BIDESE, Michele (P.tta delle Filandiere, Malo, I-36034, IT)
| CLAIMS 1. A cradle adapted to be moved between a harbor dock and a sailing area in front of it, for hauling, launching and storing boats, comprising: - a base frame (2) susceptible of being dipped into water and lifted therefrom for loading and unloading a boat (B) to be hauled, launched or stored; - at least one pair (3, 3') of supporting arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') mounted to said frame (2) and movable between a rest unloaded position and a working position in contact with the hull (H) of the boat (B) for supporting it; - actuator means (6), including at least one floating element (7) mounted to each of said arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') for automatically moving them from the rest position to the working position as said base frame (2) is dipped into water; - locking means (8) operating on said support arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') for automatically locking them in the working position upon loading of the boat (B) for safe loading and unloading thereof. 2. A cradle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one floating element (7) comprises at least one resilient element for damped contact with the hull (H) of the boat (B). 3. A cradle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said support arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') are rotatably mounted to said frame (3) for rotating about a corresponding axis of rotation (X, X'). 4. A cradle as claimed in claim 3, comprising a pair (3) of front support arms (4, 4') and a pair (3') of rear support arms (5, 51), said front and rear arms (4, 41; 5, 5') being mounted to said frame (2) symmetrically with respect to a median axis (M) thereof to rotate about axes (X, X1) substantially parallel thereto, to ensure balancing of the boat (B) during haulage. 5. A cradle as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said locking means (8) are automatically releasable upon unloading of the boat. 6. A cradle as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said locking means (8) include a locking mechanism (9) for locking the rotation of said support arms (4, 4'; 5, 5'), which is operably coupled to a plate (10) that is vertically movable between a raised disengagement position in which the arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') are freely movable and a lowered engagement position, in which motion thereof is locked. 7. A cradle as claimed in claim 6, wherein said plate (10) has a top surface (11) susceptible of contacting the keel (K) of the boat (B) to be lowered upon loading of the boat (B) and be raised upon unloading thereof. 8. A cradle as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said rotating support arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') are operably connected to respective gearwheels (12, 12'), said locking mechanism (9) comprising at least one engagement element (13, 13') having a plurality of teeth (17) susceptible of engaging the peripheral teeth (18) of at least one of said wheels (12, 12') to lock rotation thereof. 9. A cradle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one engagement element (13, 13') is movable concordantly with said plate (10) to move said teeth (17) into engagement with the peripheral teeth (18) of one of said wheels (12, 12') in said lowered engagement position and disengagement therefrom in said raised disengagement position. 10. A cradle as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said base frame (2) has a substantially quadrangular shape defining a plane (π), said support arms (4, 4'; 5, 5') being substantially coplanar with said plane (π) in said rest position to minimize the cradle size. |
Field of the invention
The present invention generally finds application in the field of boat supporting devices, and particularly relates to a haulage, launching and storage cradle for boats.
Background art
Boat storing cradles are known, of the type comprising a base frame and a plurality of support arms attached thereto, which are susceptible of contacting the keel of the boat to be supported.
Such support arms are generally fixed, and cannot be adapted to the shape of the boat supported thereby.
In an attempt to obviate this drawback, boat cradles have been provided, which have mechanically tilt adjustable arms, that fit the shape of the boat to be supported.
Japanese patent JP 3253490 discloses a solution of this type, in which each arm has one end secured to the frame and the opposite end equipped with a mechanical height-adjusting jack, for changing the overall tilt angle of the arm.
While this solution can change the tilt angle of the support arm, it necessarily requires an operator to externally actuate the jack.
Furthermore, while tilt adjustment of the support arms may be simple when the cradle is in the unloaded state, it becomes difficult and troublesome when
- l- the boat is loaded thereon.
Furthermore, this prior art solution involves some hazards during loading and unloading of the boat, both for the boat itself and for the operators. Indeed, if the support arms are not perfectly adjusted, the boat may slide off the cradle, and cause possibly serious consequences both for its structural integrity and the safety of people therearound.
Also, if such accident occurs during loading and unloading, any minor manual adjustment error may cause, at the best, injuries to the operators around the boat.
Disclosure of the invention
The object of the present invention is to overcome at least part of the above drawbacks, by providing a haulage, launching and storage cradle for boats, that allows easy haulage and launching of the boat to be supported.
Furthermore, another object of the invention is to provide a cradle that allows safe loading and unloading of the boat, with no hazard for either the boat or the people around it.
These and other objects, as better explained hereafter, are fulfilled by a haulage, launching and storage cradle for boats as defined in claim 1.
With these features, the cradle of the invention allows easy haulage of the boat, because the support arms are automatically adjusted with no external operator action.
Also, for this reason, the cradle of the invention allows safe loading and unloading of the boat. These operations may be also remotely controlled, for maximum safety.
Suitably, the cradle of the invention may have means for locking the support arms in said working position, to prevent damages to the loaded boat.
Furthermore, such locking means may be of automatic type, for locking the arms in the working position upon loading of the boat, for an even safer haulage, both for operators and for the boat.
In view of minimizing the cradle size, and regardless of whether the above described actuators are present or not, the base frame may have a substantially quadrangular shape defining a plane, whereas the support arms in the rest position may be substantially coplanar with such plane.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in accordance with the dependent claims.
Brief description of the drawings
Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of a few preferred, non exclusive embodiments of a cradle of the invention, presented by way of non limiting examples in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cradle of the invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of the cradle of the invention with the support arms 4, 4' and 5, 5' in the rest position;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the cradle of the invention with the support arms 4, 4' and 5, 5 1 in the working position;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the plate 10 and the engagement member 13 of the locking mechanism 9 in the disengagement position;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the plate 10 and the engagement member 13 of the locking mechanism 9 in the engagement position.
Detailed description of a preferred embodiment
Referring to the above figures, the cradle 1 is particularly suitable for dry storage of boats B, particularly pleasure boats, and for haulage and launching thereof to and from a dry storage, which may be located near a sea dock, a lake dock or the like.
The cradle 1 essentially comprises a base frame 2 and two pairs 3, 3' of front 4, 4' and rear 5, 5 1 arms for supporting the boat to be stored.
The base frame 2 is susceptible of being dipped into water and lifted therefrom for loading and unloading the boat B to be hauled or stored. Particularly, the base frame 2 may be moved, e.g. by a crane of known type, between a harbor dock and the sailing area in front of it, not shown and known per se.
The support arms 4, 4' and 5, 5 1 may be movable, and are preferably rotatably mounted to the frame 2, to move between a lowered rest position, as shown in Figure 2, in which they are unloaded and a raised working position, as shown in Figure 3, in which such arms 4, 4' and 5, 5' are in contact with the hull H of the boat to be hauled.
While reference will be made hereinafter to a cradle 1 having two pairs of rotating arms 3, 3', it shall be understood that it may also have more than two pairs of arms, or possibly a single pair of arms, for instance the front arms 4, 4' or the rear arms 5, 5 1 only, without departure from the scope defined by the contents of the accompanying claims. In this case, if no rotating arms are provided, the boat B may be supported, for instance, by fixed arms or supports. Advantageously, the front and rear arms 4, 5 and 4', 5' of each pair 3, 3' may be mounted symmetrically with respect to the median axis M of the frame 2 to pivot about respective axes X, X 1 substantially parallel to the axis M, to ensure perfect balancing of the boat during hauling. Particularly, the two right arms 4, 5 rotate about the axis X, whereas the two arms 4', 5 1 rotate about the axis X', which may be coincident therewith.
The base frame 2, that may be composed of electrowelded carbon steel tubes and preferably treated against corrosion, e.g. by hot galvanizing, and designed to be dipped into water for loading the boat to be stored in the dry storage or for hauling it therefrom and later lifted from water for storing the boat B on the dock.
Advantageously, the base frame 2 may have cross members 2', 2" of different lengths according to the boat B to be loaded or unloaded. In a preferred, non-limiting embodiment, such cross members 2', 2" may also be of telescopic type.
In a preferred non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the support means 4, 4' and 5, 5' may be made of the same material as the frame 2.
Advantageously, the support arms 4, 4 1 and 5, 5 1 may automatically move from the rest position to the working position and vice versa as the base frame 2 is dipped in water.
For this purpose, the cradle 1 may have appropriate actuator means, generally designated by numeral 6, which may be composed of one or more floating elements 7, preferably attached to each of the support arms 4, 4' and 5, 5', for instance at the free ends thereof.
Once the cradle 1 is dipped in water by suitable handling means, such as a crane of known type, these actuators will promote automatic rotation of the arms by an appropriate angle α about the axes X, X' to move them from the rest position to the working position, in the direction of arrows F, F' and vice versa.
As used herein, the term "floating element" is intended to indicate an element that, in use, is susceptible of at least partially floating on the water surface.
It will be understood that the floating elements 7 shall be designed of such a shape and size as to prevent the mass of the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5 1 from hindering floating thereof. Conveniently, they may include a resilient padding, that may occupy part or all of their volume, for damped contact with the hull H of the boat B.
In a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5" can be automatically locked in the working position upon loading of the boat B, for safe loading and unloading thereof, with no hazard either for the boat itself or for the operators standing therearound. Appropriate means may be provided for this purpose, generally designated by numeral 8.
Also, conveniently, the locking means 8 may be automatically releasable upon unloading of the boat, for easy handling thereof.
In a preferred, non-limiting embodiment, the locking means 8 may include a locking mechanism, generally designated by numeral 9, operably connected to a plate 10 that is capable of vertically moving between a raised position of disengagement of the mechanism 9, as shown in Figure 4, in which the arms
4, 4' and 5, 5 1 are free of rotating about the axes X, X 1 and a lowered position of engagement thereof, as shown in Figure 5, in which the rotation of the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5 1 is locked. The plate 10 will also have a top surface 11 susceptible of contacting the keel K of the boat, whose weight will lower it, in the direction of the arrow F", thereby moving it from the disengagement position to the engagement position.
This may automatically lock the rotation of the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5' upon loading of the boat onto the cradle 1. Conversely, as the boat is unloaded, i.e. as the keel K of the boat B releases the plate 10, the latter will move from the engagement position to the disengagement position, thereby leaving the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5' free to move to the rest position.
For this purpose, the locking mechanism 9 will interact with the plate 10 as follows.
The rotating support arms 4, 4' and 5, 5 1 may be operably connected, e.g. by the levers 20, 20', to respective gearwheels 12, 12' that rotate about respective axes of rotation X", X'", substantially parallel to the axes of rotation X, X' of the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5'.
As particularly shown in Figures 4 and 5, each gearwheel 12, 12' may be coupled to a corresponding engagement element 13, 13', which has a top surface 14 facing towards the bottom surface 15 of the plate 10 and a bottom surface 16 having a plurality of teeth 17 facing towards the peripheral teeth 18 of its respective wheel 12, 12'.
The teeth 17 of the elements 13, 13' are susceptible of engaging into the peripheral teeth 18 of the wheels 12, 12' to lock rotation thereof, thereby locking the angular rotation of the arms 4, 4' and 5, 5'. For this purpose, the engagement elements 13, 13' are movable concordantly with the plate 10, by suitable interaction of the bottom surface 15 thereof with the top surface 14 of the elements 13, 130, so that the teeth 17 may be moved into engagement with the peripheral teeth 18 of the wheels 12, 12' when the plate is in the lowered engagement position and into disengagement therefrom when the plate 10 is in the raised disengagement position.
In the preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the figures, the base frame 2 may have a substantially rectangular plan shape, defining a plane π. The support arms 4, 4' and 5, 5' may be mounted to the frame 2 so that, in the rest position, they are substantially coplanar with the plane π, thereby minimizing the size of the cradle 1.
The above disclosure clearly shows that the invention fulfills the intended objects and particularly the object of providing a cradle that allows easy haulage of the boat to be supported. The cradle of the invention also allows safe loading and unloading of the boat, with no hazard for either the boat or the people around it.
The device of this invention is susceptible to a number of changes and variants, within the inventive concept disclosed in the appended claims. All the details thereof may be replaced by other technically equivalent parts, and the materials may vary depending on different needs, without departure from the scope of the invention. For instance, the cradle 1 may be equipped with suitable motion imparting means, such as wheels, thereby also allowing transportation of the boat B on a roadway.
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