Patent Application
20120070229
This invention relates to an apparatus for supporting the hull of a vessel.
As used throughout the specification, the term “vessel” is intended to refer to any watercraft with at least one hull, including but not limited to a boat, canoe, catamaran, dinghy, jet-ski, or kayak.
Hull supports are used to support the hull of a vessel while the vessel is out of the water and to hold the hull such that the vessel is level with the position of the vessel in the water. Some of these hull supports can also be used to move a vessel into or out of the water and to prevent damage to the hull during transition, for example, caused by ground scrapes.
The use of a hull support which is fixed to a foundation is known in the art, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,576. However, this type of support is mounted into the foundation and therefore cannot be used elsewhere without demounting. Portable hull supports are also known in the art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,811. Although these supports are transportable, they are large, heavy, cumbersome and expensive.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for supporting the hull of a vessel that will solve these problems.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus comprising two support members that are adapted to cooperate and form a support for the hull of a vessel, each support member having an inclined surface and an engagement means for cooperation with a complementary engagement means on the other support member, such that when the two support members are engaged with each other, a support for the hull of a vessel is formed from surfaces of the support members that incline towards each other.
The shape of the support may be determined by the shape of the hull, for example, the support may be substantially V-shaped, such as a shallow V-shape.
Each engagement means is preferably one that allows quick and easy connection and disconnection between the support members. Optionally the support members may be able to be locked together when engaged. In one preferred embodiment, the engagement means on the first support member is a recess and the engagement means on the second support member is a correspondingly shaped protrusion. In another preferred embodiment, the engagement means on both support members is a swivel eye bolt for connection using a removable clip or shackle.
Each support member may contain a hook or other means for use in strapping the apparatus to the vessel.
Each support member may be polygonal in cross-section, for example, square shaped. However, in a preferred embodiment each support member is a roller. Each roller may be substantially conical in shape, for example, each of the rollers may be a truncated cone with a base and a flattened apex. Each engagement means may be located at the flattened apex of the corresponding cone. Each hook or other means for use in strapping the apparatus to the vessel, if present, may be located at the base of the corresponding cone.
It is advantageous if the support members are inflatable and are able to float on water, for example, if they are inflatable buoys.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of moving a vessel along a surface, the method comprising: (i) positioning at least one abovementioned apparatus having rollers underneath the hull of the vessel to support the hull and prevent the hull from contacting the surface; and (ii) pushing the vessel such that the apparatus or each of the apparatuses rolls along the surface and protects the hull from damage caused by contact with the surface.
Optionally the apparatus or each of the apparatuses may be strapped to the vessel.
A preferred embodiment of the apparatus for supporting the hull of a vessel will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The invention relates to an apparatus 10 comprising two support members 11, 12 that are adapted to cooperate and form a support for the hull of a vessel, each support member having an inclined surface 13 and an engagement means 16 for cooperation with a complementary engagement means on the other support member, such that when the two support members are engaged with each other, a support 20 for the hull 21 of a vessel 22 is formed from surfaces of the support members that incline towards each other.
Each of the support members is most preferably a roller but, if there is no need to move the vessel, the cross-section of each support member can be oval, square, rectangular, or any other polygonal shape. In the preferred embodiment the apparatus 10 comprises a first roller 11 and a second roller 12 as the support members. The rollers are adapted to engage with each other to form a support 20 for the hull 21 of a vessel 22.
The ability of the rollers to engage to form the support for the hull and disengage when not in use is a significant advantage for storage of the apparatus on a vessel where space is limited. Accordingly, the apparatus is much more portable than the hull supports known in the art.
In the preferred embodiment, the rollers 11, 12 are inflatable articles that can float on the surface of the water, such as buoys. This makes the apparatus lighter than known hull supports and less likely to be lost overboard. It also allows the rollers to serve other purposes when not being used as a hull support, for example, as jetty buffers to prevent rubbing damage to the hull from moorings. The rollers can be inflatable articles made of plastic, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, Hypalon, latex, or any other rubber based material. The rollers can be inflated using a pump, such as a foot pump.
The first roller 11 is substantially conically shaped, with an inclined surface 13, a base 14 and a flattened apex 15. Similarly, the second roller 12 is substantially conically shaped, with an inclined surface 13, a base 14 and a flattened apex 15.
The size and shape of the rollers 11, 12 will depend on the size and shape of the hull 21 to be supported. In the preferred embodiment, the two rollers are the same size and the length of each roller from base to apex is approximately 650 cm and the length of the apparatus in an engaged state is approximately 1,300 cm. The width of each roller at the base is approximately 250 cm with the width at the apex being approximately 100 cm.
When the two rollers 11, 12 are engaged, a support 20 for the hull of a vessel is formed from surfaces of the rollers that incline towards each other. The shape of the support will be determined by the shape of the hull. In the embodiments shown, the support 20 is a shallow V-shape.
The first roller 11 contains an engagement means 16 at the flattened apex 15 to cooperate with a complementary engagement means 16 at the flattened apex 15 of the second roller 12. Each engagement means is preferably one that allows quick and easy connection and disconnection between the rollers. In the preferred embodiment shown in
The base 14 of each roller 11, 12 contains a flush mounted stainless steel hook 19 for use in strapping the apparatus to the vessel 22 to assist in moving the vessel, for example, by running a strap tied to both hooks around the vessel. The hooks also allow the unengaged rollers to be tied to the vessel when the rollers are being used as jetty buffers.
While some preferred aspects of the invention have been described by way of example, it should be appreciated that modifications and/or improvements can occur without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in this specification. It will be appreciated that each of the support members could be square or rectangular rather than a roller.
The terms comprise, comprises, comprising, or comprised, if and when used herein, should be interpreted non-exclusively, that is, as conveying “consisting of or including”.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 577188 | May 2009 | NZ | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NZ2010/000095 | 5/25/2010 | WO | 00 | 11/22/2011 |
