Oarlock system
OwnerRichard Horaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is made up of three major components, a sleeve that is mounted on an oar shaft; a dock, which is mounted to the shell's riggers; and a pair of oar retainers that clamp around the sleeve and pivotally mount to the dock. The sleeve is locked into the oar retainers via a latch. The sleeve has a movable block that has a cam, which engages grooves in the oar retainers. The sleeve and can rotate around its axis, which allows the oar to be feathered. The oar retainers hold the sleeve and allow it to rotate and pivot during the rowing stroke. The dock attaches the oar retainer to the shell or outrigger. Its purpose is twofold: first, it provides a stable vertical platform on which the oar retainers can pivot up and down; second, it swivels left and right.
Claims13
An oarlock system for use on an oar having a shaft comprising:
- a) a sleeve, removably attached to said shaft of said oar, said sleeve having an adjustment channel formed therein;
- b) a cam block, adjustably attached to said sleeve and having a cam portion extending outwardly therefrom, said cam portion fitting into said adjustment channel to permit longitudinal positioning of said cam portion within said adjustment channel;
- c) an oar retainer, having two sides being hinged and also having a latch thereon, said oar retainer having and inner surface and further wherein said inner surface having at least one groove formed therein to receive said cam portion of said cam block when said oar retainer is positioned about said sleeve;
- and
- d) a dock member, pivotably attached to said oar retainer, comprising:
- i) an oarlock hub base having a vertical opening formed therein and a connection face;
- ii) a pivot disk operably attached to said oarlock hub base;
- iii) a pivot retaining ring, secured to said pivot disk and said oar retainer, such that said oar retainer is pivotably attached to said oarlock hub base;
- and
- iv) an oar pin installed in said vertical opening in said oarlock hub base such that said oarlock hub base is pivotably attached to said oar pin;
- e) wherein the combination of said sleeve, cam block and said oar retainer permit an “inboard’ adjustment in the position of said shaft with respect to said watercraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.