Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02226593 1998-12-07
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SPECIFICATION
This invention is a portable, folding boat lift stand in which allows you to
attach a boat
easily to it, and to use it as a second person. This invention eliminates the
need for a
second person to load or to remove from the roof of a vehicle a boat while
reducing any
possible damage to the vehicle.
People over the years have thought up different ways or tricks to load a boat
onto the top
of a vehicle all by themselves. Some have tried tying a canoe onto a tree
while driving
under it. Others have placed one end of the canoe up onto the roof rack, while
leaving the
other end on the ground, then lifting the grounded end up and pushing the
canoe over the
roof rack forward over the vehicle. This method can only be done if you can
lift the canoe
up in the first place, and if you have a roof rack at the back of the roof.
There have been
many tricks tried and a lot of damaged vehicles. To do a good safe job you
should have
two people to do it. Even loading to a high level, such as a van, is dangerous
with two
people because of the tendency for the canoe to roll over in this upside down
position.
Today it is common for a canoeist going alone to ask for help when placing or
removing
their canoe. The problem is that many times you want to be alone and there is
no one
around to help and/or they may not have the time when you would like them to
help.
I have found with this invention, most of these previous problems have been
solved. Here
are some advantages with this new invention. You only have to be one person to
load or
to unload your boat; the boat will not roll to the side even in a high reach
position. you do
not require a roof rack, extra ropes or equipment, and this invention
assembles very
quickly and can easily be stored in a vehicle.
The objects and features of the invention will be more fully understood and
appreciated
from the following detailed descriptions and drawings. (please note that this
invention
could be used for other kinds of boats. I have shown and used a canoe for
reference only.)
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- Figure 1 is a general side view of the invention.
- Figure 2 shows how the canoe is attached to the ONE ARM LIFT. It also shows
the
side view of the lift components.
- Figure 2A shows the top view of the lift head in the canoe mounting
position.
- Figure 3 shows the canoe rotated in the up wards position along with all of
its
components.
- Figure 4A,B,C. shows a possible variation of the lift head and how it works.
- Figure S shows a different bottom tube configuration incorporating folding
legs that
can fold up for storage, and down for use.
- Figure 6 shows a top view of a typical mounting position of a canoe on top
of the
ONE ARM LIFT along with a van and person location.
- Figure 7 shows the sequence of a person after rotating the canoe to its
upside down
position, pivoting the canoe around a radius towards the end of the van.
- Figure 8 shows a side view of the canoe attached to the ONE ARM LIFT, being
supported over the van.
- Figure 9 shows a top view of figure 8 with the person holding the end of the
canoe.
- Figure 10 shows the ONE ARM LIFT in its collapse position with its four legs
in its
storage position.
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FIGURE 1
Figure 1 shows the complete side view of the ONE ARM LIFT. It is made up of
four
tubular legs 14 protruding from the center axis of the bottom lift tube 13,
equally spaced,
projecting downwards on a slight angle. This slope downwards angle gives the
legs better
ground friction and also helps in compensating for uneven ground conditions.
These legs
14 slide into the tube base by hand for easy assembly.
The bottom lift tube 13 is rigidly attached to the tube base and extends
vertically
upwards. Inside the bottom lift tube 13, the top lift tube 11 can slide
freely. The height
adjust pin 12 is used to adjust the top lift tube 11 vertically for different
vertical heights.
There are several holes in the top lift tube 11 for different height
selections. Simply align
up the holes in the bottom lift tube 13 with tube 11 and press the height
adjust pin 12
through. This locks the two lift tubes 11 & 13 together creating a rigid
assembly.
The lift head 10 is fixed to the top of the lift tube 11. The rotary shaft 6
is shown in the
vertical position with the boat plate 3 attached to it. The canoe is shown as
reference
only. Any light boat can be used.
FIGURE 2-2A
Figure 2 shows the top position of the ONE ARM LIFT. It shows how the boat
plate 3
attaches to the rotary shaft 6. On the ground the boat plate 3, along with the
strap 2 are
fixed by the buckle 1 to one end of the canoe firmly. The rotary shaft 6 and
lock collar 7
are rotated horizontally as shown. The hole 20 in the rotary shaft 6 is then
rotated to a
vertical position. By using your hands, you then roll the canoe onto its side
at the end
where the boat plate 3 is fastened onto. You then lift the canoe maintaining
the side
orientation and aligning the connect pin 4 over the hole 20, then drop it
through. Once
through, release the canoe and place the clip 5 into the hole in the connect
pin 4.
The rotary shaft 6 is free to rotate 360 degrees inside of the pivot tube 8.
The two pivot
pins 9 located on both sides of the lift head 10 are fixed, and extend through
the pivot
tube 8 and in to the cavity of the rotary shaft 6. There is a clearance
between the pivot
pins 9 and the tube 8, thus allowing the pivot tube 8 to rotate around the
center axis of the
pivot pins 9. The rotary shaft 6, with clearance is free to rotate inside of
the pivot tube 8.
With the pivot pins 9 extending into the cavity of the rotary shaft 6, it in
turn prevents the
rotary shaft 6 from pulling out. There is a shoulder on the rotary shaft 6 to
prevent any
movement along its length towards the center of the lift head 10.
The lock collar 7 has a minimum clearance hole through its center to allow it
to slide
freely over the rotary shaft 6.
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Figure 2 as shown has the pivot tube 8 resting, supporting the weight of the
canoe on the
shoulder 22. Shoulder 22 acts as a positive stop.
Figure 2A shows a top view of figure 2, indicating the orientation of the two
pivot pins 9
with the rotary shaft 6 cavity.
FIGURE 3
Figure 3 shows the orientation of the lift head 10 once rotated 90 degrees.
Once the boat
plate 3 is fastened onto the rotary shaft 6 by the clip S, the operator then
moves to the
outside of the canoe and rotates it upwards.
The rotary shaft 6 will pivot around the center axis of the pivot pins 9. The
lock collar 7
will follow the outside contour of the lift head 10 while sliding on the
rotary shaft 6.
Once the rotary shaft 6 is in the vertical position, the lock collar 7 will
fall downwards
due to gravity into a bored recess 21 on the centerline of the lift head 10.
When it falls
down, it then prevents the rotary shaft 6 from moving in any direction. Also
when the
rotary shaft 6 is in the vertical position, the pivot tube 8 contacts the
vertical shoulder 22,
thus acting as a stop.
With the ONE ARM LIFT in this position, the weight of the canoe is passed
through the
boat plate 3, through the connect pin 4 and down the centerline of the rotary
shaft 6. The
rotary shaft 6 shoulder presses on to the top of the pivot tube 8 in which in
turn loads the
two pivot pins 9. In this state the rotary shaft 6 can freely rotate along its
center axis.
Also, the boat plate 3 can rotate only along the connector pins axis. All this
means the far
end of the canoe can be lifted upwards and rotated around the center axis of
the rotary
shaft 6. This set up prevents the canoe from rolling from side to side. The
boat plate 3 and
the canoe centerline are in line with each other as shown. This centerline is
slightly offset
to the centerline of the rotary shaft 6. By being so, the canoe weight is
slightly
maintaining a side load on the pivot tube 8 onto the shoulder 22.
If desired, the boat plate 3 could be rotated back to its vertical position by
simply lifting
upwards the lock collar 7 until it clears the recess 21. Then rotate the
rotary shaft 6 over
the center axis of the pivot pins 9 until the side of the pivot tube 8 comes
in to contact
with the horizontal shoulder 22.
FIGURE 4A.B.C
This figure shows another method of locking the rotary shaft into position.
This system
uses the same logic of figure 3 but the rotary shaft 19 has a shoulder on the
bottom end of
the shaft to prevent it from sliding out of the pivot tube 18. The pivot pins
9 supports the
pivot tube 18 as in figure 3, but does not extend in to the rotary shaft 19.
By doing so,
there is no lock collar 7.
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When the canoe is rotated upwards, the rotary shaft 19, captured between its
shoulder and
the lift head 17, falls downwards following the profile of the lift head 17.
Gravity is
always pushing the rotary shaft head 23 downwards until it aligns over the
lift head
cavity 24. The rotary shaft 19 then falls downward in to the bottom of the
lift head cavity
24. In this position no side movement of the rotary shaft 19 can happen. Only
rotation
along the rotary shaft 19 center axis is possible.
To reverse this set up, simply lift up on the rotary shaft 19 and its head 23
will exit the lift
head cavity 24. Then the rotary shaft 19 is free to rotate along the center
axis of the pivot
pins 9 to its horizontal position.
FIGURE 5
Figure S shows another possible style of the leg mounting system. Here we have
the
bottom lift tube 13 along with its tube base. There are four equally spaced
legs 25
extending outwards from the centerline of the bottom lift tube 13. These legs
25 pivot
around a fixed leg pin 26. In the down position, the leg lock pin 27 is used
to lock the leg
25 in the down position. This leg lock pin 27 is also used to lock the leg 25
in the folded
up wards position for storage. This would be typical for all four legs 25.
FIGURE 6-9
These drawings shows a canoe being loaded onto a van, or any vehicle by one
person and
the ONE ARM LIFT.
Figure 6 shows a canoe mounted on its side to the ONE ARM LIFT. (see figure 2
for
mounting explanations). The legs of the lift are placed as shown in line with
the canoe,
and the canoe at 90 degrees to the vehicle center line. Once the canoe has
been attached
to the ONE ARM LIFT, the operator moves to the outside side of the canoe and
rotates it
upwards.
Figure 7 shows the operator at the far end of the canoe. He lifts it up wards
to a height
that would allow the canoe to clear the roof of the vehicle. The operator then
carries the
end of the canoe sideways around its natural radius towards the end of the
vehicle. Once
over the top center of the vehicle, the operator then lowers it onto the roof
or roof rack.
Figure 8 shows the canoe clearing the top of the vehicle with the ONE ARM LIFT
in the
front and the operator at the back. (please note that the ONE ARM LIFT could
be
mounted at the back of the vehicle in reverse). Once the weight of the canoe
is being
supported by the vehicle, the operator can then move to the front where the
ONE ARM
LIFT is. By unbuckling buckle 1 and its strap 2, the boat plate 3 will detach
from the
canoe. Then retract the top lift tube 11 into the bottom lift tube 13. Then
remove the legs
14 and place them in to their four carrier holes.
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FIGURE 10
Figure 10 shows the folded ONE ARM LIFT assembly. The top lift tube 11 is
fully
retracted into the bottom lift tube 13. The height adjust pin 12 holds the two
lift tubes 13,
& 11 together. The four legs 14 are pressed into the carrier holes in which
are
incorporated in the tube base. The boat plate 3 with its clip 5 are kept in
its vertical
position.
