Marine folding tower

Abstract

A system that will result in less physical effort in the lowering or raising of a marine folding tower, spotting station, driving station, fishing tower, or tuna tower. The system will be installed on a fishing boat, pleasure boat, or other marine vessel. The system comprises at least one gas spring, or hydraulic or electric ram or shock absorber of any size or style that attaches to both the upper frame assembly and lower frame assembly of the tower or other station.

Description

[0001]The present invention relates to marine folding towers mounted over the deck area of recreational, pleasure, and fishing boats.CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0002]Not Applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL RESEARCH[0003]There are no rights to this invention under federally sponsored research and development.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]Various types of towers generally referred to as “boat towers”, “tuna towers”, or “fishing towers” are in common use on recreational, pleasure, and fishing boats. Such towers form a structure over part of the deck surface of the boat to provide an elevated piloting or control station, a spotting station, a location for mounting electronic equipment, shelter from the elements, and shade from the sun.[0005]These marine tower structures must be lowered to pass beneath limited clearance bridges and other objects, to permit safe transport on vehicles, and to facilitate storage. Folding boat towers which pivot in a forward and downward di...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]This invention comprises a folding marine tower apparatus attachable atop and extending upward from the deck structure of a vessel, including one or more gas spring or hydraulic or electric rams or shock absorbers attached to the upper and lower frame assemblies of the folding tower or station. By attaching one end of the gas spring or shock absorber to the upper frame assembly and the other end to the lower frame assembly, the folding action requires substantially less manual effort. The gas spring / shock absorbers may be of different lengths, diameters, and materials, and may operate by electric, gas, hydraulic, air, or other function. The present invention provides an improved alternative by providing a folding boat tower which, by the utilization of pressurized fluid, preferably pressurized air, facilitates the downward movement of the upper frame assembly into a lowered position to allow clear passage of the vessel under bridges and other objects and easier and more stable transport of the vessel on trailers with less wind drag and noise, and further facilitates the upward movement required to return the upper frame assembly to the upright, operating position above the lower frame assembly.

[0017]The purpose of this invention is to provide a convenient means for temporarily reducing the height clearance of a vessel equipped with the folding marine tower apparatus which has the following characteristics: ease of use; safe, convenient, and quick operation of a heavy folding boat tower with minimal physical effort by only one person having limited technical skill and knowledge; simple, low-cost construction, with few parts; ease of installation on new vessels; ease of retrofitting existing vessels; and low maintenance and high energy efficiency, resulting from a simple, durable construction having few parts none of which are motorized.

Problems solved by technology

Otherwise, the kinetic energy caused by the mass in motion can result in damage to the vessel and injury to the operator.

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