Inflatable bow

A floatable apparatus, comprising,

• a floatable hull,
• a fixed bow at one end of said hull,
• left and right movable bow segments attached to said fixed bow,
• a lower movable bow segment attached to said fixed bow,
• means for pivotally attaching each of said left and right bow segments to said bow so that said segments are movable between a laterally located extended position and a retracted position substantially faired with said bow,
• means for pivotally attaching said lower bow segment to said bow so that said segment is movable between a lower extended position and a raised retracted position,
• means for driving said bow segments between said extended and retracted positions,
• a collapsible bag disposed between and connected to said movable bow segments, and means for inflating said bag when said movable bow segments are extended and for deflating said bag when said movable bow segments are retracted, whereby said bag substantially fills the volume between said movable bow segments when in the inflated condition and is enclosed by said bow segments when in the deflated condition.

In a floating hull having a bow, the improvement comprising apparatus for changing the bow configuration of the floating hull, comprising

• a plurality of movable bow segments pivotally attached to the bow,
• a continuous inflatable collapsible bag attached to said bow segments,
• means for moving said bow segments between retracted and extended positions,
• means for inflating said bag when said bow segments are in said extended position so that said bag is disposed therebetween to provide a flotation volume when inflated and for deflating said bag when said bow segments are in said retracted position so that said deflated bag is enclosed by said bow segments, and
• a waterline region on said inflatable bag extending across the forward surface thereof, said bag comprising a multi-ply wall construction and having a greater number of plies in the wall within said waterline region so that the external surface of said region is concave.

In a floating hull having a bow, the improvement comprising apparatus for changing the bow configuration of the floating hull, comprising

• a plurality of movable bow segments pivotally attached to the bow,
• a continuous inflatable collapsible bag,
• means formed along the edges of said bow segments for attaching said collapsible bag thereto,
• means for moving said bow segments between retracted and extended positions,
• and means for inflating said bag when said bow segments are in said extended position so that said bag is disposed therebetween to provide a flotation volume when inflated and for deflating said bag when said bow segments are in said retracted position so that said deflated bag is enclosed by said bow segments, and
• resilient bumpers disposed along the edges of said bow segments adjacent to said means for attaching, whereby said collapsible bag is prevented from being crushed between said bow segments and from being exposed to damaging blows from external obstacles when enclosed by said bow segments in the deflated condition.

In a floating hull having a bow, the improvement comprising apparatus for changing the bow configuration of the floating hull, comprising

• a plurality of movable bow segments pivotally attached to the bow,
• a continuous inflatable collapsible bag attached to said bow segments,
• means for moving said bow segments between retracted and extended positions,
• means for inflating said bag when said bow segments are in said extended position so that said bag is disposed therebetween to provide a flotation volume when inflated and for deflating said bag when said bow segments are in said retracted position so that said deflated bag is enclosed by said bow segments, and
• resilient bumpers attached to said bow segments along the edges thereof whereby said collapsible bag is prevented from being crushed between said bow segments and from being exposed to damaging blows from external obstacles when enclosed by said bow segments in the deflated condition, said resilient bumpers comprising an integral part of said collapsible bag.

In a floating hull having a bow, the improvement comprising apparatus for changing the bow configuration of the floating hull, comprising

• a plurality of movable bow segments attached to the bow,
• a continuous inflatable bag attached to said bow segments,
• a plurality of piston and cylinder assemblies coupled between the bow and ones of said bow segments operating to move said bow segments between retracted and extended positions,
• said inflatable bag having a plurality of apertures therein corresponding to a plurality of attachment points between said bag and said bow segments, said piston and cylinder assemblies being placed at ones of said apertures,
• means for sealing said apertures when said cylinder and piston assemblies are installed, whereby said assemblies are contained within said bag,
• and means for inflating said bag when said bow segments are in said extended position so that said bag is disposed therebetween to provide a flotation volume when inflated and for deflating said bag when said bow segments are in said retracted position so that said deflated bag is enclosed by said bow segments.