US20070104539A1 - Personal watercraft lift - Google Patents

Abstract

The personal watercraft lift attachable to a mooring piling6for raising and lowering a watercraft from the water is disclosed. The lift has a cradle1attached to a mast2secured between two brackets26and30. A lift cable8attaches the cradle1to a power unit27with motor4. Optional guard pipes11on the cradle are provided. The lift pivots approximately 180° to enable easy accessibility to a PWC for mounting, demounting storage and maintenance.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• This invention relates to lifting devices for watercraft, more particularly, to a lift for personal watercraft that is pivotally attached to a mooring piling above the surface of the water which allows the watercraft to be lowered into the water for use and then raised from the water and pivoted onto a dock for mounting, demounting storage and servicing.
• All watercraft owners know it is desirable that watercraft be stored out of the water to prevent defiling by barnacles, algae, and other waterborn plants and animals, as such requires expensive and time-consuming periodic cleaning of the bottom surfaces of the watercraft. Although there are watercraft lifts available to raise and store watercraft out of the water, many such lifts are at least partially submerged in water, which leads to defiling of the lift by aquatic plants and animals and shortens the life of the lift. Also, many prior lifts only lift the watercraft out of the water, but do not store it in an easily accessible position for cleaning, maintenance, and mounting or demounting during use. Furthermore, many such lifts require that the watercraft be elevated out of the water by manual means. However, as personal watercrafts often weigh an excess of 750 pounds, it is difficult to lift them without motorized means.
• Thus, there is a need for a watercraft lift that will address the above problems.
• The relevant prior art includes the following references:

  Patent No.
  (U.S. unless stated otherwise)	Inventor	Issue/Publication Date
  5,749,313	Shackelford, Jr.	May 12, 1998
  1,695,674	Wilson	Dec. 18, 1928
  2,808,016	Jarnot	Oct. 01, 1957
  2,990,803	Henderson	Jul. 04, 1961
  2,979,014	Yordi	Apr. 11, 1961
  3,060,885	Nolf	Oct. 30, 1962
  3,177,839	Nolf	Apr. 13, 1965
  3,830,452	Seay	Aug. 20, 1974
  5,014,638	Ilves et al.	May 14, 1991
  5,301,628	Daskalides	Apr. 12, 1994
  GB 588,394	Lamb et al.	May 21, 1947

• Of the above patents only the Shackelford Jr., patent provides some of the advantages of the present invention. However, the present invention, contrary to the Shackelford, Jr., patent differs as it utilizes two separate brackets rather than a tubular housing, has fewer moving parts and is motorized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The primary object of the present invention is to provide a personal watercraft lift that enables a personal watercraft to be raised and lowered into the water easily and quickly.
• further object of the present invention is to provide a personal watercraft lift that allows personal watercraft to be stored out of the water.
• An even further object of the present invention is to provide a personal watercraft lift that provides easy accessibility to the personal watercraft for mounting and demounting during use and for maintenance purposes.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a personal watercraft lift that has fewer moving parts than watercraft lifts in the prior art.
• An additional object of the present invention is to provide as a personal watercraft lift that is easy to install and maintain.
• Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such as a personal watercraft lift that is motorized.
• A further object of the present invention is to provide a more secure piling attachment means.
• The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a personal watercraft lift for use with a mooring piling having a mounting bracket for attaching the lift to the mooring piling above the surface of the water to which mounting brackets are attached. Both brackets are connected by a front plate and together serve as a guide means for an elongate lift mast. The lower of the two brackets has a roller on the inner side abutting the mast and the upper bracket has a slide block on the outer side so as to also abut the mast to result in a rolling and sliding movement of the mast between them. To the lower end of the mast is attached a cradle. The cradle is also attached by a cable to a motorized means mounted to the front plate of the bracket which allows the lift to be raised and lowered. The lift may be rotated in a lifting position over the body of water or inward to a storage position out of the water, preferably over a dock. A locking pin on the top bracket may be used to secure the lift underneath the lifting or the storage position. The cradle may contain optional vertical upright guards to keep personal watercraft from hitting the cable or the mast as well as crossbars for preventing the personal watercraft lift from moving laterally when it is positioned on the cradle. Further, a more secure piling attachment of the lift is achieved by attachment bolts being angled through the piling.
• The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conduction with the drawing wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the personal watercraft lift of the present invention when attached to a mooring piling as it would appear during use;
• FIG. 2 is a top view of the personal watercraft lift of the present invention during use showing a personal watercraft in broken lines in a lowered lifting position over water and a raised pivoted position over a dock and in a storage position;
• FIG. 3 is a side partial plan view of the personal watercraft lift of the present invention in a raid position;
• FIG. 4 is a front view of the watercraft lift with a cradle in a lowered position;
• FIG. 5 is a top view of a top partial plan view of the top mast guide bracket of the present invention; and
• FIG. 6 is a top partial plan view of the lower mast guide bracket with piling attachment method of the personal watercraft lift of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is as follows:

  1.	PWCcradle
  2.	mast
  3.	mast holding cover
  4.	motor
  5.	piling bracket
  6.	piling
  7.	pivot pin
  8.	lift cable
  9.	cradle support rails
  10.	cradle PWC supportcross rails
  11.	guard pipes
  12. a, b	pivot brackets
  13. a	piling attachment bolts
  13. b	piling attachment nuts
  14.	pivot head
  15.	Ac power cord
  16	mast cradle receiver
  17	bunk board
  18	large pulley
  19	belt
  20	small pulley
  21	dock
  22	PWC
  23	roller
  24	slidingblock
  25	pivot arrow
  26	lowermast guide bracket
  27	power unit
  28	gear drive
  29	pivot pin shaft
  30	topmast guide bracket
  31	pivot licking pin
  32	gear shaft
  33	bolt holes
  34	top mast guidebracket retaining bolts
  35	lower mast guidebracket retaining bolts
  36	slidingblock retaining pin
  37	roller retaining pin
  38	PWClift position
  39	PWCstorage position
  40	cable spool
  41	side walls oftop bracket
  42	side walls of bottom bracket

• Referring now toFIG. 1, the entire personal watercraft, PWC, lift of the present invention is shown attached to amooring piling6. The PWC lift is attached to themooring pilings6 by apiling bracket5 with bolts and nuts13 that are long enough to pass through thepiling6. Thepiling bracket5 has twopivot brackets12aand12bholding apivot pin7 to which is mounted apivot head14. In turn, attached to thepivot head14 are two mast guide brackets, alower bracket26 andupper bracket30 which are connected by acover3. Anelongate mast2 , which is preferably made of a non-corrosive metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, is contained between theguide brackets26 and30 andcover3.
• Acradle1 is attached at a lower end of themast2 by acradle receiver16. Thecradle1 is designed to hold a PWC onsupport rails9 which preferably havecross rails10 for providing lateral support to a PWC when placed on thecradle1.Optional guide pipes11 made of PVC or other flexible material are mounted on abunk board17 attached to proximate an inner end of thecradle1 to prevent a PWC from hitting themast2 orlift cable8. Thecradle1 is attached to awinch unit27 by alift cable8. Thepower unit27 is shown attached to a top portion of thecover3 connecting themast guide brackets26 and30. Thewinch unit2 may be manual or preferably motorized as shown, whereby amotor4 turns agear drive28 to roll up or unroll thelift cable8 to raise or lower thecradle1, respectively. Themotor4 is operatively connected to thegear drive28 by alarge pulley18, v-belt19 andsmall pulley20. Themotor4 would be connected to a power source by an AC power cord15.
• FIG. 2 shows a top view of the PWC lift of the present invention with a PWC (in broken lines) in both a loweredlift position38 and at a raisedstorage position39 above adock21. In the loweredlift position38, thePWC22 rests on the cross rails10 of the cradle support rails9 of thecradle1. Thecradle1 would be lowered to the point where it would be just below the water so thePWC22 could be driven onto the cross rails10, then raised and pivoted into a raisedstorage position39 over adock21. In thestorage position39, a user would have easy access to thePWC22 for mounting and dismounting during use or for cleaning and maintenance of the PWC.
• As further shown inFIG. 2, is themast2 is abuts a slidingblock24 in the topmast guide bracket30 and aroller23 in the lower mast guide bracket26 (not shown in thisFIG. 2, but seeFIG. 6). There is one or more top mast guidebracket retaining bolts34 which further help retain the mast within thetop mast bracket30. Alock pin31 can be inserted through a hole in the top pivot bracket12ato maintain the lift in the raised or storage positions,38 and39, respectively.
• InFIG. 3, the PWC lift of the present invention is shown in a side elevation view wherein thecradle1 is in a raised position with themast2 at its highest point in which thecradle receiver16 abuts the lowermast guide bracket26. The raising of thecradle1 is accomplished by activating themotor4 by switch or remote means resulting in turning the small pulley12, thebelt19, thelarge pulley18 and gear drive27 which rolls up thelift cable8 onto aspool40. Once thecradle1 is in the elevated position, thecradle1 may by pivoted by around apivot pin7 held within pivot brackets,12aand12b, until it is in the desired position.
• FIG. 4 shows the PWC lift of the present invention from a frontal view when in a lowered position. This view shows the components of the PWC lift as previously discussed, including thecradle1, formed by cradle support rails9, cross rails10, withoptimal bunk boards17, and guidepipes11 all attached at the bottom of themast2. Alift cable8 connects thecradle1 to acable spool40 within thepower unit27. Thepower unit27 is attached to the top front of thefront cover3 and themotor4 is mounted on the top of thefront cover3. Thepower unit27 contains agear shaft32 withcable spool40. Thegear shaft32 operatively engages thelarge pulley18, connected by v-belt19 to thesmall pulley20 on themotor4.
• FIGS. 5 and 6, illustrate in more detail the components of the top and lowermast guide brackets30 and26, respectively. The topmast guide bracket30 shown inFIG. 5 contains a slidingblock24 mounted between theside41 by a retainingpin36. Behind themast2 are one or more retainingbolts34 which secure thetop bracket30 around thepivot pin7 in thepivot head14.
• In the lowermast guide bracket26 shown inFIG. 6, themast2 abuts a roller of23 mounted on a retainingpin37 betweenside walls42. A retainingbolt35 in front of themast2 holds thefront plate3 to theside walls42. Theside walls42 are secured to thelower bracket26 by the rolling retainingpin37 which also secures the lowermast guide bracket26.
• Finally, as shown inFIG. 6, a more secure piling attachment method is used for the mountingbracket14. This method consists of placing the mounting bracket attachment bolts13athrough the piling6 at an angle crossing each other and securing them withbolts13b, rather than straight through the piling as in the prior art. This attachment method provides for a safer and stronger PWC lift.
• It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and show. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.

Claims (11)

1. A personal watercraft lift attachable to a mooring piling for removing a watercraft into and out of water, said lift comprising:

a mounting bracket for attaching the lift to the mooring piling above a surface of the water;

means for attaching the mounting bracket to the mooring piling;

a top bracket connected perpendicularly to the mounting bracket, said top bracket having two side walls for containing a mast and a sliding block on an outer side abutting the mast;

a lower bracket also connected perpendicularly to the mounting bracket having at least one roller on an inner side abutting the mast;

an elongate mast vertically contained within the top and lower brackets;

a winch means attached to the top bracket;

a personal watercraft holding cradle attached to a lower end of the elongate mast;

and a cable operatively connecting the cradle to the winch means for raising and lowering the cradle,

wherein the top and lower brackets are pivotally attached to the mounting brackets so that the cradle can be pivoted to desired storage and use positions; and

further comprising locking means on the top bracket wherein the lift may be retained in a fixed position.

2. (canceled)

3. The personal watercraft lift ofclaim 1 wherein the winch means is motorized.

4. (canceled)

5. The personal watercraft lift ofclaim 1 wherein the cradle further comprises a guard means to help prevent the personal watercraft lift from hitting against the cable and mast of the lift.

6. The personal watercraft lift ofclaim 1 wherein the cradle comprises lengthwise support rails with crossing lateral support rails on said lengthwise support rails for a holding the personal watercraft in a non-tilting position during lifting for use and storage.

7. (canceled)

8. A personal watercraft lift attachable to a mooring piling for removing a watercraft into and out of water, said lift comprising;

a mounting bracket for attaching the lift to the mooring piling above a surface of the water;

means for attaching the mounting bracket to the mooring piling;

a top bracket connected perpendicularly to the mounting bracket, said top bracket having two side walls for containing a mast and a sliding block on an outer side abutting the mast;

a lower bracket also connected perpendicularly to the mounting bracket having at least one roller on an inner side abutting the mast;

an elongate mast vertically contained within the top and lower brackets;

a winch means attached to the top bracket;

a personal watercraft holding cradle attached to a lower end of the elongate mast;

a cable operatively connecting the cradle to the winch means for raising and lowering the cradle, and

a guide means to help prevent the personal watercraft lift from hitting against the cable and mast of the lift, said guide means comprising guard pipes vertically mounted on the cradle at a position between the lift cable and a personal watercraft to be mounted to help prevent the personal watercraft lift from hitting against the cable and mast of the lift.

9. The personal watercraft lift ofclaim 1 wherein the locking means comprises a vertical hole on the top bracket near the mounting bracket and a pin insertable into said hole in a manner such that the cradle will not pivot.

10. The personal watercraft lift ofclaim 1 further comprising a cover on a front side of and connecting the top and lower brackets for further securing and guiding the mast.

11. A personal watercraft lift attachable to a mooring piling for removing a watercraft into and out of water, said lift comprising:

a mounting bracket for attaching the lift to the mooring piling above a surface of the water;

means for attaching the mounting bracket to the mooring piling;

a top bracket connected perpendicularly to the mounting bracket, said top bracket having two side walls for containing a mast and a sliding block on an outer side abutting the mast;

a lower bracket also connected perpendicularly to the mounting bracket having at least one roller on an inner side abutting the mast;

an elongate mast vertically contained within the top and lower brackets;

a winch means attached to the top bracket; a personal watercraft holding cradle attached to a lower end of the elongate mast; and

a cable operatively connecting the cradle to the winch means for raising and lowering the cradle, and

wherein the means for attaching the mounting bracket to the mooring piling comprises a plurality of bolts inserted through the mooring piling at cross angles to each other.

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