This invention relates to a boat supporting device, a socalled boat crib/manger, for boats taking a parked position on shore, comprising at least two usually identical crib/- anger parts positionable mutually spaced in the longi¬ tudinal direction of the boat supporting device (the boat) , each of said crib/manger parts comprising two oppositely sloping braces forming an angle with a plane base, and means partly for resting supportingly against the boat, partly against the base (the ground) .

The boat supporting device according to the invention is primarily intended for supporting small boats and pleasure boats from below as well as laterally.

When boats of the kind mentioned shall be laid up during the winter months and, thus, parked on shore, they must be supported from below as well as from opposite sides, in order to be kept in a correct upright position, in which they are the least subjected to harmful influences. Such supporting devices are designated "boat cribs" ("boat mangers") .

Known and conventional boat cribs of the kind concerned comprises two or more separate, mutually identical crib parts which are positioned spaced from each other in the longi¬ tudinal direction of the boat crib, coinciding in the

SUBSTITUTE SHEET IS

longitudinal direction of the boat. In one known boat crib design, each crib part comprises a rigid base part intended to rest stably against the ground or another approximately plane base. To the base part is mounted the lower end of said oppositely sloping bracers/struts, which can be constituted by inclined supports for resting supportingly directly against the boat sides, and which may be assigned suspended supports the lower end thereof may be intended to rest against the ground or to be connected to said base part's outer end portions.

Boat cribs are previously known wherein a certain adjustment of the crib can be effected, but where the adjustment possibilities are limited, yet adjustable to the size and shape of the boat to be supported from below and laterally. Such adjustment possibilities exist especially in boat cribs in which the boat crib parts are V-shaped and said inclined supports adapted to rest directly against the boat sides are pivotable in parallel vertical planes as well as adapted to be fixed in any desired inclined position thereof. The fixing means have usually consisted of rows of holes in mutually displacable parts. Said holes are brought to register in the area of a desired inclined position for the diagonal brace concerned by means of screw bolts having loose tightening nuts. This loosening and displacement of the bolt, followed by a renewed tightening of the nuts, are time-consuming and inconvenient.

It has been an object of the present invention to enable a self-locking effect upon adjustment of boat crib members adapted to rest against the ground or against the boat sides, respectively, in order to establish an adjustment with an immediately following fixation of an adjusted position of said boat crib members, for the adaptation of the boat crib to boat size/shape or for the maintenance of the boat crib's adjusted position, respectively.

This object is achieved by means of a boat supporting device

of the kind defined introductorily which distinguishes itself through the special features appearing from the charac¬ terizing clause of claim 1.

Each adjustable boat crib member (usually four in number, provided that two crib parts are positioned axially spaced) is displacably disposed on its own diagonal brace which, preferably, has a rectilinear course in the longitudinal direction across the adjustment extent of the crib member and, with a substantially sleeve-shaped guidance and self-locking means, catches and surrounds wholly or partly the cross- section of the diagonal brace, leaving a good clearance therebetween, said sleeve-shaped guidance and self-locking means, preferably, being angled in relation to a longitudinal portion of the remaining part of the crib member, said sleeve-shaped guidance and self-locking means being loaded through the weight of said remaining part and/or through loads on the latter when it, directly or indirectly, comes to rest against the ground or against the boat side, respec¬ tively. Then, the sleeve-shaped means is tilted in relation to the respective diagonal brace, resting itself pressingly against the diagonal brace with opposing sleeve edge portions, locking the connection. If a non-round, e.g. rectangular/- square sleeve cross-section, is used for the guidance and self-locking means, the attacking edge portions of the sleeve means (the sleeve-shaped means) will be positioned diagonally opposite each other, while the two other sleeve edges, one at each end of the sleeve means, have no contact with the diagonal brace in the locking position. Such a position adjusting and fixing device has a very simple constructive design and is, moreover, very rapid to use and easy to operate.

The crib members each carrying an angled, sleeve-shaped guidance and self-locking means, involve, due to the angu- lation, also the advantage that they may be pulled off the diagonal brace belonging thereto and, then, pushed onto the same again, this time with the sleeve-shaped guidance means

reversed 180°, so that a different angle is obtained between the crib member and the brace. This increases the adjustment possibilities.

The device according to the invention can be used for boat cribs having fixed diagonal braces and for boat cribs having diagonal braces pivotable in parallel vertical planes. In the first-mentioned case, the crib members according to the invention are, preferably, used for supporting the boat sides through support means carried by the ends of the crib members, opposite their sleeve-shaped guidance and self-locking means, while the crib members according to the invention in the last-mentioned case, preferably, are used to effect support against the ground and to keep the pivotable braces in the adjusted inclined position, which is established by dis¬ placing the sleeve means of the crib members along the respective strut.

Said diagonal braces should have a rectilinear course across the displacement area of the sleeve-shaped guidance and self- locking means corresponding to the adjustment zone of the crib. Besides this, the braces/struts may have, if desirable or necessary, e.g. one angulation. Said crib member may have, besides the angulation at the sleeve means, e.g. one further angulation or extend rectilinearly.

Two examplary embodiments are further explained in the following with reference to accompanying drawings, in which figures 1 - 4 show a first embodiment wherein adjustable crib members according to the invention are intended to rest against the ground with their free end, while figures 5 - 7 show another embodiment wherein corresponding crib members which are displacably mounted and shaped for self-locking, are intended to rest against the boat sides with the free end thereof and, possibly, also with a further end portion; and in which:

Figure 1, in a perspective view, shows a boat supporting

device in the form of a boat crib consisting of two longi¬ tudinally spaced identical crib parts;

Figure 2, in a perspective view, shows one of the crib parts according to figure 1, the crib members being positioned and orientated in the same way as these two crib parts, on a larger scale;

Figure 3, in a perspective view, on the same scale as and substantially corresponding to figure 2, shows said adjust¬ able crib members positioned such that the orientation thereof differ 180° from the orientation according to figures 1 and 2, wherein each of the crib members forms a different angle with the strut belonging thereto, than in figure 2;

Figure 4 shows the complete boat crib according to figure 1, where a boat is supported from below and laterally by means of the crib, seen in a perspective view;

Figure 5 corresponds to figure l, but shows another embodi¬ ment of the invention, where the adjustable, self-locking crib members are shaped, designed and mounted for laterally supporting respectve boat sides;

Figure 6, on a larger scale, in a perspective view, shows one of the crib parts in figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a complete boat crib of the kind shown in figures 5 and 6, where a boat is supported from below and laterally, directly through the free end of said adjustable, self-locking crib members which, for this purpose, each is equipped with longitudinal, cylindrical support means.

First, reference is made to the embodiment according to figures 1 - 4. Figure 1 shows an in per se complete boat supporting device in the form of a crib comprising two identical, separate boat crib parts 10a and 10b positioned at

a desired "axial" distance from each other. Dependent on the boat's length, it might be actual to place more than two crib parts 10a, 10b in a row.

Each crib part 10a, see especially figure 2, has a lower base cross 12,14 consisting of a lateral base part 12 exhibiting a horizontal row of mounting holes 16, and a longitudinal base part 14. The base cross 12,14 is intended to rest suppor- tingly against the ground or other, preferably plane substra¬ tum.

In the embodiments shown, square pipe sections have been used for significant structure parts such as base parts, struts, adjustable crib members and the displacable, sleeve-shaped self-locking means for the latter. However, other cross- sectional shapes than square can be used, e.g. round, preferably non-circular cross sections.

In a pair of horizontal mounting holes 16 which are the innermost in the lateral direction and formed in the lateral part 12 of the base cross 12,14, the lower ends of two diagonal braces 18a, 18b (18a, 18b, 18a', 18b' in figure 1 and 4) which are directed oppositely in the lateral direction of the crib, are pivotally mounted by means of pivots, trunnions or the like, said diagonal braces are symmetrically positioned in relation to the longitudinal axis of the base part 14. Thus, each of the diagonal braces 18a, 18b forms an angle with a horizontal plane of the same size, the braces having the opposite orientation of each other.

The diagonal braces 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b' are supported by adjustable crib members 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' shaped and designed in accordance with the present invention, and comprising an elongate portion 22a, 22b, 22a', 22b' having a longitudinal squarepipe-shaped foot piece 24a, 24b, 24a', 24b' at the lower free end as well as a squarepipe-shaped, sleeve-like self-locking means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b', which is very important for the present invention, and with which each

adjustable crib member 20a, 20b, 20a ^» , 20b' is displacably disposed along the respective brace 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b* as well as attachable through the self-locking effect carried out by the means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' in any one of a number of desired positions along the brace 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b' allowable by its mounting point and the level of the ground/ substratum. The sleeve-shaped self-locking means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' can be displaced unrestrictedly in the direction towards the brace's free end and also beyond the same, nullifying their relative displacability. This may be practi¬ cal upon changing the pivoting possibilities of the braces, the crib members 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' may be reversed 180° and thread onto the braces again by means of the sleeve-like self-locking means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' (confer figure 3 in relation to figure 2) .

The sleeve-like self-locking means 26a, 26b, 26a ¹ , 26b' with which each adjustable crib member 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' is displacable and stoppable along the brace belonging thereto, is, preferably, angulated (confer the angle α in figure 3) in relation to the elongate portion 22a, 22b, 22a', 22b' of the crib member, in order to give rise to a tilting of the sleeve-like means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' in relation to the brace 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b' so that two (diagonally) opposite edges of the sleeve means in the self-locking position will rest against the upper and lower side of the respective brace 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b'. The downwardly directed pressure from one square sleeve edge 28a and the upwardly directed pressure from the (diagonally) opposite square sleeve edge 28b, see figure 2, secure an absolutely reliable positional fixing, which is nullified when the respective adjustable crib member 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b ¹ is displaced along the brace. Then, the free end of the respective adjustable crib member is swung somewhat inwardly towards the middle of the crib, so that the sleeve means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' surrounds the brace more concentrically, in order to facilitate the relative displace¬ ment thereof.

With the adjustable crib members 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' orientated such as shown in figures 1 and 2, the pivotable diagonal braces may be tilted into one of a number of different inclined positions, in which they in each indi¬ vidual case forms a relatively small angle with the ground. Upon 180° turning of the adjustable crib members, figures 3 and 4, the pivotable diagonal braces 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b' may, likewise, be tilted into one of a number of different inclined positions, but here the achievable sloping angles are larger than in the case according to figures 1 and 2.

The boat B in figure 4 is supported from below and laterally on diagonal braces 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b', while the lower foot pieces of the adjustable crib members, together with the base crosses 12,14, are resting supportingly against the ground, maintaining the angle of the diagonal braces 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b' in relation to the ground. On an uneven or sloping terrain for erecting a boat supporting device according to the invention, it might be relevant to adjust the respective angle to the ground of the individually inclined braces until one has reached a stable position supporting the boat B in an upright position.

Figures 5 - 7 shows another embodiment, where fixed diagonal braces 30a, 30b, 30a', 30b' incline upwardly in a direction towards each other from the lower outer ends thereof.

In the embodiment in figures 5 - 7, the base parts are formed by long lateral square pipes 32a, 32a' which, at the ends thereof, carry somewhat shorter, yet relatively long, longi¬ tudinal base elements 34a, 34b, 34a', 34b'. Uppermost, the diagonal braces 30a, 30b, 30a', 30b' are mutually inter¬ connected by means of a horizontal carrier beam piece 36a, 36a' .

The sleeve-shaped self-locking means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b* of the adjustable crib members 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' function exactly as in the embodiment in figures 1 - 4 concerning the

displacement along the respective diagonal brace as well as the self-locking fixing thereto in any desired adjusted position.

In figures 5 - 7, the free, upper end of the adjustable crib members 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' is equipped with a horizontal, cylindrical support means 31a, 31b, 31a ^» , 31b' intended to rest directly, laterally supportingly against the boat B, see figure 7.

I figure 6, the two diagonally opposing square sleeve edges resting pressingly against the overside and the underside of the brace are denoted 28a and 28b, such as in figure 3.

Considering the fact that the braces 18a, 18b, 18a', 18b" in figure (1-4) or 30a, 30b, 30a', 30b', respectively, have an inclined course, it is not absolutely necessary that the sleeve-like, linearly displacable, self-blocking locking means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' has an angulated course in relation to the adjustable crib member's 20a, 20b, 20a', 20b' relatively elongate part 22a, 22b, 22a', 22b': It will also be achieved a self-blocking effect caused by the sleeve means 26a, 26b, 26a', 26b' in case the sleeve means is aligned with the part 22a, 22b, 22a', 22b'.