US 5,183,282 A · Trailered cradle and boat/yacht managing method

Abstract

An improvement over my launcher/retriever cradle for trailered boats and my trailered boat cradle is accomplished by combining a cradle governor with the invention, the cradle governor replacing the old telescoping push/pull rod member of the invention. The cradle governor is a "break-back", fold up/out cradle launching/retrieving device. This new governor is essentially constructed of two hinged sections of rigid elongate material, a rearmost end of one of the .sections being pivotally connected to the keel support platform member of the invention. An elongated extensible governor lift is pivotally connected to the forward end of the remaining governor section and the other end of the governor lift is pivotally connected at a forward location upon the trailer. Winching the cradle onto the trailer, the retriever cable associated with the winch being connected to the governor, causes the governor lift to fold the forward hinged section of the governor even beyond an up-right position. The forward end of the governor forward section is slidingly captured within track capture means associated with the trailer when the governor forward section and the governor in general are in a prone position. A longitudinally compact trailered boat cradle is accomplished by this improved invention and under normal conditions no portion of the trailer need come into contact with water during the launching and recovering of a vessel.

An improved launcher/retriever boat cradle and trailered boat cradle of the type having a boat keel support platform;

a buoyant wheeled cross tee member being secured to the aft end of said boat keel support platform;
a winch means for launching and recovering said cradle;
a folding stabilizer pivotally secured to two vertical members of a second cross tee, said second cross tee being secured to a forward vertically secured member of said boat keel support platform, said folding stabilizer being also pivotally secured to a stabilizer platform, said stabilizer platform including side support members, said side support means having a slippery entrapment upon two rails;
wherein the improvement comprises:
(a) a wheeled chassis including a tow bar, said tow bar being pivotally attached to said chassis and having hitcher components thereof releasably connected to a towing vehicle;
(b) a pair of laterally spaced-apart primal rollers sandwiching a smaller diameter pilot roller, said primal rollers and pilot roller being rotatably mounted upon an initial axle;
(c) a pair of laterally spaced-apart primal guide brackets supporting said initial axle, said primal guide brackets being fixedly attached at a rear distal position upon siad chassis, said initial axle being laterally arranged with respect to said wheeled chassis, said primal guide brackets having inward facing surface areas extending above said primal rollers, said boat keel support platform resting upon said primal rollers and being aligned between said inward facing surface areas of said primal guide brackets;
(d) a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced-apart secondary rollers, each pair of said secondary rollers being rotatingly mounted upon a secondary axle;
(e) a pair of laterally spaced-apart alignment brackets supporting each of said secondary axles, said alignment brackets being fixedly attached upon said wheeled chassis, each of said secondary axles being laterally arranged with respect to said wheeled chassis, said alignment brackets having inward facing surface areas extending above said secondary rollers, said boat keel support platform resting upon said secondary rollers being aligned between said inward facing surface areas of said alignment brackets;
(f) an elongate skid platform, said skid platforms being longitudinally arranged and fixedly attached upon said chassis, said skid platform being medially arranged between said laterally spaced-apart secondary rollers;
(g) a track including longitudinally arranged parallel members fixedly attached upon said chassis;
(h) a break-back, fold up/out, cradle governor, said cradle governor including first elongate and second less elongate sections of rigid material, said governor first and second sections of rigid material being hinged together, said governor second section of rigid material having a rear distal end thereof pivotally connected to a forward end of said keel support platform, said governor being supported upon said pilot roller and captured between said primal rollers, said keel support platform moving rearward and relinquishing support upon said primal rollers, a pair of sliders fixedly attached at end points of a cross member of said governor first section of rigid material, a launcher cable, said launcher cable being attached to a launcher cable tie point at a forward end of said governor first section of rigid material, said launcher cable extending from said governor, training about launcher pulley members of said chassis and returning to said winch means, a retriever cable, said retriever cable being attached to a retriever cable tie point on said governor first section of rigid material, said retriever cable tie point being disposed below apertured hinge members of said governor first section of rigid material, said retriever cable extending to said winch means, said governor first and second sections of rigid material being formed to provide trench like spaces along the bottom surfaces thereof for receiving and housing lengths of said launcher and retriever cables;
and
(i) an elogated cradle governor lift, said lift including a rigid elongate tubular housing having a rigid elongate tubular insert slidingly inserted within a first open end thereof, said insert having a cantilevered boost member forming a distal end thereof and serving as a stop, said boost member of insert coming into contact with a surface area adjacent said first open end of said tubular housing, said boost member of insert member of lift being pivotally joined to a cantilevered lift bar, said lift bar forming an upper forward member of said governor first section of rigid material, said tubular housing having a second end thereof pivotally attached to brackets, said brackets being fixedly attached at a forward location upon said chassis, said lift maintaining said governor is a break-back and folded attitude, said keel support platform being retrieved to a forward position upon said wheeled chassis and resting upon said primal and secondary rollers, beginning rearward movement of said keel support platform causing said lift to begin unfolding said governor, continued rearward movement of said keel support platform allowing said governor to reach a prone folded out position upon said skid platform, continued rearward movement of said keel support platform resulting in said sliders being slidingly received/captured by said track, said prone governor and keel support platform continuing to move rearward, said governor insert member extending from within said housing member of said governor lift.

11 more elements

Trailered cradle and boat/yacht managing method

Life of this patent

Trailered cradle and boat/yacht managing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30