Abstract:
An apparatus for lifting and storing a boat above the water in the well of a floating dry dock is made up of a frame onto which the boat can be driven under its own power and which pivots on a rear bar mounted across and away from the entrance of the well. After being loaded on the frame, the boat and frame are tilted such that the frame is made to bear on a second bar located further away from the well entrance. A method of forming the apparatus and a kit containing the apparatus is also disclosed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to apparatus suited to being mounted within the “U” of a U-shaped floating dock for the purpose of docking and elevating a pleasure boat and further relates to a method and a kit for creating such apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Various apparatus have been devised for dry-docking pleasure boats. Pleasure boats of the kind to which the present invention is particularly adapted are thought of, for purpose of the present description, as being generally within the range of about fifteen feet to twenty-four feet in length and within the range of about 800 pounds to 6000 pounds in weight. Apparatus for docking pleasure boats has been associated with both non-floating as well as floating docks. The use of such apparatus is intended to facilitate removal of a boat from the water, maintaining the boat in a stored position elevated above the water, and for launching of the boat into the water. 
     A popular kind of dock floats on the water and forms a U-shaped well into which the boat can be driven when it is desired to tie the boat to the dock. U.S. Pat. No. RE 27,090 illustrates an air-powered dry-docking and lifting apparatus which can be installed in an already existing boat well forming part of what appears to be a non-floating dock. It has also been known to provide a ground mounted pivotal frame onto which a boat can be winched into position and then lifted out of the water by pivoting the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,292 illustrates one such pivotal frame arrangement for a ground-mounted boat ramp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,606 illustrates a floating boathouse equipped with a pivotal frame onto which a boat is partially positioned under its own motive power and fully positioned by use of a winch which also serves to pivot the frame and thereby move the boat into an elevated position out of the water. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,242, there is shown an apparatus made part of a floating dock having a well. The apparatus of the &#39;242 patent incorporates two frames, one of which is stationary and secured within the well and the other of which pivots on the stationary frame. A winch is employed to pull the boat and position the boat on rollers mounted on the pivotal frame. After the boat has been properly positioned, the winch is used to pivot the frame and move the boat into an elevated position out of the water. Of particular significance in considering the apparatus of the &#39;242 patent is the fact that the motive power of the boat itself cannot be used to load the boat onto the pivotal frame. 
     Another type of docking apparatus, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,833, utilizes a floating dock made up of hollow flotation inserts and one such system is sold under the trademark “JETDOCK”™. A small, personal watercraft is docked by being driven onto tubes mounted on the dock itself In another system sold under the trademark “EZPORT”™, a small boat is winched onto a roller bed which serves as a dock and forms part of a buoyant floating dock. 
     With the above background, it can be observed that there is not presently available a docking apparatus which can be very quickly and easily installed in a well enclosed by a U-shaped floating dry dock and which enables a boat to be placed in position for storage above the water level and launched back into the water from such storage position by use of the motive power of the boat itself. 
     With the foregoing in mind, the primary object of the invention becomes that of providing apparatus of simple construction which can be mounted within the well of an existing floating dock and which incorporates a single pivotal frame onto which the boat can be driven and positioned ready for storage using only the motive power of the boat itself and which can be pivoted so as to either elevate the boat above the water for storage or discharge the boat into the water for further use. 
     Another object is that of providing a method and kit for creating the described apparatus. Other objects will become apparent through the description to follow. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An apparatus is provided comprising a rectangular frame, adjustably supported laterally spaced support pads mounted on and running lengthwise of the frame and adapted to receive the hull of a boat, a rear bar on which the frame is pivotally mounted extending across and having its ends secured to a floating dry dock on opposite sides of a well in a manner which permits load on the rear bar to be evenly distributed on the dock and a front bar having its ends secured to the sides of the well and extending across the well at a location forward of the rear bar. The method of creating the described apparatus utilizing the mentioned frame, rear and front bars and a kit made up of such parts with instructions for assembling such parts also constitute part of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the frame used with the invention assembly but stripped of its support pads. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the frame fitted with support pads and on the support pads spaced apart low friction auxiliary bunk pads. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adjustable support board bracket and a portion of the frame to which the bracket is attached. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a floating dock having a U-shaped well and fitted with the front and rear bars of the invention and a winch. 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the floating dock of FIG. 4 fitted with the frame, front and rear bars of the invention and indicating the frame as being pivotally mounted on the rear bar. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevation section view taken in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5  and illustrating the frame positioned ready to receive a boat. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation section view taken in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5  and illustrating the frame positioned after the boat has been driven onto the frame under its own motive power. 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevation section view taken in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5  and illustrating the frame positioned, without use of a winch, and with the boat in its stored position elevated above the water. 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevation section view taken in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5  and illustrating in a second embodiment the front and rear bars elevated at a higher position above the water than as illustrated in FIG. 6 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevation section view taken in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5 illustrating the frame at its higher position of FIG. 9 with the frame above the water and after the boat has been driven onto the frame in its stored position under its own motive power and has been secured to the winch. 
     FIG. 11 is a side elevation section view taken in the direction of line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5 illustrating the frame at its FIGS. 9 and 10 higher position with the frame positioned, by use of a winch, so as to rest on the front bar and with the boat elevated above the water. 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an adjustable support pad bracket for use in a third embodiment with a pontoon type boat and showing a portion of the frame to which the bracket is attached. 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating how a plurality of the pontoon boat brackets of FIG. 12 are mounted on the frame. 
     FIG. 14 is a plan view of a frame modified according to a fourth embodiment. 
     FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of the frame of FIG.  14 . 
     FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a boat shown on the FIG. 14 frame as initially positioned in dotted lines and as finally positioned in solid lines. 
     FIG. 17 is a view taken in the direction of line  17 — 17  in FIG. 15 of a bracket attached to the rear end of the frame of FIG.  14 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The apparatus  15  of the invention suited for use with pleasure, fishing and pontoon boats basically comprises three principal components namely a frame  20 , a rear bar  30  on which an intermediate portion of frame  20  pivots and a front bar  40  on which the front of frame  20  rests whenever frame  20  is supporting a stored boat elevated above the level of water. While the length and width of frame  20  may vary, in the illustrated embodiment, frame  20  (FIG. 1) is made of galvanized steel metal and has a length L of fourteen feet and an inside width W of forty inches. 
     The three components of the invention apparatus  15  mentioned above are adapted to be installed in a well  21  formed in a floating dry dock  22 , illustrated as being of a U-shape in FIG. 4, and as later explained are used in conjunction with a winch  23 . With this background, a description will now be given of each of the components and the manner in which they work together to provide a docking apparatus that enables a boat to be docked and positioned for storage on the frame  20  using the motive power of the boat and thereafter elevated above the water by tilting of the frame  20  on rear bar  30 . A typical tiltable, outboard propulsion motor PM is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 10 in a lowered position and in FIGS. 8 and 11 in a raised position. 
     Referring initially to FIG. 11 frame  20  comprises a pair of parallel laterally spaced metal sides rails  24 ,  25  joined by longitudinally spaced apart cross bars  26 ,  27 ,  28  and  29  connected to rails  24 ,  25  by welding, bolts or other suitable means. Slots S- 1  and S- 2  are formed by spaced apart sections of rails  24 ,  25  joined by bars  31  to receive rear bar  30  and about which frame  20  pivots. The trailing cross bar  26  is purposely positioned at a distance D from the trailing ends  24 ′,  25 ′ of rails  24 ,  25  which enables the boat in the examples of FIGS. 5-8 to be driven onto the frame and positioned for storage using only the motive power of the boat as explained more fully below. Bumpers  43  (FIG. 2) limit forward travel of the boat on rails  24 ,  25 . 
     Continuing with the description of frame  20 , it will be noted that frame  20  mounts a pair of longitudinally extending boards  32 ,  33  preferably covered with carpet  34 , typically of outdoor carpet grade, and supported by vertically adjustable, pivotal board mounts  45 , see FIG. 3, which are positioned according to the shape of the boat being docked. Each of the boards  32 ,  33  is supported on mounts  45  with each having an integral bearing plate  46  with fastener holes  47  and supported on vertical angle plate  48  by fasteners  49  to vertical upright angle supports  50  on frame  20 . 
     Boards  32 ,  33  are longer in length than that of frame  20  which reduces the required amount of frame tilt. Carpet  34  preferably mounts a series of so-called bunk pads  35  which provide low friction slide surfaces and are commonly used on boat trailers. 
     Rear bar  30 , in the illustrated first embodiment comprises a galvanized steel, metal pipe whose ends are mounted outwardly of well  21  and below dock  22  by means of suitable fasteners  41 ,  42  such as U-hooks, clamps or the like suited for rigidly securing the outer ends of rear bar  30  to an outer bottom surface of dock  22  such that the weight imposed on rear bar  30  is distributed on dock  22  outwardly of well  21 . 
     Front bar  40 , which takes less of the load of the boat in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a galvanized steel, metal pipe which is mounted within well  21  by means of metal brackets  51 ,  52 . 
     Having described the three principal components of the invention apparatus, it should be recognized that the invention apparatus  15  operates in conjunction with a winch  23  illustrated as comprising a dock mounted stand  60  having a conventional winch drive  61 , cable  62  and hook  63 . 
     Here it may be noted in the first embodiment of FIGS. 5-8 the rear bar  30 , on which frame  20  tilts, is assumed to be at a relatively low height H (FIG. 6) of about six inches above the water whereas in the second embodiment examples of FIGS. 9-11 the rear bar  30  on which frame  20  tilts is assumed to be at a relatively higher height H′ (FIG. 9) of about twelve inches above the water. Here it may be noted that the load of the boat on the invention apparatus will cause the dock itself as well as the invention apparatus  15  to sink down a few inches, typically about two inches. In both embodiments, i.e. whether rear bar  30  is at height H (FIG. 6) or H′ (FIG.  9 ), the boat can be,put into its stored position on frame  20  by use of the motive power PM of the boat and with upward tilt of frame  20  being limited by the adjustable safety chains  38  and  39 . In the case of the first embodiment, when the boat is driven on and positioned on frame  20  as in FIG. 7 the frame  20  and the boat will normally be automatically tilted downward to rest on front bar  40  without requiring use of winch  23  to move the boat to the storage position of FIG.  8 . However, when the rod  30  is desired to be at the higher position H′ (FIG. 9) and particularly when the boat is relatively heavy, use of the winch  23  to pull the boat down to its stored position as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 may be found necessary but in neither case is winch  23  required to be used to position the boat in its initial position on frame  20 . In both embodiments, when the boat is launched back into the water, lowering and use of the motive power PM of the boat in reverse will pull the boat off the frame  20 . 
     As best illustrated by FIGS. 6-8, the frame  20  by reason of a major portion of its length and its center of gravity being rearward of bar  30  is initially positioned in a tilted position at an appropriate acute angle X (FIG. 6) of ten degrees or less and preferably of about three to eight degrees. Frame  20 , because of the location of slots S- 1 , S- 2 , tends to tilt upwardly as seen in FIG.  6  and such upward tilt is limited by the previously mentioned pair of adjustable chains  38 ,  39 . With frame  20  so positioned, the boat operator approaches the frame  20  and by use of the boat&#39;s motive power drives the boat onto frame  20  with the propeller drive going into the open end S shown in FIG.  5 . The boat power is cut off once the boat has assumed the position in which it is to be stored and at which stage the boat operator raises the propeller drive out of the water and gets out of the boat. The boat is now ready for storage. Frame  20 , when mounted at the height H (FIG.  6 ), would normally be expected to tilt downwardly on its own so as to rest on front bar  40  once the boat reaches the position shown in FIG.  7  and the propeller drive has been raised out of the water. 
     As previously stated, winch  23  is used when frame  20  is mounted at height H′ to pull the boat and frame into the down position of FIG.  11 . Once the operator raises the propeller drive out of the water, the operator gets out of the boat and hooks the boat to winch  23  by means of hook  63  (see FIG. 10) and cable  62  and operates winch  23  to pull the boat into the FIG. 11 position. 
     When it is desired to launch the boat back into the water, from the FIG. 11 position, the winch cable is unhooked or loosened which permits frame  20  to tilt down to the position of FIG. 10 to the extent allowed by chains  38 ,  39 . The boat operator then drops the propeller drive into the water, unhooks the winch cable if hooked starts the motor and backs off the frame. 
     As best illustrated by FIGS. 12 and 13, the invention apparatus adapts to docking pontoon type boats as well as conventional boats. In this regard, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an adjustable support board bracket  59  for receiving a pontoon-equipped boat. The boards  58  are shown in dashed lines in FIG.  13 . In FIG. 12, the boards (not shown) are mounted on pivotal bearing plates  60  secured by bolts  61  and supported on uprights  62  mounted on cross bar  63  which in turn mounts on vertical bar  65  adjustably secured by bolts  66  to frame members  67  and  71 . 
     Also to be noted is that the docking apparatus of the invention lends itself to being sold as a kit comprising the frame  20  either assembled or in the form of frame members which can be secured together, a rear bar  30 , a front bar  40  and with instructions for installing both bars and the support boards  32 ,  33 . The support boards would normally be expected to be provided by the purchaser of the kit. Thus, with such a kit available to the purchaser and with instructions consistent with what has been described herein, the average customer will be able to very quickly provide himself or herself with a docking apparatus having all the advantages set forth below. 
     A modification of the docketing apparatus of the invention particularly useful for large boats is illustrated as a third embodiment in FIGS. 14-17. In this regard, it has been found that large boats when positioned on tilted frame  20  as in FIGS. 7 and 10 may have a tendency to slip backwards and in doing so may tend to spread apart the trailing portion of rails  24 ,  25 . To accommodate to this situation and as seen in FIGS. 14-17, an upright member  80  mounts on an upwardly bent tubular structure  81  braced by brace  82  and which is received in a telescoping relation by a mating tube  84  having a rear end portion  85  welded to cross bar  29  and a forward portion welded to angled brace members  86 ,  88  whose rear ends  91 ,  93  are welded to the leading ends of side rails  24 ,  25 . The rear end of tubular structure  81  telescopes within the mating tube  84  both of which have a series of holes (FIG. 14) adapted to receiving a bolt  90  thereby enabling upright  80  and its associated welded-on tie ring  91  to be adjustably positioned to accommodate to the length of the boat being launched. To resist any tendency of the rails  24 ,  25  to spread apart when receiving a relatively heavy boat, a downwardly extending U-shaped brace  95  secured to rails  24 ,  25  has a propeller clearance PC (FIG. 17) below frame  20  of about 24 inches sufficient to permit the boat&#39;s propulsion apparatus PM to pass when in the water and being used to dock the boat. Brace  95  is made of sufficiently heavy metal construction to prevent spreading of rails  24 ,  25  when loaded with a heavy boat. 
     Before a particular boat is positioned, the operator will have properly positioned and locked together by use of pin  90  (FIG. 15) tube  81  in tube  84  corresponding to the length of the boat. Then immediately after the boat is positioned as in the dotted line position of FIG. 16, the operator will tie the bow of the boat to the ring  91  on upright  80  and after which the boat will typically be winched down to rest on front bar  40 . 
     In summary, the following advantages are achieved by the docking apparatus of the invention: 
     1. It is easily and quickly installed in a well of an existing floating dock simply by installing the front and rear bars and mounting the frame on the rear bar. 
     2. It is self-loading irrespective of the water level. 
     3. It readily adapts to docking a wide range of boats, including pontoon boats, of different length and weight and particularly of the type in which the propulsion apparatus is normally positioned or is adapted to be positioned above the bottom of the boat. 
     4. It is operable by a single individual. 
     5. It adapts to a do-it-yourself kit and installation procedure. 
     6. Relatively heavy boats may be prevented from sliding rearwardly on the frame once positioned by the boat&#39;s propulsion apparatus.