Electric drive mechanism for boat hoist winch

In a boat hoist having a frame including at least a pair of spaced posts, a platform for supporting a boat movably mounted on the posts, a winch having a cable arrangement interconnected with the platform, a circular lift wheel for rotating the winch to move the platform in a vertical direction, and the boat provided with a DC source of power, an electrically powered mechanism for rotating the lift wheel comprising:

• arm means secured to one of the posts adjacent the lift wheel;
• carriage means mounted on said arm means;
• plate means pivotally mounted on said arm means and including an electric motor having wiring detachably connectable to the boat source of power for energizing said electric motor, said electric motor having a drive shaft;
• a circular drive wheel secured to said drive shaft for rotation therewith;
• first means interconnected between said carriage means and said plate means for biasing said plate means from a first position wherein said drive wheel is spaced from the lift wheel to a second position wherein said drive wheel drivingly engages the lift wheel;
• and
• second means interconnected between said carriage means and said plate means and operable in a first position to resist the bias of said first means whereby to retain said drive wheel spaced from the lift wheel, and operable in a second position to release said resistance whereby said drive wheel drivingly engages the lift wheel to impart drive thereto in response to energization of said electric motor.