Abstract:
The invention relates to a personal watercraft carrier for transporting personal watercraft such as jet skis, wave runners and the like, into and out of the water. The personal watercraft carrier has a conventional carrier frame, which includes rail supports for the watercraft, and a tongue having a handle for pushing or pulling the carrier, and is supported by one or more axles, which rotatably mount large-surface wheels. The wheels support the weight of the watercraft and carrier while traveling over soft terrain e.g. sand. The wheels are constructed so that the carrier as a whole has neutral or negative-buoyancy. As a result of the neutral or negative-buoyancy of the carrier, the carrier can drop away as the depth of the water increases, thus enabling the watercraft to be easily removed from the carrier. Similarly, the carrier can be positioned below the surface of the water for retrieval of the watercraft. The watercraft can then be easily floated into position over the carrier for retrieval. 
     In one embodiment, the wheels are open so that water freely flows into the wheels. The large-surface wheels are typically constructed of a heavy-duty, dense plastic or metal and have a cylindrical rim and a disk or a number of spokes extending perpendicularly inward from the rim with gussets to the cylindrical surface. 
     The carrier also includes rails that can be extended with a tongue-and-groove construction to accommodate longer watercraft, or multiple watercraft, on one carrier.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/123,490 filed Mar. 9, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a personal watercraft carrier. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a personal watercraft carrier with large-surface wheels which has neutral or negative buoyancy. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a personal watercraft carrier having an expandable capacity to support large or multiple watercraft. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Personal watercraft carriers have been used for transporting a personal watercraft such as jet skis, wave runners and the like, over sand and for transferring the watercraft from the carrier into and out of a body of water. Some of the known carriers have rollers, soft balloon tires or skids that support the weight of the watercraft and carrier during travel over soft terrain. These carriers are generally buoyant and float when in the water. The buoyancy makes it difficult to position the carrier under the watercraft when it is desirable to remove the watercraft from the water and may also make it somewhat difficult to remove the watercraft from the carrier when the carrier and watercraft are placed in the water. 
     Some carriers are constructed to carry only one personal watercraft at a time. This requires additional time and effort to transfer multiple watercraft into and out of a body of water. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a personal watercraft carrier has a carrier frame, the carrier frame having rail supports for watercraft, a tongue for pushing or pulling the carrier, and one or more axles mounting wheels for rolling movement of the carrier frame over a surface. The wheels have an relatively wide outer surface so that the carrier with a watercraft mounted thereon is easily rolled over soft surfaces, such as sand, for depositing the watercraft in the water. The wheels are constructed so that the carrier as a whole has neutral or negative buoyancy, whereby when the carrier with watercraft is rolled into the water for launching the watercraft, the carrier drops away from the watercraft as the depth of the water increases. The carrier can further be rolled into the water to be positioned under the watercraft for removing the watercraft from the water. Preferably, the wheels of the carrier are constructed of a heavy-duty plastic or a metal, and the outer surface is formed by a cylindrical rim having a high width to diameter ratio. The wheels further include a hub and a plurality of spokes, or a central disk, extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical rim to the hub or center of the wheel. The wheels are open so that water freely flows into them. 
     The personal watercraft carrier according to the invention further includes a carrier frame having rail supports for watercraft, wherein the rail supports are extendible by the user for carrying a longer watercraft, or multiple watercraft, on the carrier. The rail supports comprise an extendible rail system including segmented pieces removably connectable in series, the segmented pieces including a foot for removably mounting to the carrier frame, an upwardly projecting portion fixed to the foot, and a top portion extending from an upper edge of the upwardly projecting portion within 45 degrees of a generally horizontal orientation. The segmented pieces include a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge of each segmented piece adapted to be received in alignment with the trailing edge of a preceding segment piece. One of the leading edge and the trailing edge includes a tongue and the other of the leading edge and the trailing edge includes a groove for receiving the tongue. 
     The personal watercraft carrier according to the invention further includes a motorized pull-assist mechanism comprising a longitudinal frame, a cross member, and a rotative force generator, the cross member mounting the force generator and including an axle for rotatively mounting wheels for movement of the pull-assist mechanism, and a linkage for transferring force from the generator to the wheels 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal watercraft carrier according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a winch support assembly of the personal watercraft carrier of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wheel for the personal watercraft carrier of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel of FIG. 3 mounted on an axle; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a rail support bracket assembly of the personal watercraft carrier of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a wheel for a personal watercraft carrier according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel of FIG. 6 mounted on an axle; 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of a wheel for a personal watercraft carrier according to the invention and a commercial axle assembly for mounting the wheel; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a personal watercraft carrier according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded partial perspective view of an expandable rail assembly of the personal watercraft carrier of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a motorized pull assist according to the invention; and 
     FIG. 12 is a rear view of a personal watercraft carrier having a personal watercraft carried thereon. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings and to FIGS. 1-5 and  12  in particular, a first embodiment of a personal watercraft carrier  10  with multiple wheels  70 , having overall neutral or negative-buoyancy, is shown. Because the welds and common fasteners for assembling the component parts are well known, the attachment methods used are not described in detail for the sake of brevity. 
     The personal watercraft carrier  10  includes a trailer hitch  12  for connection to a towing vehicle (not shown). The trailer hitch  12  is attached to a tongue  14  that extends rearwardly from the trailer hitch  12 , and is constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum tube. The tongue  14  can be removed for manipulation of the carrier  10  by hand or be interchanged with another tongue having a different hitch connection. A winch support  16 , constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum tube, is affixed to the tongue  14  with winch support brackets  18 . The winch support brackets  18  are constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum plates and are welded to the lower end of the winch support  16  to hold the winch support  16  at an angle to the tongue  14  and to provide a connection for bolting the winch support  16  to the tongue  14 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a U-shaped winch bracket  20 , of galvanized steel or aluminum construction, is secured to the winch support  16 . A spool  22  is rotationally held in the winch bracket  20  and carried on a spool axle  24 , which perpendicularly pierces both legs of the U-shaped winch bracket  20 . A cable (not shown) is connected at one end to the spool  22  in a winding relationship and at a second end to a personal watercraft  26  for securing the personal watercraft  26  to the carrier  10  during unloading and retrieval. A ratchet gear  28  is coaxially fixed to an end of the spool  22 , and cooperates with a ratchet dog (not shown), to control the rotation of the spool in a conventional fashion when the cable is used to retrieve the watercraft. 
     To aid in winding the cable onto the spool  22 , a substantially L-shaped crank  34  is coaxially affixed to the spool  22  with the ratchet gear  28 . The end of the short leg of the crank is affixed perpendicular to the end-face of the spool at its axial center, and extends outwardly, thus orienting the long leg of the crank  34  perpendicularly to the axis of the spool  22  and ratchet gear  28 , and at a slightly divergent angle with the face of the spool  22 , to provide clearance when the crank  34  is turned. A knob  36  is rotatably attached to the free end of the crank and faces outward. Any number of commercially available winch assemblies could be substituted for apparatus previously described. 
     Also included on the winch support  16  is a pull handle  38  constructed of tubular galvanized steel or aluminum that is welded or bolted in place, having ends symmetrically overhanging and perpendicular to the winch support  16 . The handle  38  can be round, square or rectangular in cross section. The pull handle  38  is further supplied with a pair of grips  40 , secured to each end of the pull handle  38 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, the carrier  10  further comprises a central support  42 , constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum tube, which extends the length of the carrier  10 . At the forward end of the central support  42  there is a tongue receiver  44 , a piece of galvanized steel or aluminum tube of the same shape but slightly larger than the tongue  14 , which is welded or U-bolted in place. Arranged on and piercing the tongue receiver  44  are holes  46  aligning with holes (not shown) through the rear end of the tongue  14 , enabling a locking interchangeable attachment of the tongue  14  to the center support  42  using locking pin(s) or bolt(s)  50 . 
     A forward crossbeam  52  is located perpendicular to and is fixed beneath the central support  42 , slightly aft of the tongue receiver  44 . Rearward and parallel to the forward crossbeam  52  is a rear cross beam  54 , which is also perpendicularly fixed beneath the central support  42 . As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 4, an axle  56 , having a circular cross section and being constructed of galvanized or stainless steel or aluminum, collinearly extends from each end of each of the beams  52 ,  54 , centrally located and axially aligned on the ends of the beams  52 ,  54 . Each axle  56  includes an aperture  58  passing therethrough perpendicular to the axis of the axle  56 , sized to receive a locking pin  60  to secure a wheel  70  at the end of the axle. Also located on each axle  56  is a collar or stop  62  to restrict the side-to-side motion of the wheel  70  on the axle  56  and keep the wheel  70  spaced from the end of the beam  52 ,  54 . A washer  64  can be used to prevent binding between the locking pin  60  and the wheel  70 . 
     An embodiment of an open-sided, large-surface wheel  70 , constructed of a dense, heavy-duty plastic, or a metal, is shown in FIGS. 1,  3 , and  4 . Each wheel  70  has a cylindrical rim  72  with a wide rolling surface, a central hub  78  and a number of spokes  74  extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical rim  72  to the hub  78 . Gussets  76  are affixed between the spokes  74  and the cylindrical rim  72  to strengthen the connection between the spokes and the rim  72 . The gussets  76  help to reduce the overall weight by reinforcing critical points. The cylindrical rim  72  has a width, perpendicular to the spokes  74 , related to the diameter of the wheel  70  by a ratio preferably greater than or equal to 0.6. The spokes  74  terminate at a central hub  78  concentric with the cylindrical rim  72 . With the wheel  70  rotatably mounted on the axle  56 , the axle  56  fits into and extends beyond the face of the central hub  78 , exposing the aperture  58  for receiving the locking pin  60 . 
     Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 12, the carrier  10  further includes right-hand and left-hand auxiliary roller brackets  80 ,  82 , each bracket comprising a weldment of galvanized steel or aluminum plates. The brackets  80 ,  82  are affixed to either side of the rearmost end of the central support  42  of the carrier  10 , projected perpendicularly outwardly from the center support  42  and angled above the horizontal. An auxiliary roller axle (not shown) is mounted within each bracket  80 ,  82 , in alignment therewith transverse to the center support  42  and elevated above the horizontal. An auxiliary roller  84  is rotatably mounted on each auxiliary roller axle, the auxiliary rollers  84  forming a shallow upturned “V” to aid in aligning the watercraft  26  with the carrier  10  during loading and unloading. 
     Rail support brackets  88 , shown in detail in FIG. 5, are welded or bolted to the forward and rear cross beams  52 ,  54 . Two brackets  88  on each cross beam  52 ,  54  are mounted equidistant from and symmetrical about the center support  42 , and in front-to-rear alignment with the corresponding bracket  88  on the other of the crossbeams  52 ,  54 . Furthermore, the brackets  88  are spaced apart at a distance that is slightly less than the width of the underside of the watercraft  26 , as shown in FIG. 12, and are adjustable to fit different size personal watercraft. Each bracket  88  comprises a right-side bracket plate  90  and a left-side bracket plate  92 , each constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum, rounded at an upper end, and having an aperture  93  therethrough in alignment with a corresponding aperture in the opposing plate  90 ,  92  and an aperture  95  in a watercraft support rail  96 . A pair of brackets  88  hold rail  96  at a height sufficient to maintain the watercraft  26  clear of the carrier central support  42  and cross beams  52 ,  54  as shown in FIG.  12 . The plates  90 ,  92  are attached perpendicularly upright on cross beam  52 ,  54  in a parallel relationship to one another, and are connected by a horizontal bracket cross member  94  that spaces the plates  90 ,  92  to fittingly receive the rail  96 . The rail  96  is secured in the bracket  88  by a pin  97  inserted through apertures  93 ,  95 . 
     Watercraft support rails  96  for holding the watercraft on the carrier  10 , constructed of tubular galvanized steel or aluminum, are shown in FIGS. 1,  5  and  12 . The rails  96  are affixed to the rail support brackets  88  and are disposed from front to back parallel to the central support  42 . The ends of the rails  96  can be bent downwardly at a slight angle to ease loading of the watercraft. Rails  96  can also be covered with foam cushioning  98  made from wear-resistant neoprene or similar materials. 
     The invention further comprises a wheel  100 , depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7, suitable for use instead of the wheel  70  in the carrier  10 . The wheel  100  comprises a circular disk  104  with a central aperture  108 , a cylindrical rim  102 , and gussets  106 . The disk  104  is mounted to the surface  102 , perpendicular to the surface  102  and generally centered in the width of the surface  102 . The gussets  106  are perpendicularly affixed to the disk  104  and surface  102  to provide reinforcement therebetween. The wheel  100  is generally constructed of aluminum or plastic. The surface  102  is preferably embossed with a pattern  110  to enhance gripping and rolling on a soft or slippery surface. The surface  102  has a width, perpendicular to the disk  104 , related to the diameter of the wheel  100  by a ratio preferably greater than or equal to 0.6. The central aperture  108  is for receiving the axle  56 . An additional collar  62  is shown in FIG. 7 for spacing the wheel  100  from the end of the crossbeam  54 . 
     Another embodiment of a wheel  112  for the carrier  10  is shown in FIG. 8, in which like numerals are used to describe like parts. In this embodiment, in addition to the central aperture  108 , a plurality of apertures  120  are spaced about the central aperture  108  in the disk  104  for mounting the wheel  112  on lugs  122  attached to a standard trailer-wheel hub  126  on an axle  128 . The wheel  112  is retained on the wheel hub  126  by appropriate lug nuts  124  or other commercially available fasteners. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, a second embodiment of a personal watercraft carrier  130  having overall neutral or negative-buoyancy utilizing a single pair of wheels  100  is shown. The personal watercraft carrier  130  comprises a trailer hitch  132  for connection to a towing vehicle (not shown). Attached to and extending rearwardly from the hitch  132 , tongue  134  is constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum tube. A tongue support  136 , to support the carrier  130  at rest, extends downwardly from the tongue  134 . The tongue support  136  is shorter than the radius of the wheel  100 . The tongue  134  is fitted into a tongue receiver  138 , which is made of galvanized steel or aluminum tube of the same shape and slightly larger than the tongue  134 , and welded to the forward end of the central support beam  156 . Holes  140  through the tongue receiver  138  align with holes (not shown) through the rear end of the tongue  134  to receive a locking pin or bolt  144  to connect the tongue  134  to the carrier  130 . The tongue  134  can be removed for manipulation of the carrier  130  by hand or can be interchanged with another tongue having a different hitch connection or length. 
     Winch support brackets  146 , constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum plates are welded to the tongue receiver  138 . Winch support  16 , constructed of galvanized steel or aluminum tube, is connected at its lower end to the winch support brackets  146  at an upright angle to the tongue  134 . The support  148  provides location and attachment for the winch mechanism as described in the previous embodiment and illustrated in FIG.  2 . 
     The central support beam  156 , of a proportional length to give optimum leverage and balance for maneuvering the carrier  130 , is provided. The tongue receiver  138  is welded to the forward end of the central support beam  156 . A cross member  158  is affixed to the aft end of the support beam  156  and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof. The cross member  158  is constructed of U-shaped galvanized steel or aluminum channel having a width greater than its height. The channel is directed downwardly. The cross member  158  is somewhat longer than a watercraft is wide. Disposed on the cross member  158  in a symmetrical pattern on either side of the central support beam  156  are holes (not shown) that receive bolts  185  for attaching rails  180 . A single pair of wheels  100  are shown rotatably mounted to the ends of the cross member  158  in the manner previously disclosed, but any of the disclosed wheels  70 ,  100 ,  112  are suitable for this application. 
     The rails  180  are expandable and modular for the support of different watercraft. FIG. 9 discloses the use of the rails  180  on the carrier  130  having a single cross member  156 . FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the details of construction of the rails  180  in the context of installation on the carrier  10  of FIG. 1, but these details are likewise applicable to installation on the carrier  130  of FIG.  9 . The rails  180  can be extended with tongue-and-groove construction to accommodate a longer watercraft, or two or more watercraft, on the carrier  10 ,  130 . 
     The modular rails  180  comprise a horizontal foot  182  of generally rectangular shape with perpendicular edges, having holes  184 , located to register with corresponding holes in the cross member  158 , or cross beams  52 ,  54 , and attached thereto by bolts  185 . Attached to the foot  182  is a side wall  186  that has the same length as the horizontal foot  182  and is welded in position perpendicularly upward on the top surface and aligned with the center-facing long edge of the horizontal foot  182 . An upper support plate  194  is mounted to the upper end of the sidewall  186  and extends downwardly at an acute angle thereto. However, it is within the scope of the invention for the upper support plate  194  to be perpendicular to the sidewall  186 . The forward-facing edge of the sidewall  186  includes a central groove  188 , best shown in FIG. 10. A tab  190  projects from the trailing edge of the side wall  186 , and is formed to receivably fit into the groove  188  on an adjacent modular rail  180  to maintain a parallel alignment between the adjoining rails  180 . The groove  188  has a depth slightly greater that the extended projection of the mating tab  190 . The tab  190  can be formed from the material of the sidewall  186  or can be a separate piece affixed into a groove at the appropriate edge of the sidewall. The tab  190  is also shown to have chamfers  192  cut into the ends to assist in assembly and alignment. 
     The upper support plate  194  has the same length as the horizontal foot  182  and the side wall  186  and is welded along one edge to a chamfered top edge of the side wall  186 , with the opposing edge of the upper support plate  194  extending perpendicularly inwardly to the center of the carrier  10 ,  130 . A forward-facing edge of the upper support plate  194  comprises a centered groove  196 . Like the groove  188  on the sidewall  186 , the groove  196  in the upper support plate  194  is of a depth slightly greater than the extended projection of a mating tab  198 . Again, as with the side wall  186 , the mating tab  198  is located on the opposite edge of the upper support plate  194  from the groove  196 , and formed to receivably fit into a like groove  196  on another modular rail  180  to maintain a parallel alignment between the adjoining rails  180 . The tab  198  can be formed from the material of the upper support plate  194  or can be a separate piece fitting into a groove at the appropriate edge of the upper support plate  194 . The tab  198  is also shown to have chamfers  200  cut into the ends to assist in assembly and alignment. 
     To strengthen the rail assemblies and help support the watercraft, a series of rail gussets  202  are located between the underside of the upper support plate  194  and the center-facing surface of the sidewall  186 , perpendicular to both surfaces. As a further distinction, there are outer rail gussets  204 , which are positioned flush with the forward and rearward edges of the modular rails. Each outer rail gusset  204  includes an extension hole  206 , located to align with extension holes  206  on any other modular rail  180 , which receives a bolt  208  or similar fastener for affixing two or more modular rails  180  together. 
     A piece of foam cushioning  210  made from wear-resistant neoprene or similar materials is affixed to the upper support plate  194  with an adhesive or with small fasteners that are mounted sub-flush to the surface of the foam cushioning  210 . A pair of rails  212 , similar in construction to the rails  96  of FIG. 1, can be affixed to the upper support plate  194  instead of the foam cushion  210 . 
     Any features in the foregoing embodiments can be selectively incorporated into other embodiments. For example, personal watercraft carrier  10  can accommodate modular rail  180  relative to the attachment of the rails  180  to the cross beams  52 ,  54  of the carrier  10 , as shown in FIG.  10 . All possible derivations known to those having ordinary skill in the art with the present disclosure before them are likewise contemplated for use. 
     Additionally, it is envisioned that a motorized pull assist  220 , depicted in FIG. 11, would be useful in combination with the previous embodiments when a personal watercraft is too heavy for manual propulsion or in places where a conventional vehicle could not travel. The motorized pull assist  220  comprises a handle support  222  connected to the forward end of a center beam  232  at an obtuse angle. A pull handle  224  is welded or bolted to the handle support  222 . Grips  226  are secured to the ends of the pull handle  224 . A throttle control  228  being a rheostat or switch can be affixed to the handle support  222  with a control cable  230  connecting the throttle control  228  to a power source  238  and a motor  250 . 
     The center beam  232  extends rearwardly from the handle support  222 . A crossbeam  234  is affixed perpendicular to and beneath the center beam  232 . The cross beam  234  is constructed of U-shaped galvanized steel or aluminum channel, open side down, having a span greater than its height. An axle  266  is carried within the channel of the crossbeam  234 , extending beyond the ends thereof and rotatably connected thereto. Hubs  272  are affixed to each end of the axle  266 , and wheels  278  are mounted thereon. 
     A battery carrier  236  is affixed to the crossbeam  234  to one side of the center beam  232  and holds a battery  238 . A set of power leads  240  carry electricity from the battery to a motor  250  mounted on the cross beam  234  to the other side of the center beam  232 . The motor  250  is mounted on a motor mount bracket  242  consisting of a motor mount bracket top plate  244 , a motor mount bracket front plate  246 , and a motor mount bracket rear plate  248 . The bracket  242  disposes the motor  250  at the correct height to assemble a linkage for transferring power from the motor  250  to wheel  278  of the motorized pull assist  220  to move an attached personal watercraft carrier. The linkage comprises a drive sprocket or pulley  252  operably joined to the motor  250 , a chain or belt  254  that passes through a slot  256  in the cross beam  234 , a tensioner (not shown), and an axle sprocket or pulley (not shown). 
     The axle sprocket or pulley is affixed to the axle  266  within the channel of the crossbeam  234 , in any known manner to transfer rotation of the axle sprocket to the axle  266 . The axle  266  extends the length of the crossbeam  234  and has axle bearings (not shown) which allow free rotation of the axle as it passes through the ends of the crossbeam  234 . The ends are fitted with a bearing race (not shown) on each end to locate and support the weight of the pull assist  220  on the axle  266 . At the ends of the axle  266  are affixed wheel hubs  272  that have lugs (not shown) for attaching wheels  278  bearing conventional low-pressure balloon tires, or a single pair of open-sided, large-surface wheels  70 ,  100 ,  112  as described in any of the previous embodiments. The wheels  278  are held in place by lug nuts or other fasteners. 
     The aft end of the center beam  232  extends beyond the wheels  278 . A hitch ball  286 , or other suitable attachment mechanism for linking to a personal watercraft carrier, is mounted to the aft end of the center beam  232 . 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Reasonable variation and modifications are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.