US2585664A - Boat lift - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 12, 1952 E. D. LE MAY ET AL 2,585,664

BOAT LIFT Filed Sept. 20, 1947 a Sheetshee: i

INVENTOR-S frnesfD Le y 3 Y fujenelfi Wh Feb. 12, 1952 E. D. LE MAY ETAL 2,585,664

BOAT LIFT Filed Sept. 20, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS .Frnes+ D. L Mgy {f z Eqyene KlV/wv e Patented Feb. 12, 1952 2,585,664 I C E.

BOAT LIFT Ernest Le May, Birmingham, Ala.; and Eugene K. White, Owensboro, Ky.

Application September 20, 1947, Serial No. 775352 light weight boat lift embodying a supporting frame disposed to rest on the ground beneath'the water line, and-a vertically movable boat frame disposed over the supporting frame, together with cranks or links for raising and lowering the 1 Claim. 11. 254 50) boat frame with-respect to the supporting frame.

Another object of our invention is to provide a boat liftof the character described embodying an elongated operating handle for the boat frame elevating mechanism whereby the same may be operated from the boat after the same is posi- .1.

tioned over the boat frame, or may be operated from a position alongside the boat, in either'case Without the operator having to enter the water.

A further object of our invention is to provide a boat lift of the character designated in which 1 one end of the boat frame is pivoted to one end vide a boat lift in which a crank is mounted in each end of the supporting frame and pivotally connected to the underside of the boat frame, together with an elongated handle for operating one of the cranks, thus to raise both ends of the boat frame substantially the same amount,

thereby providing a structure in which a boat may be wholly floated into position over the device and raised from or lowered into the water by a simple movement of the handle.

Apparatus embodying the features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. l is a side view of our improved boat lift showing a boat in position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device with the boat removed;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the adjustable mud sills;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line V V of Fig. 1; V

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1 and showing a slightly modified form of our invention;

.Fig. 7 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 6;'

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig..9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing a still further modified form of our boat lift;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of Fig. 9; and r Fig. 11 is a rear elevational view of the device shown in Figs. 9 and 10. v

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of our'invention, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive thereof, ourim- 2 proved boat lift comprises a supporting frame indicated generally by the numeral I6. The supporting frame is formed of longitudinal members -II and front and rear cross members I2. The entire device is Supported on vertically and angularly adjustable mud sills I3 placed at each corner of the supporting frame. As seen more clearly in Fig. 4, each of the mud sills comprises tubular members I4 carrying at their lower end mud shoes I6. The tubular portion I4 is provided with a plurality of holes I6a, the member 14 being telescopically received in a short section of tubing I1, and connected thereto by means of a pin I8. Welded to a side of the short section II is a projecting pin or tube I9, the outer end of which is telescopically received within a socket 2|, Welded to the longitudinal members II at the corners of the frame. The sockets 2| are provided with a plurality of holes 22 and a pin 23 passes through these holes and through the member I9 whereby the entire mud sill may be rotated in the sockets 2|, thus providing for angular adjustment of the sills. Vertical adjustment is made by means of the pin I8 and holes I6. The boat frame of our improved device, indicated generally by the numeral 24, comprises a pair of longitudinal members 26 and 21 which may conveniently be light weight channels. Extending across and joined to the members 26 and 21 are fore and aft boat cradles 28 and 29, respectively. The cradle 29 may be secured to the members 26 and 21 by means of screws 3 I and the forward cradle 28 is adjustable fore and aft on the longitudinal members 26 and 21 by means of depending brackets 32 and nuts and bolts 33. See

Fig. 5. The forward cradle may, therefore, be

moved axially along the members 26 and 21 to accommodate boats of different lengths.

The forward end of the boat frame 24 is pivotally mounted on a transverse rod 34 mounted at each end on brackets 36 and 31, welded to the supporting frame members II.

39 and 4| are the ends of the legs of an elongated -U-shaped operating handle 47.

and using the form of our invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, will be readily understood. The supporting frame may be placed on a sloping bottom at the edge of a lake or otherbody of water to lie-with' its aft end submerged beneath the water line, indicated generally by the letter W in Fig. 1. With the handle 41 in the raised position as shown in the full lines of Fig. 1, a boat B may be floated between the legs of the operating handle to overlie the rear cradle 29 and with its prow angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the boat lift, whereupon the prow of the boat may be'manually lifted onto the cradle 28. With the boat thus positioned, the operator, standing eitherfiin the boat or on a suitab e tf r -alon i hebeatli t. g asp h ,upper end of'the U-shapecl handle M and pulls t eseme. d wnwardly-t the do t dli e p t on sho n; sh. This caus he roll r ,52, to

about the points id andv 45 thus to raise therear englof the boat frame 524' zandthe boat clear of thewa e T e prow h b at. be n p v ted ontheshaftt4 whichisdisposed forwardly of the 1 ,mq 'yupwardl as d at drt e ahd ep vot ns forward cradle 28,'i-s raised further out of the a.

water, the boat frame being substantially hori- Zqntal, when the handle is the. .lower position. The boat B is thus raised, out of, the water and he on th oat frame by asimple. dow ward .movementof handle 6]. Conversely. when it, is

desired to lower the boat into the water, the handle 41 is raised upwardly, lowering the, rear e d o the boat and, y lift ng the p ow of the bea Qu i t q le 28 t e at s a ain. water borne and may be floated from between the legs of he u-shape handle, 4i.

Referring w m re par i ularly t F gs... 6, '11, an B; w lOW a l s tlvmodieed form of the b at lift he-Wain Figs- 1. tot in usive. 11 this modification, a pair of cams 53 and 54am welded sst 5.6- a d 51 tea cross-r d 8.nperativa1y co nected at its ends to-a U-shaped handle; 59. The

cross rod 58 is supported suitable bearing brackets Bland-:62; carried by the longitudinal members ll ofthe supporting frame H). The front end of the boat frame is pivotally mounted on a. rod in the same manner as that, already described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

The cams 53 and 54 are disposed to engage the underside of the members 26 and 21 SQ that when the handlebd is moved to the dotted, position shown in Fig; 6 the boat frame Z4 is raised as already explained.

Re r g n to Fi s- 1G. and 11, we show a further vmodification of our boatlift in which the supporting frame I 0 is adapted to be disposed wholly beneath the water line, W and in which the boat frame when in lowered position also lies beneath the water line, thereby making it, possible to float the boat into position to be raised.

In this modification, we provide fore and aft crank arms 64 and 66, respectively, mounted in suitable bearing brackets .67 and 68. carried by the supporting frame Hi. The transversev portions 69 and H of the crank are pivotally connected by means of suitable bearings 12. and 13 tosthe underside of the longitudinal members 14 and-l6 forming the main members of the boat frame.

The fore and aft cradles 28 and 29 cross connect i In the operation of this modification, the boat is floated into position above the cradles 28 and 29 and the handle 11 is brought downwardly. The frame members 14 and 16 of the boat frame act as links between the cranks 64 and 66 so that the motion. of crank 68 is transmitted to crank 64 to cause upward pivotal movement to the latter crank. The stops l8 and 19 prevent the arms from reaching dead center when the boat frame is in the lower position thereby making it possible to raise the boat frame upwardly responsive to upward, movement of crank 66.

If desired, a pin 8! may be secured, to aside of the crank 64 thus to act as a stop for the end of handle Ti when the same is in down position shown'in dotted; line, Fig. 9,, thereby to .makethe handle accessible for upward movement. It. also will be noted in connection with the modification shown in Figs. 9 to 1-1 that the stop 8| 'is so positioned that the cranks 54 and 66 travel past vertical center so that the weight'of the boat and the boat frame tend to hold the boatin the-raised position.

Referring again to Fig. '7, it will be apparent that stops 82, similar to the stop 8-], maybe provided. in this modification to preventthe handle 59 from traveling beneath the water and that these stops may be so positioned that the load supporting point of the cams 53 and 54 when in the raised position are past the pivot point on which they are supported, thereby: preventing the handle from rotating upwardly responsive to the weight of the boat.

From the foregoing, it will, be apparent that we have devised an improved boat lift which is economical of manufacture and simple of Opera:- tion. In acti-ia l practice, we have found that a boat lift made in accordance with our invention is satisfactory in every way;

While we have shown our invention in several forms, it will be obvious to. those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such, limitations shall :be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth :in the appended claim.

What we claim is:

In a boat lift, a supporting frame, a boat frame pivotally mounted at .oneend to the supporting frame, a U-shaped handle .of .a width to straddle a boat on said boat frame v and of a length to extend past an end ofa boat on said boat frame and having its legsxpivoted' to the supporting frame adjacent the free end of the boat frame, the ends of the legs projecting past the pivot points thereof, and a roller carried in the projecting ends of the legs and supporting the free end of the boat frame.

ERNEST D. LEMAY. v EUGENE 'WHI'IE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this, patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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