WATER SKI TOWLINE PAY-OUT AND RETRIEVAL APPARATUS

• US 3,831,545 A
• Filed: 05/16/1973
• Issued: 08/27/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerald E. Cain
• Original Assignee: Gerald E. Cain
• Inventors: Cain, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Halvosa, George E. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kazenske, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US05/360,653
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 114/235WS 242/86.5R,86.5A,86.2,85,106 254/166,169,171,149,175.7 294/68 214/85.1
• US Class Current: 242/394
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/67 Connection means on the towing watercraft, e.g. pylons, side poles or winches
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/425 attached to, or forming part of a vehicle, e.g. truck, trailer, vessel

Abstract

Apparatus assembled as a unit which is buoyant in water, rapidly secured and released from a boat, and capable of paying-out or retrieving an unloaded water ski towline. A hook on the hub of the wind spool receives an eyelet in the end of the towline for quick connection and release of the towline from the apparatus. The apparatus may be manually cranked to retrieve the towline into the boat, and has a free-wheel position wherein drag on the towline causes the latter to pay-out upon movement of the boat.

Claims

1. Buoyant apparatus releasably securable to a boat for effecting pay-out and retrieval of an unloaded water skiing towline or like lightweight device exerting relativEly weak drag forces on the apparatus, said apparatus being constructed of lightweight materials and comprising:

a vertically upstanding support having a longitudinal axis along its length, said support is rapidly secured to and disengaged from the boat;

a main shaft extending transversely to said longitudinal axis and rotatably mounted to and carried by said support;

a spool including a central hub attached to said main shaft for rotation therewith and a pair of transversely spaced, sealed flanges affixed to said hub, said hub adapted to receive the towline or like device between said flanges for pay-out and retrieval thereof upon opposite rotation of said main shaft;

a drive shaft rotatably mounted to and carried by said support in laterally spaced, parallel relationship to said main shaft, said drive shaft being transversely shiftable relative to said longitudinal axis of said support while mounted thereto;

intermeshing gears mounted to said main shaft and said drive shaft to effect rotation of said reel upon rotation of said drive shaft;

stop means holdingly engaging said support and said drive shaft for holding the latter in a drive position wherein said gears are intermeshingly engaged, said stop means being movable out of holding engagement with one of said support and said drive shaft to permit transverse shifting of said drive shaft to a free-wheel position wherein said gears are disengaged and said spool is free to rotate in response to weak drag forces imposed on the towline or like device;

said stop means including a detent carried within a corresponding blind bore in said drive shaft, said detent being movable radially outwardly to engage said support and hold said drive shaft in said drive position thereof, said detent acting to transmit axial forces imposed on said drive shaft to said support when in holding engagement with the latter, said detent being movable radially inwardly relative to the drive shaft to disengage said support sufficiently to permit said transverse shifting of the drive shaft toward said free-wheel position; and

said support, main shaft, spool, drive shaft and gears comprising a portable unit rapidly securable to and disengageable from the boat, said unit being buoyant in water.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stop means further includes a resilient biasing member disposed in said blind bore and contacting said detent to urge same radially outwardly toward engagement with said support.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said detent is in frictional contact with said support when said drive shaft is in said free-wheel position to thereby releasably retain said drive shaft in its free-wheel position.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said support includes a first, hollowed, cylindrical collar surrounding a portion of said drive shaft to mount and carry the latter in rotatable relationship to said support, said detent holdingly engaging a transverse end of said first collar when said drive shaft is in its drive position and frictionally contacting an inner surface of said first collar when said drive shaft is in its free-wheel position.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said support includes a second, hollowed, cylindrical collar surrounding a portion of said main shaft to mount and carry the latter in rotatable relationship to said support, there being an enlarged end cap secured to a transverse end of said main shaft and bearing against an adjacent transverse end of said second collar to transmit axial forces imposed on said main shaft to said support.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein is provided a manually operable handle secured to said drive shaft for facilitating manual rotation thereof.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said main shaft has a threaded length at an end thereof transversely offset from said support, said hub having a central aperture for threadably receiving said threaded length of said main shaFt to secure said spool to said main shaft in transversely offset, cantilevered arrangement to said support.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a base adapted to be firmly mounted to the boat and having laterally extending guide rails at opposite transversely spaced edges thereof defining channels receiving laterally extending lower edges of said support to allow said unit to be rapidly secured to and disengaged from the boat by insertion and removal of said lower edges of the support into said channels.