US3155238A

US3155238A - Water ski rack device

Info

Publication number: US3155238A
Application number: US225178A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wallace R Bennett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-09-21
Filing date: 1962-09-21
Publication date: 1964-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-03

Description

Nov. 3, 1964 w. R. BENNETT 3,

WATER SKI RACK DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1962 3. D (L i 1 f )1,

INVENTOR Wmwae A. BEAM/Err ATTO/P/VE'KS United States Patent 3,155,238 WATER SKI RACK DEVICE Wallace R. Bennett, R0. Box 664, Steilacoom, Wash. Filed Sept. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 225,178 Claims. (Cl. 211-60) This invention relates to supports, and more particularly to rack devices for carrying water skis on boats or on other vehicles or objects having smooth surfaces.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved support device for carrying water skis on boats or other vehicles or objects having smooth surfaces, the ski carrying device being relatively simple in construction, being easy to attach, and being usable either on sub stantially horizontal supporting surfaces or on vertical or inclined supporting surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved Water ski-carrying support device which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is durable in construction, which is compact in size, and which is adapted to be mounted on a boat or other vehicle or object having a smooth supporting surface, the ski-carrying support device being provided with means for preventing scratching or marring of the surfaces of the skis engaged therewith.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

1 FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion of a small boat on which are mounted a pair of ski-carrying rack devices according to the present invention, the rack devices being mounted on opposite portions of the boat and being shown engaged with a ski to illustrate the manner in which water skis are supported in the rack devices- FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through one of the rack devices of FIGURE 1, a portion of the protective covering of the rack device being broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the rack device of FIGURE 2 with the protective covering omitted.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a typical small boat provided with the passenger compartment 12 and having relatively smooth deck surfaces 13, 13 on opposite sides of the passenger compartment Mounted on the surfaces 13, 13 are the respective r-ack devices, designated generally at 14, 14, said rack devices being constructed in accordance with the present invention. As will be apparent from FIGURE '1, the

rack devices

14, 14 are identical in construction and are located directly opposite each other and substantially parallel to each other, the rack devices being formed with convolutions, presently to be described, defining U-shaped loops adapted to receive water skis 15 in the manner clearly illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

Each rack device 14 comprises a single piece of rodlike relatively rigid material, such as metal rod material,

formed to define a series of evenly spaced generally U- shaped convolutions or loops, the loops being directed upwardly in FIGURE 2 and being designated respectively at 16. A plurality of loops are formed in the rod-like member, all of the loops being in the same plane. The rod-like member terminates in the par-allel end portions 17, 17, said end portions being externally threaded, as shown at 18. Threadedly engaged on the parallel end portions 17, 17 and being thus secured thereto are respec tive downwardly facing

suction cups

19, 19, said suction cups being provided with the internally threaded upstanding fastening collars 20 which are threadedly engaged on the externally threaded end portions 18 of the rod ends 17.

The coplanar U-shaped loops 16 are integrally connected at the top ends of their arms by the arcuate joining rod portions 2 1, all the loops, joining rod portions and end portions of the device being in the same plane. As will be apparent from FIGURE 2, the loops 16 have substantially parallel side arms and are inclined upwardly in the same direction at a substantial angle to the directions of the parallel end members 17, 17. The inclination of the loops 16 enables the rack device to be used, in conjunction with the parallel opposite similar rack device, on a substantially vertical supporting surface, as well as on a horizontal or a pair of spaced horizontal supporting surfaces.

The convoluted rod-like member containing the loops 16 and other elements above described is provided for substantially its entire length with a cover sleeve 22 of relat-ively yieldable soft material, such as braided polyethylene strands, of any desirable color, or of any other desirable soft yieldable, relatively durable material.

A pair of rack devices 14 are employed, for example, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, for supporting a plurality of water skis 15. Thus, the rack devices 14 may be disposed on opposing portions of a boat 11, for example, on the relatively smooth spaced opposite surfaces 13, as illustrated, the suction cups 19 of the rack devices being engaged with the surfaces 13 and being held thereon by suction. The rack devices are arranged so that they are substantially parallel to each other and substantially transversely aligned, whereby the skis 15 may be received in pairs of transversely aligned loops 16 in the manner illustrated. The deformable yieldable cover sleeve 22 prevents scratching or marring of the surfaces of the portions of the skis received in the loops.

As above mentioned, the rack devices 14 may be employed on substantially vertical surfaces, as well as on substantially horizontal surfaces, since the inclination of the loops 16 serves to retain the skis in the rack devices when said rack devices are employed on the aforesaid vertical surfaces.

While a specific embodiment of an improved ski-carrying rack has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it Will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-like relatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spaced rigid generally U-shaped coplanar loops connected by integral arcuate joining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sides of adjacent loops, said pieces of material having substantially parallel ends coplanar with the loops, and respective suction cups axially secured to said ends and adapted to engage a supporting surface [for detachably securing the support to the supporting surface in upstanding relation thereto.

2. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-like relatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spaced rig-id generally U-shaped loops connected by integral arcuate joining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sides of adjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable material surrounding said piece of rod-like material for substantially its entire length, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallel end-s coplanar with the loops, and respective suction cups axially secured to said ends and adapted to engage a supporting surface for detachably securing the support to the supporting surface in upstanding relation thereto.

3. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-like relatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spaced rigid generally U-shaped coplanar loops connected by integral arcuate joining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sides of adjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable material surrounding said piece of rod-like material for substantially its entire length, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallel ends coplanar with the loops, said loops having substantially parallel side arms which are inclined in the same direction at a substantial angle to the direction of said ends, and respective suction cups axially secured to said ends and adapted to engage a supporting surface for detachably securing the support to the supporting surface in upstanding relation thereto.

4. A ski-carrying support comprising a single piece of rod-like relatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spaced generally U-shaped rigid coplanar loops connected by integral arcuate joining rod portions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sidesof adjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable material surrounding said piece of rod-like material for substantially its entire length, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallel ends coplanar with the loops, said loops having substantially parallel side arms which are inclined in the same direction at a substantial angle to the direction of said ends, and respective suction cups axially and threadedly secured to said ends, the support beingadapted to be mounted in upstandingposition on a boat opposite and parallel to a similar support, whereby skis may be supportingly engaged in the U-shaped loops of the pair of supports.

5. In combination with a supporting surface, a pairof ski-carrying supports, each support comprising a single piece of rod-like relatively rigid material formed to define a series of evenly spaced rigid generally U-shaped coplanar loops connected by integral arcuate joining rodportions with the sides of the loops spaced from the sides of adjacent loops, a cover sleeve of relatively yieldable material surrounding said piece of rod-like material for substan tially its entirelength, said piece of rod-like material having substantially parallel ends coplanar with the loops, said loops having substantially parallel side arms which are inclined in the same direction at a substantial angle to the direct-ion of said ends, and respective suction cups axially and threadedly secured to said ends, the support being adapted to be mounted in an upstanding position on the supporting surface opposite and parallel to a similar support, whereby skis may be supportingly engaged in the U-shaped loopsof the pair of supports.

References Cited: in the, file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 149,919 Ullmann June 8, 1948 254,692 Rath Mar. 7, 1882 570,465 Dilley et al. Nov. 3, 1896 598,507 Graham Feb. 8, 1898 1,157,578 Petre Oct. 19, 1915 1,222,728 Brown Apr. 17, 1917 1,315,823 Dugan Sept. 9, 1919 1,715,602 Jones June 4, 1929 1,746,577 Bergl-und Feb. 11, 1930 2,138,914 Frey Dec. 6, 1938 2,173,953 Schwisow Sept. 26, 1939 2,302,300 Davies Nov. 17, 1942 2,315,566 Watral et al. Apr. 6, 1943 2,397,291 Robertson Mar. 26, 1946 2,643,840 Lanman June 30, 1953 2,721,680 Steclcman Oct. 25, 1955 2,897,669 Villiers et -al Aug. 4, 1959 2,956,812 Lundquist Oct. 18, 1960

Claims

1. A SKI-CARRYING SUPPORT COMPRISING A SINGLE PIECE OF ROD-LIKE RELATIVELY RIGID MATERIAL FORMED TO DEFINE A SERIES OF EVENLY SPACED RIGID GENERALLY U-SHAPED COPLANAR LOOPS CONNECTED BY INTEGRAL ARCUATE JOINING ROD PORTIONS WITH THE SIDES OF THE LOOPS SPACED FROM THE SIDES OF ADJACENT LOOPS, SAID PIECES OF MATERIAL HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ENDS COPLANAR WITH THE LOOPS, AND RESPECTIVE SUCTION CUPS AXIALLY SECURED TO SAID ENDS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A SUPPORTING SURFACE FOR DETACHABLY SECURING THE SUPPORT TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE IN UPSTANDING RELATION THERETO.