Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EQUIPM:ENT LO~DER AND llNLOADER
FO~ VEHICLES
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in equipment
loading apparatus and more particularly pertains to apparatus for loading
equipment on and unloading it from the top of a vehicle. Although the apparatus
of the inv~tion is illustrated herein as comprising a loader and unloader for
boats. It is to be undertood that it can as well be applied to other types of
equipment which may be desired to be loaded on top of a vehicle,
Boat loading and unloading apparatuses have heretofore been provided
for vehicles but such constructions are costly in their manufacture and
difficult to install on the vehicle. In addition, such prior apparatuses require
10 manual assistance at various stages throughout the loading or unloading opera-
tions. U.S. ~tent No. 3, 612, 314 solves rnany of the problems of prior devices
in that it is substantially simplified in construction and furthermore is effective -
in loading or unloading a boat without ;any substantial manual assistance. The
structure shown in such patent, however, has some deficiences one of which is
that once it is attached to a vehicle it is substantiaUy limited or customized to a
certain length of boat and particular vehicle configuration. Another disadvantage
of the structure of the mentioned patent is that while the boat handling lines
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provide a hold down for the bow of the boat, the stern must be separately tied
down.
According to the present invention and forming a primary objective
thereof, a boat loader and unloader is provided employing apparatus capable
of mounting it on a vehicle and which will accommodate almost all practical
combination and conligurations of boats and vehicles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination
of winch and tie-down lines that not only serve to load and unload the boat but
also to automatically hold the boat down both at the bow and stern when it is
fully loaded.
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A principal object is to provide an equipment loader and unloader
for vehicles comprising front and rear transverse support means, mounting
means arranged to mount said support means on a vehicle, said support means
being arranged to support equipment thereon in a loaded position and to load
and unload equipment by pivotal movement over said rear support means, at
least one of said transverse support means comprising a roller, rotary drive ~ ~ -
means engaging said roller for rotating the latter in a winch driving function, : :
winch line means attached to said roller and having an end thereof arranged to
be secured to a front portion of the equipment to be loaded such that upon ~ -
selected drive rotation of said roller the equipment is raised or lowered in
pivotal relation over said rear support means on the vehicle, said winch line -
means extending under said front transverse support means and being arranged
to hold the front of the equipment down in a loaded position thereof, and tie-down
line means connected at its forward end to said winch line and arranged at its
rearward end to be attached to a rearward portion of the equipment, said
tie-down line means extending under said rear support means and being of a .
Iength such that in a loaded position of the equipment said tie-down line means
is taut between said winch line means and the equipment to hold the latter down ~ .
on said rear support means.
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The invention will be better understood and additional objects and
advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in con-
nection with the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the equipment loader and un-
loader as applied to a vehicle, this view showing a boat in loaded position in
full lines and in two partial unloaded positions in phantom lines;
Figure 2 is a foreshortened fragmentary plan view taken on the line
2-2 of Figure l, the boat being shown in phantom lines and a portion thereof
being in section;
Figure 3 is an enlarged foreshortened Eragmentary sectional view
taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an enlarged foreshortened vertical elevational view taken
on the line 4-4 of Figure l; and
Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken similar to Figure 3
but showing the boat in partially loaded position.
The ~umeral 10 designates a vehicle and the ,numeral 12 represents
a canopy o~ the vehicle upon which the present apparatus can be rnounted. The
type of vehicle shown is for illustration purpose only since the apparatus may
be mounted on any type of vehicle where it is possible to mount front and rear
20 brackets, as will be understood. Also, the apparatus is shown as being related
to a loading and unloading apparatus for a boat B but it is to be understood that
it can be used for other equipment such as boxes, containers, crates, lumber,
etc.
A pair of rails 14 and 16 are supported at the top of the vehicle by
brackets 18 suitably attached to the vehicle. The rails illustrated are circular
but it is to be understood that they can be square or any other shape of suitable
strength Brackets 18 mat be bolted to the front, rear~ sides or top as
necessary and include U-bolts 20 thereon for securement to the rails,
The rails are disposed longitudinally of the vehicle in spaced relation
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and supp~rt transversely extendin~ frornt and rear rollers 22 and 24, respectively
therebetween. These rollers have journaled support on upright brackets 26
secured to the rails by U-bolts 28. The rollers 22 and 24 are vertically adjust-
able on the brackets 26 by means of a plurality of holes 30 in the brackets. It is
preferred that the brackets 26 extend a short distance above the rollers so as to ~ -
provide confining means for a boat B supported on the rollers, The shaft
for rear rollers 24 projects through one of the brackets 26 at one side and is
secured to the output shaft of a reversible motor drive unit 32, this drive unit ~ -~
being secured to the one rail 14 by U-bolts 34. Although the motor is shown as
10 driving the rear roller 24, it is to be understood that it; can as well be placed
to drive the front roller. If desired, a hand crank can be used in lieu of the drive
motor.
A third roller 36, referred to herein as a pivot roller, is also supp-
orted transversely between the rails 14 and 16, such roller being journaled in -
brackets 38 attached to said rails by U-bolts 40. ~s best seen in Figure 3, the
roller 36 is disposed in a slightly lower place borizontally than the rear roller
24, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereinafter. Further~
more the roller 36is disposed rearwardly beyond the rear of the vehicle, so
that the boat makes contact with this roller rather than with the upper portion
20 of the vehicle during loading and unloading. For this purpose the rails 14 and ;
15 are long enough to extend rearwardly beyond the rear of the vehicle and install-
ation is such that a straight line extending over the tops of rollers 24 and 36 will
clear the vehicle. Brackets 38 have a plurality of holes 30 similar to brackets
26 for vertical adjustment of the roller 360
The apparatus ;thus far described is arranged to load a boat after
it has been positioned longitudinally rearward of the vehicle, with the stern of
the boat being disposed adjacent to the vehicle. The apparatus functions to
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swing the bow of the boat arcuately upward and pull the boat over onto the rollers
22 and ~4.
To accomplish these functions, a pair of winch lines 42, one on
each side, has one of their ends anchored to the roller 24, Figures 2~. These
ends of the lines 4~ are wrapped around the roller 24 so that the latter serves
as a winch when rotated. The free ends oE the lines extend forward from the `
roller 24 and pass under the front roller 2~o The ends of the lines terminate
in eyes 44 adapted to be engaged with respective eyes or hooks 46 secured to
opposite sides of the interior of the boat forward of the longitudinal center of
gravity of the boat. A full line fragmentary position of the boat is shown in
Figure 2 to illustrate the securement of eyes 46 thereto. ` -
Associated with the winch lines 42 are tie-down or support lines
48 each having a ring 50 secured on its forward end which slidably receives the
respective line 42. Eyes 52 are provided at the rearward ends o-E lines 48 and
are adapted to be releasably connected to respective hooks or eyes 54 secured
to the transom of the boat. To maintain the rearward portion of the tie-down
lines 48 laterally outwardly at the rear, they pass through respective eyes 56
secured to the brackets 38. These eyes project inward from the inwardly
directed surface of ;brackets 38. Incorporated into each line 48 at a selected
place to be described, in a stop ring 58. This ring is larger than the eye 56 so
20 that it will not pass th~r~through.
The tie-down lines 48 are of a selected length such that when the
boat is fully loaded on the vehicle, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, 3 and 4
and in phantom lines in Figure 2, such tie-down lines are pùlled tight so that
as best seen in Figure 3 they extend tightly between their connection with re~
spective lines 42 adjacent to the eyes 46 and the eyes 54 at the stern of the boat.
The rings 58 are selectively located such that the segment of the line 48 rear~
wardly thereof will upon stop engagement against the eyes 56 support the boat
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off the grolmd in a vertical partially loaded or unloaded position, preferably ~ ~ ~
with the top edge o-f the transom at about the middle of the bumper where a -
camper type vehicle is used.
The operation OI the apparatus will now be described. Assuming
that the boat is to be loaded onto the vehicle, such boat is first positioned
longitudinally rearward of the vehicle, as illustrated in the horizontal phantom ;
line position shown in Figure 1, with the stern of the boat toward the vehicle.
The boat is manually lifted or otherwise raised at the stern so that eyes 52 of the
lines 48 can be engaged with the hooks 54. I'he eyes 44 of the winch lines 42 are
10 attached to the hooks 46 at the forward portion of the boat. The operator then
energizes the electric motor drive unit in the direction to haul in the winch lines 42
on the rear roller 24. As the lines are hauled in, they will stand the boat up with
the bow upwardlyO The boat is supported off the ground at the stern by the tie-
down lines 48 during this time. Additional haul in oE the lines 42 will pivot the
boat over the pivot roller 36 and at about this time lines 48 will go slack. The
boat will pivot over roller 36 until it engages roller 24 which will then serve as
the fulcrum point. The rollers 24 and 36 are spaced and vertically positioned `
with relation to each other such that engagement of the roller 24 in the loading
function occurs just about /the time that the center of gravity of the boat is for-
20 ward of roller 36. As the boat continues to be loaded, it falls forward. The
roller 24 cushions such falling movement, since the boat center of gravity has
not yet reached this roller. The two lines 42 are secured at points 46 below
the top edges of the gunwales of the boat to avoid interference with roller 22. ~`
This arrangement ma~es s~lre that the boat will move over the top of the front ; ~ ~ -
roller and in addition it permits a gentle landing when the boat falls down on the
front roller. Such gentle landing is accomplished by the initial engagement
of the boat with roller 36 and then with roller 240 As the winch lines 42 cinch
up tight around the roller 22, the motor 32 is stoppedJ and :in such pt~sition
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tne boat is held down securely at the bow. Since the tie down lines 48 are
of selected length to become taut simultaneously with the cinching down of the
bow of the boat and since they pass under roller 36 at this time, the stern oF
the boat will also be held down securely.
~hen unloading the boat, it is merely necessary to operate the `
drive motor 32 in the reverse direction from the loading operation. This
rotates the roller 24 in a direction such that the friction engagement of the boat
thereon moves it rearwardly. As the roller is rotated in the reverse direction,
lines 42 release from the winch roller to allow the boat to move backwards.
Lines 48 become slack at this time and the lines 42 merely slide through the
rings 50. ~s the boat is driven rearwardly past its center of gravity, it will
at first tip slightly over the back roller 24. Upon additional release of the
lines 42 from roller 24, the boat will leave roller 24 and pivot over roller 36.
It will then move downwardly by gravity in full support by lines 48 to the
vertical position shown in phantom lines in Figure 1, and as it reaches the
desired lowered position, stop rings 58 engage eyes 56 and support the boat.
Thereafter, additional paying out of the lines 42 allows the bow of the boat to
move down around the suspended support, such movement being pivotally provided
by the lines 48. After the bow of the boat has reached the ground, it is merely
necessary to release the hooks 44 and 52. ~ ~ ~
According to the invention~ the use of the longitudinal side rails - ~ -
14 and 16 facilitate use oF the present apparatus with various sizes of boats
and vehictes, such being accomplished merely by selected positioning of the
roller support brackets 26 on the rails. The selected length of the support
lines 48 and the particular positioning of the rings 58 therein are predetermined
by the length and center of gravity of the boat, height of vehicle, and other
variables. The roller 24, comprising the friction drive roller for moving the
boat partially -
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rearwardly in an unloading step, utilizes the winch wrappings of the lines 42 .
thereon to accomplish the friction connection with the boat.
It is apparent tha$ no additional or auxiliary tie-down lines are ~ ;
necessary since both the bow and the stern will be securely cinched down on the
rollers when the boat is loaded.
It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown , .~
and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various ~ ;
changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without ~,~
departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claimsO
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