Abstract:
A boat trailer modified to include a dolly and dolly track, the dolly including a hook triggering mechanism, a bow cradle and a slidable hooking mechanism for engaging a watercraft bow ring at a wide range misalignment with the centerline of the trailer. The trailer further including a remote controlled power winch with an automatic shut off for stopping the power winch when a watercraft is fully loaded. The invention providing a means for a single user to launch a securely retrieve a watercraft to and from a watercraft trailer.

Description:
This application is a divisional application which claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 11/779,225, filed on Jul. 17, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,635, filed in the name of the same inventor. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to trailered vehicles and trailers and more particularly to a trailer equipped with a means for a single person to remotely launch and securely retrieve a vehicle such as a boat, jet-ski or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional watercraft trailers allow a user the convenience and pleasure of transporting a boat, jet ski or the like to a variety of locations for the enjoyment of the watercraft they are trailering. The trailer allows the watercraft being trailered to be securely and safely towed by a motorized vehicle from place to place. The trailer further permits the user to store the trailered watercraft safely in a garage or on the individual&#39;s own property without incurring additional storage expense. However, presently existing trailers have a variety of limitations which detract from their above noted conveniences. 
     In the case of watercraft trailers, the trailer is typically backed down a ramp that extends into the water such that the boat or jet ski can then be floated off of the trailer for launching the watercraft and driving the watercraft part way onto the trailer for retrieving the watercraft. Typically, the launching or retrieving of a watercraft requires two people, one person in the watercraft to secure and control the watercraft when the watercraft is in the water and another person to operate a winch mechanism during the launching and retrieval of the watercraft to and from a trailer. 
     In the retrieval of a watercraft, this problem is exacerbated by the fact that the trailer is at a downward angle of 10 degrees or greater due to the ramp the trailer is on while the watercraft is level on the water thereby resulting in having the bow of the watercraft at an angle different from the bow cradle alignment guides and latching mechanism of the trailer. Consequently, a user typically attaches a winch strap, attached to a winch on the trailer, to a bow ring in order to pull the watercraft into alignment with the bow cradle alignment guides. 
     When there is a wind blowing or if there is turbulent water, aligning the watercraft to the trailer for retrieval becomes even more difficult as the watercraft tends to drift off of its original position for retrieval. In these situations, it is not unusual for the person operating the winch to have to wade into the water to assist in aligning the watercraft to the trailer and in connecting the winch line to the bow of the watercraft and further operating the winch to fully pull the watercraft into the proper position on the cradle bunks and onto the trailer. 
     Because of the need for the watercraft to be secured to the winch line for movement onto or off of a trailer, the watercraft operator must leave the cockpit of the watercraft to secure or release the winch line from the bow of the watercraft, thereby leaving the watercraft out of control for a period of time or necessitating a third person at the controls of the watercraft. Thus, the current means for the launching or retrieval of a watercraft, although greatly increasing the flexibility and pleasure offered to watercraft users, generally requires the cooperative efforts of two or more people to launch and/or retrieve the watercraft safely and securely. 
     Once on a trailer, a watercraft can then be secured with tie downs or the like to prevent movement and damage during transportation of the watercraft and trailer. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,263 issued to Whitlock on Jun. 15, 1976 teaches an automatic boat latch, however, this latch does not provide an automatic release for use when launching a boat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,790 issued to Farris on Aug. 27, 1974 teaches a kit comprising a wheeled carriage and rails adapted to be secured to a boat trailer for facilitating the loading and unloading of a boat by securing the forward end of a boat after engaging the bow of the boat but before releasing the catch previously engaged with the eye on the bow of the boat. However, this kit requires the use of the boats power to fully retrieve the boat to the trailer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,805 issued to Finney on Aug. 7, 1973 teaches a wheeled dolly and track structure attached to a trailer for loading a boat to a boat trailer. However, this structure requires the use of the boat&#39;s power to fully retrieve the boat to the trailer. 
     U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2004/0037686 by Zietlow et al. teaches a boat trailer modified to include a load bearing trolley movable along a single track parallel to the length of the trailer. The trolley having an automatic latching and unlatching mechanism that operates depending upon the position of the trolley. However, the docking plate has limited movement relative to the bow of the watercraft and requires a flexible target antenna attached to the docking plate in order for the occupant to position the watercraft onto the docking plate accurately enough to engage the latching mechanism onto the bow ring. 
     None of the above inventions, taken either singly or taken in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Therefore, an improved trailer solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed at an apparatus and means for automatically unloading and retrieving a vehicle to and from a trailer by a single individual. In addition, this invention allows a single user to retrieve a watercraft to a trailer with a substantial initial misalignment of the watercraft to the trailer and still easily and successfully retrieve and secure the watercraft to the trailer. 
     Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included within the scope of the present invention. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings. Although the invention is described in connection with the drawings, there is no intent to limit the invention to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed therein. On the contrary, the intent is to include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, which are only for illustration, and are thus not meant to be limiting the present invention, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the subject boat launching and retrieving invention with the launching and retrieving apparatus in its most rearward position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the subject boat launching and retrieving invention with the launching and retrieving apparatus in its most forward position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the dolly assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the dolly track rails and the position lever rail of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of the dolly assembly depicting the triggering mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the bow cradle frame of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the bow cradle alignment guides of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a side perspective view of the bow cradle assembly rails with the attached bow cradle alignment guides of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a planar top down end view of the hooking mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a planar inside view of the hook plate of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a top planar view of the bow cradle with the bow of a boat in misalignment to the left side of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a top planar view of the bow cradle with the bow of a boat in misalignment to the right side of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the key chain remote of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a side planar view of a watercraft on a trailer which is connected to a tow vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  depicts the present invention  1  as installed on a watercraft trailer  2  with the dolly assembly  3  shown in its most rearward position. The watercraft trailer, as commonly known in the art, having longitudinal supports, a rear end, a plurality of trailer wheels disposed proximate the rear end of the of the supports. Hull support rollers or support boards, as are commonly known in the art, are not depicted in the figures as they would interfere with the drawings of the present invention. A movable dolly means comprising a dolly assembly  3  that is movably retained between two dolly track rails  4  which are fixedly attached to the watercraft trailer  2 . Toward the front of the trailer  2  is the post arm  5  to which is attached a power winch means comprising a power winch assembly  6 , an electrical control box  7  and a combined power winch strap control device  9  with an automatic shutoff switch  8 .  FIG. 2  depicts the present invention  1  as installed on a watercraft trailer  2  with the dolly assembly  3  in its most forward position. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the dolly assembly  3 . The dolly assembly comprises two dolly frame rails  10 . Attached near each end of the dolly frame rails  10  on the outside edges are four (4) rotatable dolly guide wheels  11  (only three are depicted). At each end of the dolly assembly  3  are end support bars  61  and  19 . Near the rear end support bar  61  is a first support bar  12  to which is mounted a tension means comprising one (1) thirty pound constant tensioner cable wheel  13  that are well known in the art. The cable of the constant tensioner being attached at one end to the cable wheel  13  and at the other end to the rear of the dolly track rails  4  on the track strut  62  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Towards the middle of the dolly frame rails  10  is mounted a second support bar  14  to which is pivotably attached two cradle frame rails  15 , one cradle frame rail near each side of the dolly frame rails  10 . Third and fourth support bars  16  and  17  connect the two cradle frame rails  15  for rigidity. Towards the upper ends of the cradle frame rails  15  are mounted two (2) sixty pound air shocks  18  with each air shock  18  being attached on a cradle frame rail  15  at a first end and to the forward end support bar  19  that is mounted to the front of the dolly frame rails  10  at the second end. At the upper end of the cradle frame rails  15  are pivotally mounted a bow cradle assembly  20  for receiving the bow of a boat. Attached to the forward end of the bow cradle assembly  20  is a hooking mechanism  21  for automatically engaging a bow hook into a bow ring  63  (shown in FIG.  14 ) attached to the bow of a boat  65  (shown in  FIG. 14 ). The hooking mechanism  21  and its operation will be described in greater detail below. 
     Attached to the dolly frame rails  10  between the second support bar  14  and the front end support bar  19  is a fifth support bar  22 . Pivotally attached to the fifth support bar  22  is a spring biased triggering mechanism  23 . A cable  24  is attached at a first end to the triggering mechanism  23  and at a second end to the hooking mechanism  21 , the operation of which will be described in greater detail below. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the dolly track rails  4  with the position lever rail  25  fixedly attached to one of the dolly track rails  4 . There are forward  26  and rearward  27  cutouts in the position lever rail  25  used for activating the hooking mechanism  21  as will be described later. The inside rolled edge  28  of the dolly track rails  4  is where the rotatable dolly guide wheels  11  operate moving in a backward and forward direction on the dolly track rails  4  as indicated by the arrow  29 . 
       FIG. 5  is a partial view of the dolly assembly  3  depicting the triggering means comprising a triggering mechanism  23 . The triggering mechanism  23  has pivotally attached to the fifth support bar  22  a first triggering linkage  30  and second triggering linkage  31 . At a first end of the first triggering linkage  30  is a roller  33  and at the second end is an expansion spring  39  which is also attached to the fifth support bar  22 . The expansion spring  39  keeps the first triggering linkage  30  and the roller  33  biased in an outward direction. As the dolly assembly  3  moves linearly along the dolly track  4 , the roller  33  on the first triggering linkage  30  intersects one of the cutouts  26  or  27  in the position lever rail  25  thereby pivoting the first triggering linkage  30 . As the first triggering linkage  30  pivots, a second end of the first triggering linkage  30  engages a tab  32  on the second triggering linkage  31  causing the second triggering linkage  31  to pivot causing the cable  24  that is attached at one end of the second triggering linkage  31  to move thereby activating the hooking mechanism  21  as will be described later. 
       FIG. 6  depicts the bow cradle frame  34  which consists of two bow cradle assembly rails  35  supported by two cross-member supports  36 . There is a bow stop  37  adjustably mounted to a first end of the bow cradle assembly rails  35 . Pivotably mounted to the first end of the bow cradle assembly rails  35  are two hook mechanism support bars  38 . Longitudinally attached to the two hook mechanism support bars  38  is the hook mechanism slide bar  40 . 
       FIG. 7  depicts the padded bow protector and alignment guides  41  which have the ends  42  and inside edges  43  tapered to accept the bow of a boat. The alignment guides  41  are mounted to the top of the bow cradle assembly rails  35  shown in  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts the bow cradle assembly rails  35  with the attached alignment guides  41 . Slidably attached to the hook mechanism slide bar  40  is the hooking mechanism  21 . In use, the hooking mechanism  21  slides horizontally along the slide bar  40  as indicated by the arrow  42 . 
       FIG. 9  is a top down view of the hooking mechanism  21  slidably attached to the slide bar  40 . The hooking mechanism includes a frame  43 . Rotatably mounted to the frame are four (4) rollers  44  (only two of which are shown) that ride on the slide bar  40 . Two of the rollers  44  ride on the top of the slide bar  40  and the other two rollers  44  ride on the bottom of the slide bar  40  thereby preventing the hooking mechanism from disengaging from the slide bar  40 . Attached to the outside of the frame  43  is a first expansion spring  45  which is connected at one end to the hooking mechanism frame  43  and at the other end to one of the hook mechanism support bars  38  shown in  FIG. 8 . When not in use, the first expansion spring  45  maintains the hooking mechanism  21  in a position to the left side of the slide bar  40 . The cable  24  that is attached at a first end to the second triggering linkage (as depicted in  FIG. 5 ) is attached at a second end to a first end of a second expansion spring  46 . The second end of the second expansion spring  46  is attached to the hooking mechanism frame  43 . 
     Attached to the hooking mechanism frame  43  is a hook plate  47 . Rotatably and slidably attached to the hook plate  47  is a pivot pin  48 . At a first end of the pivot pin  48  is attached a boat hook  49  and at a second end is attached a first end of a first hook linkage bar  50 . The boat hook  49  is normally biased towards the fixed pin  53  by an expansion spring (not shown). At the second end of the first hook linkage bar  50  is rotatably attached a first end of a second hook linkage bar  51 . Also attached to the second end of the first hook linkage bar  50  is a third expansion spring  52  which is also attached to the hooking mechanism frame  43 . The second end of the second hook linkage bar  51  is rotatably connected to a fixed pin  53  mounted in the hook plate  47 . 
       FIG. 10  depicts the inside view of the hook plate  47  and hook linkage bars  50  and  51 . The hook plate  47  is attached to the hooking mechanism frame  43 . There is an angled through hole slot  54  cut out of the hook plate  47 . The slideable and rotatable pin  48  rides in the slot  54 . The first hook linkage bar  50  is attached to the slideable and rotatable pin  48  at one end and to a first end of the second hook linkage bar  51  at the other end. The third expansion spring  52  is attached to the second end of the first hook linkage bar  50  and to the frame  43 . The third expansion spring  52  keeps the hook  49  in a normally open position ready to receive a bow ring  63  of a watercraft  65 . The second end of the second hook linkage bar  51  is rotatably attached to the pin  53 . The cable  24  is attached to the second expansion spring  46  which is in turn attached to the hooking mechanism frame  43 . 
     As a means for a single user to remotely retrieve a motor powered watercraft  65 , a user backs a watercraft trailer  2  down a watercraft ramp  66  (shown in  FIG. 14 ) into the water. The user enters the watercraft  65  and uses a remote control means comprising a key chain remote  56  (shown in  FIG. 13 ) as a means to release the power winch  6  and strap  55  means shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The tension means comprising a constant tensioner wheel  13  that provides the means to pull the dolly assembly  3  toward the rear of the trailer  2 . The hooking means for keeping the hook  49  in its normally open position is accomplished when the triggering linkage roller  33  intersects the rear cutout  27 , the hooking mechanism  21  stays to the right hand side as viewed from inside the boat which keeps the hook  49  in its normally open position. The user then drives the watercraft  65  towards the dolly assembly  3  and the bow cradle assembly  20 . As a means for engaging the bow hook  49  with the bow ring  63 , as the watercraft  65  enters the dolly assembly  3 , the bow ring  63  contacts the bow stop  37  and the watercraft  65  pushes the dolly assembly  3  forward on the dolly track rails  4  until the triggering means is activated by the triggering linkage roller  33  intersecting with the forward cutout  26 . This causes the triggering linkages  30  and  31  to move thereby causing the triggering cable  24  to move. As the cable  24  moves, it pulls on the second expansion spring  46  which pulls the hooking mechanism  21  to the left, when viewed from inside the boat, overcoming the force of the first expansion spring  45 . When the bow hook  49  encounters the bow ring  63  of a watercraft  65 , the hooking mechanism  21  stops moving but the cable  24  continues to pull on the frame  43  causing the hook mechanism  21  to remain in place. Once the watercraft  65  is located in the bow cradle assembly  20  and the hook  49  is aligned with the bow ring  63 , the user uses the remote control means comprising the key chain remote  56  which sends a signal to the power winch means as a means to engage the power winch  6  means. 
     Attached to the power winch  6  means is the strap  55  means (shown in  FIG. 1 ) that is attached to the hook  49 . When activated, the power winch  6  means rewinds the strap  55  means which pulls on the hooking means  49  which first pivots the hook mechanism support bars  38  and the attached hooking mechanism  21  to pull the hooking mechanism  21  in alignment with the bow ring  63  of a watercraft  65  and then slides the hooking means  49  in the slot  54  in the hook plate  47  causing the hooking means  49  to rotate and fully engage the bow ring  63  of a water-craft. As a means to align the water craft with the boat trailer  2  and a means to fully load the watercraft  65  on the trailer  2 , the continued operation of the power winch  6  means causes the watercraft  65  to align itself with the boat trailer  2  and causes the watercraft  65  and dolly assembly  3  to move up onto the boat trailer  2  in a fully loaded position. As a means to automatically turn off the power winch  6 , there is an automatic power winch cutoff switch  8  mounted on the post arm  5  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . When the bow stop  37 , shown in  FIG. 6 , encounters a power winch shutoff means comprising the cutoff switch  8 , the power to the power winch  6  is terminated and the watercraft  65  is fully loaded and secured. The trailed watercraft  65  and trailer  2  can then be pulled out of the water by a tow vehicle  64  (shown in  FIG. 14 ). 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , and from the description and attached drawings of the bow cradle assembly  20  and the hooking mechanism  21 , the present invention provides a means for a wide degree of initial misalignment of a watercraft  65  to the bow cradle alignment guides  41  as the hooking mechanism  21  has a full range of movement on the slide bar  40  between the bow cradle assembly rails  35 .  FIG. 11  depicts a boat bow  60  in phantom lines approaching the alignment guides  41  at a sharp left angle to the alignment guides  41 . The hooking mechanism  21  has traversed across the slide bar  40  to its far left position in order to engage the bow ring  63  (shown in  FIG. 14 ).  FIG. 12  depicts a boat bow  60  in phantom lines approaching the alignment guides  41  at a sharp right angle to the alignment guides  41 . When viewed from inside the boat, the hooking mechanism  21  is in it far right position on the slide bar  40  in order to engage the bow ring  63 . This design enables a single user to approach the dolly assembly  3  with less than perfect alignment and still easily and conveniently engage the hooking mechanism  21  to secure the watercraft  65  to the trailer  2 . The amount of misalignment a watercraft  65  can have with the centerline of the trailer  2 , and still be effectively engaged by the sliding hooking mechanism  21 , is determined by the width of the bow cradle frame  34  and the length of the mechanism slide bar  40  which is determined by the hull design width of the chosen watercraft  65 . Other types of springs or triggering mechanisms could be substituted for those presented above in order to effectuate the operation of this invention without deviating from the present invention. 
     As a means for a single user to remotely launch a watercraft  65 , a user backs the trailer  2 , with attached watercraft  65 , down a watercraft ramp  66  and into the water. The watercraft  65  then begins to float on the water while the trailer  2  sinks. The user then enters the watercraft  65  and uses a remote control means comprising a key chain remote  56  which sends a signal to the power winch means as a means to release the power winch and strap  55  means. Released from the tension of the power winch, the constant tensioner cable wheel  13  provides the means to pull the dolly assembly  3  toward the rear of the trailer  2 . A triggering means for releasing the bow ring  63  from the hook  49 , is activated when the triggering linkage roller  33  intersects the rear cutout  27  on the position lever rail  25 , the triggering linkages  30  and  31  move thereby causing the cable  24  to move which allows the first expansion spring  45  to pull the hooking mechanism  21  to the right which causes the hook  49  to return to its normally open position thereby releasing the bow ring  63  of a watercraft  64  from the hooking mechanism  21 . 
     To anyone skilled in the art, the fundamental precepts and arrangement of the foregoing invention could be easily adapted to the loading and unloading of numerous items onto trailers or trucks, such as but not limited to, four wheel ATV&#39;s, tractors, forklifts, dozers, backhoes, loaded pallet skids, crates and the like without departing for the scope and intent of the invention. All that is required is a ramp with a slidable dolly attached to the ramp along with the remainder of the present invention.