WATER-SKI-ROPE-RETRIEVING DEVICE

• US 3,643,886 A
• Filed: 09/04/1970
• Issued: 02/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eldon L. Colton
• Original Assignee: Eldon L. Colton
• Inventors: Colton, Eldon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mautz, George F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarthy, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US05/069,701
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 242/86.5A,86.5,54R,68.7,65 114/235WS
• US Class Current: 242/390.8
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/00 Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans portable or mobile lifting or hauling appliances B66D3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/20 Chain, belt, or friction drives, e.g. incorporating sheaves of fixed or variable ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 2700/01 Winches, capstans or pivots
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 2700/015 Actuated by chain, belt or by friction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 242/904 Water ski reel

Abstract

A water-ski tow-rope-retrieving device in which the tow rope is retrieved by winding it around a reel. The reel is not connected to the drive mechanism, but rather is driven by frictional engagement with a rotating shaft or drum. When the rope is to be let out, the reel is disengaged from the drum. The reel is mounted on an operating handle which is used to engage and disengage the reel from the drum and to lift the reel from the device whenever desired. Therefore, a single drive unit can be used with several reels on the same boat for retrieving several tow ropes.

Claims

1. A device for use on a boat to retrieve ski tow ropes and the like, said device comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably supported by said housing, a power unit operatively connected to said shaft for driving said shaft, a reel unit having an operating handle and a reel rotatably supported by said handle, said reel having a hub and end flanges, and means combined with said housing for removably supporting said reel unit adjacent to said shaft and with the axis of said reel parallel to the axis of said shaft, said last mentioned means providing for movement of said reel unit toward and away from said shaft by moving said handle so that the flanges of said reel are moved into and out of engagement with said shaft.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said operating handle has substantially parallel spaced apart legs joined by a crossmember and said reel rotatably supported between said legs.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said housing has two parallel sidewalls spaced apart a distance approximately the same as the spacing of the said legs, said sidewalls defining a large recess in said housing through which said shaft extends, and said means for removably supporting said reel unit supports said unit within said recess.

4. The device of claim 3 in which each of said sidewalls has a longitudinal recess therein for removably supporting said reel unit by receiving the legs of said operating handle, said longitudinal recess providing for positioning of said reel relative to said shaft so that the flanges of said reel are selectively engageable with said shaft.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the edge of each said longitudinal recess nearest said shaft is sloped toward said shaft so that said reel unit can be moved toward and away from said shaft thereby moving the flanges of said reel into and out of engagement with said shaft.

6. The device of claim 5 in which one of said sidewalls combined with remaining portions of said housing define an enclosure, and said power unit is contained within said enclosure, said shaft extending through said one of said sidewalls and across said large recess to the other of said sidewalls, said other sidewall providing support for said shaft.

7. The device of claim 6 in which said housing is provided with means for affixing the device to said boat.

8. The device of claim 6 in which said housing is a one piece housing.

9. The device of claim 3 in which one of said sidewalls combined with remaining portions of said housing define an enclosure, and said power unit is contained within said enclosure, said shaft extending through said one of said sidewalls and across said large recess to the other of said sidewalls, said other sidewall providing support for said shaft.

10. The device of claim 9 in which said housing is a one piece housing.