| 1. | 1) A car roof mounted stowage container comprised of two sections which are hinged together and which can be unfolded to form a boat, wherein in the unfolded condition the two sections are locked together with retaining bolts which pass through a central foam filled thwart formed from the adjacent end faces of the two sections, the thwart providing the boat with extra buoyancy and a seat for the user in use, the two adjacent end faces being provided with sealing means therebetween to prevent the ingress of water through the joint between the sections of the boat. |
| 2. | A car roof mounted stowage container as claimed in Claim (1) which is aerodynamically designed to offer the least wind resistance when used in the transportation mode. |
| 3. | A car roof mounted stowage container and a foldable boat as claimed in Claim (1) constructed in either ABS Plastics or Glass reinforced Plastics. |
| 4. | A car roof mounted stowage container and a foldable boat as claimed in Claims (1) and (3) that is specifically designed for use on the water with bilge runners incorporated into the hull design and means for propulsion in an aquatic mode. |
| 5. | A car roof mounted stowage container and a foldable boat, substantially as described herein supported by reference to figures 16 of the accompanying drawings. |
Such concepts are not unknown but those designed to date, fall into either the "collapsible"category which require an element of construction prior to use and those determined to simply fold in order to provide an instant boat that is towed behind a road vehicle, or more importantly, when in use in the waterborne mode, do not provide a stable means of waterborne transport.
Accordingly, when this invention is employed in the waterborne environment, it is a stable marine vessel which takes note of the European Recreational Craft Directive which places great emphasis on marine safety.
This invention, when used either as a vehicle roof mounted stowage container or when applied in the aquatic mode, may be constructed in either GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastics) or Acrylic Capped U. V. treated ABS which is a copolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene which possesses maximum strength and performance and medium cost.
A perfect embodiment of the invention will now be described in the drawings that follow : Figure 1: The Plan View of the Craft.
Figure 2: An End Elevation of the Craft.
Figure 3: A Side Elevation of the Craft.
Figure 4: A Side Elevation of the Craft closed in transportation mode.
Figure 5: A sketch of the Craft in unfolded aquatic mode.
Figure 6: A sketch illustrating the ease of changing the state of the invention from Stowage Container to Boat.
Figures 1-3 inclusive reveal the technical details of the invention for those who are interested in the marine application while Figure 4 illustrates the advantages of the invention being used in the Carrier Mode when closed and being used as a method of vehicle mounted transportation.
Use of the invention Drawings 1-3 inclusive reveal the construction of the invention in an aquatic mode.
The Plan View-Figure 1 From the specification of the Plan Elevation it is evident that in an aquatic mode, the invention may be comfortably used to carry a minimum of two persons. The craft is propelled by oars which are accommodated in rowlocks (Item 12) with the oarsman sitting on the central thwart (Item 6) and any passenger has the benefit of another thwart (Item 2) which is located at the stern of the craft. The Plan Elevation also illustrates the hingeing device (Item 4) that holds the craft together when unfolded and illustrates the method of holding the two unfolded sections together by means of retaining bolts (Item 5). The central thwart is also foam filled in order to provide natural buoyancy (Item 6). A device at the bow (Item 7) is provided for the purposes of attaching a Painter (securing line) should the craft need to be tied up at destination. (Item 11) The End Elevation-Figure 2 This reveals a flat stern to which an outboard motor may be added if necessary.
Skegs (Item 9) also form a very important element of the design which makes the craft more stable and less susceptible to lateral movement when used in a tideway or in less experienced hands. An essential part of the safety aspect.
The Side Elevation-Figure 3 Again this illustrates the positioning of the skegs ( (Item 9) the fixed buoyancy chambers in {he central thwart (Item 6) the bolted fixing device (Item 5) and the position of the rowlock (Item 12) which is located in a hole (Item 3) and which provides the motive power of the craft. This elevation also illustrates the closing method (Item 10) which is used when the invention is used in the transportation mode thus keeping the container closed and the contents completely safe.
A Side Elevation of the Craft closed in transportation mode-Figure 4 This illustrates the aerodynamic qualities of the invention when used as a vehicle roof mounted method of transportation.
A sketch of the craft in unfolded aquatic Mode-Figure 5 Quite simply reveals the invention unfolded and ready for use as a boat.
A sketch illustrating the ease of changing the state of the invention from Stowage Container to Boat-Figure 6 This by way of broken lines demonstrates that the invention simply unfolds and is bolted together to form a Boat.