US3134113A

US3134113A - Pontoon boat

Info

Publication number: US3134113A
Application number: US116117A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wayne L Boyington; Orrin A Lindloff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-06-09
Filing date: 1961-06-09
Publication date: 1964-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-26

Description

May 26, 1964 w. L. BOYINGTON ETAL 3, 3 ,113

PONTOON BOAT Filed June 9. 1961 INVENTORS WAYNE L. Bcynva'rau 0mm A. LINOLOFF 2s Ar-ws.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,134,113 Patented May 26, 1964 3,134,113 PONTOON BOAT Wayne L. Boyington and Orrin A. Lindlolf, Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Filed June 9, 1961, Ser. No. 116,117 2 Claims. (Cl. 9-6) The present invention relates generally to water craft and concerns, more particularly, a pontoon type boat.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved pontoon boat having superior performance and handling characteristics. More specifically, it is an object to provide a boat of this type which exhibits excellent steering stability at all speeds, and which develops a greater speed with a motor of given horsepower than standard boats of this type. Steering stability refers to the ability to stay on a straight course as well as make smooth, flat turns at full throttle within a short turning radius. Moreover, full maneuverability is retained at slow docking or landing speeds.

A related object is to provide a boat of the above type which is effected by wind drift to only a slight degree and, further, which is well suited for simple and convenient bow landings and loading.

A further object is to provide a boat as characterized above which is safe, as well as easy, to handle since a minimum rolling motion is encountered and since there is no tendency of the bow to nose under the water, even under relatively rough water conditions. An additional safety factor is the provision of scaled, compartmentalized pontoon hulls.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a boat of the above character which is readily adaptable for most pleasure boat usages, there being a flat deck expanse with no below-deck bilge problems. Moreover, any common type of motor including outboard, inboard, and inboard-outboard types can be readily utilized.

It is another object to provide a boat as described above which is economical to construct and maintain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a boat constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a single one of the pontoon hulls utilized in the boat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken approximately along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showing an outline of the waterline when the boat is underway;

FIGS. 4a and 4b are fragmentary sections showing the method of joining the pontoon components before and after assembly as seen through line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are slightly enlarged sections taken approximately along the line 55 and 6-6, respectively, of FIG. 1.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that we do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, we intend to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown a pontoon boat 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention and including a pair of parallel, left and

right pontoons

11 and 12 which are spanned by a deck 13. In the illustrated construction, the boat includes opposite side rails 14 and 15 and a canopy 16 mounted on the deck 13. The exemplary boat 10 is powered by a single outboard motor 17.

In keeping with the invention, each of the pontoons or

hulls

11, 12 is formed with a semicircular, opentopped, transverse cross section (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and the deck 13 is formed of adjacent panels 21 which sealingly close the open tops of the pontoons and hold them in rigid, spaced relation. The spacing between the opposed sides of the

parallel pontoons

11, 12 is intermediate the pontoon diameter and radius and preferably somewhat less than the diameter of the pontoon cross section. The pontoons are several times longer than their diameter, and a satisfactory length of the pontoons has been found to be approximately four to five times the center-to-center spacing of the pontoons. Stated another way, the cross sectional centers of the substantially emicircular pontoons are preferably spaced apart a distance equal to somewhat less than twice the pontoon diameter.

The above stated preferred proportions for the

pontoons

11, 12 have been experimentally determined, by trial and error methods, mainly by varying the spacing between pontoons. The theoretical reasons for the high degree of handling ease and performance of the exemplary boat 10 are not completely understood. The maximum spacing limit appears to be the more critical and usefully significant one since it limits the expansion of boat size for given pontoon diameters. However, in operating a boat of the described proportions, it is noted that the water between the

spaced pontoons

11, 12 tends to pile up when the boat is underway. Apparently, the water displaced to the left of the pontoon 11 and to the right of the pontoon 12 finds itself trapped between the pontoons, with the result that the water level is raised a significant amount between the pontoons as compared to the outside water level. The upward slope of water level is indicated, in a typical case, by the line 25 in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 shows the elevation of the water level line 25 with respect to the general water level, indicated by the lines 26.

It has been observed that this piling up of water between the spaced

pontoons

11, 12 tends to lift the boat 10 so as to reduce the outside or apparent draft when the boat is in motion. This body of elevated water also seems to exert a stabilizing influence tending to hold the boat on a true straight course. When turning, the pontoon on the inside of the turning arc skids over the piled up water so as to create an added lifting force on this pontoon. This added force appears to resist the normal tendency of a boat to bank when turning, and, hence, the boat 10 has been found to make smooth, flat turns even at full throttle and Within a turning radius approximately equal to one and one-half times the length of the boat.

Because of the cylindrical conformation of the water engaging portions of the

pontoons

11, 12 and the relative shallow displacement of the boat, it can be seen that there is a maximum adjustment of the pontoon hulls to slight rolling motion of the boat so that virtually a constant water displacement and a uniform hull relationship to the water is maintained. With a single hull vessel such a semicylindrical construction would be impractical but, the shallow-draft, spaced

pontoons

11, 12 of the boat 10 insure complete stability even though a semicylindrical pontoon hull configuration is used. The apparently obvious expedient of increasing the spacing between the pontoons relative to their diameter to provide the largest deck area for the construction cost involved has been found unsatisfactory, however, and. as previously mentioned the spacing between pontoons should not exceed the pontoon diameter in order to retain the advantageous handling qualities.

In addition to the above characteristics, it has been 3 found that the boat 10, having the proportions discussed, appears to develop a greater speed from a given horsepower motor than previous designs of this type, and also that a minimum wind drift effect is experienced. Moreover, the boat is subjected to only a slight rolling motion even in relatively rough, choppy water.

In carrying out the invention, frusto-conical, opentopped

bow portions

31 and 32 are secured to the forward ends of the

pontoons

11, 12, respectively, so as to constitute forwardly and upwardly extending continuations of the pontoons, and a bow-deck member 21a is sealed across the

bow portions

31, 32 so as to close their open tops and define an upwardly and forwardly inclined surface with respect to the remainder of the deck 13.

While the term frusto-conical has been adopted as a convenient term for characterizing the shape of the

bow portions

31, 32, in the interest of geometric accuracy a more complete description of the configuration of the bow portions requires mention of the fact that the sides of the sheets from which the portions are formed tend to flatten and stay in vertical planes. These flattened sides have upper edges disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the conical bow portions so as to support the bow-deck member 21a in its upwardly and forwardly inclined position. The result is to give the bow portions the appearance of being portions of tilted or oblique cones.

The

bow portions

31, 32 are relatively simple and eco' nomical to form, and it has been found that they slip easily through the water with a minimum amount of turbulence. The inclined deck member 21a tends to exert a cam-.ming or planing action against the water surface which avoids deck washing and spray and also resists any tendency of the boat nose it) down even under relatively rough conditions.

The simple strong configuration of the

bow portions

31, 32 together with the flat deck member 21a makes it possible to land the boat 10 bow forward, and to load and unload across the member 21a. Bow loading is, of course, a relatively simple operation and contributes to the ease of which the boat 10 may be handled.

Pursuant to the invention, the

pontoons

11, 12 are formed by a plurality of semicircular steel bulkheads 33 alinged in parallel, spaced relation which sandwich a plurality of semicylindrical steel hull plates 34 that are disposed between the bulkheads 33 with the curved edges of the hull plates abutting the bulkheads adjacent their curved sides. In the preferred construction, the sides of the bulkheads 33 and the edges of the hull plates 34 are fused together by welding about the outside of the assembly so as to produce a single fused joint 35 (see FIGS. 4a and 4b). The relatively short length of the hull plates 34 makes them economical toform and the outside welding process contributes to the economy of construction and produces a solid secure joint.

To support the deck panels 21, the straight edges of the hull plates 34 and the straight edges of the bu kheads 33 are bent to define

flanges

36 and 37, respectively, which lie in substantially the same plane. The deck panels 21, preferably formed of marine plywood, are disposed flatly on the

flanges

36, 37 and are bolted directly thereto. Preferably, calking is applied between the deck panels 21 and the

flanges

36, 37 so as to form a plurality of watertight compartments through the length of the

pontoons

11, 12. This economical construction produces not only a particularly eflicient pontoon configuration but also a very safe construction because of the compartrnentalized, watertight compartments within the pontoons. The completely sealed

pontoons

11, 12 eliminate the problems accompanying the provision of a bilge. The

boat readily accommodates all-weather deck houses or the like as well as the light canopy shown in FIG. 1.

In practical embodiments of the invention, hull plates 34 made of 14 gauge steel have been rolled in four-foot lengths on an 18 inch radius. Plywood deck panels 21 of either eight or ten foot lengths have defined the boat Width, and the pontoons have been located suificiently inboard of the panel ends to bring the spacing between pontoons within the desired range. Overall boat lengths of 24 to 28 feet have proven satisfactory.

For supporting the motor 17, a bracket 40 is secured to a pair of rearwardly extending support members 41 which are mounted on the opposed flanges 36 on the

respective pontoons

11, 12. The motor 17 is clamped on the bracket 40 in the usual manner. Alternatively, two outboard motors can be mounted at the rear of the boat 10 on an extended bracket with one motor behind either pontoon, or the compartments defined by the rearwardmost hull plates 34 and their sandwiching bulkheads 33 in each of the

pontoons

11, 12 can be used to enclose an inboard or inboard-outboard type motors to supply power for the boat 10.

A further feature illustrating the complete adaptability of the boat 10 is the fact that the substantially flat deck 13 is well suited for virtually any type of superstructure.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a pontoon boat, a pair of laterally spaced elongated pontoons each comprising, in combination, a plurality of semicircular bulkheads alined in parallel spaced relation, and a plurality of semicylindrical hull plates disposed between said bulkheads with their curved edges abutting the bulkheads adjacent the curved sides of the bulkheads so that each hull plate is sandwiched between a pair of bulkheads, said curved sides and curved edges being fused together, the straight edges of said bulkheads and said hull plates being bent to define flanges lying substantially in the same plane, and a plurality of deck plates spanning said pair of pontoons and disposed flatly on said flanges of each pontoon and being secured thereto for completing a series of watertight compartments and to define a deck.

2. In a. pontoon boat, a pair of laterally spaced pontoons each comprising, in combination, a plurality of semicircular bulkheads alined in parallel spaced relation, and a plurality of semicylindrical hull plates disposed between said bulkheads with their curved edges abutting the bulkheads adjacent the curved sides of the bulkheads so that each hull plate is sandwiched between a pair of bulkheads, and a plurality of deck plates spanning said pair of pontoons and disposed flatly over the straight edges of said bulkheads and hull plates and being secured thereto for completing a series of watertight compartments and to define a deck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 979,557 Phillips Dec. 27, 1910 2,394,764 Greulich Feb. 12, 1946 2,396,148 Bean Mar. 5, 1946 2,453,463 Sherman Nov. 9, 1948 2,910,035 Johnson Oct. 27, 1959 2,950,699 Ogden et al Aug. 30, 1960 2,975,747 Opie Mar. 21, 1961 3,036,539 Storey May 29, 1962 3,045,262 Mitchell July 24, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 414,633 France June 24, 1910 785,040 France May 13, 1935

Claims

1. IN A PONTOON BOAT, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED ELONGATED PONTOONS EACH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF SEMICIRCULAR BULKHEADS ALINED IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION, AND A PLURALITY OF SEMICYLINDRICAL HULL PLATES DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BULKHEADS WITH THEIR CURVED EDGES ABUTTING THE BULKHEADS ADJACENT THE CURVED SIDES OF THE BULKHEADS SO THAT EACH HULL PLATE IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN A PAIR OF BULKHEADS, SAID CURVED SIDES AND CURVED EDGES BEING FUSED TOGETHER, THE STRAIGHT EDGES OF SAID BULKHEADS AND SAID HULL PLATES BEING BENT TO DEFINE FLANGES LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME PLANE, AND A PLURALITY OF DECK PLATES SPANNING SAID PAIR OF PONTOONS AND DISPOSED FLATLY ON