System and conversion kit for a boat towable floating mat

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a kit for attachment to a foam floatation mat for towing of the mat behind a motorboat. The kit includes binding plates for mounting to the flotation mat, the binding plates located proximate the first laterally extending edge and the also further away from the first laterally extending edge. The first binding plate secured to the mat is folded over atop another binding plate at which time fastening hardware is received into the aligned plurality of through holes joining together all the binding plates. Tow ropes are passed through an aligned plurality of tow rope holes such that two tow ropes are secured to the binding plates by at least one of a tow rope knot or fastening hardware.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A kit for attachment to a foam floatation mat for towing of the mat behind a motorboat, the kit comprising:
 a first and second binding plate for mounting to the flotation mat proximate the first laterally extending edge, the first and second binding plates comprising;   (i) a length less than the span of the first laterally extending edge of the mat;   (ii) a plurality of aligned through holes, the plurality of through holes comprising at least two tow rope through holes;   (iii) the first binding plate disposed against a top face of the mat;   (iv) the second binding plate disposed beneath the first binding plate and against a bottom face of the mat; and   (v) a plurality of fasteners received into the plurality of aligned through holes securing the first and second binding plates to one another and to the mat;   a third and fourth binding plate for mounting to the flotation mat, the third and fourth binding plates disposed a distance further away from the first laterally extending edge than the first and second binding plates, the third and fourth binding plates comprising;   (i) a length equivalent to the first and second binding plates;   (ii) a plurality of aligned through holes, the plurality of holes configured for alignment with the plurality of holes in the first and second binding plates;   (iii) the third binding plate disposed against the top face of the mat;   (iv) the fourth binding plate disposed beneath the third binding plate and against the bottom face of the mat; and   (v) a plurality of fasteners received into the plurality of aligned holes securing the third and fourth binding plates to the mat; wherein,   the first binding plate secured to the mat is folded over atop the third binding plate at which time fastening hardware is received into the aligned plurality of through holes joining together all four of the binding plates.   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the binding plates are fabricated from HDPE. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening hardware comprises a separate eye bolt passing through each of the at least two tow rope holes. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 3 , wherein an eye of each eye bolt is disposed proximate the fourth binding plate. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein a separate tow rope passes sequentially through two of the aligned holes of the fourth, third, first and second binding plates before a knot is tied in the tow rope holes preventing extraction of the knot through the aligned holes in the four binding plates. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second binding plates are disposed in the range of about 2 to 4 inches away from the first laterally extending edge. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the third and fourth binding plates are disposed in the range of about 40 to 44 inches away from the first laterally extending edge. 
     
     
         8 . A kit for attachment to a foam flotation mat for towing of the mat behind a motorboat; the kit comprising:
 a first and second binding plate for mounting to the mat proximate the first laterally extending edge, the first and second binding plates comprising;   (i) a length less than the span of the first laterally extending edge;   (ii) a plurality of aligned through holes, the plurality of through holes comprising at least two tow rope holes;   (iii) the first binding plate disposed against a top face of the mat;   (iv) the second binding plate disposed beneath the first binding plate and against a bottom face of the mat; and   (v) at least two fasteners received into the plurality of aligned holes securing the first and second binding plates to the mat and to one another;   a third and fourth binding plate for mounting to the flotation mat, the third and fourth binding plates disposed a distance further away from the first laterally extending edge than the first and second binding plates, the third and fourth binding plates comprising;   (i) a length less than the span of the first laterally extending edge;   (ii) a plurality of aligned through holes, the plurality of through holes comprising at least two tow rope holes, the plurality of holes configured for alignment with the plurality of through holes in the first and second binding plates;   (iii) the third binding plate disposed against the top face of the mat;   (iv) the fourth binding plate disposed directly beneath the third binding plate and against the bottom face of the mat; and   (v) at least two fasteners received into the plurality of aligned holes securing the third and fourth binding plates to the mat and to one another; wherein,   the first binding plate and mat are folded over atop the third binding plate wherein separate tow ropes are received into the two tow rope holes with each tow rope passing sequentially through the tow rope holes of the fourth, third, first and second binding plates before a knot is tied at an end of each tow rope preventing extraction of the knot through the aligned holes in the four binding plates.   
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the foam mat comprises a second laterally extending edge opposite the first laterally extending edge as well as first and second longitudinally extending edges. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein each tow rope knot is greater in diameter than the tow rope through hole. 
     
     
         11 . A system for attachment to a foam flotation mat for towing of the mat behind a motorboat; the system comprising:
 a first and second binding plate for mounting to the mat proximate the first laterally extending edge, the first and second binding plates comprising;   (i) a length less than the span of the first laterally extending edge;   (ii) a plurality of aligned through holes, the plurality of through holes comprising at least two tow rope holes;   (iii) the first binding plate disposed against the top face of the mat;   (iv) the second binding plate disposed beneath the first binding plate and against the bottom face of the mat; and   (v) at least two fasteners received into the plurality of aligned holes securing the first and second binding plates to the mat and to one another;   a third and fourth binding plate for mounting to the flotation mat, the third and fourth binding plates disposed a distance further away from the first laterally extending edge than the first and second binding plates, the third and fourth binding plates comprising;   (i) a length less than the span of the first laterally extending edge;   (ii) a plurality of aligned through holes, the plurality of through holes comprising at least two tow rope holes, the plurality of holes configured for alignment with the plurality of through holes in the first and second binding plates;   (iii) the third binding plate disposed against a top face of the mat;   (iv) the fourth binding plate disposed directly beneath the third binding plate and against a bottom face of the mat; and   (v) at least two fasteners received into the plurality of aligned holes securing the third and fourth binding plates to the mat and to one another, wherein   the first binding plate and mat are folded over atop the third binding plate wherein fastening hardware is received into the aligned plurality of tow rope holes such that two tow ropes are secured to the four binding plates at the two aligned sets of tow rope holes by at least one of a tow rope knot or fastening hardware.   
     
     
         12 . A system for attachment to a foam flotation mat for towing of the mat behind a motorboat; the system comprising:
 first and second opposed laterally extending edges of the foam flotation mat;   a first binding plate disposed within a cutout in the foam flotation mat proximate the first laterally extending edge, the first binding plate further comprising at least two through holes therein;   a second binding plate disposed within a cutout in the foam flotation mat a distance further away from the first laterally extending edge than the first binding plate, the second binding plate further comprising at least two through holes therein, wherein the first laterally extending edge is folded over such that a top surface of the first binding plate is disposed directly over a top surface of the second binding plate thereby aligning the through holes in the first and second binding plates; and   a rigid fastener received into the at least two aligned through holes of the first and second binding plate securing the two binding plates into position, wherein a first end of a tow rope is fastened to each rigid fastener and a second end of the tow rope is fastened to the motorboat.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second binding plates are fabricated from a rigid, corrosion resistant material. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a top surface and a lower surface of the first and second binding plates are overlain with a cover layer that is similar in appearance to a cover layer of the flotation mat. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the upper and lower cover layers of the first and second binding plates are secured to the binding plates and the cover layers with at least one of adhesive, tape, or stitching. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the rigid fastener is an eyebolt with an eye of the eyebolt extending downwardly into the water with the tow rope secured to the eye of the eyebolt. 
     
     
         17 . A system for attachment to a foam flotation mat for towing of the mat behind a motorboat; the system comprising:
 first and second laterally extending edges of the foam flotation mat;   a first binding plate disposed within a cutout in the foam flotation mat proximate the first laterally extending edge, the first binding plate further comprising at least two through holes therein; and   a second binding plate disposed within a cutout in the foam flotation mat a distance further away from the first laterally extending edge than the first binding plate, the second binding plate further comprising at least two through holes therein, wherein the first laterally extending edge of the mat is folded over such that a top surface of the first binding plate is disposed directly over a top surface of the second binding plate thereby aligning the through holes in the first and second binding plates, wherein a first end of a tow rope is passed through the aligned through holes and knotted such that the knot exceeds the diameter of the aligned through holes and the second end of the tow rope is secured to the motor boat.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the first and second binding plates are overlain with a cover layer that is essentially identical in color and texture to a cover layer of the flotation mat and the cover layers further comprise through holes aligned with the through holes of the binding plates. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein a first end of the tow rope is routed through the through holes of the upper and lower surface cover layers as well as the binding plates wherein a knot is tied into the first end above the first binding plate with the tow rope extending downwardly into the water with the second end secured to the motorboat. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second binding plates are held in position within their respective cutouts with at least one of glue, tape, and stitching.