GB2242653A

GB2242653A - A boat cradle

Info

Publication number: GB2242653A
Application number: GB9100923A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alec John Jacobs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-04-03
Filing date: 1991-01-16
Publication date: 1991-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-16
Also published as: GB2242653B; GB9007538D0; GB9100923D0

Abstract

A boat cradle has a longitudinal horizontal frame member 10 and two transverse hull support members 20. The hull support members 20 are longitudinally moveable along the frame member 10 and each provide a support 28, 30 for both sides of the boat. <IMAGE>

Description

A BOAT CRADLE This invention relates to a boat cradle for supporting a boat hull out of the water. Such cradles are used in boat yards for storage of boats during the winter, and the cradle ensures that the boat is stored in a secure and upright position.

Boat cradles are known which have a rectangular base frame which rests on the ground, and four support legs, one at each corner of the frame. The legs are conventionally adjustable for height and angle so that they can be adjusted to fit the hulls of a variety of different boats.

However the size of the rectangular base determines the positions of the support legs, and there will be a maximum and minimum size of hull which can be supported on a given cradle of this type. Furthermore the base frame is usually a welded structure, and the support legs are permanently attached to it thus making the whole cradle heavy and difficult to move around and store.

A cradle of this type is shown for example in GB-2 092 529.

According to the present invention, there is provided a boat cradle having a longitudinal horizontal frame member and two transverse hull support members, the hull support members being longitudinally moveable along the frame member and each providing a support for both sides of the boat.

The hull support members are preferably detachable from the longitudinal frame member, by sliding them to the end of the frame member and off the end of the frame member.

Typically there may be two of these members.

The frame member preferably comprises two parallel beams which are spaced apart far enough to provide a support for the bottom end of the boat's keel between them.

Each hull support member preferably comprises a transverse frame unit, with a hull support leg at each end of the frame unit, each leg being adjustable for height and angle relative to the frame unit. Each transverse frame unit can be extendable laterally from the longitudinal horizontal frame member.

The transverse frame units preferably include a tubular bar which extends laterally relative to the longitudinal horizontal frame member, and an extension member can be slidable within the tubular bar.

The hull support members may be secured to the longitudinal member by a pin passing through holes on both the longitudinal member and on the hull support members.

The longitudinal frame member is preferably mounted above the frame units of the hull support members.

With this type of cradle, the longitudinal frame member can be easily and quickly separated from the transverse hull support members, so that the basic frame easily breaks down into three separate components thus making for easier transport and storage. In particular, each of the three components can be of a size such as it can be easily carried.

The cradle may also include a bow support which is also longitudinally moveable along, and off the end of, the longitudinal horizontal frame member. The bow support preferably has a support leg which is adjustable both for height and angle.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a boat cradle in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a detail view of the bottom of one support leg.

The cradle shown in Figure 1 has a longitudinal horizontal frame member 10 formed by two parallel beams 12 and 14.

Beams 12 and 14 are simple rectangular or square section steel tubes, cut to the appropriate length. A keel tray 16 made from a sheet of metal folded into a U-shape channel with two longitudinal rails or channels shaped so that they fit over the two beams 12,14 is provided and can be slid along the beams in either direction as indicated by arrows 18. Alternatively two cross members carrying suitably shaped support brackets can be used in place of the keel tray 16.

Two transverse hull support members 20 are mounted on the longitudinal frame member 10. These two transverse hull support members are identical to one another and are symmetrical about the middle point. The hull support members can be placed on the longitudinal frame member either way round, and in Figure 1 the two hull supports are shown fitted opposite ways around.

Each hull support member consists of two transverse beams 22 and 24. At the middle of these beams are two sockets 26 through which the beams 12,14 can slide. At each outer end of each hull support member, there is a support leg 28 which has a hull support pad 30 at its top end. The legs 28 are telescopic and have an inner tube 32 and an outer tube 34. The inner tube slides in the outer tube and can be locked at any one of a variety of positions by inserting a pin through registering holes in the inner and outer tubes. The tubes will have a series of holes through them, any pair of which can be brought into register so that the height of the leg can be set at a number of different positions. The support pad 30 will be hinged to the top of the inner tube 32, about a horizontal pivot axis.

The outer tube 34 is supported by a diagonal brace 36, and the bottom end of the brace and of the tube 34 are both welded to a horizontal axle 38 (see Figure 2). The axle 38 is mounted at its ends on brackets 40 which are welded to the beams 22,24.

In order to control the vertical angle of the leg 28, a bottle screw 38 is fitted between a bracket 40 on the beam 24 and a bracket 42 on the outer tube 34. The length of this bottle screw can be adjusted in a conventional manner to alter the vertical angle which the leg 28 makes with the beam 24.

The transverse beams 22 and 24 are of square section tube.

The ends of the tubes 22 are closed by a suitable plug, but the tubes 24 contain smaller section tubes 56 which can be housed entirely within the main tubes 24 when the cradle is not being used, but which can be pulled out from the tubes to extend the area over which the cradle contacts the ground and thus to provide added stability to the cradle.

The cradle also has a bow support frame 44 with a support leg 46 which is constructed in a similar manner to the legs 28, but has a V-shaped support 48 at the upper end of the inner tube 32. The bow support has a base 50 which has sockets 52 for sliding on the beams 12,14.

For storage and transport, the frame units 20 and 44 will be separated from the two beams 12,14 so that each unit can be carried separately. The keel tray 16 will also be separated, and the beams 12,14 will then have no other components connected to them.

In use, the transverse hull support members 20 will be placed on the ground in suitable positions, depending on the dimensions of the boat which is to be supported and the beams 12,14 will then be inserted through the sockets 26 in both members. The relative positions of the beams 12,14 and the hull support members can be fixed, for example as shown on the right hand side of Figure 1 by pins 54 inserted through holes in the sockets 26 and through corresponding holes in the beams. However the weight of the boat on the cradle may be sufficient to keep the parts in their correct relative positions. Where the bow support 44 is also to be used, this can be slid onto the free ends of the beams 12,14.

Because of the modular nature of the cradle, the separate parts can easily be moved around separately. Because the beams 12,14 have no components permanently attached to them it would be possible to use the same hull support members 20 with beams 12,14 at different lengths to accommodate different sized boats. For particularly large boats, more than two hull support members may be used.

It will be apparent from Figure 1 that beams 22,24 of the hull support members are the main part of the cradle in contact with the ground.

The spacing between the parallel beams 12,14 would be about 400mm to 600mm in most cases, but may be larger or smaller than this for particularly large or small keels.

Claims

1. A boat cradle having a longitudinal horizontal frame member and two transverse hull support members, the hull support members being longitudinally moveable along the frame member and each providing a support for both sides of the boat.

2. A boat cradle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the hull support members are detachable from the longitudinal frame member, by sliding them to the end of the frame member and off the end of the frame member.

3. A boat cradle as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, including two hull support members.

4. A boat cradle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame member comprises two parallel beams which are spaced apart far enough to provide a support for the bottom end of the boat's keel between them.

5. A boat cradle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each hull support member comprises a transverse frame unit, with a hull support leg at each end of the frame unit, each leg being adjustable for height and angle relative to the frame unit.

6. A boat cradle as claimed in Claim 5, wherein each transverse frame unit is extendable laterally from the longitudinal horizontal frame member.

7. A boat cradle as claimed in Claim 6, wherein each transverse frame unit includes a tubular bar which extends laterally relative to the longitudinal horizontal frame member, and wherein an extension member is slidable within the tubular bar.

8. A boat cradle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hull support members can be secured to the longitudinal member by a pin passing through holes on both the longitudinal member and on the hull support members.

9. A boat cradle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the longitudinal frame member is mounted above the frame units of the hull support members.

10. A boat cradle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the longitudinal frame member and each hull support member can be carried.

11. A boat cradle as claimed in any preceding claim, and including a bow support which is longitudinally moveable along, and off the end of, the longitudinal horizontal frame member.

12. A boat cradle as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the bow support has a support leg which is adjustable both for height and angle.

13. A boat cradle substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.