Swivel mounts for attaching and maneuvering accessories over the gunnel of a boat or any other mounting surface
Swivel mounts, mounting assemblies for boating accessories, and boats having such are disclosed. The swivel mounts include a support member, a mounting member, and a swivel element for enabling the mounting member to swivel relative to the support member. In some cases, a trolling motor mount bracket and/or a trolling motor may be coupled to the swivel mount. In further embodiments, the swivel mount may be coupled to a surface of a boat, such as but not limited to a boat gunnel. In particular, a swivel mount may be configured and disposed above an upward facing surface of the gunnel such that a mounting member of the swivel mount is able to swivel about an axis that is perpendicular to and passes through the upward facing surface of the gunnel. Mounting members having a hole pattern to accommodate different types of trolling motors is also provided.
1 . A boat, comprising:
a gunnel having an upward-facing surface;
a rotating trolling motor mount bracket above the upward-facing surface of the gunnel, the bracket comprising:
an upper plate having a proximal end and a distal end, the upper plate being configured to rotate about an axis, wherein the axis (a) is substantially perpendicular to the upward-facing surface of the gunnel and an upward-facing surface of the upper plate, and (b) is closer to the proximal end than to the distal end;
wherein a length of the upper plate from the proximal end to the distal end is at least double a width of the upper plate; and
a lower plate fastened to the upward-facing surface of the gunnel by at least one connector, the at least one connector extending through the upward-facing surface of the gunnel; and
a trolling motor mount attached to the upper plate at two or more attachment points, wherein every attachment point on the upper plate is on the side of the axis that is closer to the distal end of the upper plate.
2 . The boat of claim 1 , wherein the bracket further comprises a bushing above, and attached to, an upper surface of the lower plate.
3 . The boat of claim 2 , wherein the upper plate is above the bushing and the upper plate is attached to both the bushing and the lower plate by at least one connector that extends through:
(a) the bushing; and
(b) the upper surface of the lower plate.
4 . The boat of claim 1 , wherein the bracket further comprises a reinforcement plate below a downward-facing surface of the gunnel, and the reinforcement place is attached to the lower plate by the at least one connector.
5 . The boat of claim 1 , wherein a trolling motor mount is attached to the upper plate of the bracket by at least one second connector, the at least one second connector extending through an upward facing surface of the upper plate.
6 . The boat of claim 5 , wherein the trolling motor mount is part of a trolling motor assembly, wherein the trolling motor assembly further comprises:
a moveable structure with an annular opening; and
a trolling motor having a shaft slidingly received within the annular opening, wherein the moveable structure is configured such that the shaft is able to move between at least two positions, wherein in a first position the shaft is arranged substantially perpendicular with a horizontal surface of the upper plate, and wherein in a second position the shaft is arranged substantially parallel with the horizontal surface of the upper plate.
7 . The boat of claim 5 , wherein the trolling motor mount forms a base of a quick-release trolling motor mount, and wherein the base is configured to receive:
(1) a releasable mount of the quick-release trolling motor mount; and
(2) a locking pin of the quick-release trolling motor mount, wherein the locking pin is configured to secure the releasable mount to the base.
8 . The boat of claim 1 , wherein the upper plate of the bracket is an elongated upper plate comprising:
a first portion that includes the proximal end and is over and above the lower plate such that the axis about which the upper plate rotates passes through a region encircled by the first portion; and
a second portion that includes the distal end and extends from the first portion in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axis.
9 . The boat of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the upper plate is attached to the lower plate by at least one connector that extends through the upper surface of the lower plate.
10 . An assembly, comprising:
a rotating mount having a mounting plate, a support plate, and a rotating element coupled together such that the mounting plate is able to rotate relative to the support plate about an axis passing through the support plate or through a region encircled by the support plate;
an adapter bracket connected to a portion of the mounting plate, wherein the bracket is attached to the mounting plate by one or more connectors through an upward facing surface of the mounting plate, wherein a distal end of the mounting plate is further from the axis than a proximal end of the mounting plate, and wherein each of the one or more connectors is closer to the distal end than the axis is to the distal end;
a deploy/stow bracket attached to the mounting plate via the adapter bracket; and
a trolling motor having its shaft slidingly received within an annular opening of the deploy/stow bracket, wherein the deploy/stow bracket is configured such that the shaft is able to move between at least two positions, wherein in a first position the shaft is substantially perpendicular with a horizontal surface of the adapter bracket and in a second position the shaft is substantially parallel with the horizontal surface of the adapter bracket.
11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the mounting plate is elongated and comprises:
a first portion disposed over and above the support plate and encompassing the rotating element such that the axis about which the mounting plate rotates passes through the first portion of the elongated mounting plate; and
a second portion extending from the first portion.
12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein a length of the elongated mounting plate is at least twice a length of the support plate.
13 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the mounting plate is fastened to the support plate by one or more bolts or screws through the upper surface of the support plate.
14 . A trolling motor mount assembly, comprising:
a rotating mount comprising an elongated mounting plate, a support plate, and a rotator coupled together such that the elongated mounting plate is rotatable relative to the support plate about an axis passing through the support plate, wherein the support plate has a length less than or equal to half a length of the elongated mounting plate; and
a trolling motor mounting bracket overlying a portion of the mounting plate without overlaying the axis about which the mounting plate rotates.
15 . The trolling motor mount assembly of claim 14 , wherein the trolling motor mounting bracket is a mounting base of a trolling motor assembly, and wherein the trolling motor assembly further comprises:
a moveable structure; and
a trolling motor having a shaft slidingly received within an annular opening of the moveable structure, wherein the moveable structure is configured such that the shaft is able to move between at least two positions, wherein in a first position the shaft is substantially perpendicular with a horizontal surface of the mounting base, and in a second position the shaft is substantially parallel with the horizontal surface of the mounting base.
16 . The trolling motor mount assembly of claim 14 , wherein the trolling motor mounting bracket is a base of a quick-release bracket, wherein the trolling motor mounting bracket is configured to receive a releasable mount of the quick-release bracket and further receive a locking pin of the quick-release bracket to secure the releasable mount.
17 . The trolling motor mount assembly of claim 14 , wherein the trolling motor mounting bracket is fastened to the mounting plate by one or more bolts or screws through an upward facing surface of the mounting plate.
18 . The trolling motor mount assembly of claim 14 , wherein the mounting plate is an elongated mounting plate comprising:
a first portion disposed over and above the support plate and encompassing the rotator such that the axis about which mounting plate rotates passes through a region encircled by the first portion; and
a second portion extending from the first portion.
19 . The trolling motor mount assembly of claim 18 , wherein the first portion of the mounting plate is fastened to the support plate by one or more bolts or screws through the upper surface of the support plate.
20 . A rotating trolling motor mount bracket for attachment to an upward-facing surface of a gunnel, the bracket comprising:
an elongated upper plate configured to rotate about an axis, wherein the axis:
(a) is substantially perpendicular to an upward-facing surface of the upper plate; and
(b) passes through the upward-facing surface of the upper plate or a region encircled by the upward-facing surface of the upper plate;
wherein, a length of the upper plate is at least two times a width of the upper plate,
the upper plate having a distal end and a proximal end,
wherein the proximal end is closer to the axis than the distal end,
wherein the upper plate has a plurality of attachment points for attaching a trolling motor or a trolling motor mount, wherein the plurality of attachment points are holes that pass through the upper plate, wherein all of the plurality of attachment points are closer to the distal end than the axis is to the distal end; and
a lower plate rotatably attached to the upper plate by at least one connector for rotation of the upper plate about the axis.
21 . The bracket of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of attachment points comprises a hole pattern to accommodate at least two different types of trolling motors, and wherein the upper plate includes a through hole for a locking pin assembly.
22 . The bracket of claim 21 , wherein the upper plate and the lower plate comprise a T6 hardened aluminum alloy.
23 . The bracket of claim 21 , wherein the bracket comprises a locking pin assembly inserted into the through hole.
24 . The bracket of claim 23 , wherein the locking pin assembly is spring-loaded and a locking pin of the locking pin assembly is oriented perpendicular to the axis.
25 . The bracket of claim 24 , wherein the bracket further comprises a bushing above, and attached to, an upper surface of the lower plate, wherein the upper plate is above the bushing and the upper plate is attached to both the bushing and the lower plate by at least one connector, wherein the at least one connector extends through (a) the bushing and (b) the upper surface of the lower plate, and wherein a length of the lower plate is no more than half the length of the upper plate and the lower plate has a plurality of gunnel attachment points for attachment to a gunnel.