Safety device for water skiing

• US 4,878,449 A
• Filed: 12/01/1988
• Issued: 11/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephan J. Smith
• Original Assignee: Stephan J. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Stephan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Basinger, Sherman D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swinehart, Edwin L.
• Application Number:
  US07/278,356
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 114/252-254, 114/242, 114/249, 441/68, 441/69, 294/82.31, 294/82.33, 24/230.5 R, 24/231, 24/241 P, 24/241 PP, 24/241 PS, 24/241 SP, 24/241 SB
• US Class Current: 114/253
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/67 Connection means on the towing watercraft, e.g. pylons, side poles or winches

Abstract

A safety release device for water skiing, wherein the ski rope can be quickly disengaged from the transom of the boat through the actuation of a pull cord by a safety observer in the boat, which actuating of the pull cord releases the ski towing rope from the rear transom connection to the boat.

Claims

1. A safety release assembly for water skiing, said assembly comprising:

a tow harness rope mounted across a rear transom of a boat,

a block-like means mounted at its one end on the harness rope for slidable movement back and forth across the harness rope,

said block-like means at its other end having a spring-loaded finger means for engaging and pulling a ski rope which at its other end is held by a skier,

said finger means being held in fixed position during actual water skiing by

a movable hinge-like means which engages and holds the finger means in a closed condition during continued water skiing,

a pull cord means attached to the movable hinge-like means and operative such that upon pulling of the cord means the hinge-like means is disengaged from the finger means to thereby release the ski rope from any attachment to the boat.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein,

said block-like means is floatable to thereby assist in preventing the assembly from sinking below water level and getting caught in a propeller of the boat.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein,

said block-like means has a pulley mounted at one end thereof, said pulley engaging the transverse mounted harness rope for slidable back and forth movement thereon, and

the other end thereof having a pin transversely mounted through the block-like means, with said pin acting to support the spring loaded finger means for rotational movement.

4. A safety release assembly for water skiing, said assembly comprising:

a tow harness member mounted across a rear transom of a boat,

a block-like means for mounting on the harness for slidable movement back and forth across the harness,

said block-like means having a spring-loaded means for engaging and pulling a ski rope which is held by a skier,

said spring-loaded means being held in fixed position during actual water skiing by,

a movable release member means which engages and holds the spring-loaded means in a closed condition during continued water skiing,

a triggering means attached to the movable release member means and operative substantially upon demand such that upon actuating said triggering means the release member means is disengaged from the spring-loaded means to thereby release the ski rope from any attachment to the boat.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein,

said block-like means is floatable.