[0001] This invention relates to the art of adjustable position electronic depth finders
or SONAR depth sounders for use in water by pleasure boating enthusiasts and serious
fishermen as a navigational aid and as a fish finder so as to overcome underwater
blindness. This invention can be used as a tool to serve as eyes and ears under the
water.
[0002] Electronic depth finders or SONAR transducer depth sounders have been known and used
for many years. They are also called by various other names; such as depth flasher,
fish locator, fish flasher, depth meter, depth recorder and scanning SONAR.
[0003] SONAR was introduced around the time of World War II. The word SONAR is an acronym
for "sounding, navigation and ranging." A sound tone is created electronically and
sent out into the water in a cone-like fashion. The speed of sound in water is about
4,950 feet per second. When that sound wave hits a solid object, part of the sound
is reflected back to the source as an echo. By carefully timing how long it takes
for the echo to return, it is possible to determine the distance between the object
and the source.
[0004] The relatively low cost electronic depth finders that are widely used today by avid
fisherman employ a main battery-operated control box located in the boat and having
an electronic device that creates an electrical impulse which travels from the main
box through an electrical cable to a transducer device that is generally placed in
the water. The transducer is a controlled sound wave energy transmitter and receiver
that converts the electrical impulse into a high-frequency sound impulse that is inaudible
to the fish as well as to humans. The transducer may be aimed at the bottom of the
body of water, or at a rock, at a sunken tree, or a school of fish. The echo bounces
back to the transducer which reconverts that sound back into an electrical impulse
which shows up on a dial that reads directly in feet or fathoms. The main box may
include a volume sensitivity or gain control so that the sound signal may be adjusted
loud enough to bounce back an echo if the water is very deep or the body of water
has a soft mud bottom which tends to absorb the sound.
[0005] The principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting
means for the transducer of an electronic depth finder apparatus so the transducer
may have as many as three planes of movement, either in unison or in combination;
namely, swinging movement in a vertical plane, unlimited rotational movement in a
horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and up and down vertical movement between
a lower "searching" position and an upper "running" position.
[0006] A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting means
of the class described using a large threaded shaft as the main element having a top
operating lever and a cooperating bottom controlled lever or support lever on which
the transducer is mounted.
[0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting means
of the class described with a motion transmitting means joining the two top and bottom
levers, in the form of a rack and pinion mechanism.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting means
of the class described with an electrical cable feeding down through the shaft and
electrically-connected between the transducer and a combined impulse control means
and read-out positioned on the boat.
[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting means
of the class described wherein the threaded shaft is mounted through an oil-filled
cylinder bearing so that the shaft is self-lubricated.
[0010] A still further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting
means of the class described wherein the rack and pinion mechanism is immersed in
a bath of oil within the shaft so that the mechanism is self-lubricated.
[0011] The present invention provides an adjustable mounting means for the transducer of
an electronic depth finder apparatus having a vertical shaft movably supported from
a fixed mounting means. The shaft has a top operating lever and a cooperating bottom
controlled lever or support lever on which the transducer is mounted. A motion transmitting
means joins the two top and bottom levers so the levers act in motion whereby the
transducer may be capable of three planes of movement; namely, swinging movement in
a vertical plane, unlimited rotational movement in a horizontal plane about a vertical
axis, and up and down vertical movement between a lower "searching" position and a
upper "running" position.
[0012] This invention will be better understood from the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings and its scope will be pointed out in the
appended claims.
FIG. 1 is a panoramic and underwater view of a body of water showing a small power boat
having mounted on its stern an electronic depth finder apparatus according to the
present invention where the transducer of the apparatus may be adjusted at wide angles
to detect from a single location or position underwater formation or structures, the
depth of the bottom of the water, as well as the presence or movement of fish.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a houseboat showing the adjustably mounted, electronic
depth finder of the apparatus of the present invention, installed up through the hull
of the boat so that the operating lever and control box will be conveniently located
within the bridge of the houseboat.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partial, cross-sectional side elevational view on a much
larger scale of the stern of a small motorboat showing the electronic depth finder
apparatus of the present invention adjustably mounted to the stern for movement in
a least three planes, with the transducer in its "searching" position.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the boat of FIG. 3 showing more of
the details of the electronic depth finder apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a two-part fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view of an enlarged scale
of the threaded shaft shown supported in a hydraulic cylinder bearing that serves
as the fixed mounting means of the apparatus of the present invention. This view is
shown in two parts that are arranged side-by-side. The top half is shown on the left
side, and the bottom half is shown on the right side. A principal feature of this
view is the rack and pinion mechanism that serves as the motion transmitting means
between the top operating lever and the bottom controlled lever or support lever on
which the transducer is mounted.
FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional plan view of the threaded shaft taken on the
line 6-6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 3, but on a
reduced scale, showing the threaded shaft raised to its topmost "running" position,
where the transducer is positioned above the bottom of the boat hull.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view taken through the hull of
a houseboat on a line 8-8 of FIG. 2, showing a permanent, recessed, mounting means
that could be installed by the boat builder at the time of manufacture.
[0013] Turning now to a consideration of the drawings and, in particular, to the panoramic
and underwater view of FIG. 1, there is shown a small motorboat 10 having mounted
on its stern 12 the electronic depth finder apparatus 14 of the present invention,
shown in its "searching" position. The apparatus can only be operated by a person
positioned near the stern of the boat. The body of water 16 is shown with three prominent
areas of interest; a school of fish, the bottom of the body of water, and a shallow
ledge or drop-off.
[0014] The bottom portion of the apparatus 14 includes a transducer 26 which transmits sound
waves which descend in a cone-like fashion as seen at 28, much like the light rays
of a search light.
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a large houseboat 30 having the electronic depth finder apparatus 14
of the present invention mounted amidship up through the hull 32 of the boat so that
the Captain of the boat can operate the apparatus from the bridge 34 of the boat,
near the bow 36 thereof.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a fragmentary, partial, cross-sectional side elevational view at the
stern 12 of the motorboat 10. The electronic depth finder apparatus 14 has a fixed
mounting means 40 for attaching the apparatus to the-stern 12 of the motorboat. This
is a protective position for the transducer 26 because the apparatus may be lowered
into its "searching" position, as is shown in FIG. 3, or it may be raised into its
"running" position, above the bottom of the hull, as is shown in FIG. 7, so as to
be protected from hitting obstructions such as floating logs, debris, underwater structures,
etc.
[0017] The main element of the depth finder apparatus 14 is a large vertical, externally-threaded
shaft 42 which is adjustably mounted to the fixed mounting means 40 both vertically
and rotationally by turning the shaft relative to the mounting means, as will be explained
later with reference to FIG. 5.
[0018] At the bottom portion of the shaft, a first movable controlled lever or support lever
46 is pivotally mounted to the shaft and is capable of movement in a vertical plane
through a wide angle that approaches about 270°.
[0019] At the top portion 48 of the shaft, a second movable operating lever 50 is pivotally
mounted to the shaft, and it is likewise capable of movement in a vertical plane through
a wide angle that approaches about 270°.
[0020] A motion transmitting means is provided within the shaft 42 to couple between the
top operating lever 50 and the bottom controlled lever or support lever 46, as will
be explained later in detail with reference to FIG. 5. Hence, a given movement of
the top lever will cause a predetermined like-movement of the bottom lever. It is
this bottom lever 46 to which the transducer 26 is attached.
[0021] As is best seen in the rear elevational view of FIG. 4, each lever 46 and 50 is formed
as a U-shaped bracket member with parallel side arms 54 and a cross piece 56. The
cross piece 56 of the top operating lever or bracket 50 has a handle extension 58
for ease in changing the position of or aiming the lever during use. A through-bolt
60 extends through suitable holes near the free ends of the side arms 54 of the bracket
and completely through the top portion 48 of the shaft 42 to serve as a pivot means
of the bracket. The location of this through-bolt is such that the U-shaped bracket
is capable of swinging free over the top end of the shaft for movement between the
opposite sides of the shaft. In addition, the through-bolt 60 is provided with opposite
end extensions 62 that serve as periscopic handles for ease in rotating the shaft
42 about its vertical longitudinal axis. The lower controlled lever or support bracket
46
*may be formed the same as the top U-shaped bracket except with parts 54', 54', 56',
58', and 60'.
[0022] A transverse locking pin 64 is shown in FIG. 4 extending through suitable aligned
holes in the side arms 54, 54 and the shaft 42 so as to lock the operating lever 50
and hence the controlled lever 46 in their vertical positions, as is shown in full
lines in both FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0023] Looking at FIG. 4, a box 68, of the electronic depth finder apparatus 14, is shown
for placement in the boat, and it represents a combined impulse control means and
read-out. This box has a plug-in connection means 70 at the back for receiving a connector
of an electrical cable 72 therein. This cable is fed into a side access opening 74
in the side of the shaft, near the top thereof and then down through a hollow portion
of the shaft, and then out of another side access opening 76 near the bottom of the
shaft. The the cable 72 is loosely looped to the side arm 54' of the lower controlled
lever 46 and then joined as a integral part of the transducer 26. A heavy- duty elastic
band 78 serves to strap the transducer 26 to the handle extension 58' of the U-shaped
lever or bracket 46. Adhesive tape 80 may be used to secure the cable 72 snag-free
to the side arm 54'.
[0024] A pair of vertically spaced stop rings 84 and 86 are threaded onto the shaft 42 to
serve as vertical movement limit means when the shaft 42 is rotated about the fixed
mounting means 40. Notice in FIG. 7 that the lower stop ring 86 has engaged the fixed
mounting 40 so that the shaft 42 may not rise any higher. Also notice that the transducer
26 is in its raised or "running" position above the bottom of the boat's hull so as
to be protected from damage by underwater obstacles during running of the boat.
[0025] Now turning to a consideration of the two-part fragmentary cross-sectional elevational
view of FIG. 5 of the externally-threaded vertical shaft 42, the view has been made
in two parts because the shaft is so long in its vertical dimension. The shaft has
two hollow channels which are formed therethrough, as is best seen in the transverse
cross-sectional view of FIG. 6. There is a central rectangular-shaped channel 88,
and an offset circular channel 90 for receiving the electrical cable 72 therethrough.
It should be understood that the two side access openings 74 and 76 for the cable
72 communicate with this offset circular channel 90. Elongated LEXAN plugs (not shown)
may be inserted in the portion of the channel 90 above the topmost side access opening
74, as well as in the portion of the channel 90 below the bottommost side access opening
76 so as to seal off these unused end portions of the channel 90. Rubber plugs act
as a seal for cable 72.
[0026] Positioned within the rectangular-shaped channel 88 is a motion transmitting means
which joins the top operating lever 50 with the bottom controlled lever 46. This motion
transmitting means includes a rack and pinion mechanism that includes a pair of pinion
gears 94 and 96 that are joined by a common rack member 98 that meshes therewith.
The top pinion 94 threads onto the center of the through-bolt 60 of the top operating
lever or bracket 50, while the bottom pinion 96 threads onto the center of the through-bolt
60' of the bottom controlled lever or bracket 46. The rack member 98 need not have
teeth for its entire length because of the limited reciprocating movement of the.rack
member between its extreme top and bottom positions. Hence, the midportion 100 of
the rack member 98 is of hollow rectangular shape, as is best seen in FIGS. 5 and
6. The rack member 98 has a plurality of rack teeth 102 at the opposite ends 104 and
106.
[0027] As the top operating lever or bracket 50 is moved, the top pinion gear 94 is turned
which causes the travel of the rack member 98, since the pinion engages with the teeth
102 of the upper rack section 104. Any vertical movement of the rack member 98 causes
the turning action of the bottom pinion gear 96 because the teeth 102 of the lower
rack section 106 mesh with the teeth of the pinion 96. The bottom of the hollow shaft
42 is sealed by a screw-on end cap 110, while the top of the shaft is likewise sealed
by a similar screw-on end cap 112. A transmission oil is provided in this sealed hollow
shaft to serve as a self-lubricating means for the rack and pinion mechanism 94, 96
and 98. The hollow midportion 100 of the rack member allows the oil to flow freely
within the hollow shaft as the rack member rises and falls, so that the oil does not
become compressed as in a piston and cylinder environment.
[0028] Now turning to a consideration of the fixed mounting means 40 as is shown in FIG.
5, there is a cylinder or pipe section 114 having internal threads 116 at the top
and bottom ends. There are two similar parts, a top 118 and a bottom 120 anchoring
and rotation collars joined to the cylinder 114 to form a sealed cylinder or bearing.
Each top and bottom collar 118 and 120 has an internally- threaded opening 122 that
are aligned with each other to receive the externally-threaded shaft 42 downwardly
therethrough. Each top 118 and bottom 120 anchoring and rotation collar has mounting
flanges 124 with suitable openings for receiving mounting bolts 126 therethrough for
fastening this entire assembly 14 to the stern 12 of the boat 10. This sealed cylinder
114 is likewise supplied with oil so that the external threads of the shaft 42 are
self-lubricating.
[0029] In
FIG. 1, the present invention is shown mounted on the stern of a small motorboat, while
in FIG. 2 this invention is applied .to a houseboat 30 through the hull 32.
[0030] FIG. 8 is a more detailed showing of the mounting means of the present invention
in the hull 32 of a large boat, such as a houseboat. Element 130 is a fixed mounting
means comprising a cylinder or pipe section 132 that is internally threaded at each
end. Sealed to the bottom is an elongated bottom anchoring and rotation collar which
screws into the lower end of the cylinder 132 and has a lower mounting flange 136
and rubber sealing gasket 137 with suitable openings for receiving mounting bolts
138 therethrough. This bottom collar member being elongated forms a recessed housing
for receiving the lower end 44 of the threaded shaft 42. This includes the lower controlled
lever 46 and the transducer 26. The hull 32 has an opening for allowing the shaft
42 and transducer 26 to be lowered into its "searching" position, at will.
[0031] At the upper end of the cylinder 132 is a top anchoring and rotation collar 142 that
is screwed into place. This top collar slips through a hole 144 in deck 146, and is
provided with a mounting flange 148 with mounting bolts 150. This cylinder 132 is
likewise supplied with oil so the shaft 42 will continue to be self-lubricating.
[0032] As to the materials for use in manufacturing the present invention, plastic, rubber
and stainless steel materials are preferred because of the rust and corrosion problems
created by the immersion in water. The following parts may be molded of plastic such
as Lexan
® resin or the like: threaded shaft 42, cylinder section 114, collars 118, 120, rack
member 98, pinions 94 and 96, levers 46 and 50, top and bottom caps 112 and 110, and
top and bottom stop rings 84 and 86, and bolts 60 and 60'.
[0033] The following hardware parts may be of stainless steel or the like: mounting bolts
126 and 150, locking pin 64.
[0034] Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art. Therefore,
it is-to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments
disclosed, but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the
true spirit and scope of this invention as claimed.
1. An electronic depth finder apparatus for use in a fluid medium including a combined
impulse control means and read-out as well as a remote cooperating transducer that
is joined by connecting means therebetween, said apparatus comprising:
a. fixed mounting means for assembling the apparatus to a supporting structure;
b. a vertical shaft adjustably mounted to the said fixed mounting means both vertically
and rotationally;
c. a first movable support lever pivoted to the bottom portion of the said shaft and
capable of movement in a vertical plane through a wide angle, whereby a transducer
may be mounted solely to this first support lever for transmitting and receiving controlled
sound wave energy at a variety of directional angles with respect to the shaft as
well as at a variety of vertical elevations relative to the said fixed mounting means;
d. a second movable operating lever pivoted to the top portion of the said shaft and
capable of movement in a vertical plane through a wide angle;
e. the said shaft including motion transmitting means internally of the shaft for
joining the top and bottom levers so that the two levers generally move in unison;
f. whereby the transducer is capable of at least two out of a possible three planes
of movement; first, angular movement in a vertical plane along with. the movement
of the bottom support lever relative to the shaft; second, unlimited rotational movement
in a horizontal plane about the longitudinal axis of the shaft as the shaft is turned;
and third, vertical elevational movement due to the vertical movement of the shaft
relative to the said fixed mounting means.
2. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the said vertical shaft is of high impact-resistant
plastic material and includes external threads which cooperate with internal thread
means in the said fixed mounting means for accommodating both the vertical and the
rotational adjustability of the shaft relative to this mounting means.
3. The invention of Claims 1 or 2 wherein the said connecting means, between the combined
impulse control means and read-out and the transducer that is mounted to the said
first controlled lever at the bottom portion of the shaft, is an electrical cable
that is fed down through the interior of the said shaft for a large portion thereof
so as to be independent of the said fixed mounting means.
4. The invention of Claims 1 or 2 wherein the said motion transmitting means internally
of the shaft for acting between the top and bottom movable levers comprises a rack
and pinion mechanism that is positioned within the shaft, whereby a separate pinion
is joined to each lever ana moves therewith, wille a long tudonal; rack member is
mounted between the two pinions and engaged thereby, whereby a movement of the top
operating lever will cause a similar movement of the bottom controlled lever, and
a supply of oil sealed within the shaft for lubricating the said rack and pinion mechanism.
5. The invention of Claim 1 wherein both the operating lever and the controlled lever
are formed as U-shaped bracket members that are each-supported from a through-bolt
that extends transversely through the said shaft near the respective end thereof so
that the bracket members may swing over the ends of the shaft and encompass a wide
angle.
6. The invention of Claim 5 wherein the said motion transmitting means acting between
the top and bottom bracket members comprises a rack and pinion mechanism that is positioned
within the shaft, where a pinion is fixed to each through-bolt of each bracket member
and a longitudinal rack member engages both pinions, . whereby a turning motion applied
to the top operating bracket member will cause a comparable motion of the bottom controlled
bracket member.
7. The invention of Claim 5 wherein each U-shaped bracket member is provided with
a handle extension, and means for joining the said transducer to the handle extension
of the bottom bracket member.
8. The invention of Claims 5, 6 or 7 wherein the through-bolt of the top operating
bracket member has opposite side extensions to serve as periscopic handles for rotating
the said vertical shaft.
9. The invention of Claim 1 wherein the said vertical shaft includes external threads,
and the said fixed mounting means comprises a cylinder having both a top and a bottom
cap, each cap having an internally- threaded opening for receiving the threaded portion
of the shaft down therethrough, and a supply of oil sealed within the cylinder for
lubricating the threads of the shaft, and vertically spaced top and bottom stop means
fitted onto the shaft for engaging the cylinder when the shaft is turned within the
cylinder for raising and lowering the shaft so as to serve as vertical movement limit
means.