Patent ID: 8479677

Claim:
An up-and-over hydraulic lift system comprising: a swim platform having a substantially planar top surface and a bottom surface; a transom bracket, the transom bracket for attachment to a transom of a water vehicle, the transom bracket having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the transom bracket for mounting closest to a deck of the water vehicle; an upper frame, the upper frame affixed to the bottom surface of the swim platform, the upper frame having a first end being closest to the transom bracket and a distal second end; a lower frame, the lower frame having a first end being closest to the transom bracket and a distal second end; an upper hinged arm, a first end of the upper hinged arm pivotally attached to the lower frame at the first end of the lower frame, a distal second end of the upper hinged arm pivotally attached to the transom bracket at a location of the transom bracket between the upper end of the transom bracket and the lower end of the transom bracket; a lower hinged arm, a first end of the lower hinged arm pivotally interfaced to the lower frame at a location between the first end of the lower frame and the distal second end of the lower frame, a second end of the lower hinged arm pivotally attached to the lower end of the transom bracket; a first hydraulic ram; a first end of the first hydraulic ram is pivotally connected to the lower hinged arm at a point on the lower hinged arm between a mid-point of the lower hinged arm and the second end of the lower hinged arm, a second end of the hydraulic ram is pivotally connected to the upper end of the transom bracket; a first arm, a first end of the first arm pivotally connected to the upper frame between the first end of the upper frame and the distal second end of the upper frame, a second end of the first arm pivotally connected to the lower frame at the first end of the lower frame; a second arm, a first end of the second arm pivotally connected to the upper frame at the distal rear end of the upper frame, a second end of the second arm pivotally connected to the lower frame at the distal second end of the lower frame; and a second hydraulic ram, a first end of the second hydraulic ram is pivotally connected to the first end of the upper frame, a second end of the second hydraulic ram is pivotally connected to the second arm; whereas, as the swim platform is raised/lowered, a pitch of the substantially planar top surface of the swim platform remains substantially constant with respect to the transom bracket.