Patent Application
20160121971
This invention relates to watercrafts and, more specifically, to a watercraft having a man lift configured to raise a person vertically above the deck of the watercraft.
Inspection of structures, such as the underside of highway bridges for example, is federally mandated. There must therefore be a way to gain access to the structure below the roadway. Bridge inspections are commonly performed by any of walking on the ground, using a ladder or conventional bucket truck, or for bridges high above rivers, by using articulating cranes with platforms or buckets on them.
Boats have been used to access the underside of bridges. However, the makeshift lift devices on such boats are often unstable, especially when the boat is positioned in an area experiencing waves or significant tidal changes. As a result, the lift device must often be disassembled before the boat is moved to another location.
Accordingly, a boat capable of safely moving short distances within a body of water such that a man lift thereof remains in the lifted position while the boat is repositioned is desirable.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a watercraft configured for use in a body of water is provided including a deck and at least one propulsion mechanism mounted at a first end of the deck. The at least one propulsion mechanism is configured to move the watercraft within the body of water. A man lift movable between a lowered position and a raised position is mounted to the deck. The man lift is configured to raise a person a vertical distance above the deck. Mounting brackets are arranged adjacent a first and second side of the deck. The mounting brackets are translatable between a retracted position and a deployed position. In the deployed position, the mounting brackets extend perpendicularly from the first side and the second side, respectively. An inflatable pontoon is removably coupled to each of the mounting brackets.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a method of stowing a watercraft is provided including moving a man lift of the watercraft to a lowered position. Inflatable pontoons removably coupled to mounting brackets of the watercraft are deflated. The pontoons are detached from the mounting brackets, and the mounting brackets are moved from a deployed position to a retracted position such that the mounting brackets are at least partially received within a complementary opening formed in the deck.
The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
Referring now to the FIGS., a watercraft 20 is illustrated in more detail. The watercraft 20 includes a hull 22 having a flat, generally rectangular deck 24. One or more propulsion mechanisms 26, such as outboard motors for example, are arranged at a first end 28, such as the stern for example, of the watercraft 20 and are configured to propel the watercraft 20 through a body of water.
The hull 22 of the watercraft 20 includes at least two main pontoons 30 mounted to the underside of deck 24. The main pontoons 30 are elongated flotation devices having a buoyancy sufficient to keep a heavy load connected thereto afloat. The main pontoons 30 are commonly formed from a sheet metal material, such as marine grade aluminum for example. In the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment of
In the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment, the pair of main pontoons 30 are substantially identical and are generally arranged adjacent a first, starboard side 36 of the watercraft 20 and a second, port side 38 of the watercraft 20, respectively (see
Mounted to the deck 24 of the watercraft 20 is a man lift 40. The man lift 40 may be any type of device configured to move and support a person vertically above the deck 24, such as an aerial work platform for example. In the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment, the man lift 40 is arranged generally centrally between the starboard and port sides 36, 38 of the watercraft 20. However, in other embodiments, the man lift 40 may be located at any position on the deck 24.
The man lift 40 is movable between a lowered position (as shown in the FIGS.) and a raised position (not shown), such as to perform overhead work when the watercraft 20 is arranged underneath a bridge for example. When the watercraft 20 is being stored or transported, or even when the watercraft 20 is arranged within a body of water but is not being used to perform an inspection or other maintenance work, the man lift 40 is generally kept in the lowered position. In one embodiment, the man lift 40 is configured to move a person up to sixty feet vertically between the lowered position and the raised position. However, man lifts 40 configured to move any vertical distance are within the scope of the invention.
A mounting bracket or outrigger 50 is arranged at both the starboard side 36 and the port side 38 of the watercraft 10. The mounting brackets 50 may extend over a portion of the length of the watercraft 20, or alternatively, may extend over the full length of the watercraft 20. Each mounting bracket 50 includes a plurality of support members 52 arranged perpendicularly to the sides 36, 38 of the watercraft 20 and at least one connection member 54 oriented substantially parallel to the sides 36, 38 of the watercraft 20 and configured to connect the plurality of support members 52.
The mounting brackets 50 are configured to slide or telescope between a retracted position (
The watercraft 20 additionally includes a plurality of inflatable pontoons 60. The inflatable pontoons 60 are substantially identical and may be formed from a suitable inflatable material, such as neoprene or nylon which is commonly used in whitewater rafts for example. The inflatable pontoons 60 are generally smaller than the main pontoons 30 and may extend over only a portion of the length of the watercraft 20. The inflatable pontoon 60 is generally inflated with air, such as via a compressor or other mechanism arranged on the watercraft 20. The inflatable pontoons 60 may be inflated when the watercraft 20 is on land or in a body of water regardless of whether the mounting brackets 50 are in a retracted or deployed position.
The inflatable pontoons 60 are removably coupled to each of the mounting brackets 50. In one embodiment, illustrated in
In another embodiment, illustrated in
During operation of the man lift 40 while the watercraft 20 is in a body of water, the mounting brackets 50 are arranged in the deployed position, and the inflatable pontoons 60 connected thereto are inflated. In this configuration, the inflatable pontoons 60 stabilize and minimize the sway of the watercraft 20 relative to the body of water to thereby improving the safety of a person contained in the man lift 40 raised vertically above the watercraft 20. After completion of an inspection and/or maintenance and once the man lift 40 is returned to a lowered position, the inflatable pontoons 60 may be deflated and/or the mounting brackets 50 may be retracted.
When the watercraft 20 is on land, for example during transport or when the watercraft 20 is being stowed, the mounting brackets 50 are retracted into the openings 56 in the deck 24, and the inflatable pontoons 60 are generally deflated and detached from the watercraft 20. In one embodiment, the separated inflatable pontoons are carried by the device or vehicle configured to transport the watercraft, such as a truck or trailer for example. By removing the inflatable pontoons 60 from the watercraft 20 when the watercraft 20 is not in use, the overall size envelope of the watercraft 20 is reduced and damage to the inflatable pontoons 60 may be prevented.
While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/049,111, filed Sep. 11, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62049111 | Sep 2014 | US |
