US3394673A - Water ski scooter - Google Patents

Description

' July 30, 1968 I J. A. HAMORI WATER SK I SCOOTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1967 Ju/ius 14/7000 Hamor/ BY ATTURYE .5

July 30, 1968 J. A. HAMORI WATER SKI SCOOTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1967 I lllfllllfl'll'ld illIfI/flllflllll/ln PEG Jul/us A'quaa' Hamor/ July 30, 1968 I J, HAMORI 3,394,673

WATER SKI SCOOTER Filed June 28, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet IS INVENTOR JQ/ius 4/7000 hamor/ BY WW AWUHYEYS July so, 1968 A, HAMOR. 3,394,673

WATER SKI SCOOTER Filed June 28, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENT OR BY WW 7 ATTURNEYS 94 I 12 20 'Ju/l'us A'rpad hamor/ United States Patent 3,394,673 WATER SKI SCOOTER Julius A. Hamori, 278 Woodworth Ave., Yonkers, NY. 10701 Filed June 28, 1967, Ser. No. 649,503 10 Claims. (Cl. 115-70) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure describes a marine type craft utilizing water skis as hydrofoils. The craft has a low rear center of gravity so that it rises forwardly out of the water while in motion. The craft is driven by an inboard motor located at the rear of the craft and controlled by a rider mounted in a sitting position on board the craft.

The invention relates to motor powered water skis having a self-contained scooter structure.

One object of the invention is to provide a hydrofoil type of craft adapted to carry a seated operator who holds handle bars to control a motor driving the craft.

Another object is to provide a motor driven hydrofoil craft which employs water skis to impart lift to the craft, while a rudder at the rear provides maneuverability.

A further object is to provide a novel water ski scooter for use in water sports, and as a highly maneuverable water craft adapted to carry one or two persons.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water ski scooter embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a reduced side view of the craft shown floating in water with motor turned off.

FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. 3, with the craft shown in motion on the water surface.

FIG. 5 is a rear end view on a reduced scale taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rudder control linkage employed in the craft.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 1 through a telescopic leg support for a ski.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the craft showing details of the body structure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view with parts broken away of another ski structure which may be employed in the craft.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIGS. 18, a water ski scooter 10 having an elongated hollow, buoyant body 12. The body has a closed front end 14 which is turned upwardly. The body has a flat bottom 16 with an upwardly inclined front end 18. Inside the body at the rear 17 thereof is a mot-or 20. This can be an internal combustion engine of conventional type powered by liquid fuel such as gasoline contained in a tank 22. The tank is located under a panel 24 at the top 23 of body 12. Panel 24 is attached by hinge 25 as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 8.

The motor has a driven shaft 26 on which is flywheel 27. The shaft carries a bevel gear 28 meshed with a bevel gear 30 at the upper end of a shaft 32. The shaft 32 is journaled at upper and lower ends in bearings 33, 35. Bearing 33 is mounted on the bottom wall 16. Bearing 35 is mounted in a hollow buoyant boot 36 extending down- 3,394,673 Patented July 30, 1968 wardly and rearwardly from the bottom wall 16. A bevel gear 38 at the end of shaft 32 is meshed with a bevel gear 40 on a stub shaft 42. Shaft 42 is journaled in bearing 44 in lower vertical end wall 45 of the boot. Shaft 42 carries a propeller 46 disposed just behind the end wall 45 of the boot. The propeller 46 is located in a recess 48 provided in a rudder 50. Rudder 50 is pivotable on axially vertical pins 52 and 53. The lower pin 52 engages forwardly extending flange 54 of the rudder with rearwardly extending flange 55 of wall 45. Flange 56 formed at the upper end of the rudder as best shown in FIG. 6 has an aperture 57, in which upper pin 53 is engaged. Pin 53 is supported by upper rearwardly extending flange 58 of wall 45.

Flange 56 has two forwardly extending arms 60. These arms are pivotally engaged by link rods 62. Rods 62 extend forwardly and upwardly and are pivotally engaged by arms 64 extending laterally of sleeve 65. Sleeve 65 receives upstanding hollow post 66 on which is mounted hollow clamp 67 holding tubular U-shaped handlebars 68 provided with hand grips 70. A throttle control lever 71 is mounted on one handle-bar near one hand grip. A flexible cable 72 is attached to this lever and extends through post 66. The cable terminates at thottle lever 74 of motor 20 as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

The post 66 is journaled in bearing 75-, 76 in top wall 23 of the body and on bottom wall 16 respectively. Link rods 62 extend through sealing rings or tubes 78 secured in a bracket 80 over opening 82 in the bottom of the craft. Thus the rear lower ends of rods 62 are located outside the carft at opposite sides of boot 36.

Access to the interior of the body 12 and to the motor 20 is provided through an opening 84 in the top of the body. This opening is normally closed by a panel 85 secured by hinges 86; see FIG. 8. Seat 88 on which operator P sits is secured to panel 85.

The motor 20 is sealed and can be air or water cooled. Louvers 90 for circulation of air are provided in the top of wall 23 near the front of the craft, and rear louvers 92 are provided at rear end 17 of the body 12 just behind the fuel tank 22.

In order to provide lift to the craft there is provided a pair of flat skis or ski boards 94 with upturned front ends 94'. The skis are pivotally and rotatably attached by brackets 91, 93 to different pairs of rods 95, 96 at opposite sides of body 12. Front rods are fixed in length and are attached to fittings 97 which in turn are pivotally attached to a horizontal transverse shaft 98. Rear rods 96 secured to bottom brackets 93 are telescopically slidable in sleeves 100 secured to fittings 102. Fittings 102 are also pivotally attached to shaft 98. Coil springs 104 on rods 96 normally hold the rods extended as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 but the springs can be compressed and the rods can be retracted into the sleeves as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 7.

In operation of the craft, the operator P will sit on seat 88 as shown in FIG. 4. His feet F will rest on fittings 97, 102 at opposite ends of shaft 98. The operator will grasp the hand grips 70 with both hands H for steering the craft. When he turns the post 66 to the right, the vertical rudder 50 will pivot to the left and thus turn the craft to the right as it moves forwardly while the motor 20 is running. Turning the post 66 to the left will result in turning the rudder to the right. This mode of operation occurs because the points of attachment of link rods 62 to flange arms 60 are located forwardly of pivot points 52 and 53.

Speed is controlled by manual operation of the throttle control lever 71. The throttle lever 74 of the motor can be set so that complete release of lever 71 results in stopping the motor. Thus if the operator falls off or jumps 3 off the craft the motor will stop, and the craft will float freely in the water W.

While the craft is stationary, the skis 94 will tilt to assume upwardly and forwardly inclined positions as shown in FIG. 2. When the craft is in motion forwardly, the skis will turn to assume substantially horizontal positions and skim over the water surface as shown in FIG. 4. Stabilizing vanes or fins 105 can be mounted at the rear ends of the skis. These vanes are disposed vertically and extend downwardly and remain immersed in the water while the forward parts of the skis are skimming over the water surface. Further stabilizing vanes or fins 108 can be disposed horizontally and laterally of boot 36-. These vanes will ride on the Water surface while the propeller 46 remains immersed in the water along with the rudder 50.

FIG. 9 shows another ski structure which is generally similar to that of FIGS. 1-5. In this ski structure a long buoyant cellular block 110 is mounted on each ski board 94a. The brackets 91, 93 are attached to the blocks 110. Other parts of the skis and support structure are identical to that of craft 10 and corresponding parts are identically numbered.

It will be apparent that there has been presented a water craft which is highly maneuverable, safe, easy to operate and capable of very fast drive over a water surface. It can be made up in various sizes. If desired it can be provided with another seat 120 shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2. A passenger P will sit behind the operator P and will rest his feet F on streamlined horizontal lateral wings 122 mounted at opposite sides of the body 12 near the rear end thereof. These wings will exert an aerodynamic lifting effect when the craft is in motion, and will also help to stabilize the craft against pitching and tossing. The weight of the passenger will help to hold the rear end of the craft down while the front end rises up out of the water for efiicient hydrofoil action. The air passing under the elevated front end of the craft exerts an areodynamic lifting effect which minimizes water friction drag and maximizes the forward drive of the propeller so that the motor is utilized to maximum efficiency.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A water ski scooter comprising an elongated hollow buoyant body having an upwardly curved front end and generally flat bottom; a seat on said body between opposite ends thereof for supporting an operator; a pair of skis; rod assemblies pivotally and rotationally connecting said skis to opposite sides of said body forwardly of the seat for lifting the curved front end of the body when the body is driven forwardly in water while the skis ride on the surface of the water; a boot secured to the underside of said 'body and extending downwardly and rearwardly thereof; a propeller rotatably supported at the lower end of and outside of the boot; a motor in said body; drive means operatively connecting the motor and propeller for driving said body forward in water; a rudder pivotally supported at the lower end of said boot behind said propeller; handle bars carried by said body and disposed forwardly of the seat for operation by the operator; and linkage means operatively connecting the handle bars and rudder for turning the rudder to steer said body in forward movement through the water.

2. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 1, further comprising a throttle control lever at the handle bars; a throttle lever at the motor; and a flexible cable connecting the levers so that the operator controls speed of the motor while grasping the handle bars.

3. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said rod assemblies comprises a rod connected pivotally at one end to a ski, a sleeve, said rod having its other end telescopically received in said sleeve, a coil spring on said rod normally holding said rod extended with respect to said sleeve, shaft disposed transversely of said body, said sleeve being rotatable on said shaft, and another rod pivotally connected at one end to the ski and rotationally connected at one end to the ski and rotationally connected at its other end to said shaft, whereby the ski is angularly rotatable with respect to said shaft and pivotable with respect to said one end of the other rod, whereby the skis assume forwardly and upwardly inclined positions when the motor is stopped to retard free floating movement of the body in water, and whereby the skis assume substantially horizontal positions when the body is driven forwardly on the water.

4. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 3, further comprising a throttle control lever at the handle bars; a throttle lever at the motor; and flexible cable connecting the levers so that the operator controls speed of the motor while grasping the handle bars.

5. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 3, wherein each ski comprises a fiat ski board with upturned front end and a vertical stabilizing fin at the underside of its rear end.

6. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 5, wherein each ski further comprises a buoyant cellular block mounted on top of the ski board, both of the rods being pivotally attached to the block.

7. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 1, further comprising fins extending laterally of opposite sides of said boot near the bottom thereof for riding on the water surface while the propeller remains immersed in water when the motor is operating.

8. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 1, further comprising another seat on said body mounted behind the first named seat for seating a passenger, and wings secured to opposite sides of the body, said wings serving to lift and stabilize the rear end of said body aerodynamically when the motor is running, said wings also serving to support the feet of the passenger while he is sitting on said other seat.

9. A Water ski scooter as recited in claim 3, wherein said sleeve and said other rod are joined to fittings on said shaft, said fittings serving as foot rests for the operator while he is seated on said seat.

10. A water ski scooter as recited in claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises a gear train and drive shaft, said drive shaft extending through said boot between the motor and propeller, said boot being hollow to exert a buoyant effect on the rear end of said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1964 Mayer -70 3/1967 Carlson 1l570

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