Abstract:
The carrier includes a cradle having an elongated spine and a number of ribs which are spaced along the length of the spine. The spine is pivotally attached to a larger boat such that an end of the spine may be raised or lowered. When the end of the spine has reached its lowermost extent, it is immersed in water and allows a smaller boat to be floated into the cradle. When the end of the spine is raised to its uppermost extent, the smaller boat is lifted entirely out of water. A hoist or actuator serves to raise and lower the end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to marine carriers and more particularly to a carrier for small boats such as canoes, small outboard motor boats, personal water-craft such as sea-doos, sea-fleas and the like. 
     The marine carrier of my invention attaches to the stem of a boat and may be lowered into water for loading and unloading of a smaller boat. The smaller boat may be raised until it is entirely out of water and transported by the larger boat while the smaller boat remains out of the water. 
     Briefly the marine carrier of my invention comprises a cradle having an elongated spine and a number of ribs which are spaced along the length of the spine and which extend outwardly from opposite sides thereof. The spine is pivotally attached to a larger boat such that an end of the spine is movable upwardly and downwardly between lower and upper positions. The end of the spine when in the lower position is in water when the larger boat is afloat such that the smaller boat when also floating can be moved, while floating, into a location within the cradle in which the spine is beneath the smaller boat and the ribs are on opposite sides of the smaller boat. The end when in the upper position is above the water such that the smaller boat is entirely out of water. A hoist or actuator serves to raise and lower the end. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The marine carrier of the invention is illustrated in the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrier; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of a first embodiment of the carrier; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the swivel and the components connected to the swivel; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of the carrier. 
     Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIG. 1, the marine carrier of the invention includes a cradle, generally  10  having an L-shaped spine  12 . The spine has a longitudinally extending component  12   a  and a laterally extending component  12   b . A pair of spaced ribs  14 ,  16  extend laterally outwardly from one side of the spine and a like pair of ribs  18 ,  20  extend outwardly from the opposite side of the spine. As illustrated, ribs  14 ,  18  extend outwardly from the free or distal end  21  of the spine. 
     Stringers  22 ,  24  are spaced parallel and apart from the spine and are attached to each pair of ribs  14 ,  16  and  18 ,  20 , respectively. 
     The cradle is mounted on a pair of spaced brackets  40 ,  42 . The brackets have horizontally extending supports  44 ,  46  which are attached to and extend rearwardly from a swimming platform  48  at the rear of a water-craft used to transport a boat. 
     With reference to FIG. 2, bracket  40  has a brace  50  which extends downward from the outer end of support  44  and connects to the transom (not illustrated) of the water-craft. The forward component  52  of the bracket extends downward from the outer end of the horizontal bar  44  at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the vertical. The lower end of the forward component is supported by a horizontal strut  54  which extends to brace  50 . 
     The bracket has a pair of parallel rails (one illustrated in FIG.  2  and marked  56 ) which define an elongated track or groove for rolling accommodation of a castor  64 . The castor is mounted in bearings at the lower wall of spine  12  and rolls in the groove between an upper stop  66  at the outer end of the horizontal bar to a lower stop  68  at the lower end of rail  56 . 
     A stay  70  is pivotally attached to rib  18  and has a lower wall which contacts bar  44  when the cradle is in the position illustrated in FIG.  2 . The stay provides support for the cradle when it is in such position. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, an L-shaped plate  72  is attached to the outer end of horizontal support  46  and the plate has an upstanding wall  74  which is connected to spine  12  by means of stud  76 . As illustrated, the stud extends through both the upstanding wall and the spine and serves as a swivel. By means of the swivel, the free end  21  of the spine (as illustrated in FIG. 1) is adapted to swing about the swivel between the upper and lower stops on the track. 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flexible first cable  80  is attached at  82  to rib  18 . The cable extends around a pulley  84  which is attached to spindle  86  and around pulleys  88 ,  90  attached to the spine. A cleat  92  holds the cable adjacent to the spine and a ring  94  is attached to the end of the cable and prevents the cable from withdrawing from pulley  90 . 
     A winch  98  is attached to the outer end of the laterally extending component  12   b  of the spine. A second cable  100  is wound around the winch and a hook  102  is attached to the free end of the cable for selective attachment to ring  94 . 
     The operation of the marine carrier illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 is as follows. With reference first to FIG. 1, the end  22   a  of stringer  22  is pulled manually away from the water-craft so that the cradle will roll down the track. When ring  94  contacts pulley  90 , the cradle will stop. The cradle should also be in contact with stop  68  at that point. 
     The free end  21  of the spine and the adjacent components of the cradle will then be in the water and the boat to be transported is positioned such at its bow is adjacent to the free end  21  of the spine. 
     The next step in the operation is to disconnect hook  102  from ring  94  and to activate the winch to unwind cable  100  until the hook reaches the bow ring of the boat. The hook is then attached to the bow ring. 
     The operation of the winch is the reversed to wind second cable  100  to draw the boat onto the cradle. The boat slides along stringers  22 ,  24  as the winch draws the boat onto the cradle. The stringers serve to guide the boat at this time so that the boat will be properly positioned in the cradle. When so positioned, the keel of the boat will be parallel to the spine of the cradle and either is in contact with it or is vertically above it. 
     When the bow of the boat reaches ribs  16 ,  20 , the hook is removed from the bow rings of the boat and is attached to ring  94  at the end of the first cable  80 . The winch is then activated to wind the cable thereby causing the castor to roll up the track on the bracket until the cradle reaches the position illustrated in FIG.  1 . The castor will then be in contact with stop  66  and the boat will be out of water and be ready to be transported. 
     Stay  70  provides support to the cradle when it is out of the water in the position illustrated in FIG.  2 . The stay minimizes damage to the cradle and to the boat when the transporting water-craft is in rough water. 
     The bracket illustrated in FIG. 4 can be substituted for the bracket illustrated in FIG.  2 . With reference to FIG. 4, the bracket has a horizontal bar  120  which is attached to the swim platform  122 . A triangular frame  124  is attached to the bar and a brace  126  interconnects the frame and the transom of the water-craft. 
     A pair of parallel spaced links  130 , 132  are pivotally attached to the lower horizontal component  124   a  of the frame and to plate  134  which is mounted to the spine  136  and to rib  138  of the cradle. 
     A cable  140  is attached to link  130  and extends around a pulley  142  and to a winch (not illustrated). 
     The operation of the bracket illustrated in FIG. 4 is as follows: The winch is first activated to unwind the cable. The outer end of rib  150  is pulled manually away from the water-craft to cause the links to rotate clockwise with resulting outward and downward movement of the cradle. 
     The end of the cradle illustrated in that Figure will then be in the water and the boat to be transported is drawn onto the cradle by means of the winch as before. 
     The winch is then attached to cable  140  and is activated to wind the cable thereby causing the links to rotate counterclockwise until they resume the position illustrated in that Figure. The boat will then be out of water and is ready to be transported. 
     It will be understood of course, that modifications can be made in the preferred embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention. For example, the cradle may be raised and lowered by hydraulic or pneumatic pistons or actuators instead of a cable and winch. Other modifications may also be made in the structure of the marine carrier without departing from the scope of the invention.