Ships – Ballasting – Water tanks
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-05-22
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3617)
Ships
Ballasting
Water tanks
C114S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234099
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Various devices have been proposed for modifying boats to enhance the wake of the boat. An enhanced wake increases the thrill and challenge of water skiing or water boarding behind a boat. The greater the wake, the more opportunity for stunts, thrills and competition. The wake of a power boat can be increased by the addition of weight in the stern. One way of lowering the stern of a boat in the water to increase the wake has been the use of weights such as concrete blocks. However, the use of weights is cumbersome and difficult to install and remove, and if a mishap occurs in the handling of weights, the boat may be severely damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,835 to Remnant describes a light-weight, portable container located generally above the water line in the stern of a boat in order to add weight to the stern and enhance the wake of the boat. The container is formed from an outer bag and an inner, liquid impermeable bladder positioned within the bag and protected from puncture and abrasion by the bag. The container is carried on a flat surface near the stern of the boat and is held in place by straps. The bladder is filled with water, normally by a garden hose or an electric pump, through one or more nozzles accessed through openings in the bag. A hose is also used to drain the bag either over the side or through the bilge of the boat after the bag has been suitably repositioned or rotated.
Larson et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,350 discloses a boat having two ballast tanks positioned at the sides of the stern of the boat and extending toward the center of the stern, the ballast tanks projecting substantially above the water line.
This patent also discloses some information about the present invention which was provided by the present inventors.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This invention comprises a novel watercraft including an engine of sufficient thrust to create an enlarged wake at the stern of the boat as the boat moves along the surface of a body of water,
and at least one, and normally a pair, of laterally spaced apart water tight compartments positioned below the water line, each having a sealable opening at the stern of the boat below the water line, said each compartment being adapted to contain liquid water in an amount sufficient to enhance or equalize the size of the boat wake, the said opening on each compartment being adapted to be opened to drain out the water while the water craft is in forward motion on a plane.
The present invention is unique in that all of the ballast water is normally carried below the water line and the water tight compartments extend to a point forward of the engine. This lowers the entire boat in the water and does not raise the front of the boat which wastes power, makes the boat more difficult to handle, and restricts visibility. Thus, the boat of the present invention provides an enlarged wake in a more efficient manner, the boat is easier to turn and maneuver, and is capable of higher speeds.
The subject of this patent application is an apparatus and method to enlarge and shape the boat wake behind 16′ to 25′ boats being used primarily for towable waters ports. The apparatus can be viewed as an assembly made up of four main parts. The first part is a water storage compartment or area, positioned so as to carry water below the water line of the boat, preferably located under the floorboards of the boat, and more preferably composed of two separate areas independent of each other, each of which comprises a water tight area. Each of the water tight compartment(s) is sealed either by the boat construction itself, or by a water tight liner or bladder, preferably rigid or flexible, or in some combination of both boat construction and liner. The water tight compartments extend from the stern of the boat forward and terminate forward of the engine. Thus, the compartment(s) normally extend at least half the length of the boat and usually more on the order of ⅔ or ¾ the length of the boat. The compartments are most preferably made of rigid fiber glass partitions formed integrally with the hull, that is the bottom and sides of the boat. This construction also strengthens the boat. The compartment also preferably contains baffles to prevent sloshing when the compartments are not completely filled with water.
The second part comprises an air vent system for the storage tanks utilizing a simple air equalizing vent, located at the physically highest and most forward part of each sealed compartment area, connected by a length of preferably rubber or suitable flexible hose to a vent through the boat hull well above the water line.
The third part of the apparatus is a storage area water flow control assembly utilizing two mechanically and independently sealable large openings through and on each side of the rear transom of the boat, below the waterline, aligned with the inside bottom of the water storage compartment area, or tank, or tanks, for the purpose of flooding or filling, as well as draining or emptying the water storage area, or tank, or tanks.
The fourth part of the apparatus of this invention is a means to allow the boat occupants to remotely control the storage area water flow control assembly affecting the amount of water flowing into or out of the water storage area.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3085535 (1963-04-01), Hunt
patent: 3186371 (1965-06-01), Moore
patent: 3259100 (1966-07-01), Kiekhaefer
patent: 3503358 (1970-03-01), Moesly
patent: 3559222 (1971-02-01), Walker
patent: 3736608 (1973-06-01), Whitehead
patent: 4217845 (1980-08-01), Hood et al.
patent: 4528927 (1985-07-01), Iizuka et al.
patent: 4538538 (1985-09-01), Carbonel
patent: 5645003 (1997-07-01), Grinde
patent: 5787835 (1998-08-01), Remnant
patent: 5979350 (1999-11-01), Larson et al.
patent: 6105527 (2000-08-01), Lochtefeld et al.
Jessen Robert H.
Murphy Michael
Basinger Sherman
Mueth Joseph E.
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