Abstract:
An apparatus adapted to provide a loading guide for loading a pontoon boat onto a boat trailer includes a mounting plate to allow the guide to be mounted to the frame of a boat trailer and a wheel adapted to contact and guide a pontoon during loading. The wheel includes a center axis and a tire. The wheel center axis is mounted vertically so that the pontoon body will come in contact with the outer surface of the tire and the wheel will rotationally guide the pontoon down its length as the boat is loaded. A plurality of these guides are mounted on the boat trailer to provide a system of loading guides for optimum support of the pontoon boat during loading and unloading.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present invention is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/926,602, filed Jan. 13, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a guide and system of guides for loading and unloading a pontoon boat onto a boat trailer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A common style of boat for basic general boating is that of the pontoon boat. They have many benefits, especially when large amounts of people are involved. They have plenty of room for entire families and friends. They also have a large amount of storage space for things like ice chests, food, towels, tackle, personal bags, and the like. They are easily to pilot, have a relatively low draft for shallow locations, and are almost impossible to tip over as people move or walk around. However, pontoon boats suffer from the fact that they are somewhat difficult to load onto transport trailers. While pontoon boat trailers will typically have guide rods in place, they are somewhat difficult to see in rough water. Also, should the rods contact the pontoons themselves; damage that is expensive to repair is the likely result. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which pontoon boats can be more easily loaded onto trailers, without the disadvantages as listed above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention in providing a post having a distal end operatively affixed to a boat trailer and a wheel assembly axially and rotatively mounted to a proximate end of the post. The outer circumferential surface of the wheel assembly contacts and rotatively guides a surface of a boat during loading and unloading events on and off the trailer. The use of the present invention provides the ability to load and unload pontoon boats from a trailer, in a manner that is not only quick, easy, and effective, but safe and damage free as well. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boat loading guide  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the boat loading guide  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an environmental view of the boat loading guide  10  depicting a plurality of units being mounted to an existing boat trailer frame  100 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
       [0009]      10  boat loading guide 
         [0010]      12  plurality of guides 
         [0011]      20  wheel assembly 
         [0012]      22  hub 
         [0013]      23  axial mounting aperture 
         [0014]      24  tire 
         [0015]      30  post 
         [0016]      32  shaft 
         [0017]      33  threaded aperture 
         [0018]      34  thrust washer 
         [0019]      36  weld 
         [0020]      40  mounting plate 
         [0021]      42  fastener aperture 
         [0022]      80  retaining bolt 
         [0023]      81  nut fastener 
         [0024]      82  retaining washer 
         [0025]      84  “U”-bolt 
         [0026]      100  trailer frame 
         [0027]      110  pontoon 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0028]    The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 3 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
         [0029]    The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
         [0030]    The present invention describes a boat loading guide (herein described as the “apparatus”)  10 , which is mounted along a frame portion  100  of an existing boat trailer to protectively aid in loading or unloading a boat from the trailer. The apparatus  10  is envisioned to be especially beneficial for pontoon-type boats due to the fragile nature of a pontoon  110 . Further, while the apparatus description to follow relates to an individual boat guide  10 , in application, a plurality of guides  12  are utilized as a system wherein each guide may be individually positioned at predetermined positions about a boat trailer frame  100  as required to provide a guided movement of a boat on and off a trailer. The plurality of guides as a system  12  is also adaptable for use with other types of watercraft. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , perspective and exploded views of the apparatus  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are disclosed. The apparatus  10  includes a wheel assembly  20  having a center axial mounting aperture  23  and a tire  24 . The wheel assembly  20  is operatively disposed on a first, or proximate end of a post  30 . In the preferred manner of use, the wheel assembly  20  is positioned in a horizontal orientation, with the post  30  generally set vertically in reference to an associated boat trailer  100  (see  FIG. 3 ) so as to cushion and guide a side surface of a pontoon  110  of a pontoon boat during loading and unloading tasks. In the preferred embodiment, the wheel assembly  20  includes a pneumatic inflatable tire  24 , however a solid tire may be alternately utilized. 
         [0032]    The second, or distal end of each post  30  is attached by a weld  36  in a perpendicular manner to a rectangular mounting plate  40 . The mounting plate  40  includes a fastener aperture  42  at each corner location to enable attachment of the mounting plate  40  to portions of the frame  100  of a boat trailer using a pair of “U”-bolts  84  with corresponding nut fasteners  81 . It should be appreciated that without limitation, rather than employing the bolts and fasteners  84  and  81 , the mounting plate  40  may be operatively affixed to the boat frame  100  by welding. Given a generally standardized dimensional profile of pontoon boats currently produced, one particular embodiment of the apparatus  10  is envisioned to provide a post  30  which is approximately fourteen inches (14 in.) in height and one-and-one-half inches (1-½ in.) in diameter; however, it is understood that the post  30  may be introduced in various heights and sizes based upon a size and type boat trailer the apparatus  10  is to be installed upon and variations in the boat dimensions. 
         [0033]    The top portion of the post  30  provides features upon which the axial mounting aperture  23  of the hub  24  of the wheel assembly  20  is rotatingly attached. The post  30  includes an axle-like shaft  32  having a thrust washer  34  disposed thereupon, with a threaded aperture  33  machined into the axial end surface of the shaft  32 . The shaft  32  is sized so as to be slidingly inserted into the axial mounting aperture  23  when the wheel assembly  20  is placed upon the shaft  32 . The wheel assembly  20  is rotationally secured onto the post  30  by installing a retaining washer  82  upon a protruding portion of the shaft  32  and threadingly engaging a retaining bolt  80 , such as a shoulder bolt, into the aforementioned threaded aperture  33 . The wheel assembly  20  is envisioned to comprise a standard-sized pneumatic rubber tire being approximately twelve inches (12 in.) in diameter, being similar to those utilized upon small utility trailers. 
         [0034]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an environmental view of the system  12  incorporating a plurality of apparatuses  10  units is shown with the guides  10  being mounted to an existing boat trailer frame  100  in predetermined positions, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. It is envisioned that a plurality of apparatus guides  10  would be mounted upon parallel lateral portions of a trailer frame  100  so as to enable selective lateral positioning based upon a distance between the pontoons  110  of an existing boat, thus positioning each wheel assembly  20  at a suitable distance from the pontoon  110  so as to cushion and guide opposing pontoon portions  110  during boat loading and unloading events. These features allow for safe and guided loading and unloading of a pontoon boat onto or off of a trailer even during times of rough water. As the pontoon  110  contacts the apparatus  10 , the “soft” nature and rotation of the wheel assembly  20 , reduces a risk of damage to the pontoon  110 . 
         [0035]    It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
         [0036]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0037]    The method of installing and utilizing the apparatus  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a required number of units of the apparatus  10  having a post  30  of a desired height, and wheel assembly  20  having a desired diameter; assembling the wheel assembly  20  to the shaft  32  by installing the thrust washer  34 , wheel assembly  20 , retaining washer  82 , and retaining bolt  80 , if not previously assembled; positioning an apparatus  10  along a lateral member of the boat trailer frame  100 ; positioning a perimeter portion of the wheel assembly  20  so as to form a small gap to an inner surface of a pontoon  110 ; installing a pair of “U”-bolts  84  around the frame  100  and up through the fastener apertures  42  in the mounting plate  40 ; securing the “U”-bolts  84  by installing and tightening corresponding nut fasteners  81  upon threaded portions of the “U”-bolts  84 ; repeating the positioning and “U”-bolt  84  installation steps for the remaining units of the apparatus  10 ; loading and unloading a pontoon boat, or similar water vessel, in a normal manner; and, benefiting from improved protection of pontoons  110  afforded a user of the present invention  10 . 
         [0038]    The apparatus  10  may also provide protection to other styles of watercraft by positioning units of the apparatus  10  at various positions along a boat trailer frame  100  as required to provide similar protection to exposed surfaces of the watercraft. 
         [0039]    The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.