Water craft
OwnerBruce William James McMulleninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watercraft (10,40, 60, 90, 110, 200, 210, 310) is disclosed which is propelled by at least one pair of pivoted sheets (28, 29) which are reciprocated through the water by a propulsion mechanism (18, 25, 45, 48, 91, 92) which is driven by repeated weight transfer of an operator's body (20). Also disclosed is a hull assembly system (61, 161, 261). The water craft disclosed are particularly suited as pleasure craft able to be transported by a vehicle and operated by many classes of persons including those without endurance or stamina.
Claims20
An aquatic craft having a buoyant body, a frame located on said body above its waterline, pivoted relative to said body and movable in see-saw fashion by transfer of body weight of an operator, a resilient means interconnecting said frame and said body and arranged to return said frame to a rest position, an arm connected to said frame and reciprocated thereby and having a lower end which extends below said waterline, a pair of substantially rigid sheets pivoted about an axis defining an edge of each sheet, said sheets being located at or adjacent the lower end of said arm and being pivotable between a closed configuration in which said sheets are substantially abutting and a V-configuration, in which said sheets are inclined towards each other, and stop means adjacent said sheets to prevent pivotable movement of said sheets beyond said V-configuration wherein said body weight transfer reciprocates said sheets through the water in substantially the intended direction of travel whereby said water moves said sheets during each forward movement into said closed configuration and during each rearward movement into said V-configuration whereby the interaction of said sheets and water propels said craft forwardly.
A method of propelling an aquatic craft through the water, said method comprising the steps of:
- (i) pivoting a frame on said craft above its waterline and providing a resilient means connected between said frame and body to return said frame to a rest position,
- (ii) connecting an arm to said frame to be reciprocated thereby and having an end extending below the waterline of said craft,
- (iii) pivoting a pair of substantially rigid sheets about an axis defining an edge of each sheet, said sheets being pivotable between a closed configuration in which said sheets are substantially abutting and a V-configuration in which said sheets are inclined towards each other,
- (iv) providing a stop means to prevent pivotal movement of said sheets beyond said V-configuration, and
- (v) transferring the body weight of an operator to pivot said frame in see-saw fashion and thereby reciprocate said sheets through said water in substantially the intended direction of travel whereby said water moves said sheets during each forward movement into said closed configuration and during each rearward movement into said V-configuration whereby the interaction of said sheets and water propels said craft forwardly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.