Tilting ramp assembly for fishing vessels
OwnerViggo Mark, Matthew John Sikichinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tilting ramp assembly for fitting to fishing vessel for assisting in raising fishing nets, and launching and recovery of small boats. Assembly has fixed portion secured adjacent the stern of the vessel and moving portion hinged thereto with roller journalled at outer end. Hydraulic cylinder extends between fixed and moving portions for swinging the portions between raised and lowered positions. Spooling gear mounted on ramp assembly feeds rope smoothly onto winch and has spool guides which are removeable when the net is drawn up the ramp, and also serve as skiff guides when hauling skiff up ramp. When raising the net, ramp moves simultaneously from lowered position to raised positon as net swings upwards, reducing crushing of fish.
Claims10
A tilting ramp assembly adapted for fitting to a fishing vessel in which the fishing vessel has a central longitudinal axis and a transom at the stern thereof, the ramp assembly being adapted for attachment adjacent the transom, the ramp assembly having:
- a. a fixed portion secured to the vessel, the fixed portion having a first hinge portion including a pair of spaced parallel fixtures adapted to be secured adjacent the transom, each fixture having a bracket extending therefrom, the brackets having aligned bores,
- b. a moving portion having a second hinge portion complementary to the first hinge portion to form a hinge having a hinge axis concentric with the aligned bores of the fixed portion and disposed normally to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and generally horizontally when the vessel floats without list, so that the moving portion can be swung relative to the fixed portion between raised and lowered positions, the moving portion having a ramp platform with inner and outer ends which are relatively unrestricted to facilitate passage of items along tge ramp platform, the moving portion also including bearing means complementary to the brackets of the first hinge portion to form the hinge and provided adjacent the inner end of the ramp platform,
- c. first and second rollers provided generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the ramp platform, each roller being journalled for rotation about a respective central axis thereof disposed parallel to the hinge axis, the first roller being disposed on a side of the hinge axis remote from the second roller so that the first roller can swing below the hinge axis towards the water,
- d. powered means cooperating with the fixed and moving portions to swing the moving portion between the raised and lowered positions.
A tilting ramp assembly adapted for fitting to a fishing vessel, the ramp assembly having:
- a. a fixed portion secured to the vessel, the fixed portion having a first hinge portion,
- b. a moving portion having a second hinge portion complementary to the first hinge portion to form a hinge having a hinge axis disposed horizontally when the vessel floats without list so that the moving portion can be swung relative to the fixed portion between raised and lowered positions;
- the moving portion having a ramp platform with inner and outer ends which are relatively unrestricted to facilitate passage of items along the ramp platform,
- c. first and second rollers provided generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the ramp platform, each roller being journalled for rotation about a respective central axis thereof disposed parallel to the hinge axis, the first roller being disposed on a side of the hinge axis remote from the second roller so that the first roller can swing below the hinge axis towards the water,
- d. powered means cooperating with the fixed and moving portions to swing the moving portion between the raised and lowered positions,
- e. a spooling gear provided between the first and second rollers, the spooling gear having a pair of spaced sheaves and being adapted to reciprocate simultaneously across the ramp platform whilst feeding a rope therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.