US2299737A - Foot-propelled boat - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1942. c. H. CLARK 2,299,737

vF OO' 1-FROPELLED BOAT Filed July 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. (imam flasks Cum/e I XTTORNEYSE Oct. 27, 1942. .c, H. CLARK 2,299,737-

FOOT-PROPELLED BOAT Filed Juiy 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Cl/ARIES [ha/(11. ("Z/vex QRMM ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1942 7 2,299,737 roorrmossnmnsosr CharIeSJIIaskeIlCIark, San Francisco, Calif. Application Julie; 1940, serial No. 344,241. stains. .01.3 -23) UNITED} STATES T EN O IC My invention relates. to foot propelled boats, and more particularly to foot propelled". b'oats having novel features making the boat ideal; for use in waters such as lake's,.p'onds-, lagoons, or other protected bodiesof water, where boats are provided for amusement, for hire-and for use by the general public. 1

Among the objects of my invention arezTo provide a foot propelled boat of exceptional safety; to provide a boat thatzcan be efliciently propelled by one, two, or three peopley'to provide a foot propelled boat having a noveltpedalzsystem; to provide afootpropelled boat having safety bumpers; to provide a boat having inovel paddle wheel; and toprovide a simple, efficient, and safe-foot. propelled boatfor amusement. purposesl Other objects) of'my invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed outdn the description forming apart ofthis specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment'of the invention hereindescribed, as various forms may beadopt'ed withinthe scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Figurel is a top view of one, preferred formof my invention adapted for. sheltered locations. Figure 2 is a sideview, partlyin section and partly in elevation, of the boat shown in Figurel. .J' Figure 3 is aview, partly in longitudinal section andpartly in elevation, taken through the use .by the public in paddle wheel.

Figure 4 is an expanded view of the pontoons, bumper, bodyand rudder frames.

My invention may be more clearly understood by direct reference to the drawings. I prefer to form the main structure of my boat as a catamaran comprising a pair of lateral hulls or pontoons l and 2. Hulls l and 2 are, of, course, hollow.

To connect pontoons l and 2 I provide each pontoon with body cleats 3 3 and 3, to which a body frame 4 may be attached and thereby positioned, this body frame having central and rear cross members I l and I2, respectively, being shown separated from the pontoons in Fig. 4. Between the pontoons is placed a bumper assemb1y5, having longitudinal bars 6 connected by front and rear platforms 1 and 8, respectively, which extend over the top surfaces of the pontoon ends so as to position the bumper vertically with the bumper bars 6 parallel and adjacent the inside facing pontoon surfaces.

nal bars 6' to whichwone end ,of four bumper springs I0 areattached, the. other endsbeingattached to central cross. member 11- of-frame j l. Thus, when the bumper plates 1 and: :8. are hit, the entire bumper assembly will slide along the hull iunder COlltI'OlxOf springs l0, thereby cusha.

ioning the blow and preventing hard. contact with wharves or other boats.- The outer upper edge of the hullsil and 2 is also provided with rubber bumpers 2i and 22. l l I Rising from body frame 4is a protective en' closure 25.brought to a linear joint; 26" at the front of the boat and closed by seat 21 at the :rear. of the. boat, this seat being provided with a detachable back 29. The back of seat 29 is provided witha hinged spray plate 30} extendingto the *rear to cover a paddle wheel .3I. Paddle wheel-3|. ismounted on a paddle wheel shaft 32 mounted in bearings 33 on bearing supports 34 extending upwardly from frame 4. One endof shaft 32 extends direct through bearing support 34 and terminates in a gear 35 with. which a chain 36 is engaged, this chain extendingforward and-covered by a protecting housing. 39.

The front loop of the chain engages a pedal gear 40, which is mounted on one. end of a pedal crank shaft 42 journalediat opposite sides of housing 25in crank shaft bearings 44. t

: The construction of the: pedal crank shaft 42 is such that one, .tWO OII' three persons sittingin seat 2l may operate the crank shaft and thereby turn paddle wheel 3!. To accomplish this I provide the crank shaft 42. with lateral opposed. cranks and 5|, these lateral cranks having single width foot pedals 52 thereon. CentraLcranks "5.4 and 55 are opposed. to each other and to the adjacent lateral crank, and have double width pedals 56 thereon.

While it is obvious that paddle wheel 3| may be of any well known type, I prefer to form this paddle wheel from two lateral discs 60 and SI spaced by paddle blade assemblies 64 formed from a plurality of adjacent radially disposed dowels 65, these radially disposed dowels being alined; and only slightly spaced.

Steering of the boat is provided by a tiller 10 hinged to an upright front rudder bar II which is hinged to linear joint 26 of enclosure 25 and extends downwardly to terminate in a swinging front rudder 12 hinged on bolt 14 so that impact either in the forward or reverse direction with an obstacle will rotate the front rudder 12 in a spring bars 9 are provided also joining longitudi- 55 vertical plane to pass over the obstruction. The top of front rudder post H is preferably provided with an ornament 15, in this case a reprepulley attached to the rear rudder assembly to operate a rear rudder post 85 hinged to a rudder post upright 85 at the rear of rudder post assembly 88 which is bolted to body frame assembly 4. The rear rudder post 85 is provided with rear rudder 81 hinged to rudder post 85 in exactly the same manner as front rudder is hinged .to front rudder post H. Movement of tiller 10 therefore moves both rudders simultaneously in opposite directions to give both forward and rear steering. Inoperation, if one person is using the boat, this person may' sit in the center of seat 21 and put his feet on pedals 15 to operate cranks 54 .and 55. This isthe ideal singlelperson position,

but it willbe obvious that a singleperson could sit on either side of the seat 27 and operate one lateral crank and one central crank. Pushing on the pedals will, of course, rotate the crank shaft and connected paddle wheel thus propelling the boat. If two persons are in the.boat, one person may sitin the center of the boat and operate the central cranks A and 55, and the other person may operateone lateral crank and onecentral crank, the central pedals 56 being wide enough for two feet to be placed thereon, or both persons may sit at opposite sides of. seatl'l and each operate one lateral crank and one central crank. If three persons are using the boat, they may all pedal, the central person operating central cranks 54 and 55 and the lateral persons operating one lateral crank and one adjacent central crank. Thus, there will be two feeton each central pedal 55 and one foot on each lateral' pedal 52.

I prefer to utilize the dowel type of paddle blade described herein because I have found that such a paddle blade is efilcient in operation, is easy to make, and by leaving spaces between the dowels the water quickly drains from the blades through the spaces between the dowels and therefore little water is carried around the wheel. Also, the dowels upon entering the Water immediately. create a vacuum on the surface of the dowel facing the direction of motionof the craft, thus correspondingly increasing their effectiveness as a means of propulsion. This is not the case when a fiat paddle is used.

Reference to Fig. 4 will show that my invention is readily demountable for shipment, in that by removal of only a few bolts the device separates into units comprising the pontoons, the body and frame, the bumper, the rear rudder frame, and the wheel, thus making for easy transportation.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a boat designed for amusement purposes, which is easily demonstrable and with the following novel features: a unit shock absorbing bumper is utilized to take up the shock of collision, both front and rear; also, both front and rear steering is Y employed allowing excellent control of the device safeguarded against breakage.

under all circumstancees; and the rudders are Furthermore, a type of paddle is used which, by means of the vacuum it creates, pulls on the water on the vacuum side and pushes on the. water on the driving side. deviceis increased, and losses are reduced to a minimum by providing quick draining between the dowels which form the paddles when the paddles are moving upwardly.

I claim:

1.A boat comprising a pair of pontoons each having a substantially straight inner side, a body frame spacing said pontoons. a body mounted on said frame, a front and rear rudder journaled respectively to the front and rear of the boat;

said rudders being interconnected to steer the.

boat in any desired direction. and a bumper assembly. between said pontoons; said bumper assembly including a front platform, a rear platform, and a pair of spaced bumper barsiconnecting said front and rear platforms; said bumper bars being arranged in parallel relationship adjacent to the straight inner sides of said pontoons.

2; In a boat, a pair of pontoons each having a substantially straight inner side, abody frame spacing said pontoons, and a bumper assembly including a front platform, a rear platform, and a pair of spaced bumper bars connecting said front and rear platforms; said bumper bars being arranged in parallel relationship adjacent to the inner sides of said pontoons.

3. In a boat, a pair of pontoons each having a substantially straight inner side, a body frame spacing said pontoons, and a bumper assembly including a pair of spaced bumper bars resiliently connected to said frame and arranged in parallel relationship adjacent to the inner sides of said pontoons. 7

CHARLES HASKELL CLARK.

Thus, propelling efiiciency of the

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