Self-righting power-driven aquatic vehicle

Abstract

A low draft, hydroplane-like vehicle in which the engine and associated equipment is so located in the hull that the engine not only drives a jet pump to power the vehicle but the weight .Iadd.and location .Iaddend.of the engine and associated equipment.[.imparts an.]..Iadd., relative to the center of buoyancy of the vehicle, renders the vehicle stable only when it is in an upright position, and the vehicle will immediately right itself from any overturned position. In addition, the weight and location of the engine and associated equipment imparts an .Iaddend.imbalance to the vehicle except when a user is mounted thereon. Due to this imbalance .[.the vehicle is stable only when in an upright position, and will immediately right itself from any overturned position. A further result of this imbalance is that.]. the bow is submerged to a substantially greater depth than the stern when a user is not mounted on the vehicle, and as a result the vehicle will slowly circle should the user be inadvertently displaced therefrom. Such slow circling permits the user by swimming a short distance to recapture the vehicle.

I claim: 
     
       1. A power-driven aquatic vehicle of the type in which a user stands in an upright position thereon and which includes a hollow, elongate, buoyant hull defined by a bottom, side walls, stern, bow, deck, and removable hood that cooperatively define a confined space within the interior thereof; a jet pump and pivotally supported nozzle assembly mounted on said hull adjacent said stern; a drive shaft connected to said pump and extending forwardly into said confined space; means for guiding said vehicle by pivoting said nozzle as said pump discharges a jet of water rearwardly therethrough, said vehicle being characterized by a. an engine and associated equipment for operating said engine, which engine is connected to said drive shaft, with said engine and associated equipment being of substantial weight and so located in said confined space as to not only drive said drive shaft, but to cooperate with said hull to maintain said bow in a lower position in the water than said stern except when a user is standing on said deck, which .[.hull.]. bow, due to said lower position offers greater resistance to the passage through water than said stern to cause said vehicle to circle in said water should a user of said vehicle be inadvertently displaced therefrom, and with the positioning of said engine and associated equipment being so related to said hull that the center of buoyancy of said hull is above the center of gravity of said hull to cause said vehicle to immediately pivot to an upright position in the water after it has been inadvertently overturned and is free from said user. .Iadd. 2. A power-driven aquatic vehicle comprising:   a hollow, elongated buoyant hull having a stern and a bow and defining an operator space adjacent said stern to accommodate the vehicle operator;   a jet pump mounted on said hull adjacent said stern;   an engine carried by said hull for operating said jet pump, said engine being located forwardly of said operator space, the weight of said engine and other components of the vehicle located forwardly of said operator space being sufficient, in the absence of a vehicle operator in said operator space, to dispose said bow deep enough in the water to offer greater resistance to passage through the water than said stern thereby to swing said bow to one side and cause said vehicle to circle, the weight of said engine and other components of the vehicle located forwardly of said operator space being sufficient to balance the weight of a vehicle operator and components located rearwardly of said operator space so that said vehicle tends to follow a straight path when said operator space is occupied by a vehicle operator;   an elongated steering arm having a lower end pivotally connected to said hull and an upper end movable between an upwardly inclined upper position and a substantially horizontal lower position; and   steering means carried at said upper end, said steering means being operable in said lower position of said steering arm by an operator located in the water adjacent said stern, said steering means further being operable in said upper position of said steering arm by an operator standing on the portion of said hull defining said operator space. .Iaddend..Iadd. 3. An aquatic vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the bottom of said hull includes a plurality of longitudinally extending concavities defining transversely spaced apart longitudinal edges operative to provide improved lift. .Iaddend..Iadd. 4. An aquatic vehicle according to claim 2 wherein said hull is formed of two longitudinally extending glass fiber sections bonded together along a pair of flanged portions extending about the periphery of said hull. .Iaddend..Iadd. 5. A power-driven aquatic vehicle comprising:   a hollow, elongated buoyant hull having a stern and a bow and defining an operator space adjacent said stern to accommodate the vehicle operator;   an elongated steering arm having a lower end pivotally connected to said hull and an upper end freely movable about a horizontal axis, between an upwardly inclined upper position and a substantially horizontal lower position, said steering arm being buoyant and thereby tending to rise when submerged, said steering arm further including steering means carried at said upper end of said steering arm and operable in said lower position of said steering arm by an operator located in the water adjacent said stern, said steering means further being pivotable about a vertical axis in said upper position of said steering arm by an operator standing on the portion of said hull defining said operator space; and   an engine carried by said hull, the center of gravity of said engine and other components of said vehicle, relative to the center of buoyancy of said hull, being operative with said steering arm to urge said hull to an upright position if overturned. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 6. A power-driven aquatic vehicle comprising:   a hollow, elongated buoyant hull having a stern and a bow and defining an operator space adjacent said stern to accommodate the vehicle operator;   an elongated buoyant steering arm having a lower end pivotally connected to said hull and an upper end freely movable between an upwardly inclined upper position and a substantially horizontal lower position; and   an engine carried by said hull, the center of gravity of said engine and other components of said vehicle, relative to the center of buoyancy of said hull, being operative to urge said hull to an upright position if overturned, said engine being located forwardly of said operator space, the weight of said engine and other components of the vehicle located forwardly of said operator space being sufficient, in the absence of a vehicle operator in said operator space, to dispose said bow deep enough in the water to offer greater resistance to passage through the water than said stern thereby to swing said bow to one side and cause said vehicle to circle, the weight of said engine and other components of the vehicle located forwardly of said operator space being sufficient to balance the weight of a vehicle operator and components located rearwardly of said operator space so that said vehicle tends to follow a straight path when said operator space is occupied by a vehicle operator. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 7. An aquatic vehicle according to claim 5 wherein said hull is formed of two longitudinally extending glass fiber sections bonded together along a pair of flanged portions lying in the same plane and extending about the periphery of said hull. .Iaddend.