Mobile boat dolly

A straddle-type mobile boat dolly comprising, in combination:

• (a) a horizontal frame member comprising spaced parallel port and starboard main frames and a forward converging frame portion;
• (b) means for hitching said frame member to a towing mechanism;
• (c) running gear mounted on said frame member for supporting said dolly with freedom for over-land movement between points of dry storage and launching and/or hauling;
• (d) fore and aft pairs of port and starboard lift pad assemblies each including a piston/cylinder combination fixedly mounted on said frame member along the port and starboard sides thereof and a vertically extendable and retractable lift pad pivotally secured thereto for engagement with the hull of a boat and for support of the boat during transport;
• (e) actuating means mounted on said dolly and coupled to each of said piston and cylinder combinations for extending and retracting said lift pads;
• (f) flexible strap defining means fixedly secured at one end to one of said port and starboard main frames;
• (g) means for releasably securing the free end of said flexible strap defining means to the other of said port and starboard main frames with said flexible strap defining means spanning the space between said port and starboard main frames and extending beneath the keel of a boat supported on said dolly for preventing spreading of said port and starboard main frames during loading and/or transport of a boat on said dolly;
• (h) means for adjusting the effective length of said flexible strap defining means to accommodate boats having differing beam widths and/or hull configurations;
• and,
• (i) vertically upstanding beam-like outrigger defining means removably secured to said frame member with freedom for selective mounting on said frame member adjacent either the port or starboard side of said dolly, said outrigger defining means being adjustable inwardly towards and outwardly away from the longitudinal fore/aft centerline of said dolly to a selected one of a plurality of fixed positions approximately equal to one-half the beam width of the boat to be loaded on said dolly.

A flexible adjustable tensioning system for use with a load supporting system of the type having a pair of spaced support frame members each including a vertically adjustable load supporting lift pad assembly including:

• (i) a vertical tube-like guide member integral with respective ones of said spaced support frame members;
• (ii) a piston/cylinder combination having its cylinder mounted in said guide member;
• (iii) a pivot roller mounted on the free end of said piston and normal thereto;
• and (iv), a cushioned lift pad pivotally connected to said pivot roller, said tensioning system including a flexible web-like strap formed of synthetic material extending over said pivot rollers associated with each of said lift pad assemblies, a take-up/pay-out reel mounted on one of said frame members outboard of said vertical guide member mounted thereon, said strap having one end secured to said reel for permitting take-up and/or pay-out of said strap, first attachment means fixedly secured to the other of said frame members outboard of said vertical guide member mounted thereon, and second attachment means secured to the other end of said strap for releasable interconnection with said first attachment means whereby said strap spans the space between said spaced support frame members in underlying relation to the load supported on said lift pad assemblies and in snug conformity to the load and serves to prevent spreading of said frame members relative to one another and outward bending of said lift pad assemblies as a result of the load mounted thereon and whereby when said pistons are retracted and said lift pads are lowered, said strap is loosened, thereby permitting ease of disconnection of said first and second attachment means.