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US 8,651,508 B2Granted
Portable dock system
OwnerPreston Woodhouseinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A portable trailer dock system features a floating dock assembly pivotally mounted atop a trailer frame to allow elevating of a free end of the floating dock assembly above the corresponding distal end of the trailer opposite the towing end thereof so that the dock can be held above the water surface when the trailer is backed into a body of water to temporarily install the dock thereat. In another embodiment, the connection between the dock and trailer is releasable to allow floating of the dock further out over the water. Another embodiment features a cover disposed over an a-frame neck of the trailer and a pair of extensions pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the neck for selective pivoting into deployed positions cooperating with the a-frame cover to form a walkway between the dock and the towing vehicle.
Claims9
A portable dock system comprising:
- a trailer frame extending in a longitudinal direction between proximal and distal ends;
- a coupling component mounted to the trailer frame proximate the proximal end thereof for selective coupling of the trailer frame to a tow vehicle;
- a pair of wheel assemblies mounted to the trailer frame between the proximal and distal ends at a distance from the proximal end to rollably support the trailer frame for towing by thereof by the towing vehicle;
- a dock assembly carried on the trailer frame and comprising a deck surface extending in the longitudinal direction above the trailer frame from a pivot end of the dock assembly adjacent the proximal end of the trailer frame to an opposite free end of the dock assembly adjacent the distal end of the trailer frame, the pivot end of the dock assembly being pivotally mounted to the trailer frame for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the trailer frame to allow lifting and lowering of the free end of the dock assembly relative to the trailer frame;
- floats mounted on the dock assembly below the deck surface thereof to float the dock assembly under entry of the floats into a body of water;
- a lift control winch mounted on the trailer frame adjacent the proximal end thereof;
- at least one upright mounted on the trailer frame between the lift control winch and the distal end of the trailer frame at a distance from the lift control winch along the longitudinal direction;
- and
- a lift line extending from the lift control winch, passing over at least one line support on the at least one upright and extending downward from the line support to at least one lift connection with the dock assembly so as to lift and lower the free end of the dock assembly relative to the trailer frame under rotation of the lift control winch in opposite directions.
6 more elements
A portable dock system comprising:
- a trailer frame extending in a longitudinal direction between proximal and distal ends;
- a coupling component mounted to the trailer frame proximate the proximal end thereof for selective coupling of the trailer frame to a tow vehicle;
- a pair of wheel assemblies mounted to the trailer frame between the proximal and distal ends at a distance from the proximal end to rollably support the trailer frame for towing by thereof by the towing vehicle;
- a dock assembly carried on the trailer frame and comprising a deck surface extending in the longitudinal direction above the trailer frame from a pivot end of the dock assembly adjacent the proximal end of the trailer frame to an opposite free end of the dock assembly adjacent the distal end of the trailer frame, the pivot end of the dock assembly being pivotally mounted to the trailer frame for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the trailer frame to allow lifting and lowering of the free end of the dock assembly relative to the trailer frame, and also being releasable from the trailer frame;
- floats mounted on the dock assembly below the deck surface thereof to float the dock assembly under entry of the floats into a body of water;
- a tether control winch mounted on the trailer frame and a tether line extending between the tether control winch and a tether connection on the dock assembly, wherein release of the pivot end of the dock assembly from the trailer frame when the trailer is deployed into a body of water to float the dock assembly thereon allows deployment of the dock assembly away from the proximal end of the trailer, and rotation of the tether control winch facilitates subsequent retraction of the dock assembly back toward the proximal end of the trailer frame after said deployment;
- and
- a tether guide mounted to the trailer frame at a position that is nearer to the distal end of the trailer frame than the tether control winch and also nearer to the distal end of the trailer frame than the tether connection is when the pivotal end of the dock assembly is secured to the trailer frame, the tether line being removably engagable about the tether guide to change a pulling direction in which the tether connection would be pulled by rotation of the tether control winch in a single rotational direction when the tether connection is situated between the tether control winch and the tether guide in the longitudinal direction.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.