Personal watercraft cradle and method of use
OwnerJon V. Gettmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lightweight cradle system for use in launching, beaching, transporting and storing personal watercraft, such as Jet-Skis is disclosed. The cradle system cradles a personal watercraft with side and front support pads, and with roller systems at the lower aspect thereof. During use water is allowed to enter hollow side pipes and provide stabilizing effective weight to the cradle system. Use of the present invention allows an unaided young or small physical stature person to safely secure a launched personal watercraft without causing damage thereto. The present invention also provides elements which allow grasping and carrying of a cradle system/personal watercraft combination by two or more physically capable persons.
Claims18
A cradle system for cradling personal watercraft comprising hollow side pipes which converge to an interconnection point at a front aspect of said cradle system so as to form a "V" shape as said cradle system is viewed from a position perpendicularly thereabove while said cradle system rests on an essentially horizontal underlying surface, said hollow side pipes being open at their non-interconnected ends distal to said interconnection point;
- between which hollow side pipes are rotatably attached roller systems, said roller systems essentially filling the distance between said hollow side pipes at their points of attachment thereto;
- from which hollow side pipes project, generally upward, side and front supports with side and front support pads present thereon;
- such that during use a personal watercraft is functionally cradled in the cradle system with support at the bottom thereof being provided entirely by said roller systems and with support thereof at the lower body of the personal watercraft being provided by said side and front support pads, with no support being provided to said personal watercraft by direct contact with said hollow side pipes, which cradle system further comprises downward projections at the non-interconnected open ends of the hollow side pipes, said downward projections providing continuous access to inner space within said hollow side pipes.
A method of beaching a personal watercraft comprising the steps of:
- a. obtaining a cradle system for cradling personal watercraft comprising hollow side pipes which converge to an interconnection point at a front aspect of said cradle system so as to form a "V" shape as said cradle system is viewed from a position perpendicularly thereabove while said cradle system rests on an essentially horizontal underlying surface, said hollow side pipes being open at their non-interconnected ends distal to said interconnection point;
- between which hollow side pipes are rotatably attached roller systems, said roller systems essentially filling the distance between said hollow side pipes at their points of attachment thereto;
- from which hollow side pipes project, generally upward, side and front supports with side and front support pads present thereon;
- such that during use a personal watercraft is functionally cradled in the cradle system with support at the bottom thereof being provided entirely by said roller systems and with support thereof at the lower body of the personal watercraft being provided by said side and front support pads, with no support being provided to said personal watercraft by direct contact with said hollow side pipes;
- b. placing the open ends of the hollow side pipes distal to their interconnection point at the front aspect of the cradle system into a body of water which contains a personal watercraft and letting water run into the hollow side pipes so that the cradle system is stabilized, with or without additional stablizing means, in said position by the effective weight added to the cradle system by said water;
- c. running the personal watercraft into the cradle system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.