Signal flag apparatus for water skiing

The combination of a water skier tow boat having an apparatus for automatically raising a warning flag when a water skier falls, the combination comprising:

• (a) a water skier tow boat having a transom;
• (b) tow line means coupled to the transom of said boat for towing a water skier, said tow line means being taut when tension is applied thereon by the skier and being slack in the absence of skier applied tension;
• (c) a flag raising mechanism mounted on the transom of said boat, said flag raising mechanism being biased to a first substantially vertical position and movable to a second substantially horizontal position, said flag raising mechanism including,
• I. a mounting plate attached to the transom of said boat,
• II. a shaft carried on said mounting plate and journaled for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis,
• III. a stud on said shaft for movement therewith, said stud extending normally from said shaft, and
• IV. biasing means for yieldably urging said shaft and said stud into a first position wherein said stud extends upwardly from said shaft;
• (d) a flag assembly demountably connected to said flag raising mechanism for movement therewith;
• and
• (e) coupling cable means connected between said flag raising mechanism and said tow line means for moving and holding said flag raising mechanism in its second position when tension is applied to said tow line means by the water skier and allowing said flag raising mechanism to be biasingly moved to its first position when the skier falls, said coupling cable means including,
• I. a leader line having one end connected to said stud and having an opposite end,
• II. first pulley means mounted on said mounting plate below said shaft, said first pulley means being free for swivel movement and having said leader line in engagement therewith,
• III. an elongated cable having an intermediate loop formed therein to separate it into an extension cable segement having an extending end and a control cable segement having an extending end,
• IV. means on the extending end of the extension cable segment of said elongated cable for demountable connection to the transom of said boat,
• V. second pulley means connected to the extension cable segment of said elongated cable proximate the extending end thereof, said second pulley means having free for swivel movement and having the control cable segment of said elongated cable in engagement thereiwht, and
• VI. means on the extending end of the control cable segment of said elongated cable for demountable connecteion to the opposite end of said leader line.

A signal flag apparatus for use on a boat that is towing a water skier, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) tow line means for coupling to a boat for towing a water skier, said tow line means being taut when tension is applied thereto by the skier and being slack in the absence of skier applied tension, said tow line means including,
• I. an extension cable having an inboard end for demountable connection to the boat end having an outboard end,
• II. a skier tow rope demountably connectable to the outboard end of said extension cable;
• (b) a flag raising mechanism for mounting on the transom of the boat and including,
• I. pivot means having a substantially horizontal first position and a substantially vertical second position,
• II. biasing means for yieldably urging said pivot means to the second position thereof;
• (c) a flag assembly demountably connected to said pivot means for movement therewith;
• and
• (d) coupling cable means for connection between said pivot means and said tow line means for moving said pivot means to its first position when tension is applied to said tow line means and allowing said biasing means to move said pivot means to its second position when the tension is removed from said tow line means, said cable coupling means including,
• I. a leader line having one end connected to said pivot means and having an opposite end,
• II. a first pulley means mounted on said flag raising mechanism below said pivot means, said first pulley means being adapted for free swivel movement and having said leader line in engagement therewith,
• III. a control cable having means on one end for demountable connection to the opposite end of said leader line, said control cable having an extending end,
• IV. a second pulley means connected to said extension cable proximate the inboard end thereof, said second pulley means being adapted for free swivel movement and having said control cable in engagement therewith, and
• V. means on said extension cable for fixedly attaching the extending end of said control cable to said extension cable proximate the outboard end thereof.

The combination of a water skier tow boat having an apparatus for automatically raising a warning flag when a water skier falls, the combination comprising:

• (a) a water skier tow boat having a transom;
• (b) a skier tow rope coupled to the transom of said boat for towing a water skier, said skier tow rope being taut when tension is applied thereon by the skier and being slack in the absence of skier applied tension;
• (c) a flag raising mechanism mounted on the transom of said boat, said flag raising mechanism being biased to a first substantially vertical position and movable to a second substantially horizontal position, said flag raising mechanism including,
• I. a mounting plate attached to the transom of said boat,
• II. a shaft carried on said mounting plate and journaled for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis,
• III. a stud on said shaft for movement therewith, said stud extending normally from said shaft, and
• IV. biasing means for yieldably urging said shaft and said stud into a first position wherein said stud extends upwardly from said shaft;
• (d) a flag assembly demountably connected to said flag raising mechanism for movement therewith;
• and
• (e) coupling cable means connected between said flag raising mechanism and said skier tow rope for moving and holding said flag raising mechanism in its second position when tension is applied to said skier tow rope by the water skier and allowing said flag raising mechanism to be biasingly moved to its first position when the skier falls, said cable coupling means including,
• I. a leader line having one end connected to said stud and having an oppsoite end,
• II. first pully means mounted on said mounting plate below said shaft, said first pulley means being free for swivel movement and having said leader line in engagement therewith,
• III. a control cable having one end demountably connected to the opposite end of said leader line, said control cable having an extending end,
• IV. second pulley means connected to said skier tow rope proximate the inboard end thereof, said second pulley means being free for swivel movement and having said control cable in engagement therewith, and
• V. means on said skier tow rope for fixed attachment of the extending end of said control cable to said skier tow rope in spaced relationship with the inboard end thereof.

A signal flag apparatus for use on a boat that is towing a water skier, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a skier tow rope for coupling to a boat for towing a water skier, said skier tow rope being taut when tension is applied thereto by the skier and being slack in the absence of skier applied tension;
• (b) a flag raising mechanism for mounting on the transom of the boat and including,
• I. pivoting means having a substantially horizontal first position and a substantially vertical second position,
• II. biasing means for yieldably urging said pivot means to the second position thereof;
• (c) a flag assembly demountably connected to said pivot means for movement therewith;
• and
• (d) coupling cable means for connection between said pivot means and said skier tow rope for moving said pivot means to its first position when tension is applied to said skier tow rope and allowing said biasing means to move said pivot means to its second position when the tension is removed from said skier tow rope, said cable coupling means including,
• I. a leader line having one end connected to said pivot means and having an opposite end,
• II. a first pulley means mounted on said flag raising mechanism below said pivot means, said first pulley means adapted for free swivel movement and having said leader line in engagement therewith,
• III. a control cable having means on one end for demountable connection to the oppsoite end of said leader line, said control cable having an extending end,
• IV. a second pulley means for connection to said skier tow rope proximate the inboard end thereof, said second pulley means adapted for free swivel movement and having said control cable in engagement therewith, and
• V. means on said skier tow rope for fixedly attaching the extending end of said control cable to said skier tow rope in spaced relationship with the inboard end thereof.

The combination of a water skier tow boat having an apparatus for automatically raising a warning flag when a water skier falls, the combination comprising:

• (a) a water skier tow boat having a transom;
• (b) tow line means coupled to the transom of said boat for towing a water skier, said tow line means being taut when tension is applied thereon by the skier and being slack in the absence of skier applied tension,s aid tow line means including,
• I. an extension cable having an inboard end demountably connected to the transom of said boat and having an outboard end, and
• II. a skier tow rope demountably connected to the outboard end of said extension cable;
• (c) a flag raising mechanism mounted on the transom of said boat, said flag raising mechanism being biased to a first substantially vertical position and movable to a second substantially horizontal position, said flag raising mechanism including,
• I. a mounting plate attached to the transom of said boat,
• II. a shaft carried on said mounting plate nad journaled for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis,
• III. a stud on said shaft for movement therewith, said stud extending normally from said shaft and
• IV. biasing means for yieldably urging said shaft and said stud into a first position wherein said stud extends upwardly from said shaft;
• (d) a flag assembly demountably connected to said flag raising mechanism for movement therewith;
• and
• (e) coupling cable means connected between said flag raising mechanism and said tow line means for moving and holidng said flag raising mechanism in its second position when tension is applied to said tow line means by the water skier and allowing said flag raising mechanism to be biasingly moved to its first position when the skier falls, said coupling cable means including,
• I. a leader line having one end connected to said stud and having an opposite end,
• II. first pulley means mounted on said mounting plate below said shaft, said first pulley means being free for swivel movement and having said leader line in engagement therewith,
• III. a control cable having one end demountably connected to the opposite end of said leader line and having an extending end,
• IV. second pulley means connected to said extension cable proximate the inboard end thereof, said second pulley means being free for swivel movement and having said control cable in engagement therewith, and
• V. means on said extension cable for fixed attachment of the extending end of said control cable to said extension cable proximate the outboard end thereof.