors. More specifically the present invention relates to a stabilizer used in conjunction with a trolling motor mount to minimize movement of the trolling motor when not in use.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Trolling motors are typically light weight electric propulsion units used to propel fishing boats. Because of the small size and quiet operation of such motors, they are often used to propel the boat into remote and shallow regions of a body of water. The motors may be operated and controlled without diverting the user from fishing in many instances. However, trolling motors are not typically used as the primary source of propulsion on a boat. Rather, when it is desirous to travel significant distances in the boat, the trolling motor is typically placed in stowed position on the deck or gunwale of the boat while the primary motor propels the boat. Likewise, when the boat is being towed on a trailer, the trolling motor may be placed in a stowed position to keep the motor from projecting outward of the boat and thus causing a hazard during transit and potentially damaging the motor.
Numerous mounts and assemblies have been employed to facilitate the transition of the trolling motor from the motor's operable position to its stowed position. Most assemblies involve some sort of pivoting arrangement including at least one link or arm which is pivotally attached to the deck or gunwale of the boat at one end, and pivotally attached to a motor bracket at the other end. In such an assembly the arm pivots about the connection to the deck and swings the motor out of the water and onto the deck or gunwale. Some mechanisms use multiple links or arms to take advantage of various geometrical arrangements. By varying the spatial arrangement of links and pivotal connections, a trolling motor can be moved from an operable position which is perpendicular to the boat's deck, to a stowed position wherein the trolling motor is adjacent to and substantially parallel with the deck, while also facilitating a certain amount of lateral displacement of the motor. The lateral displacement of the motor allows the entire trolling motor to be brought on deck such that no components are left protruding outside the perimeter of the boat.
In such assemblies, as described above, a mechanical stop is often employed to keep the motor from over-rotating and thus coming into direct contact with the deck in the stowed position. If the motor were allowed to rest directly on the deck, the motor would be highly susceptible to shock loads during transit, either across a body of water, or in tow. Shock loads have been known to cause significant damage to the trolling motors as well as to the mounting brackets and associated hardware. Thus, mechanical stops are used in an attempt to raise the trolling motor a short distance off of the deck and to minimize shock loading.
Mechanical stops have been designed to abut the link or arm of such trolling motor mounts in an area close to a pivot point of the link. Such a design, while reducing direct shock load, may still allow bouncing due to the cantilever created beyond the location of the stop. Another result of placing the stop at such a location is that the cantilever produced by the overhung load of the motor places a large moment on the stop. This moment creates significant stress, fatigue and wear on the stop and associated components. Ultimately, such conditions may cause the stop to fail prematurely.
One way of providing a stop while reducing the cantilevered effect of the motor, is to change the location of the stop, or support, such that the stress and load induced by the moment is alleviated. In other words, the stop or support should be moved closer to the actual load imposed by the trolling motor and further from the pivoting connection. There have been various attempts to accomplish this. Some designs have placed a stop or support directly on the link itself. Others have placed the support further out toward the end of the link.
One design which attempts to move the support further from the pivot point, does so by attaching the support to the pivotal connection between the link and the motor bracket. While such a design changes the moment and load experienced by the link, it also requires disassembly of the pivoting connection at the motor bracket. Such a design does not necessarily assure a rigid and stable support since it is integrated with a pivotal connection. This type of design also assumes an existing mount assembly designed to spatially accommodate a new component at the pivoting connection. Thus, not all brackets and mounting assemblies may be able to accommodate such support without greater additional, and possibly significant alterations and modifications to existing structures and components.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a simple and effective stop or support, which will simultaneously reduce the shock load experienced by a trolling motor while in stowed position during transit and also reduce the stress and fatigue experienced by the support. Such a support should include various characteristics and advantages such as, for example, sturdiness, stability, corrosion resistance, simplicity of installation, and applicability to existing designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a trolling motor mount stabilizer designed to respond to these needs. In accordance with one aspect of the invention a mount assembly for a trolling motor is provided. The mount assembly includes a bracket adapted to support the trolling motor. A pivoting member, such as a link or an arm, has a first end pivotally coupled to the bracket. The pivoting member is also pivotally coupled to an abutment adjacent a boat deck or gunwale at its second end. A support member is rigidly affixed to a surface of the bracket such that the support member sustains the overhung load of the trolling motor while it is in the stowed position on the boat deck or gunwale.
The support member is contemplated to be a substantially planar element which extends a distance from the bracket, wherein the load experienced by the support member is substantially evenly distributed across a region of the boat deck or gunwale through an edge of the support member. The support member is fastened to the motor bracket by fasteners such as threaded bolts or screws. The fasteners may be threaded directly into the bracket, or pass through the bracket and secured by a mating nut.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a trolling motor mount stabilizing kit is provided for installation on a motor bracket of an existing and previously assembled motor mount assembly. The kit includes a substantially planar member adapted to be rigidly and directly mounted to a surface of the motor bracket. The support is to be mounted such that the planar member extends a distance from the motor bracket and substantially parallel with the mounting surface. Fasteners are provided for rigidly mounting the planar member to the motor bracket. A soft resilient member adapted to be affixed to the distal end of the planar support member is also provided for cushioning or absorbing shock of the mount assembly. After implementation of the kit, the planar member serves to sustain an overhung load of the trolling motor while in a stowed position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is an elevational view of the bow of a boat with a trolling motor mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an elevational view of the mount assembly employed in
FIG. 1
, with the trolling motor in the operating position;
FIG. 3
is an elevational view of the mount assembly shown in
FIG. 2
, with the trolling motor in a stowed position; and
FIG. 4
is an exploded view, in perspective, of the motor bracket having the support attached according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
Turning now to the drawings and referring first to
FIG. 1
, a mount assembly
10
on a boat
12
is adapted for a supporting a trolling motor
14
. The trolling motor
14
is generally of a type known to those skilled in the art, and includes head section
16
and a prop section
18
. Connecting the two sections is a substantially rigid tubular shaft member
20
. The mount assembly
10
is affixed to the gunwale or deck
22
of the boat.
FIG. 1
shows the mount assembly
10
and trolling motor
10
in an operable position, wherein the prop section
18
of the trolling motor
14
operates to quietly propel the boat
12
through a body of water. As described below, the mount assembly
10
is also used to stow the trolling motor
14
on the deck
22
of the boat when it is not in use.
Turning now to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, an enlarged view of the mount assembly
10
is shown, with
FIG. 2
depicting the trolling motor in the operable position, while
FIG. 3
depicts the mount assembly
10
when the trolling motor
14
is in the stowed position. The mount assembly includes a motor bracket
24
which is coupled to the shaft member
20
of the trolling motor
14
. The motor bracket
24
securely holds the trolling motor
14
while allowing the trolling motor to be maneuverable and adjustable.
A base member, or an abutment
26
, is attached to the boat deck
22
as a foundation for the mount assembly
10
. An upper arm
28
and a lower arm
30
are attached by means of a pivotal connection
32
to the base member
26
. The upper arm
28
is pivotally connected to the motor bracket
24
with a pin designated as the upper pivot pin
34
. The lower arm
30
, likewise, is pivotally connected to the motor bracket
24
with a pin which shall be designated the lower pivot pin
36
. The geometry formed by the upper and lower arms
28
and
30
, along with the motor bracket
24
and each pivotal connection
32
,
34
, and
36
, creates a rotatable assembly for conveying the trolling motor
14
between an operable position and a stowed position. As can be seen by comparing
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the arms
28
and
30
rotate about the pivotal connection
32
approximately 180° between the two positions. However, because of the geometrical arrangement of the individual components, the motor bracket
24
rotates in an opposite direction approximately 90°. The assembly
10
, thus allows the trolling motor
14
to be secured in a relatively vertical position during operation while, placing the trolling motor
14
in a relatively horizontal assembly for stowing purposes.
Still referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, it is noted that a stabilizer, or support member
38
is attached to the upper surface of the motor bracket
24
. The support member
38
serves as a stop in the rotational path of the mount assembly
10
. Thus, as the trolling motor
14
is moved from the operable position to the stowed position, the support
38
prohibits the mount assembly from over-rotating. Over-rotation could cause undue stress on related components such as the base member
26
, the pivotal connection
32
, the upper arm
28
, and/or the boat deck
22
. Also, allowing the mount assembly
10
to rotate further might cause the head section
16
of the trolling motor to contact the boat deck
22
subjecting the trolling motor
14
to significant shock loads during transit. Instead, the support
38
keeps these components out of undue stress inducing contact with one another. The support member also has a resilient cap
40
on its distal end to further reduce any shock load that might be transferred to the deck
22
or to the support member
38
. It is noted that, since the support member
38
is rigidly attached to the motor bracket
24
, the support member
38
maintains its geometrical relationship with the motor bracket at all times. Thus as the motor bracket
24
is rotated approximately 90° counter to the rotation of the arms
28
and
30
, the support member rotates with it.
Referring now to
FIG. 4
, the support member
38
is shown in greater detail in relationship to the mounting bracket
24
. For purposes of orientation, upper and lower pivots,
24
and
36
respectively, are indicated and a clamping ring or collar
42
, which secures the shaft member
20
of the trolling motor, is also shown. The support member
38
is formed of a substantially planar member
44
. The planar member
44
is preferably made of aluminum, but may be made of stainless steel, plastic or any other corrosion resistant material having adequate strength properties. The planar member
44
is affixed to the upper surface
46
of the motor bracket
24
by means of fasteners. The fasteners are shown as threaded screws or bolts
48
, and mating nuts
50
. The nuts
50
are preferably locknuts, such as nylon threaded locknuts or the like. The use of locknuts helps to prevent the fasteners from loosening due to vibration during use. Again, a resilient cap
40
is placed of the distal end of the planar member
44
. The resilient cap
40
serves as a cushion or a damper between the planar member
44
and the boat deck
22
upon which it rests in the stowed position. It is also noted that by using a planar member
44
the load transferred through the support
38
to the boat deck
22
is distributed to a larger region, thus reducing the effective loading experienced by the deck.
The support member
38
is thus rigidly affixed to the motor bracket
24
and has no range of motion independent of the motor bracket. The support member is also affixed in such a manner that no disassembly of the existing mount
10
or motor bracket
24
is required. Rather, simple installation is achieved with the minimal steps of locating and drilling a minimal number of holes
52
for accommodation of the new fasteners
48
.
It is noted, that while the support member
38
is shown to be located on the upper surface of the support bracket
24
, it is contemplated that installation may be accomplished on alternative surfaces such as one of the sides. Another variation on the disclosed embodiment would be to fasten the bolts
48
directly into a threaded hole formed in the motor bracket
24
. Such a design would eliminate the use of nuts
50
and possibly allow more flexibility in selecting a region for placement of the fasteners on the motor bracket
24
.
It is further noted that various modifications may be implemented to make the support member
38
adjustable relative to the distance it extends away from the motor bracket
24
. For example, the planar member
44
may be supplied longer than is intended, so that the distal end may be trimmed to a specific desired length during installation prior to placing the cap
40
on the end. Also, longitudinal slots may be formed in the motor bracket to facilitated adjustability. Another means of adjustment may be to employ specially fitted washers having a non-concentric or offset aperture. Such washers or fittings might be installed in the recessed slot
54
shown on the support member
38
. Such washers would effectively shift the position of the support member
38
depending on the orientation of the offset aperture.
While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A mount assembly for a trolling motor comprising:a bracket adapted to support the trolling motor, the bracket being angularly translated by movement of the mount assembly between a stowed position and a deployed position; at least one pivoting member having a first end pivotally coupled to the bracket, the at least one pivoting member being pivotable with respect to the deployed positions, and a second end pivotally coupled to an abutment adjacent a boat deck or gunwhale; and a support member rigidly affixed to a surface of the bracket wherein the support member sustains an overhung load of the trolling motor while in a stowed position, the support member being angularly translated with the bracket during movement between the stowed and deployed positions.
- 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the support member is a substantially planar element which extends a distance from the bracket and wherein the load experienced by the support member is substantially evenly distributed across a region of the boat deck or gunwale.
- 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the support member is affixed to the bracket by fasteners.
- 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the fasteners are resistant to vibrational loosening.
- 5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the fasteners are threaded directly into the bracket.
- 6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the fasteners include a threaded bolt which passes through both, the support member and the surface of the bracket, and a mating threaded nut coupled to the threaded bolt.
- 7. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a soft resilient member affixed to the support member such that the soft resilient member is in between the support member and the boat deck or gunwale while in the stowed position.
- 8. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the support member is adjustable with respect to the distance which the support member extends away from the bracket.
- 9. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the support member is formed of aluminum.
- 10. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the support member is formed of stainless steel.
- 11. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the support member is formed of plastic.
- 12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the support member is formed by a bending operation.
- 13. A mount assembly for a trolling motor comprising:a bracket adapted to support the trolling motor, the bracket being angularly translated by movement of the mount assembly between a stowed position and a deployed position; at least one pivoting member having a first end pivotally coupled to the bracket and a second end pivotally coupled to an abutment adjacent a boat deck or gun whale; a planar support member rigidly affixed to a surface of the bracket by means of at least one threaded fastener wherein the planar support member extends a distance from the bracket transferring and substantially evenly distributing an overhung load of the trolling motor to a region of the boat deck or gunwale while in a stored position; and a soft resilient member affixed to the distal end of the planar support member.
- 14. A trolling motor mount stabilizing kit for installation on a motor bracket of an existing and previously assembled motor mount assembly, the motor bracket being flexibly coupled to a pivoting member so as to be rotated by movement of the pivoting member between a stowed and a deployed position, the kit comprising:a substantially planar member adapted to be rigidly and directly mounted to a surface of the motor bracket such that the planar member extends a distance from the motor bracket and substantially parallel with the surface, the planar member being rotated with the motor bracket as the pivoting member is pivoted between the stowed position and the deployed position, wherein the planar member sustains an overhung load of the trolling motor while in a stowed position; at least one fastener for rigidly mounting the planar member to the motor bracket; and a soft resilient member adapted to be affixed to the distal end of the planar support member.
- 15. The kit of claim 14, wherein the planar member is formed of aluminum.
- 16. The kit of claim 14, wherein the planar member is formed of stainless steel.
- 17. The kit of claim 14, wherein the planar member is formed of plastic.
- 18. The kit of claim 14, wherein the at least one fastener includes a threaded bolt and nut with mating threads.
- 19. The kit of claim 18, wherein the nut is a locknut resistant to vibration.
- 20. The kit of claim 14, wherein the fasteners are formed of a corrosion resistant material.
US Referenced Citations (16)