GB2529383A - Transporter launcher - Google Patents

Abstract

A boat or dinghy launching trolley has a frame or chassis 1 and a plurality of wheels 2. A series of bilge supports 3 are positioned to locate a hull of a boat located on the trailer, the supports may be adjustable. A demountable keel support (Fig 3, 5) may be used. The trailer has sufficient buoyancy to float with the top of its frame at water level allowing it and the boat to be aligned whilst both are in the water. The boat may be secured to the trailer using cleats or battens. The drawbar (Fig 4, 4) may be extendable and it and the demountable keel support may be removed and swap positions. The trolley and boat may be winched onto an existing general purpose trailer 8 using ramps 9. Alternatively the trolley may have demountable road suspension and road wheels, (Figures 4 and 5, 10 and 11) in addition to the smaller trolley wheels 2 allowing the trolley to be used on the road / highway.

Description

Transporter launcher Boats are often launched into and recovered from the water by means of a mad trailer.

Because of the constructional and fimctional requirements of a road trailer, the boat's keel has to be supported at some height above the ground and the boat itself depending on its displacement requires some depth of water to float in. The trailer wheel bearings are best not immersed in seawater. Because of this, launching and recovery by this means and particularly the latter are an awkward process. Often only for this reason, boats are kept on expensive moorings with the need to rely on a tender or the yard launch for access not only for sailing but other aspects of boat ownership.

It must also deter road trailing to sail at an alternative location.

A launch trolley is a well known means of launching and recovering boats and this can be made to support the boat considerably closer to the ground but it cannot be used as a mad trailer. In use, for very small boats and dinghies it may be satisfactory but with increase in size and displacement, the difficulty of aligning, centring and hauling a boat, which is afloat onto a trolley which is not, increases.

To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a floating launch trolley provided with two pairs of bilge supports sited shaped and spaced apart so that when a* boat having the hull shape for which they are intended is floated over it and correctly located fore and aft, the two self align and self centre with each other.

The trolley frame is made of a sufficient length to support the central portion of the length of the boat equivalent to about a third of the overall length. Because the keel is supported at a much lower height above the ground than is possible with a mad trailer, the depth of water needed for launching and recovery is correspondingly much reduced. The bilge supports may be made adjustable or interchangeable if desired so as to cater for a variety of boat hulls. When the two have located one to the other, they are then hauled out as one. This is as opposed to hauling a floating or partially floating boat onto a grounded trolley, whilst attempting simultaneously to centralize, align and locate one to the other, often a difficult matter particularly with a tidal stream setting across the slipway or hard.

The trolley drawbar, which may act as an additional support and location for the keel may be made demountable or partially demountable to either end of the frame or base, if desired. Use of the smallest possible size wheels enables these to locate under the turn of the bilge thus keeping overall dimensions at a minimum, a matter of importance in crowded or confined spaces.

If desired and if made strong enough and otherwise suitable for the purpose, the launch trolley may be provided with quickly dcmountable suspension units and road wheels enabling it to function as a road trailer when these are in position.

Although the launch trolley may fimction solely and quite independently as such, if desired, a separate suitably constructed or modified road trailer may be provided, with demountable ramps up which launch trolley and boat can be loaded for transport by road. When not in use for this purpose, the road trailer may be similarly used as an all purpose trailer in that it can transport by road loaded or unloaded trailers, trolleys or wheeled vehicles of any kind, which do not exceed its safe axle loading.

If it is desired to load the trolley onto road trailers with ramps fitted with keel rollers at the forward end, the draw bar may be split along its length to avoid fouling the latter.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a launch trolley with a boat loaded on it.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view on a cutting plane through the drawbar 4 at Figure 1 looking towards the base frame, omitting the boat Figure 3 shows a plan view of the launch trolley, omitting the boat.

Figure 4 shows a plan view the launch trolley adapted for use as a combined mad trailer.

Figure 5 shows a side elevation of the combination of figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a means of attachment for the demountable suspension units of the combination.

Figure 7 shows another means of attachment for the same combination but these are given for example only and any suitable means of attachment may be used.

Figure 8 shows the launch trolley with boat and a road trailer provided with ramps for loading them.

In figures 1 -4 a launch trolley includes a rectangular frame Ito the sides of which are mounted pairs of wheels 2. Three pairs are shown but the number may be varied according to the loads to be carried. The frame may be braced with gussets additional or alternative members or straps (not shown) provided they do not adversely affect loading of or support for the boat but these are optional. The forward and after end of the frame are fitted with pairs of bilge supports 3 mounted and shaped to suit the section of the load's hull at those points and to support it upright and centralized on the frame. The supports 3 may if desired be made adjustable or interchangeable and in that form need to be provided with pads padding or soft rollers (not shown) to protect the hull. Means of securing the boat to the trolley such as ring bolts or cleats in the frame or the draw bar or battens pulled down with straps or nuts on screwed rods attached to the bilge supports or the frame may be provided but are not obligatory.

The complete trolley is intended to float with the top surface of the frame and the draw bar more or less Level with the surface being easily pushed downward as the boat passes over it. Any tendency to dip at the front end can be avoided by adding a small amount of suitable buoyancy at that end. The forward end of the drawbar 4 may be used as required for the mounting of a towing hitch, which may be made adjustable for height according to use in launch trolley or road trailer mode, jockey wheel (not shown) or any other appropriate form of accessory including a draw bar extension able to swivel in the direction of pull so as to facilitate pulling the trolley or trailer by hand.

If desired a demountable keel support 5 for the after portion of the boat similar to the draw bar may be provided to give extra support during road transport or storage. If the fixings are made identical, the draw bar may also be attached at that end if it is needed to pull the trolley in the opposite direction.

In an alternative embodiment the trolley may, if made of sufficient strength and otherwise suitable for the purpose be provided with a pair or pairs of quickly demountable suspension units 10 and road wheelsi 1 to enable it to have a dual function as a road trailer. The suspension units 10 may be mounted to the stand off members 12 as shown or in any other suitable manner.

In a second alternative embodiment, the trolley may be used in conjunction with a road trailer specially constructed or modified provided for the purpose as a combination road trailer/launch trolley. The extreme rear of such a road trailer 8 provided with a ramps 9 is also provided with a cross support (not shown) at its rear end, mounted on and at right angles to the main central tube member. On each side, support channels or plates are mounted on each side between the cross support and the axle beam to receive the trolley wheels 2 when the trolley is fidly winched onto the trailer for road transportation.

In figure 6 location is made by engaging the pip pins 13 in the stand off member 12 and the cheek plates 14 part of the mounting unit 15th which the suspension unit 10 is secured with screws or nuts and bolts (not shown). Combination steel / rubber bushes may be used as required, to control impact and vibration.

In figure 7 bosses 16 are welded to the plate 17 so that they can be slid on and off and locate on the stand off 12 with minimum clearance. When so positioned, the socket head cap screws 18 are spun up and tightened so that the assembly is trapped behind the plate 19 welded to the end of the stand off 12. As shown, the cap screws 18 are located in tapped holes in the plate 20 to which the suspension unit lOis secured with screws or nuts and bolts (not shown) but clearance holes with nuts (not shown) may be used instead, the thread ends of the cap screws being suitably modified to prevent removal of the nuts. Quick mounting and demounting can be achieved by jacking up the trailer combination and use of an Allen key and a cordless screw driver.

Claims (6)

1. Claims 1. A floating or floatable launch trolley with a frame able to support a boat's keel in at least two places suitably spaced apart, and compromising bilge supports suitably shaped and mounted to suit the hull shape of the boat intended to be carried at its ends, also suitably spaced apart so that boat and trolley become automatically aligned with each other as they are floated together.
2. 2. A floating launch trolley in accordance with claim 1 in which the bilge supports at its ends are shaped mounted and made adjustable to suit the lines of a variety of boat hulls.
3. 3. A floating launch trolley according to claim 1, the flotation of which is achieved by the buoyancy of its own constructional members.
4. 4. A floating launch trolley according to claim 1, the flotation of which is achieved partially or totally by added on buoyancy.
5. 5. A floating launch trolley according to claim I for which a road trailer is provided with ramps to suit the track of its wheels onto which it may be winched for road transport, the road trailer being available for use as a general purpose trailer when not in such use.
6. 6. A floating launch trolley according to claim 1 which may be made sufficiently strong and otherwise suitable for road use as a trailer and provided with demountable suspension units and mad wheels for this purpose..