Marine Lift for Multi-Hull Vessels
AssigneeRobertson & Caine (Pty), Ltd.
InventorsJohn Robertson, Alexander Simonis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Marine lift apparatus for raising and lowering vessels, platforms, and cargo are disclosed. A lift apparatus comprises a multi-component structure capable of movement, at least one flexible member, and at least one piston device. In some aspects, marine lift apparatus facilitates the level raising, lowering, and storing of vessels, platforms, and cargo. Lift apparatus mountable onto multi-hull vessels, such as catamarans, configured for lifting a combination swim and dinghy platform are also disclosed.
Claims19
A multi-hull vessel lift apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a pair of lift assemblies positioned in parallel, each lift assembly comprising:
- (i) a horizontally-oriented base attached to a multi-hull vessel, the base having a first base portion and a second base portion horizontally separated from the first base portion;
- (ii) a slide arm having a first slide arm end portion, a slide arm body, and a second slide arm end portion, the first slide arm end portion connected for sliding rotation to the first base portion;
- (iii) a link arm having a first link arm end portion, a link arm body, and a second link arm end portion, the first link arm end portion connected for rotation to the second base portion, the link arm body connected for rotation to the slide arm body;
- and
- (iv) a horizontally-oriented lifting bar having a first lifting bar end portion, a lifting bar body, and a lifting member, the second link arm end portion connected for rotation to the first lifting bar end portion, the second slide arm end portion connected for sliding rotation to the lifting bar body;
- and
- (b) a lifting mechanism configured to actuate at least one lift assembly, causing each of the lifting members to move between a raised position and a lowered position.
The lift apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lift apparatus is mounted generally parallel to the centerline of the multi-hull vessel.
A multi-hull vessel lift apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a lift assembly attached to a multi-hull vessel crossdeck, the lift assembly comprising:
- (i) a horizontally-oriented base attached to the multi-hull vessel, the base having a first base portion and a second base portion horizontally separated from the first base portion;
- (ii) a slide arm having a first slide arm end portion, a slide arm body, and a second slide arm end portion, the first slide arm end portion connected for sliding rotation to the first base portion;
- (iii) a link arm having a first link arm end portion, a link arm body, and a second link arm end portion, the first link arm end portion connected for rotation to the second base portion, the link arm body connected for rotation to the slide arm body;
- and
- (iv) a horizontally-oriented lifting bar having a first lifting bar end portion, a lifting bar body, and a lifting member, the second link arm end portion connected for rotation to the first lifting bar end portion, the second slide arm end portion connected for sliding rotation to the lifting bar body;
- (b) a lifting mechanism configured to actuate at least one lift assembly, causing the lifting member to move between a raised position and a lowered position;
- and
- (c) a platform connected to the lifting bar at the lifting member;
- wherein the platform is substantially level in the raised position and is substantially level in the lowered position and remains substantially level when moved between the raised position and the lowered position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.