# US 5,342,229 A · Float tube anchor apparatus

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- Number: US 5,342,229 A
- Document ID: US5342229A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/075,604
- Filed: 1993-06-14
- Granted: 1994-08-30
- Earliest claimed: 1993-06-14
- Inventors: Leonard A. Whitt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5342229A

## CPC

- B63B 21/24: Anchors
- B63B 22/18: having means to control attitude or position, e.g. reaction surfaces or tether
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)

## Abstract

An anchor organization for mounting to a float tube for positioning of the float tube relative to a body of water includes a support cable mounted to the float tube at a first end of the support tube, with a second end of the cable mounted to a semi-spherical anchor member arranged for engagement to a bottom surface of an associated body of water providing for an anchor of limited weight and increased effectiveness, wherein an intermediate spool mounted to the cable permits selective winding of the cable about the spool.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A float tube anchor apparatus, comprising,
a support cable, the support cable having a first end spaced from a second end, and
a hook member mounted to the first end, the hook member including a latch plate means for selective securement to the hook member for forming a closed loop within the hook member, and
a semi-spherical anchor dish having an annular periphery, including an anchor rod, with the anchor rod having a rod first end spaced from a rod second end, the rod first end including a guide loop, with the rod second end fixedly mounted to the anchor dish medially of the anchor dish, with the anchor dish having a concave interior surface and facing relationship relative to the guide loop, and the cable second end secured to the guide loop, and
a spool member, with the support cable wound about the spool member intermediate the cable first end and the cable second end, and a ballast weight mounted to the support cable intermediate the spool member and the cable second end, and
the spool member includes a central body plate, having a plate first end spaced from a plate second end, with respective first and second parallel legs mounted to the plate first end, and third and fourth parallel legs mounted to the plate second end, and
the first leg includes a first leg channel, and the third leg having a third leg channel, with the first leg channel and the third leg channel arranged in a spaced parallel relationship relative to one another, with the first leg including a first channel slot directed into the first leg in communication with the first leg channel, the third leg having a second channel slot directed into the third leg channel, and a first split sleeve rotatably mounted within the first leg channel, and a second split sleeve rotatably mounted within the third leg channel, with the cable arranged through the first leg channel and the third leg channel received within the first split sleeve and the second split sleeve, the first split sleeve having a first sleeve slot arranged for rotatable displacement relative to the first channel slot, and the second split sleeve having a second sleeve slot arranged for displacement relative to the second channel slot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a secondary anchor member mounted to the anchor rod, with the secondary anchor member including a fixed semi-spherical array of leg members symmetrically mounted about the anchor rod, wherein the secondary anchor member includes a secondary anchor member concave surface in facing relationship relative to the anchor rod guide loop, and latch means for securement of the secondary anchor member in a first position between the anchor dish annular periphery and displaced in a second position between the annular periphery and the guide loop.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the latch means includes a latch button reciprocatably mounted relative to the anchor rod orthogonally oriented relative to the anchor rod, and a latch button cavity directed into the anchor rod reciprocatably receiving the latch button, with a latch button spring captured between the latch button and the cavity, whereupon displacement of the latch button within the latch button cavity permits displacement of the secondary anchor member to the second position, and an anchor spring captured between the secondary anchor member and the anchor dish for biased displacement of the secondary anchor member from the first position to the second position.