Abstract:
Disclosed is a boat trailer incorporating a pivoting mechanism wherein a stern capture flange serves to secure the stern of the boat so as to prevent the boat from sliding off of the rear of the boat trailer. Specifically, the invention utilizes the weight of the boat itself to trigger the fulcrum action of the pivoting roller mechanism, wherein the boat is mechanically seated in place via the inward contact face of the stern capture flange. Also disclosed is a method for securing a boat to a trailer having a pivoting roller mechanism.

Description:
GOVERNMENTAL RIGHTS 
       [0001]    None. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to boat trailers and constitutes a novel pivot actuating mechanism with flange for securing a boat to a boat trailer. 
         [0003]    There are commercially available methods for securing a boat to a trailer. One method is to first secure the bow of the boat to the boat trailer using a winch mechanism from which a strap and hook extend to secure the bow of the boat to the trailer. As part of this method, a user then secures the stern of the boat to the rear of the trailer using tie-down ratcheting straps. Typically there are corresponding anchor points on both the stern of the boat and trailer. 
         [0004]    There are a number of problems associated with existing means of securing a boat to its trailer. First, over time some strapping means become worn. This requires the user to replace the strapping means in order to ensure that the boat is securely attached to the boat trailer. Second, these strapping means are not suitable for all types of boats and trailers; were a boat to lack a suitable anchor point on the stern the user would lack the point to which a tie-down ratcheting strap could fasten. Third, users may neglect to use the tie-down ratcheting straps properly (or at all). When this occurs, the boat may bounce off the trailer or slide side-to-side while traveling down the road thereby creating a very dangerous condition. 
         [0005]    Today many trailers have supporting members that run longitudinally along the axis of the boat to nestle the boat into a secure position on the trailer. Some are designed specifically to fit the hull of the particular boat. These longitudinal supporting members are known as bunks, and the bunks are preferentially adjustable to accommodate a boat hull shape. In order to facilitate loading of the boat on the trailer, some trailers incorporate both bunks and roller type elements. This makes loading easier; however, none of the currently available devices, bunks or rollers, serve the dual purpose of stabilizing the boat and securing the boat to the boat trailer. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,828 discloses a roller and bunk assembly having a plurality of rollers disposed on either side of the longitudinal axis of the frame. The rollers in such patent serve only to allow the boat to be loaded onto the boat trailer. Such disclosed roller assembly provides no mechanism by which the boat is securely held so as to prevent it from sliding off the back of the trailer or from side-to-side. The present disclosure solves many of the foregoing problems. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Disclosed is a boat trailer incorporating a unique pivot-roller mechanism that, when used in conjunction with longitudinal bunk supports, preferentially serves to secure both the body and stern end of the boat so as to prevent the boat from sliding side-to-side and backwards off the rear of the boat trailer while the boat is being transported. The invention elegantly uses the weight of the boat itself to trigger a fulcrum action upon a unique pivot-roller mechanism, wherein the boat is seated in proper trailer placement using longitudinal bunk supports and is additionally secured in proper trailered position using an elevated stern capture flange that may additionally have rollers incorporated as part of the flange. Also claimed is a method for securing a boat using a pivoting roller mechanism having a stern capture flange. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cut away side view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cut away side view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cut away side view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cut away side view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cut away side view of the Boat Trailer. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a cut away side view of the Boat Trailer. 
       
    
    
     LISTING OF COMPONENTS 
       [0017]      101 —Towing Coupler Assembly 
         [0018]      103 —Tongue 
         [0019]      105 —Frame 
         [0020]      107 —Boat Winch 
         [0021]      109 —Front Cross Member 
         [0022]      111 —Medial Cross Member 
         [0023]      113 —Rear Cross Member 
         [0024]      115 —Pivot Roller Mechanism Assembly 
         [0025]      117 ˜Pivot Roller Mechanism Bracket Mount 
         [0026]      119 —Pivot Roller Mechanism Bracket 
         [0027]      121 —Pivot Bolt 
         [0028]      123 —Pivot Roller Mechanism 
         [0029]      124 —Stern Flange 
         [0030]      125 —Roller 
         [0031]      127 —Bow Longitudinal Bunk 
         [0032]      129 —Stern Longitudinal Bunk 
         [0033]      131 —Wheel &amp; Axle Assembly 
         [0034]      133 —Fender 
         [0035]      135 —Fender Storage Box 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     First Preferred Embodiment 
       [0036]    In this first preferred embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 1 , a unique boat trailer is comprised of a towing coupler assembly  101 , a tongue  103 , a frame  105 , longitudinal bunks ( 127 ,  129 ), cross members ( 109 ,  111 ,  113 ), a wheel and axle assembly  131 , and fenders  133 . Additionally, the trailer contains a novel pivoting roller mechanism assembly  115  having a unique stern flange  124 , which serves to secure and prevent the boat from sliding off of the rear of the boat trailer. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the stern flange  124  preferentially incorporates rollers in this first preferred embodiment. 
         [0037]    The trailer has a front (bow) and a back (stern) with port (left) and starboard (right) sides. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the tongue  103  and frame  105  combine to form a skeleton structure to which the other elements of the trailer attach. The tongue  103  extends transversely along the longitudinal centerline of the frame  105  and connects to the frame  105  at the bow end of the trailer, extending to the stern therefrom. The tongue  103  is industry typical. The frame  105  is comprised of at least two structural elements that are spaced apart and are connected at the bow end, forming the nose of the trailer. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , front cross members  109 , medial cross members  111 , and rear cross members  113  are connected to frame  105 . The various cross members ( 109 ,  111 ,  113 ) are formed so as to allow for a fulcrum-like movement of the pivot roller mechanism assembly  115  and serve as attachment points for the forward  127  and rear  129  longitudinal bunks. 
         [0039]    The bow region longitudinal bunks  127  may be preferentially connected to the front  109  and medial  111  cross members and are spaced apart and oriented so as to allow for proper the placement of the pivot roller mechanism assembly  115 , as depicted in  FIG. 6 . The stern longitudinal bunks  129  are preferentially connected to medial  111  and rear  113  cross members. As with the bow longitudinal bunks  127 , the stern longitudinal bunks  129  allow for proper placement of the pivot roller mechanism assembly  115 , as depicted in  FIG. 6 . The longitudinal bunks ( 127 ,  129 ) support the hull of the boat while the boat rests upon the trailer assembly. 
         [0040]    As depicted in  FIG. 6 , the pivot roller mechanism assembly  115  comprises a pivot roller mechanism bracket mount  117 , the pivot roller mechanism bracket  119 , a pivot bolt  121 , a pivot roller mechanism  123 , a stern flange  124 , and one or more rollers  125 . 
         [0041]    Having a first and second end, the pivot roller mechanism bracket mount  117  is affixed to the wheel and axle assembly  131  or to the cross members ( 109 ,  111 ). The width of the pivot roller mechanism bracket mount  117  may correspond to a portion of the pivot roller mechanism  123  to allow the proper mounting of the pivot roller mechanism bracket  119  and motion of the pivot roller mechanism  123 . 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , a pivot bolt  121  or other connective means pivotally connects the pivot roller mechanisms brackets  119 . Such pivot bolt  121  or other connective means serves as an axis on which the pivot roller mechanism  123  may preferentially pivot. 
         [0043]    Pivot roller mechanism bracket  119  attaches to the pivot roller mechanism bracket mount  117 , each having an upper and lower portion.  FIG. 4  depicts the lower portion of each bracket  119  as having a hole through which a pivot bolt  121  extends and connects each bracket  119 , thereby creating an axis on which the pivot roller mechanism  123  may preferentially move along a range of positions. 
         [0044]    The pivot roller mechanism  123 , shown in  FIG. 5 , has a bow end and stern end. Rollers  125  mount to bow end. Stern capture flange  124  mounts to the stern end of the pivot roller mechanism  123 . Pivot roller mechanism  123  pivots about the axis of the pivot bolt  121  such that, as shown in  FIGS. 6-9 , when a boat is placed upon the trailer, the weight of the boat triggers a fulcrum-like force upon the pivot roller mechanism  123 , thereby forcing the stern capture flanges  124  to seat properly capture the stern of the boat and secure the boat from moving off the trailer. 
         [0045]    Attached at the tongue-frame juncture is a boat winch  107 , or other securing means, which is used for securing and loading or unloading a boat onto or off the trailer. The boat winch  107  may be of any type typical to the industry and is attached to the frame  105  and tongue  103  via any convenient manner. 
         [0046]    In this first preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the boat winch  107  is preferentially attached to the frame  105  near the tongue  103 . Further, in this first preferred embodiment, the wheel and axle assembly  131 , fenders  133 , and fender storage boxes  135  are also attached to the frame  105  near the rear cross member  113 . The fenders  133  and fender storage boxes  135  are attached to either side of the stern end of the frame  105 . 
       Second Preferred Embodiment 
       [0047]    As shown in  FIGS. 6-9 , this second preferred embodiment discloses a method of securing a boat to the trailer wherein the boat trailer incorporates a mechanism such as a pivot roller mechanism assembly  115 , as disclosed in the first preferred embodiment. 
         [0048]    Starting from a first position whereby the trailer is partially submerged into the water, the user begins to navigate a boat onto the trailer. As the user navigates the boat into a second position upon the trailer, the boat hull actuates the front rollers  125  of the pivot roller mechanism  123 , which assist in the proper seating of the boat hull into proper alignment on the boat trailer. As the boat is navigated into a final resting position, the boat stern moves forward beyond the stern capture flange  124 . The weight of the boat applies pressure to the pivot roller mechanism  123  thereby actuating the stern capture flange  124  into a final position that captures the boat hull. This process secures the boat on the trailer. In order to remove the boat, the reverse process is followed; namely, partially submerging the boat trailer into water provides lift to the boat thereby reducing the weight applied to the pivot roller mechanism  123  and permitting the boat to move beyond the stern capture flange  124  and be freed from the trailer.