Patent ID: 7097408

Claim:
Rack for insertion in a trailer hitch for use in transporting a personal pontoon watercraft, the watercraft having a pair of pontoons, a watercraft deck with a deck depth and a deck length and a pontoon connection structure for securing the pontoons respectively to opposing sides of the watercraft deck, the trailer hitch having a trailer hitch receptacle, the rack comprising: a) anchor member having an anchor member insertion end and an anchor member rear end, the anchor member insertion end being dimensioned for insertion in the trailer hitch receptacle; b) support structure comprised of a support member and a cradle structure affixed to the support member, the support member having a support member bottom end, the support structure having a roughly horizontal load position and a roughly vertical transport position, the cradle structure having a forked left cradle comprising a left front cradle member with a left front cradle member length and a left front cradle interior surface and a left rear cradle with a left rear cradle member length and a left rear cradle interior surface, and a forked right cradle comprising a right front cradle member with a right front cradle member length and a right front cradle interior surface and a right rear cradle member with a right rear cradle member length and a right rear cradle interior surface, the left cradle having a left cradle spacing between the left front cradle interior surface and the left rear cradle interior surface and the right cradle having a right cradle spacing between the right front cradle interior surface and the right rear cradle interior surface, the left front cradle member length, the left rear cradle member length, the right front cradle member length, the right rear cradle member length, the left cradle spacing and the right cradle spacing providing for the insertion of the watercraft deck into the cradle structure with the support structure in the load position and with the watercraft in a roughly horizontal position and for the engagement of the watercraft deck between the left rear cradle interior surface and the left front cradle interior surface and between the right rear cradle interior surface and the right front cradle interior surface, and providing for the continuing engagement of the watercraft deck and maintaining the orientation of the watercraft deck and the orientation of the watercraft with respect to the support structure as the support structure is pivoted from the load position to the transport position, thereby providing for pivoting the watercraft from a roughly horizontal position to a roughly vertical position; and c) pivot hinge pivotally attaching the support member bottom end to the anchor member rear end for pivoting of the support structure between the load position and the transport position.