US3082443A

US3082443A - Aqua-sled

Info

Publication number: US3082443A
Application number: US34302A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kimura Tak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-06-06
Filing date: 1960-06-06
Publication date: 1963-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1980-03-26

Description

March 26, 1963 1'. KIMURA 3,082,443

AQUA-SLED Filed June 6, 1960 United States Patent O 3,082,443 AQUA-SLE!) Tal; Kimura, Tiif W. 56th St., Los Angeles 37, Calif. Fiied .lune 6, 196i), Ser. No. 34,302 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 9-31) This invention relates to aquaplanes and, more particularly, to an aqua-sled which can be towed along the surface of a body of water.

An aquaplane is a platform attached -by ropes astern of a powerboat, on which a person may ride as it is towed rapidly over the water. As with a hydroplane, the dynamic reaction of the water supports the aquaplane and its passenger when the aquaplane is in high speed motion. The popularity of aquaplanes and of water skies has been rapidly increasing throughout the world even though considerable skill is required for utilizing such apparatus. Many persons cannot participate in such water sports because of the demanding skills required. The ditiiculties Iarise because aquaplanes and water skies are not sufciently buoyant at slow speeds or at standstill to support a person on them in position for utilizing the apparatus. Moreover, at high speeds when the dynamic reaction of the water provides for suflicient buoyancy, the stability of such apparatus is exceedingly poor causing even Skilled persons to often fall into the water. Though these difiiculties increase the challenge for some persons, they prevent many others from even attempting such water sports. People who are not athletic, who are elderly or very young, or Who are poor swimmers all do not participate in such water sports.

In a specific illustrative embodiment of this invention, a buoyant and highly stable aqua-sled is provided. The aqua-sled is highly buoyant so that it can readily support a few hundred pounds even when it is not being towed. The dynamic reaction of water tends to increase the buoyancy eect to raise the nose of the aqua-sled from the water surface when the aqua-sled is being towed.

In the specific illustrative embodiment, the aqua-sled has two seats deiined by a body section. The body is quite narrow and is contiguous with a pair of wings that serve `both as foot rests and as stabilizers to prevent roll or rotation of the aqua-sled about its longitudinal axis. Two persons may be seated in the respective seats with their feet about the `sides of the narrow body section and supported on the stabilizing wings. The wings are slanted upwardly toward the front of the sled so as to develop the dynamic water reaction, and also so as to block the rushing water from passing lbetween the feet of the passengers and the wing. A V-shaped tow lie is coupled to either side of the body section near the lleading edges of the wings to reduce any tendencies to roll although a single tow lie may be used. Longitudinally along the bottom of the aqua-sled a number of keels, integral with the body section and wings, are provided to stabilize the aqua-sled against skidding or transverse sliding movements.

The body section and winffs may be made of two pieces of Fiberglas reinforced plastic joined around the wings edges and front and back of the body section to provide for a hollow structure. Handles are provided on the body section in front of each seat for self stabilizing the person in the seat.

Due to the buoyancy and stabilization features, the aqua-sled is quite safe and does not require any skill or coordination from its passengers. They need only hold onto the handle in front of the seat and keep their feet on the stabilizing wings. The thrills and excitements associated with aquaplaning and water skiing are, accordingly, safely achieved yso that even non-swimmers can readily utilize the aqua-sled.

3,082,443 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 Further advantages and features of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following description when read in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the aqua-sled of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the aqua-sled of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of the aqua-sled of this invention taken along lines 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view of the aqua-sled of this invention taken along lines 4-4- in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 5 i-s a pictorial view of the aqua-sled of this invention illustrating the positions of two persons on the aqua-sled.

Referring to FIGURES 1 through 5, the aqua-sled 10 is a towed vehicle and includes a centrally located body section '38 and two wings 15 and 16 which are contiguous with the body section 3S and extend from opposite sides of the body section y38. The wings 15 fand 16 taper forwardly, as illustrated in FIGURE l, toward the body sec-tion 3S. The nose of the body `section 38 is somewhat V-shaped so that the aqua-.sled 1t) forms an overall rough V-shape in horizontal cross-section at its front. Except for the tapered portions of the wings 15 and 16 and the V-shaped nose of the body section 38, the sides of the body section 3S and the edges of the wings are subst-antially parallel.

The aqua-sled 10 may be made of an upper and a lower shell or section which are joined at a seam 25. The two shells may be made of reinforced plastic. The shells are quite sturdy land retain their shape when subjected to considerable :dynamic pressures as the aqua-sled 10 is towed at a high rate along the water surface.

The upper and lower sections forming the aqua-sled 10 are joined along the edges of the wings 15 and 16 at the seam 25. As illustrated particularly in FIGURE 4, the seam 2S is made of a metallic member 21 bent in an S shape to engage the ends of the upper and lower sections. A cherry rivet 19 is pulled through the member 21 and the ends of the two sections. Adhesive is applied to the ends of the upper and lower sections so ice ' that the seam 25 hermetically seals the two sections.

The seam 25 runs around the entire aqua-sled 10 to seal ofr the air space between the two sections. The space between the two sections may be lled with a plastic foam or other buoyant material. In the event of a leak, the aqua-sled 1i)l then still retains :substantial buoyancy. Due to the sealed off interior, the aqua-sled 10 is quite buoyant and even though relatively small, illustratively eight feet long and a width of 34 inches across wing tips, it readily supports weigh-ts exceeding a few hundred pounds.

The bottom of the aqua-sled toward the stern may be substantially at as depicted particularly in FIGURE 3. The bottom of the aqua-sled toward the bow tapers upwardly. Three keels 26 run longitudinally along the bottom of the aqua-sled 10 and are integral with the bottom section of the aqua-sled 10 although more or fewer keels may be provided. The keels 2.6 `stabilize the aqua-sled against lskidding or sidewise movements. The wings 15 a-nd 16 extending from the opposite sides of the narrow body section 38 stabilize the aqua-sled against rolling or rotation about the longitudinal axis of the aqua-sled 10.

The forward [portions of the'wings 15 =and 16 are tilted upwardly at a small angle to form a slanted surface for meeting the waves as the aqua-sled 10 is towed. The bend in the wings 15 is depicted particularly in FIGURE 2. The wing configuration provides for maximum planing ability -with full utilization of the dynamic reaction of the water against the wings 15 and 16. Fur-ther, the

Water is prevented from rushing against the feet of the riders on the wings 15 and i6.

The body section 38 along the center of the aqua-sled defines two contoured or

bucket seats

12 and 13 spaced longitudinally along the section 33. The

seats

12 and 13 are quite narrow Vso that the feet of the aquasled rider extend forward at the sides of the section 38. The position of the seated riders relative to the body section 38`and the wings 15 and 16 is illustrated in FIG- URE 5. The upper surfaces of the Wings 15 and 16 may serve as foot rests for the persons on the `sled 1d having integral

contoured foot rests

32 and 33 for seat 13 and foot rests 34 and 35 for the seat 12. These foot rests may be provided as integral parts of the upper section of the two section-s forming the aqua-sled 10.

The persons on the aqua-sled It) maintain their stability by resting or bracing their feet on the foot rests 32 through 35 o'n the wings 15 and 16 Vand by holding hand bars 28 and 29 respectively positioned adjacent the two seats 12 yand 13. The hand bar 28 is positioned on the body section 38 in front of the seat 12 and the hand bar 29 is positioned on the body section 38 in front of the seat 13. 'I'he aqua-sled 10 is towed by a U-line 40 attached to the body section 38 near the front edges of the wings 15 and 16 adjacent their juncture with the body section 38.V The utilization of U-line 40 provides for two spaced apart tow points to increase the stability of the aqua-sled against rolling although a single tow rope attached at a single point may be used. The tendency to roll is increased if a single central tow point is used. v

In this manner, a highly stable and safe aqua-sled is provided made of reinforced plastic sections sealed to provide high buoyancy. The aqua-sled 10 has relatively few protrusions and no sharp protrusion which can be highly dangerous in the event of rolling.

Although this invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to particular applications, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications which will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. An aqua-sled for towing comprising an elongated body and a pair of wings; said body having a nose portion on one end, a stern portion at the other end, and a pair of longitudinal side portions; said nose portion having a bottom surface tapering upwardly and side surfaces tapering together at that end of said body; said body having a Ibottom surface extending from the said nose portion bottom surface to the said stern portion; each of said wings projecting laterally from one of said longitudinal side portions of the body, each said wing extending longitudinally from the stern to a 2location on said body near the juncture of said nose portion with said body, each said wing having a bottom surface joined with and comprising a lateral extension of the said bottom surface of the body for most of the length of the wing, a portion of each said wing bottom surface near said nose portion being inclined upwardly from the body bottom surface; means on said body for attaching a tow rope; and said body having means for accommodating at least one occupant.

2. An aqua-sled for towing comprising an elongated body and a pair of wings; said body having a nose portion on one end,'a stern portion at the other end, and a pair of longitudinal side portions; said nose portion having a bottom surface tapering upwardly and side surfaces tapering together at that end of said body; said body having a bottom surface extending from the said nose portion bottom surface to the said stern portion; each of said wings projecting laterally from one of said longitudinal side portions of the body, each said wing extending longitudinally from the stern to a location on said body near the juncture of said nose portion with said body, each said wing having a bottom surface joined with and comprising a lateral extension of the said bottom Surface of the body for most of the length of the wing, a portion of each said wing bottom surface near said nose portion being inclined upwardly from the body bottom surface, each said wing having a portion near said nose portion tapering inwardly and forwardly toward said nose portion from the lateral extremity of that wing; means on said body for attaching a tow rope; and said body having means for accommodating at least one occupant.

3. An aqua-sled for towing comprising an elongated body and a pair of wings; said 4body having a nose portion on one end, a stern portion at the other end, and a pair of longitudinal side portions; said nose portion having a bottom surface tapering upwardly and side surfaces tapering together at that end of said body; said body having a bottom surface extending from the said nose portion bottom surface to the said stern portion, at least one keel projecting downwardly from said bottom surfaces and extending substantially the length of said bottom surfaces; each of said wings projecting laterally from one of said longitudinal side portions of the body, each said wing extending longitudinally from the stern toa loca-tion on said body near the juncture of said nose portion with said body, each said wing having a bottom surface joined with and comprising a lateral extension of the said bottom surface of the body for most of the length of the wing, a portion of each said wing bottom surface near said nose portion being inclined upwardly from the body bottom surface; means on said body for attaching a tow rope; and said body having means for accommodating at least one occupant.

4. An aqua-sled for towing comprising an elongated body and a pair of wings; said body having a nose portion on one end, a stern portion at the other end, and a pair of longitudinal side portions; said nose portion having a bottom surface tapering upwardly and side surfaces tapering together at that end of said body; said body having a bottom surface extending from the said nose portion bottom surface to the said stern portion, at least one keel projecting downwardly from said bottom surfaces and extending substantially the length of said bottom surfaces; each of said wings projecting laterally from one of said longitudinal side portions of the body, each said wing extending longitudinally from the Stern to a location on said body near the juncture of said nose portion with said body, each said wing having a bottom surface joined with and comprising a lateral extension of the said bottom surface of the body for -most of the length of the wing, a portion of each said wing bottom` surface near said nose portion being inclined upwardly from the body bottom surface, a keel projecting downwardly from said bottom surface of each wing and extending at least a portion of the length of said wing; means on said body for attaching a tow rope; land said body having means for accommodating at least one occupant.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,601 Simpson Apr. 16, 1912 1,222,114 McCarty et al. Apr. 10, 1917 1,356,013 Ranlett Oct. 19, 192() 1,758,289 Loy Mar. 13, 1930 1,953,359 Marsh Apr. 3, 1934 2,286,350 Drake June 16, 1942 2,389,001 Schatz Nov. 13, 1945 2,389,729 Hou-land Nov. 27, 1945 2,482,074 Stephens Sept. 13, 1949 2,616,715 Billings Nov. 4, 1952 2,685,696 Oscanyan Aug. 10, 1954 2,716,246 Billingham Aug. 3G, 1955 2,802,222 Chapman Aug. 13, 1957 2,817,101 Chaffee Dec. 24, 1957 2,865,032 Moody Dec. 23, 1958 2,909,140 Kiekhaefer Oct. 20, 1959 2,958,875 McClain Nov. 8, 1960

Claims

1. AN AQUA-SLED FOR TOWING COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY AND A PAIR OF WINGS; SAID BODY HAVING A NOSE PORTION ON ONE END, A STERN PORTION AT THE OTHER END, AND A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL SIDE PORTIONS; SAID NOSE PORTION HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE TAPERING UPWARDLY AND SIDE SURFACES TAPERING TOGETHER AT THAT END OF SAID BODY; SAID BODY HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE EXTENDING FROM THE SAID NOSE PORTION BOTTOM SURFACE TO THE SAID STERN PORTION; EACH OF SAID WINGS PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL SIDE PORTIONS OF THE BODY, EACH SAID WING EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE STERN TO A LOCATION ON SAID BODY NEAR THE JUNCTURE OF SAID NOSE PORTION WITH SAID BODY, EACH SAID WING HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE JOINED WITH AND COMPRISING A LATERAL EXTENSION OF THE SAID BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE BODY FOR MOST OF THE LENGTH OF THE WING, A PORTION OF EACH SAID WING BOTTOM SURFACE NEAR SAID NOSE PORTION BEING INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM THE BODY BOTTOM SURFACE; MEANS ON SAID BODY FOR ATTACHING A TOW ROPE; AND SAID BODY HAVING MEANS FOR ACCOMMODATING AT LEAST ONE OCCUPANT.