Water ski rope rewinder

• US 3,919,963 A
• Filed: 08/27/1974
• Issued: 11/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William G. Cox III
• Original Assignee: William G. Cox III
• Inventors: Cox, William G. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US05/500,961
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 114/235WS 115/6.1 242/86.5A
• US Class Current: 114/253
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/67 Connection means on the towing watercraft, e.g. pylons, side poles or winches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 242/904 Water ski reel

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically moving a water ski tow rope to one side of a boat when slack occurs in the tow rope and for rewinding the rope onto a reel when the skier releases the handle thereof comprising: a davit member, a resilient member attached to the davit member and a fixed bracket in a manner such that the resilient member biases a portion of the davit member to one side of the boat when slack occurs in the tow rope and reduces the jerk transmitted to the skier during initial acceleration and turns.

Claims

1. Apparatus for mounting a water ski tow rope on a boat having a longitudinal axis comprising a davit having an elongated substantially straight first portion and a second portion disposed out of the plane of said first portion, bracket means for swingably mounting the first portion of said davit on the boat along a generally vertical axis, a resilient member having one portion attached to the first portion of said davit and another portion attached to a fixed structure to urge the second portion of said davit toward a position outwardly of the boat and generally normal to the longitudinal axis thereof, first stop means carried by said bracket means, second stop means mounted on said davit and cooperating with said first stop means to permit limited swinging movement of said davit relative to said bracket means, and a water ski tow rope connected to the second portion of said davit, whereby a pulling force applied to said tow rope by a skier swings said second portion of the davit to a position substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boat against the force exerted by said resilient member to reduce the jerk transmitted to the skier and said resilient member returns said second portion of the davit to an outwardly extending position when the tow rope is released by the skier.

2. The structure of claim 1 including reel means rotatably mounted on the boat, means for driving said reel means in at least one direction, said driving means being selectively controlled by the operator of the boat, and the end of said tow rope remote from said skier being wound on said reel means, whereby the operator of the boat can wind the tow rope on the reel when the tow rope is released by the skier.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said bracket means includes a hollow sleeve for receiving the first portion of said davit and said resilient member includes a torque spring mounted within said hollow sleeve.

4. Apparatus for mounting a water ski tow rope on a boat having a longitudinal axis comprising a davit having an elongated first portion disposed along a substantially vertical axis and a second portion disposed out of the plane of said first portion, said first portion terminating in an inner end and said second portion terminating in an outer end, bracket means mounted on said boat, said bracket means including a hollow sleeve disposed along a generally vertical axis, the first portion of said davit being swingably received within said sleeve and extending substantially therethrough, the inner end of said first portion being spaced from the lower end of said sleeve, a torque spring having one end attached to the inner end of said first portion of the davit and the other end attached to a fixed structure for swinging said davit in one direction, first stop means carried by said sleeve, second stop meaNs mounted on said davit and cooperating with said first stop means to permit limited swinging movement of said davit relative to said sleeve, said torque spring normally urging the second portion of said davit toward a position outwardly of and generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the boat, and a water ski tow rope connected to said outer end of said davit, whereby a pulling force applied to said tow rope by a skier swings said second portion of the davit to a position substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the boat to increase the force of said torque spring and to reduce the jerk transmitted to the skier and said torque spring returns said second portion of the davit to an outwardly extending position when the tow rope is released by the skier.