Abstrict A crayfish harvester boat apparatus having a principal boat portion
open ended with side walls and a bottom portion defining a container
and occupant space therewithin; a pair of rear drive wheels hingedly
mounted to the rear portion of the boat, and a steering wheel hingedly
mounted to the front portion of the boat, the rear drive wheels
in front steering wheel so mounted to the boat so that upon application
of pressure, the boat can be lifted from position flat against the
ground to a position substantially above the location of the rear
drive wheels and front steering wheels; the power means including
hydraulically controlled pistons for lowering and raising the boat
between positions. There is further included a power drive system
connected onto the rear drive wheels for providing a plurality of
drive speeds to the apparatus as it is propelled on land or in water.
Claims What is claimed as invention is:
1. An apparatus, movable upon land an in water, for harvesting
crayfish, comprising:
a. a container portion having side walls and a floor for remaining
bouyant on the surface of a body of water;
b. steering means, mounted on the front of the container portion,
movable across substantially a 180 degree arc, including a wheel
member which makes contact with the bottom of the body of water
so that the container portion is steered substantially in the direction
of the steering means, the wheel member having a substantially smooth
surface for engaging the bottom of the body of water with a minimum
amount of friction;
c. power means, including a drive wheel for moving the apparatus
at a plurality of speeds, the drive wheel having a plurality of
transverse tread plates adhered to its surface for obtaining maximum
traction while contacting the bottom of the body of water, mounted
substantially on the rear of the container portion for forcibly
moving the container portion along the water as the drive wheel
makes contact with the water bottom; and
d. means interconnecting the steering means with the container
portion and the power means with the container portion for moving
the container portion from a first position, substantially at the
level of the power means and the steering means, so that the wheels
do not make contact with the bottom of the body of water and the
container portion floats in the water, to a second position resting
above the level of the power means and the steering means.
2. An apparatus, movable upon land and in water, for harvesting
crayfish, comprising:
a. a container portion having side walls and a bottom defining
a bouyant floatable structure;
b. power means, comprising a pair of hydraulically driven power
wheels positioned in relation to the rear of the container portion
for power driving the container portion as the power wheels make
contact with the bottom of the body of water or dry land, the power
wheels comprising a plurality of traction members secured substantially
perpendicular to the ground-contacting surface thereof for securing
maximum traction during movement of the apparatus over land or water;
c. steering means, positioned substantially to the front of the
container portion, comprising a free-rotating steering wheel movable
in substantially a 180 degree arc for steering the container portion
substantially in the direction of the steering wheel; and
d. means, interconnecting the power means and the container portion
and the steering means and the container portion for raising the
container portion to a position substantially above the level of
the power wheels and steering wheel, so that the container portion
may be propelled from water and over raised portions of land; and
e. a rigid bar member extendable between the front and rear portions
of the container portion for maintaining the structural integrity
of the container portion while the apparatus is moved along land,
yet providing an open area between the floor of the container portion
and the bar member.
3. The apparatus in claim 2 wherein the container portion is movable
to a position substantially at the level of the power wheels and
steering wheel following the movement of the container portion over
the raised land areas.
4. The apparatus in claim 2 wherein the container portion may
float within the body of water when positioning the power wheels
and steering wheel in a free moving position relative to the position
of the container portion.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present apparatus relates to harvesting crayfish. More particularly,
the present invention relates to an apparatus which has the unique
ability to harvest crayfish within the confines of a pond and yet
be self-propelled over the levees and banks from one pond to the
next without the use of outside vehicular assistance.
2. General Background
A principal industry within the state of Louisiana is the raising
and harvesting and selling of crayfish which are grown in vast quantities
in the lower lying areas in "ponds" which are often acreage
of land utilized in rice forming, which are flooded and are thriving
with crayfish within the confines of the land area. In order to
maintain the pond, i.e., the water confined within the area, dirt
levees are constructed around the land area so that the crayfish
may grow to full size and be harvested.
For the process engaged in harvesting the crayfish, what is normally
entailed is a series of wire traps placed beneath the water surface
of the pond in parallel rows throughout the acreage. The traps,
once baited, allow the crayfish to crawl into the trap to get to
the bait, but are so constructed that the crayfish can not exit
the trap and are therefore caught within the confines to be harvested
by the harvester. In order to facilitate the harvesting of the crayfish,
numerous methods have been utilized, the most successful being a
boat or the like .which is simply maneuvered between the traps while
one occupant of the boat pulls the trap up, the other occupant guides
the boat through the traps as their contents are harvested. What
has evolved from that practice is a particularly constructed boat
which includes often times front and rear mounted drive wheels which
make contact with the bottom of the shallow pond and propel the
boat along its course through the pond while the harvesting is taking
place. This particular apparatus has been found to be most useful
since it is able to be guided or run along the relatively straight
path and can not "float" off course since the wheels are
actually making contact with the bottom of the pond.
However, at the present time farmers who are using the aluminum
flat boats do not have the ability to transport the boat from one
pond to another since, in order to do so, one must cross the levees
and often times the boat must be moved to a pond which is a distance
away and therefore be transported over roads, bridges or fields.
At the present time, harvesters drag their boats with tractors or
transport them by trailers. This practice is very time consuming,
often results in damage to the boat and requires additional manpower
in order to somehow move the boat over the levees and onto the vehicle
for transport.
In addition to the boats that were before described in the harvest
of crayfish, several patents were obtained which relate to a boat
type vehicle having wheels in one fashion or another. These patents
are as follows:
U.S Pat. No. 2960056 issued to Puccinelli, entitled "Roadable
Boats", relates to a boat which can be operated on both land
and water without any change either in the propelling or the operating
of the machine. In addition, it has the ability to likewise be towed
as a trailer or driven into the water and operated as a motor boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3306249 issued to Chase, entitled "Propeller,
Rudder and Wheel Assembly For Boats" provides a combination
propeller, rudder and wheel assembly for boats employing a propeller
and intergrated wheel at each side of the boat, adapted for rotation
between two positions wherein the wheels are lowered as the propeller
and rudder are raised and vice-versa, facilitating operation of
the boat on water or on land without a trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2449320 issued to Raimondi, entitled "Land
And Water Vehicle", relates to improvement in the vehicle adapted
to be used for land and water transportation wherein four (4) wheels
are utilized for running on land, each of the wheels having two
opposed paddles providing locomotion in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4008679 issued to Bozzano, entitled "Motor
Boat Provided With Power Operated Retractable Wheels For Landing
on Beaches", relates to a motor boat provided so that the hull
of the boat is provided on its bottom with three (3) recesses disposed
in a tricycle arrangement. Each housing a retractable land wheel
shudders being provided operatively associated with a retractable
wheels to close the wheel housing recess each time the wheels are
retracted in the recesses in order to reestablish the continuity
of the hull bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3595199 issued to Faxas, entitled "Jet Propulsion
System For Amphibious Vehicle", presents a controlled water
jet as the prime motive force when water born provides elimination
of on-board pumps, uses one or more drive wheels or perferrably
pairs of opposing drive wheels as axial flow impellers whereby water
can be forced laterally inwardly or outwardly as the case may be
through the drive wheel in a flow direction which is parallel to
the axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 2606519 issued to Branco, entitled "Land And
Water Vehicle", which is designed to resemble a boat having
four (4) drive wheels provided with paddles to provide propulsion
means for the vehicle when traveling on the water and also to provide
drive means for the vehicle when traveling on land.
U.S. Pat. No. 3797446 issued to Cox, et al, entitled "Mobile
Power Unit" provides a device which includes a source of power
means engaged but with a travel surface to propel the source of
the power enlongated handle assemblies extended forwardly. The source
of power between which the operator is situated and means convenient
to the operator to control the source of power in a breaking assembly
incorporated with the unit.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The apparatus of the present invention solves the shortcomings
in the present state of the art in a straight forward manner. What
is provided is a crayfish harvester boat apparatus having a principal
boat portion open ended with side walls and a bottom portion defining
a container and occupant space therewithin; a pair of rear drive
wheels hingedly mounted to the rear portion of the boat, and a steering
wheel hingedly mounted to the front portion of the boat, the rear
drive wheels in front steering wheel so mounted to the boat so that
upon application of pressure, the boat can be lifted from position
flat against the ground to a position substantially above the location
of the rear drive wheels and front steering wheels; the power means
including hydraulically controlled pistons for lowering and raising
the boat between positions. There is further included a power drive
system connected onto the rear drive wheels for providing a plurality
of drive speeds to the apparatus as it is propelled on land or in
water. Further, the drive wheels further comprise a series of transverse
metal treads mounted on their drive surface for propelling the boat
over obstacles without resulting in bogging down of the appparatus.
Further, there may be provided a reinforcement member extending
the length of the boat for reinforcing the structural integrity
of the boat as it is propelled over obstacles from land to water
or water to land as the case may provide.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a crayfish harvester boat apparatus which allows the boat portion
of the apparatus to be lifted and lowered between certain positions;
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a crayfish
harvester boat apparatus which is hydraulically powered in both
sterring and propelling of the apparatus;
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide
a crayfish harvester boat apparatus which may be propelled from
water onto land, over levees and the like without the need for exterior
systems in the use of the apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention of the boat portion in the up position;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention of the boat portion in the down position;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention with the apparatus within the water;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention with the apparatus being propelled out
on the land;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention illustrating the apparatus crossing a levee;
FIG. 6 is a side view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention illustrating the apparatus traveling upon
land;
FIG. 7 is the top view of the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is an overall front partial view of the steering system
of the apparatus of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is an overall view of the propelling system of the apparatus
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1-9 illustrate the perferred embodiment of the apparatus
of the present invention illustrated by the numeral 10. Crayfish
harvester boat 10 generally comprises a main flat boat portion 12
which is a typical flat boat having left and right side walls 14
and 16 respectively, rear wall 18 and front rake portion 19 which
is curved upward to allow the boat to move easily in the water.
In the perferred embodiment, the wall portions and rake portion
constitute a foot to a foot and a half in height, and together with
the continuous bottom portion 20 define a cargo and occupant space
22 therewithin and bouyant in the water. Of course, the typical
flat boat may contain seating or the like within the confines of
space 22. Mounted on the rear wall 18 of flat boat 22 there is
seen in the FIGURES, particularly in FIG. 9 a mounting bracket
24 which is secured to the rear wall 18 via welding or the like,
and for mounting the drive means 26 as illustrated in the FIGURES.
Drive means 26 comprises a frame portion 28 which would include
a pair of frame members 29 and 30 which constitute elongated pipe
hingedly attached on their first end to mounts 24 as seen in top
view of FIG. 7 and on their second end to axle 32 housing drive
wheels 34 and 36 respectively. Further, there is included a transverse
mounting bar 31 running intermediate bars 29 and 30 to form a substantially
rectangular mount between drive wheels 34 and 36 and the boat 12.
As seen in side view and top view, the drive means 26 is hingedly
engaged to the mounting brackets 24 so that the entire mounting
system including the mounting frames 29 30 and axle 32 is moved
upward and downward as provided for in the use of the apparatus.
Movable mounting between the power wheels 26 and boat 12 is provided
by a hydraulic system 40 which comprises a standard hydraulic engine
42 for providing hydraulic fluid to a variety of pistons that will
be utilized in the apparatus. One such piston is piston 44 which
is seen in side view in FIG. 1 wherein one end of the piston is
connected to an upright mounting bracket 46 contained on central
mounting bar 33 and the second end of the piston is connected onto
a second upright bracket 48 firmly attached to the boat frame so
that pressurization and depressurization of hydraulic cylinder 44
with hydraulic fluid results in upward and downward movement between
the drive system 26 via frame 28 and relative to boat 12.
In the actual driving mechanism of the boat, the drive system 26
is provided with a transmission 50 which is directly mounted onto
the rear axle 32 via mounting frame 51 to the point of differential
35 for imparting direct power to drive wheels 34 and 36 respectively.
For purposes of brevity, it should be noted that transmission 50
is a multi-drive standard transmission, and is driven by hydraulic
motor 52 mounted thereupon likewise receiving power via hydraulic
lines 53 from hydraulic system 42. The multi-speed transmission
50 allows the mechanism to be utilized in a variety of speeds whether
it is within water or over roads or bridges or crossing levees.
Turning now to the steering system of boat 12 it should be noted
that the steering system 60 comprises a pair of main steering wheels
62 and 64 which are freely mounted to axle 66 axle 66 mounted within
frame 68. Frame 68 is hingedly mounted at point 69 to extended column
70 which extends on its first end from the front portion of boat
12 wherein it is hingedly attached thereto via hinge 72 so that
column 70 is able to impart upward and downward movement between
boat 12 and steering system 60. So as to facilitate the upward and
downward movement between steering system 60 and boat 12 there is
provided again hydraulic cylinder 74 which is attached between
mounting bracket 76 contained on frame 68 and mounting bracket 78
contained on the front portion of boat 12. Therefore, as with drive
mechanism 26 depressurization of cylinder 74 with hydraulic fluid
supplied by lines 75 and 77 likewise imparts upward and downward
movement between steering system 60 and boat 12.
In order to accommodate movement of steering wheels 62 and 64 in
the direction of Arrows 80 and 81 as seen in FIG. 7 there is further
provided an additional hydraulic steering means comprising hydraulic
cylinder 82 wherein piston 83 is mounted on its first end to mounting
bracket 84 rigidly mounted to steering frame 68 and on its second
end to mounting bracket 85 mounted on column 70. Again, pressurization
and depressurization of hydraulic cylinder 82 from hydraulic fluid
supplied via lines 86 and 88 would likewise impart movement to frame
68 and drive wheel 62 and 64 between left and right turning positions
as indicated by Arrows 80 and 81 in FIG. 7 through substantially
a 180 degree angle.
Returning to the actual structure of both the driving wheels and
the steering wheels, it should be noted in the FIGURES that drive
wheels 34 and 36 due to the fact that they must impart a driving
push to the apparatus as it is prepelled either within the mud bottom
in the pond or over the steep inclines of the levels or over bridges
or the like, structually wheels comprise approximately each a 14
inch width drive face having a plurality of transverse (perferrably
3 inch in depth), plates 37 rising perpendicular form the surface
of the face, to serve as a means for cutting into the surface upon
which they are moving in order to provide the necessary amount of
traction. On the other hand, steering wheels 62 and 64 may be 2
to 3 inches in width, and have a flat smooth surface since their
only purpose is to steer the apparatus, and since they are free
rotating wheels, do not require traction means such as the drive
wheels. In fact the less traction on the front wheels the more beneficial
since they would tend to climb levees or the like much easier without
such traction members mounted thereupon.
An additional structural feature of the boat portion of the apparatus,
is the presence of removable bar 90 which is mounted between the
rear top portion 91 of the boat and front top portion 92 of the
boat. Bar 90 comprises a substantially rectangular 1 inch square
rectangular bar which when placed in position as seen in FIG. 7
establishes a more rigid structure to the overall boat as the boat
is being moved over levees or the like. It has been found in the
utilization of the boat that movement of the boat in this manner
engages significant stress on the frame of the boat, and rather
than that stress being imparted into the actual skin of the boat
which may create rupture, the bar helps to take some of the stress
off of the boat itself and enable it to be transported over the
levees safely while not needed, bar 90 is easily removable.
The overall views particularly in views 1-6 illustrate apparatus
10 as it is being utilized in various conditions. For example, in
FIG. 1 and 2 it is readily seen that the reasons behind the fact
that the drive system 26 and steering system 60 are mounted onto
boat 12 via hinges which allows upward and downward movement relative
to one another. As an example in FIG. 2 boat 12 is flush onto surface
13 which may be the ground or the road. Upon activation of the hydraulic
cylinder 44 on the drive system 26 and hydraulic cylinder 74 on
the steering system 60 what occurs is that upon hydraulic cylinders
expanding the piston outwardly, since the wheels are fixed to the
ground, the boat must therefore be lifted to a position as seen
in FIG. 1 above the level of the ground to accomodate the expansion
of the hydraulic cylinders as seen in FIG. 1 as seen of particular
importance in FIGS. 3-6.
As seen in FIGS. 3 boat 12 is moving along the surface of the
pond with the drive wheels 34 and 36 propelling it along and steering
wheels 62 and 64 steering it in the proper direction. Since the
boat is enabled to be lifted above the surface 13 of pond 15 it
is not dragging in the mud and is not holding back progress of the
boat through the water, yet the boat is being propelled in a straight
direction according to the direction of steering wheels 62 and 64
as set by hydraulic cylinder 82. Again in FIG. 4 it is seen that
the boat is beginning to approach a levee 100 wherein hydraulic
cylinder 74 is retracted to move drive system 60 to a higher position
so that it may be propelled above levee 100 via drive wheels 34
and 36.
In FIG. 5 is seen that boat 12 has been lifted, due to the wide
expansion of cylinders 44 and 74 to a height so as to clear the
very top of levee 100 as the boat is moved from pond 15 onto dry
land 13 as seen in FIG. 5. This is of crucial importance since without
this ability to lift boat 12 to the position as seen in FIG. 5
one could not clear the level of the levee 100 and therefore could
do damage to the boat, cause it to become stalled atop the levee
and require a vehicle to pull it off of the levee if need be. Likewise,
in FIG. 6 boat 12 has cleared levee 100 and all that is required
is that the rear drive wheels 34 and 36 propel it completely over
levee 100 so that the boat can be replaced in the position as seen
in FIG. 1 for travel along level land.
Although FIG. 3 was discussed as illustrating boat 12 being powered
by drive wheels 34 and 36 FIG. 3 may also illustrate boat 12 placed
in the fully "floatable" position by placing the hydraulic
system in the 4th position, i.e., in the position so that no fluid
pressure is present in the hydraulic pistons. Therefore, the drive
wheels 34 and 36 and steering wheels 62 and 64 drop and make contact
with the surface beneath the water. As the boat floats along, the
wheels move upward and downwardly freely, following the terraine
below them and are used to power or steer boat 12. However, it should
be noted that drive wheels 34 and 36 if raided slightly under hydraulic
power may serve as "paddles" to propel the boat in the
water.
Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within
the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many
modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in
accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to
be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative
and not in a limiting sense.
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