TODAY’S PATENT – MODULAR RIGID INFLATABLE BOAT STRUCTURE

The MODULAR RIGID INFLATABLE BOAT STRUCTURE was invented by William H. Cochran (Stonington, CT) on 16^th February 1988, bearing the patent number US4724792A.

The present invention relates to an improved construction of a modular rigid inflatable aquatic vessel, and, specifically, to such a structure that will greatly facilitate assembly and disassembly while retaining most of the advantages of hitherto-proposed structures of this type. In addition, the structure of the invention will provide greater design flexibility in that the shape of the inflated shroud, tube or collar may be more varied and better economy of material because the stress on the attachment means of the shroud, tube or collar to the rigid hull module may be more widely distributed.

A boat of the type having a rigid hull portion is provided about the periphery thereof with a slotted retaining channel for receiving a first boltrope of a shroud which is provided on an opposite edge with a second, parallel boltrope; a plurality of individual slotted channel segments are attachable to the second boltrope and releasably attachable to the interior of the hull; inflatable bladders are disposed in and retained by the shroud.