Low-profile folding push-pole holders

Abstract

A folding push-pole holder for recreational boats and the like has a flush-mounted body member, a foldable hook member and a detent mechanism. The flush-mounted body member has facilities for mounting on an associated boat surface, requiring only screw-diameter holes drilled in the boat surface. The foldable hook member lies flat when not in use, and upright when extended for holding a pole. A detent mechanism keeps the foldable hook member in either the extended or retracted position until it is changed by a force exerted on the foldable hook member.

1 . A folding pole holder for a boat, the folding pole holder comprising:
 a flush mounted body member;   a hook member hingedly coupled to the flush mounted body member; and   a detent, the detent holding the hook member either in an extended position or in a retracted position until changed by an outside force.   
     
     
         2 . The folding pole holder of  claim 1 , wherein the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by a plurality of screws, the screws passing through the flush mounted body and into a surface of the boat. 
     
     
         3 . The folding pole holder of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member has a plurality of threaded studs and the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by the threaded studs passing through a surface of the boat and the threaded studs are held in place by a plurality of nuts. 
     
     
         4 . The folding pole holder of  claim 1 , wherein the detent comprises one or more spring loaded balls, the spring loaded balls urged into longitudinal grooves formed in the hook member. 
     
     
         5 . The folding pole holder of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more spring loaded balls are held within cavities of the flush mounted body member by cover plates that are held to a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member by screws. 
     
     
         6 . The folding pole holder of  claim 1 , wherein the a hook member is hingedly coupled to the flush mounted body member by a pin, the pin passing through a first hole in the flush mounted body member, passing through a longitudinal bore in the hook member and held in a second hole in the flush mounted body member. 
     
     
         7 . A folding pole holder for a boat, the folding pole holder comprising:
 a flush mounted body member having a means for attaching to a surface of a boat;   a hook member;   a means for hingedly interfacing the hook member to the flush mounted body member whereby the hook member does not require holes to be cut in the surface of the boat for allowing the hook member to extend and retract; and   a means for holding the hook member in either an extended position or in a retracted position until changed by an outside force.   
     
     
         8 . The folding pole holder of  claim 7 , further comprising a means for mounting the flush mounted body member to the surface of the boat. 
     
     
         9 . The folding pole holder of  claim 8 , wherein the means for mounting is a plurality of screws, the screws passing through the flush mounted body and into a surface of the boat. 
     
     
         10 . The folding pole holder of  claim 8 , wherein the means for mounting includes a plurality of threaded studs extending from a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member and the threaded studs pass through the surface of the boat and the threaded studs are held in place by a plurality of nuts. 
     
     
         11 . The folding pole holder of  claim 7 , wherein the means for holding is a detent mechanism, the detent mechanism comprising one or more spring loaded balls, the spring loaded balls urged into longitudinal grooves formed in the hook member. 
     
     
         12 . The folding pole holder of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more spring loaded balls are held within cavities of the flush mounted body member by cover plates that are held to a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member by screws. 
     
     
         13 . The folding pole holder of  claim 7 , wherein the means for hingedly interfacing includes a pin passing through a first hole in the flush mounted body member, passing through a longitudinal bore in the hook member and held in a second hole in the flush mounted body member. 
     
     
         14 . A folding pole holder for a boat, the folding pole holder comprising:
 a flush mounted body member having a generally oval shaped central opening, one side of the central opening being substantially flat, the flush mounted body member having a hinge hole near one end of the substantially flat side and a hinge threaded hole near a distal end of the substantially flat side;   a hook member having a linear edge for interfacing with the flush mounted body member, the hook member has a longitudinal bore local to the linear edge and one or more longitudinal grooves;   a hinge pin, the hinge pin going through the hinge hole, through the longitudinal bore of the hook member and held in the threaded hole; and   a detent mechanism in the flush mounted body member, the detent mechanism having a detent member that is urged into one of the longitudinal grooves when the hook member is rotated about the hinge pin and the one of the longitudinal grooves faces the detent mechanism.   
     
     
         15 . The folding pole holder of  claim 14 , wherein the flush mounted body member has a plurality of mounting holes and the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by a plurality of screws, the screws passing through the mounting holes and into a surface of the boat. 
     
     
         16 . The folding pole holder of  claim 14 , wherein a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member has a plurality of threaded studs and the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by the threaded studs passing through a surface of the boat and the threaded studs are held in place by a plurality of nuts. 
     
     
         17 . The folding pole holder of  claim 14 , wherein the detent mechanism comprises one or more balls, the balls being biased by springs, the balls urged into longitudinal grooves by the springs. 
     
     
         18 . The folding pole holder of  claim 17 , wherein the one or balls and springs are held within cavities of the flush mounted body member by cover plates that are held to a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member by screws.