Pontoon House Boat

Abstract

A pontoon house boat supported on a pair of spaced parallel hollow pontoons provided with a plurality of water tight compartments. The pontoons are formed of aluminum and have a plurality of spaced parallel transverse aluminum cross members welded thereto to support the floor of the house boat, the bow section, and the steering section. Side and end walls are supported by upright hollow posts extending upwardly from the deck and a roof panel is supported on posts which telescope into the aforementioned posts to move the roof up and down as required. Hinged panels are connected to the roof section to drop into place to close the side and end walls with the roof in its uppermost position. Doors give access to the enclosed space from the bow section and from the stern steering section with bow section and steering section being covered by a telescopic roof which slides horizontally to extended positions. The boat is operated by outboard motors and the roof section is elevated and lowered by hand or motor drive utilizing a cable system mounted in the deck mounted post. A drainage system for water from the roof of the boat utilizes one portion of the upright post to conduct the water to a point below the floor of the boat.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a pontoon house boat.

2. Summary of the Invention

A pontoon house boat of the present invention includes a pair of spaced apart parallel pontoons formed of hollow aluminum and including a plurality of water tight compartments. A deck is supported on the pontoons and has a cabin positioned centrally thereof. The cabin includes a telescopic roof section pull down wall panels to enclose the cabin with the roof section elevated. A bow section is covered by a telescoping roof and a stern steering section is also covered by a telescopic roof. A cable system is employed for raising and lowering the roof as desired.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a self contained pontoon supported house boat having an elevatable cabin roof and pull down wall panels to seal the cabin space.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the invention with the roof in elevated position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the invention with the roof in elevated position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the invention with the roof in lowered position;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the invention with the roof in lowered position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the cable drum mechanism of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view of the water handling system;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view, taken along the line 9--9 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 10--10 of FIG. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along the line II--II of FIG. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of one of the posts and telescopic portions thereof;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of the ladder in stored position; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 14--14 of FIG. 13, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 20 indicates generally a pontoon house boat constructed in accordance with the invention.

The pontoon house boat 20 includes a pair of hollow aluminum pontoons 21, 22 arranged in spaced apart parallel relation and each having a plurality of water tight compartments (not shown). The pontoons 21, 22 have a plurality of spaced parallel bolsters 23 supporting a plurality of transverse cross frames 24. The cross frames 24 and bolsters 23 are formed of aluminum and are welded together to form a rigid structure. The cross frame members 24 provide a flat support for the cabin of the pontoon boat 20.

A plywood floor 25 is secured to the cross members 24 by any desired means such as pop rivets and a channel member 26 is engaged over the peripheral edge thereof with its legs extending upwardly. A side channel member 27 is secured to the end of the cross frame members 24 to give the boat 20 a more finished appearance. Hollow generally rectangular posts 28 are secured to adjacent cross frame members 24 and extend upright therefrom at the corners of the cabin. Wall panels 29 are secured at their ends to the posts 28 and are seated in the channels 26 at their lower edges. The wall panels 29 have a channel member 30 covering the upper edge thereof for strength and appearance.

Wall panels 31 extend transversely of the forward end of the cabin and have a cabin entrance door 32 hinged centrally thereof. Similar wall panels not shown close the opposite end of the cabin of the boat 20.

Front and side panels 33, 34 enclose the deck of the house boat 20 forwardly of the cabin and are provided with double doors 35 to give access thereto. End and side panels 36, 37 enclose the opposite end of the deck of the house boat 20 and is similarly provided with double access doors 38. A hollow generally rectangular and channel shaped post 39 is telescopically engaged in each of the post 28 to support at their upper ends a roof structure 40.

The roof structure 40 includes a pair of spaced parallel hollow beams 41 secured to the upper ends of the post 39 and having an opening 42 communicating with the post 39. Roof panels 43 have their ends 44 extending into the beam 41 so that fluid from the roof 43 may flow into the beam 41 and through the opening 42 down through the post 39 and out through an opening 45 at the bottom of the post 28 into the water on which the boat 20 is floating.

A ladder 46 is mounted beneath the floor panel 25 in between a pair of the transverse frame members 24 so that it may be pulled outwardly and downwardly to give a swimmer access to the boat. A retainer hook 47 is positioned on adjacent channel frame members 24 and a transverse pin 48 on each end of the ladder 46 is adapted to engage therein to retain the ladder 46 in its stored position and in its extended position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 13.

A shaft 49 extends transversely of the pontoon boat 20 and is journalled in bearings 50 mounted on longitudinal supports 51. The shaft 49 has four drums 52, 53, 54, and 55 respectively associated with the corner posts 28. A cable 56 is trained over each of the drums 52, 53, 54 and 55 and extend to the respective posts 28 being trained over a pair of pulleys 57, 58.

The cable 56 is then trained over pulleys 59 directly beneath the posts 28 and the cable 56 then extends up the posts 28 and is trained over a single pulley 60 at the upper end thereof. The opposite ends of the cable 56 are then engaged in a cable clamp 61 and a bolt 62 extends therethrough securing the cable clamp 61 to the lower end of the posts 39. Movement of the cable 56 in either direction will cause the posts 39 to move in the same direction telescoping into or out of the posts 28. A hand crank 63 and chain drive 64 is provided for turning the shaft 49 but may be replaced with any power driven means desired. Rotation of the shaft 49 rotates each of the drums 52, 53, 54 and 55 and extends and retracts each of the posts 39 simultaneously.

A plurality of rollers 65 are journalled on the innerface of the beams 41 at each end thereof to support a channel 66 carrying a telescoping roof structure 67 which is adapted to overlay the forward and rear portion of the boat 20 out from under the confines of the roof 40. A telescoping post 68 may be used to support the roof 67 at its outer most end when desired.

Side panels 69 are hingedly secured at 70 to the roof 40 to drop from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 7 to the full line position with the roof 40 in its elevated position. Windows 71 form part of the side panels 69 and may be opened as desired. Similar end panels 72 are also hinged to the roof panels 40 and are provided with windows 73. A door panel 74 is hinged in a frame into the roof panel 40 and is connected by any desired means (not shown) to the door panel 32 to operate therewith. With the roof 40 elevated the panels 69 and 72 may be retained in their upper position or lowered as desired.

In the use and operation of the invention the house boat 20 is trailered with the roof 40 in lowered position so as to present less wind resistance and interference with wires, tree limbs and the like. On reaching the water the roof 40 is elevated and the boat 20 is normally used with the roof 40 in its elevated position. In the event that low bridges or other obstructions are encountered the roof 40 can be lowered to permit passage of the boat 20 thereunder.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A pontoon house boat comprising a pair of spaced parallel hollow aluminum pontoons, a plurality of transverse cross members secured to said pontoons in spaced parallel relation, a floor deck secured to said cross members, a plurality of upright hollow posts secured at their lower end to said cross members, a plurality of generally rectangular and channel shaped posts telescopically received in each of said upright hollow posts, cable means on said boat for telescoping said channel shaped posts into and out of said rectangular posts, a roof structure on said telescoping posts for movement vertically therewith, means on said roof for conveying water to said upright hollow posts from said roof, and horizontal roof portions telescopically extending forwardly and rearwardly from each end of said roof for covering the forward and rear end of said boat.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein side walls are supported on said deck and by said plurality of generally rectangular and channel shaped posts surrounding a cabin portion of said boat.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein hinged side walls are secured to said roof for movement into alignment with said side walls upon elevation of said roof.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cable means includes a central winch on said house boat and a plurality of cables extending from said winch through said upright hollow posts.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cable means includes a pulley mounted in the upper end of each of said upright hollow posts with said cables trained over said pulleys and connected to said channel shaped posts for raising and lowering said channel shaped posts in said upright hollow posts.