Patent Grant
9216798
The present invention is directed to a covering system for removably covering an object, such as a vehicle, like a boat, with a removable cover, and more particularly to a covering system facilitating application, retention, and removal of such a cover.
While attempts have been made in the past to produce a covering system that is well suited for removably covering an object with a removable cover, it has remained a challenge to produce such a covering system that is strong, durable, easy to maintain, simple to use, economical to construct, and relatively quick and straightforward to install. While one such covering system disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/01250514 seeks to accomplish some of these objectives, improvements nonetheless remain desirable.
The present invention is directed to a covering system for removably covering a relatively large object that preferably is a vehicle, such as a boat. The covering system includes a plurality of spaced apart swing arms from which a removable cover is suspended with the swing arms swung between a covered position where the cover can removably cover the boat and an uncovered position that moves the suspended cover away from the covered position, and away from the boat, to an out of the way position enabling access and use of the boat. Such a covering system can employ a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of swing arms spaced apart along the length of the boat sought to be covered with the swing arms being rotated substantially simultaneously when moved between the covered and uncovered positions.
Each swing arm is formed of a shaft having an upwardly extending shaft section, e.g., pole, rotatively anchored to a fixed or grounded part of a structure, e.g., part of a dock, and having a generally outwardly extending shaft section, e.g., boom, carrying the cover. A mounting arrangement that can be formed of a plurality of vertically spaced mounts can be used to rotatively anchor the pole of each swing arm shaft to a grounded or fixed support post, e.g., piling, of the dock. Each mount can be a clamp mount carrying at least one of a plurality of rotary bearings with a lower most mount also carrying an axial thrust bearing. Each rotary bearing can be attached to part of the mount by an adjustable spacer enabling the distance each bearing is outwardly spaced to be adjusted.
One swing arm embodiment includes an adjustable pretensioner applying a preload to part of the swing arm shaft that employs at least one stay connected to part of the boom or pole and extends alongside the boom or pole toward an elbow of the shaft. To enable pretensioner adjustment of an applied preload, the at least one stay is adjustably connected at a position along the boom or pole whose location can be selectively varied to change preload. A position-adjustable connector can be used to releasably fix the at least one stay in one of a plurality of positions along the boom or pole depending on what preload adjustment is desired.
One preferred pretensioner is an assembly having one stay adjustably connected to part of the pole extending upwardly alongside the pole toward the elbow and another stay adjustably connected to part of the boom extending generally horizontally alongside the boom toward the elbow. Such a pretensioner can include a pretensioner anchor that can be fixed to part of the swing arm shaft located between opposite ends of the shaft to which each stay is anchored. In one pretensioner, the anchor is disposed at or near the elbow. In such a pretensioner, the anchor can be provided by an elbow reinforcing brace.
One preferred swing arm embodiment includes an adjustable pretensioner having an anchor carried by the swing arm shaft between opposite ends of the shaft with one stay connected to part the boom at or adjacent a free end thereof extending along the boom toward an elbow of the shaft attaching to the anchor and another stay connected to part of the pole at or adjacent where the shaft is rotatively anchored extending upwardly along the pole toward the elbow also attaching to the anchor. Each stay can be attached to part of the anchor along a tangent of the anchor helping to better transfer forces from the boom along the stays and to the pole at or adjacent where pivotally anchored. Each stay and anchor can be disposed along an outboard side of the shaft that faces way from the cover producing a pretensioner that reinforces substantially the entire swing arm by transferring forces encountered during operation along the stays around the elbow from the boom to part of the pole rotatively anchored by the mounting arrangement to a fixed or grounded part of the structure.
Each swing arm is pivotally connected at or adjacent the free end of its boom to a carriage from which the cover is suspended, such as by a track carrying the cover. A preferred carriage is formed of an elongate substantially rigid carriage beam against which a pivot limiter carried by the boom of at least one of the swing arms abuts when limiting relative pivotal movement between the beam and at least the swing arm carrying the pivot limiter in at least one direction. One preferred carriage beam is formed of a pair of flanges between which a pivot knuckle of a pivot assembly extends that can include an adjustable stem used to attach the boom of each swing arm to the carriage. The carriage beam includes an end wall between the flanges disposed outwardly of the free end of the boom and pivot knuckle against which the pivot limiter abuts when opposing relative pivotal motion.
One preferred pivot limiter extends outwardly from the boom adjacent or alongside the pivot knuckle stem having a free end that acts as a stop that abuts against an inner surface of the end wall facing toward the boom when limiting relative pivotal movement. One such pivot stop is a bolt extending outwardly from the free end of the boom that can be rotated in one direction extending the end of the bolt farther outwardly toward the carriage beam end wall reducing the permitted amount of relative pivotal movement and rotated in an opposite direction to retract the bolt away from the end wall increasing the permitted amount of relative pivotal movement
Such a covering system constructed in accordance with the present invention having three or more swing arms each pivotally connected to such an elongate substantially rigid carriage rotates all of the arms substantially simultaneously in one direction about a generally vertical rotational axis from the covered position to an uncovered position and substantially simultaneously in an opposite direction back to the covered position during use. Such a covering system equipped with one or more pivot limiting stops helps limit relative pivotal movement between the boom of each swing arm and the carriage while also helping to ensure the swing arms rotate substantially simultaneously in the same direction when being rotated toward or away from the covered and/or uncovered positions.
Where the swing arms are equipped with an adjustable pretensioner, an applied preload can be set during installation which can be adjusted during installation as well as later on during use. Such a pretensioner not only is used to desirably preload the swing arm but also reinforces the swing arm strengthening the shaft transferring forces encountered by the swing arm away from the boom, around the elbow, and to part of the pole that is rotatively grounded or fixed by the mounting arrangement to a grounded or fixed part of the structure to which the covering system is mounted.
These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and accompanying drawings.
One or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which:
Before explaining one or more embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description and illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
In use, all of the swing arms 46 are rotated substantially in unison between the covered position, where the cover 42 overlies the object 44, and an uncovered position, disposed from the covered position, where the object 44 is uncovered. When the cover 42 overlies the object 44, it can be manually covered with the cover 42 by a user or can be removed from the object 44 by the user. Once the cover 42 is removed, the swing arms 46 can be swung away from the covered position to an uncovered position where the cover 42 can be stowed in an out of the way position such as is depicted in
With reference to
A free end 76 of the boom 60 of each swing arm 46 is connected to an elongate generally horizontally extending carriage 78 from which the cover 42 is suspended. The carriage 78 can include or otherwise carry a track 80 from which the cover 42 hangs enabling the downwardly hanging cover 42 to be moved along the track 80 in one direction to extend the cover 42 when covering the object 44 when attaching the cover 42 to the object 44. Such a track 80 also enables the downwardly hanging cover 42 to be moved along the track 80 in the opposite direction after being removed from the object 44 to retract the cover 42 from the object 44 when uncovering the object 44.
A covering system 40 constructed in accordance with the present invention is used to apply a cover 42 to an object 44, such as a vehicle, as well as to remove the cover 42 from the object 44. With continued reference to
Each swing arm shaft 52 preferably is of tubular construction formed of one or more sections of pipe or tubing formed such as by bending to produce a generally L-shaped shaft 52. The vertically extending pole 56 of the shaft 52 of each swing arm 46 is rotatively anchored by a mounting arrangement 62 to a fixed or grounded part of a structure 50 that preferably is fixed or grounded in a manner that makes it substantially immovable.
Where the covering system 40 is used with a boat 44, the structure 50 to which the covering system 40 is mounted is a dock 82 (or pier) supported by a plurality of pilings or posts 84 that preferably are substantially immovably fixed or grounded in place. The generally vertically extending support posts 84 are spaced apart alongside a generally horizontal deck 86 of the dock 82 upon which a single person using the covering system 40 can stand and operate the covering system 40.
The covering system 40 can be used to removably hold a boat cover 42 in place over an elongate boat 44 held by a boat lift 88 of conventional construction that is disposed alongside a plurality of support posts 84 of the dock 82. As is best shown in
With additional reference to
As is best shown in
Where each dock support post 84 is a generally round or cylindrical wooden piling, like that illustrated in
Each such clamp-type mount 98 encircles piling 84 and is clamped securely around piling 84 by tightening each nut 118 until the tension of each strap 110 pulls the clamp bracket 108 tightly against the piling 84 also tightly pulling each strap 110 against the piling 84. Each such clamp-type mount 98 advantageously attaches to piling 84 without requiring any hole to be drilled in the piling 84 and without needing any fastener that pierces or otherwise embeds in the piling 84.
Each swing arm shaft holder 100 is cantilevered from the mounting bracket 108 of its mount 98 by an adjustable spacer arm 124 that enables adjustment of the distance of each shaft holder 100 of mounting arrangement 62 away from piling 84 to substantially coaxially align the shaft holders 100. This facilitates generally vertical and substantially coaxial alignment of all of the shaft holders 100 of each mounting arrangement 62 which in turn enables the pole 56 of each swing arm shaft 52 of the covering system 40 to be oriented generally parallel with the pole 56 of every other swing arm shaft 52 of the covering system 40 during installation.
As is best shown in
With continued reference to
The bushing 134 is made of a friction reducing material facilitating relatively smooth and easy swing arm shaft rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation during covering system operation. The bushing 134 can be made of plastic, such as nylon, a polyimide resin, acetal, acetyl, polytetrafluoroethylene, or the like, and can be of self-lubricating construction advantageously eliminating the need for periodic lubrication. The bushing 134 can also be made of another material, including a metal or metallic material, e.g., bronze, a composite, or a synthetic material which can also be of self-lubricating construction. The resulting shaft holder 100 defines a rotary shaft bearing 102 journaled for swing arm shaft rotation that lacks any grease fitting, e.g., lacks a Zerk fitting, which advantageously helps minimize covering system maintenance.
With specific reference to
With specific reference to
The axial or thrust bearing 104 includes an upwardly facing bearing support surface 158 of the platform 152 that can be substantially flat and which forms a relatively smooth reduced friction bearing surface on which the bottom end 106 of the swing arm shaft 52 is rotatively supported. The bottom end 106 of the swing arm shaft 52 is rounded or tapered to form a reduced bearing contact region 160 with the bearing support surface 158 producing a bearing contact region surface area less than the transverse cross-sectional surface area of the shaft 52. Such a bottom end 106 can be formed of a rounded or conical end cap 162. In the preferred swing arm embodiment shown in the drawings, a rounded or conical end cap 162 is fixed to the end of each swing arm shaft 52 rotating substantially in unison therewith.
As is also shown in
Referring now to
During covering system operation, the brace 68 transfers some of the force applied to the boom 60, such as from the weight of the cover 42 and/or forces acting on the cover 42, through the brace 68 around the elbow 66 helping reinforce the elbow 66 and stiffen the swing arm 46. The force transfer loop 174 formed by the brace 68 and elbow 66 dynamically transfers forces encountered by the covering system 40 tending to bend the boom 60 downwardly and/or bend the pole 56 away from the boat 44 by the elbow 66 and brace 68 alternating between tensile and compressive loading thereof.
In the preferred swing arm 46 shown in the drawings, the elbow 66 of the swing arm shaft 52 is formed of an elongate elbow section 176 extending from a lower swing arm shaft bend 178 formed at the top end of the vertically pole 56 to an upper swing arm shaft bend 180 formed at the inner end of the generally horizontally extending boom 60. Such an elbow section 176 can be substantially straight and be diagonally angled helping to produce a stronger swing arm shaft elbow 66 that is better able to transfer forces and moments encountered by the boom 60 during covering system operation. Such a diagonally angled elbow section 176 preferably is disposed at about a 45° angle (45°±10°) relative to horizontal and relative to one or both the pole 56 and boom 60. Such an elongate and substantially straight elbow section 176 also better cooperates with the elbow reinforcing brace 68 to more robustly withstand larger forces and bending moments encountered during covering system operation.
In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the elbow reinforcing brace 68 is elongate and arched defining a curved spring 182 disposed in tension when the boom 60 is urged downwardly during covering system operation and disposed in tension when the boom 60 is urged upwardly. The brace 60 has an elongate leg 184 extending generally parallel to elbow section 176 having a lower bend 186 at one end connected by a generally horizontal leg 188 to the pole 56 of the swing arm shaft 52 at or adjacent one end of the elbow 66 and an upper bend 190 at an opposite end connected by a generally downwardly extending leg 192 to the boom 60 at or adjacent an opposite end of the elbow 66.
Where the brace 68 is attached to an outboard or outwardly facing side 194 of the swing arm shaft 52 that faces outwardly away from the cover 42, such as depicted in
The swing arm pretensioner 64 is best shown in
With reference to
Each stay 72 and 74 is adjustable so the amount or magnitude of preload, e.g., tension, applied to the boom 60, the pole 56 or both the boom 60 and pole 56 can be changed and adjusted as needed. Each stay 72 and 74 preferably is adjustable in a manner that enables the amount of preload applied by the stay 72 and/or 74 to a corresponding part of the swing arm shaft 52 to be adjusted as desired. The amount of preload applied by each stay 72 and/or 74 can deflect a corresponding part of the shaft 52 at least slightly in a controlled amount enabling the booms 60 of the swing arms 46 to be substantially leveled and can also help compensate for variations in the weight of the cover 42 at different points along the track 80.
The connecting link 198 of each stay 72 and 74 preferably is substantially rigid and can be formed of a rod, shaft, pipe or tube. The connecting link 198 of each stay 72 and 74 is pivotally connected at one end to the pretensioner anchor 70 and pivotally connected at its opposite end to part of the swing arm shaft 52. The link 198 of each stay 72 and 74 is adjustably attached to a respective part of the shaft 52 in a manner that enables not only the preload tension of the stay 72 and/or 74 to be adjusted but which also enables the preload tension the stay 72 and/or 74 applies to the shaft 52 to be adjusted. In a preferred embodiment, the link 198 of each stay 72 and/or 74 is adjustably connected to a respective part of the shaft 52 by a position adjustable connector 200 whose position along the swing arm shaft 52 can be changed to adjust the amount of preload.
The connecting link 198 of the boom stay 72 is pivotally connected at one end to the pretensioner anchor 70, i.e., the elbow reinforcing brace 68, and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the boom 60 inboard of the free end 76 of the boom 60. With reference to
The collar 208 has a position lock 212 that releasably locks or fixes the collar 208 in place on the boom 60 preventing relative movement therebetween setting the amount of boom preload. The position of the collar 208 along the boom 60 can be changed when unlocked enabling the collar 208 to slidably telescope along the boom 60 toward or away from the end 76 of the boom 60, such as in the manner depicted by the generally horizontal double-arrow line in
In a preferred embodiment, the position lock 212 used to fix the collar 208 to the boom 60 setting the preload preferably is formed of at least one set screw 214, such as is best shown in
The connecting link 198 of the pole stay 74 is likewise pivotally connected at one end to the pretensioner anchor 70, i.e., the elbow reinforcing brace 68, and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the pole 56 adjacent but above the bottom end 106 of the pole 56. The generally vertically extending link 198 of the pole stay 74 preferably is connected at one end to the anchor 70 by a first pivot 202 and connected at its opposite end to the pole 56 by a second pivot 204. The anchor 70 has a mounting ear 206 fixed to the lower bend 186 of the brace 68 to which the link 198 of the pole stay 74 is pivotally connected by the first pivot 202. A second position-adjustable pretensioner stay anchor collar 208 is slidably telescopically mounted on the pole 56 and includes a fixed mounting ear 210 to which the link 198 of the pole stay 74 is pivotally connected by the second pivot 204.
The collar 208 also has a position lock 212 of like construction that releasably locks or fixes the collar 208 in place on the pole 56 preventing relative movement therebetween setting the amount of pole preload. The position of the collar 208 along the pole 56 can be changed when unlocked enabling the collar 208 to slidably telescope along the pole 56 toward or away from the bottom end 106 of the pole 56, such as in the manner depicted by the generally vertical double-arrow line in
When the preload has been set by fixing each collar 208 of each stay 72 and 74 in place, the stays 72 and 74 of the pretensioner 64 cooperate with the elbow reinforcing brace 68 that also serves as the pretensioner anchor 70 producing a swing arm reinforcing backbone 196 that not only includes the brace 68 but which also includes each stay 72 and 74. Such a backbone 196 stiffens and strengthens substantially the entire swing arm shaft 52 defining a swing arm strengthening backbone 196 that strengthens substantially the entire swing arm 46.
During covering system operation, the boom stay 72 helps transfer at least some of the forces and bending moments through brace 68 to the pole stay 74 where they are transferred back to the shaft 52 at or near the rotatively anchored bottom end 106 of the pole 56 between a pair of the swing arm shaft holders 100. Transferring at least some of forces and bending moments to part of the pole 56 that is rotatively anchored to the fixed support posts 84 of the structure 50 to which the covering system 40 is attached advantageously transfers a substantial amount of these forces through the swing arm holders 100 to the grounded posts 84. This advantageously produces a swing arm 46 that is lighter but yet strong enabling a single person to not only rotate the swing arms 46 during covering system operation but also to remove each swing arm 46 one at a time of their holders 100 when stowing the covering system 40.
In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the end of the boom stay 72 attached to the elbow reinforcing brace 68 is attached at or along a tangent of where the upper bend 190 of the brace 68 connects to the backbone leg 184 of the brace 68 helping to more directly transfer forces from the boom stay 72 to the backbone leg 184 helping maximize the magnitude of forces transferred around the boom 60 and elbow 66. Such a tangent connection helps ensure forces transferred from the boom stay 72 are substantially in line with the backbone leg 184 of the brace 68 to more efficiently transfer such forces. Likewise, the end of the pole stay 74 attached to the elbow reinforcing brace 68 is also attached at or along a tangent of where the lower bend 186 connects to the backbone leg 184 of the brace 68 helping to more directly transfer forces from the brace 68 to the mounting arrangement 68 that is grounded to structure 50. This arrangement also helps better counteract bending moments via the force transfer backbone produced by the boom stay 72, backbone leg 184 of the brace 68, and pole stay 74 generally being in line with one another ultimately producing moment opposing forces that are transferred to the swing arm shaft 52 at the bottom of the shaft 52 between a pair of the shaft holders 100 anchored by mounts 98 grounded to substantially immovable fixed support posts 84 of the structure 50, e.g., dock 82, to which the covering system 40 is mounted.
The carriage 78 includes an elongate generally horizontally extending swing arm connecting link 220 which can be formed of a substantially rigid elongate beam 222 that can be of C-shaped or of C-channel construction having upper and lower generally parallel upper and lower flanges 224 and 226 between which an endwall 228 extends. An elongate cover hanger track 80 is carried by the carriage 78 and disposed underneath the swing arm connecting link 220. As is best shown in
The cover hanger track 80 preferably is formed of an elongate beam 230 that preferably is generally C-shaped having a pair of track sidewalls 232 and 234 spaced apart by an endwall 236 disposed adjacent the carriage beam 222. Each track sidewall 232 and 234 has an inturned track-forming flange 238 on which a respective wheel 240 (or roller) of a series of paired wheels 240 of a movable or translatable cover suspension arrangement 242 guided by the track 80. A T-shaped hanger tab 244 rotatively carried by each pair of wheels 240 hangs downwardly and can be connected by a connector 246 to a hanger strap 248 that is in turn can be connected by another connector 250 attached to a reinforced top section 252 at the top of the cover 42. Each connector 246 and 250 can be an S-hook and each strap 248 can be of elastomeric or stretchable construction with a preferred strap being formed of an elastomeric, e.g., rubber, bungee cord. Use of such elastomeric or stretchable straps 248 advantageously helps dampen and absorb some of the forces encountered by a cover 42 suspended therefrom. Such a translatable cover suspension arrangement 242 enables the cover 42 suspended from swing arms 46 of a covering system 40 constructed in accordance with the invention to be extended substantially the length of the track 80 between a covering position, such as shown in
Each swing arm 46 is attached to the carriage 78 by a pivot assembly 216 that attaches the end 76 of the swing arm boom 60 to an adjacent part of the carriage 78 in a manner permitting relative pivotal motion along a pivot axis that is generally perpendicular to the boom 60 and that preferably is generally vertical. Each pivot assembly 216 includes an elongate generally vertically extending pivot pin 254 that extends through the upper carriage beam flange 224, through a pivot knuckle 255 of a boom coupling 256 used to attach the pivot assembly 216 to the swing arm boom 60, and through the lower carriage beam flange 226. The pivot assembly 216 can include a pair of generally cylindrical spacers 258 and 260 with one of the spacers 258 disposed above the knuckle 255 and the other one of the spacers 260 disposed below the knuckle 255 helping to space the knuckle 255 between the upper and lower flanges 224 and 226 while permitting relative rotational movement therebetween.
As is best shown in
With continued reference to
The end cap 274 can include an elongate generally cylindrical threaded sleeve 278 telescopically received in the tubular boom 60 that is substantially immovably fixed to the boom 60 in a manner enabling a threaded stem 272 of the coupling 256 long enough to provide at least a plurality of inches of adjustment. In one embodiment, the stem 272 is at least two inches long enabling the distance between the carriage 78 (and track 78) and end 76 of boom 60 to be adjusted by at least one inch. In another embodiment, the stem 272 is at least three inches long enabling at least two inches of position adjustment. In still another embodiment, the stem 272 is at least four inches long enabling at least three inches of position adjustment. In a further embodiment, the stem 272 is at least six inches long providing at least five inches of position adjustment.
In a preferred embodiment, the limiter 218 is a bolt 280 having a threaded stem 282 threadably engaged with the boom end cap 274 that extends alongside the stem 272 of the boom coupling 256 generally parallel thereto having a head 284 that defines a stop that bears against an inner surface 287 of the carriage beam endwall 228 to limit carriage rotation. The bolt 280 can be rotated to adjust the spacing of the head 284 from the carriage beam endwall 228 to change the amount of pivot relative movement permitted. Where substantially no rotation or relative pivotal movement is desired, the bolt 280 can be extended outwardly from the boom end cap 274 until the bolt head 284 abuts against the carriage beam endwall 228, such as in the manner depicted in
During operation, with the swing arm rotation lock 136 of each swing arm 46 unlocked, an elongate handle 286 pivotally connected by a collar 288 fixed to at least one of the swing arms 46 is pivoted from a stowed position, like that shown in
The handle 286 is then grasped by a person standing on the deck 86 of the dock 82 and urged in one direction generally parallel to the deck 86 causing the handle 286 to function as a lever arm that causes the shaft 52 of the swing arm 46 to which the handle 286 is attached to rotate. As the shaft 52 begins to rotate, the pivotal connection between the boom 60 of each swing arm 46 and the carriage 78 causes the carriage 78 to act as a substantially rigid connecting link that causes each swing arm 46 pivotally connected to the carriage 78 to substantially simultaneously rotate in the same direction as the swing arm 46 to which the handle 286 is connected.
Understandably, the present invention has been described above in terms of one or more preferred embodiments and methods. It is recognized that various alternatives and modifications may be made to these embodiments and methods that are within the scope of the present invention. Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, the present disclosure will suggest many modifications and constructions, as well as widely differing embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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