AU2012100317A4 - Boat trailer catch and release system - Google Patents

Abstract

A boat trailer catch and release system has a hook member mountable on the bow of a boat, and a catch assembly mounted on the boat trailer. The 5 catch assembly has a roller, engageable by the hook member, at the distal ends of catch arms hingedly mounted on a support, and urged by a spring towards a raised, "set" position adjustably set by a chain / spring assembly. The catch arms are hingedly mounted on bushes which receive a transverse axle received by the support and optional supporting a winch 10 post roller and/or boat guides. When the boat is driven onto the boat trailer for retrieval, the hook member rides over, and depresses the roller, which is then urged back to the "set" position to engage the hook member and prevent release of the boat from the boat trailer. i6 *A

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "BOAT TRAILER CATCH AND RELEASE SYSTEM" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 TITLE: BOAT TRAILER CATCH AND RELEASE SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: 1. Field of the Invention: 5 [0001] This invention relates to a boat trailer catch and release system. [0002] The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to, a boat trailer catch and release system, which can be provided at the time of manufacture of the boat trailer, or retro-fitted; and which enables the boat to driven off and onto, and secured to, the boat trailer while the driver 10 remains on the boat. 2. Prior Art: [0003] The retrieval of boats, such as dinghies or "tinnies", personal water craft (PWC), and other such watercraft, is always fraught with problems. [0004] These problems are exacerbated if only one person is available for 15 the retrieval. [0005] The driver must place the bow of the boat adjacent, or on, at least the rear rollers of the boat trailer, and then attach a cable or line e.g. attached to a winch, to pull the boat onto the trailer. While all of this is happening, wind and/or wave effects are trying to skew and/or push the 20 boat away from the boat trailer. For example, when the driver exits the boat to get the cable for attachment to the bow, the boat may have started floating away e.g. into water too deep to walk into. [0006] To overcome the problem, boat trailer catch systems have been proposed in the past. While they may overcome some of the problems of 25 retrieving a boat, as hereinbefore described, they usually create new problems. For example, they may not be suitable for retro-fitting to existing boat trailers and/or not provide effective hooks or the like to be fitted to the boats. 30 SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION: [0007] It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least ameliorate, the problems with existing boat trailer catch and release 2 systems. [0008] In one aspect, the present invention resides in a boat trailer catch and release system including: a hook member, mountable on a bow portion of a boat; and 5 a catch assembly including: a pair of spaced catch arms hingedly mountable on a support on the boat trailer; a hook-engaging member interconnecting distal ends of the catch arms; and 10 at least one spring mechanism mountable on the support and connected to at least one of the catch arms, operable to hold the catch arms, and thereby the hook-engaging member in a "set" position engageable by the hook member, while allowing the hook-engaging member to be movable downwardly to a "release" position. 15 [00091 Preferably, the hook member includes: a hook body mountable on the bow portion by a plurality of fasteners; and a hook tongue extending downwardly and rearwardly from the hook body. [0010] Preferably, the support on the boat trailer includes a pair of winch post arms; 20 the catch arms are hingedly mounted, at their proximal ends, on a transverse axle which interconnects upper ends of the winch post arms; and the transverse axle also rotatably supports a winch post roller and/or one or more guide rollers engageable by the bow portion. 25 [0011] Preferably, the hook-engaging member includes a transverse rod or bolt, which rotatably supports a roller engageable by the hook member. [0012] Preferably, the spring mechanism is a clock-work type spring, mounted about the axle and having a distal end of a spring-arm connected to one of the catch arms. 30 [0013] Preferably, the system further includes: at least one flexible tether operable to interconnect at least one of the catch arms to the boat to adjust the "set" position of the hook-engaging 3 member; and (optionally) at least one resiliently extensible member is provided within, or at one end of, the flexible tether to absorb excessive upward movement of the hook-engaging member, at the "set" position, when engaged with the 5 hook member. [0014] Preferably, the flexible tether is a cable or chain; and the resiliently extensible member is a tension coil spring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: 10 [0015] To enable the invention to be fully understood, preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the boat trailer catch and release system, in accordance with the present invention, with the 15 catch assembly in the "set" position prior to engagement with the boat; FIG. 2 is a similar view, but with the catch assembly in the "release" position; FIG. 3 is a schematic isometric view of the system; FIG. 4 is an "exploded" view of the components of the catch assembly; 20 FIG. 5 is an "exploded" view of the components for a first alternative hook assembly for fiberglass boats; FIG. 6 is a similar view of a second alternative hook assembly for fiberglass boats; and FIG. 7 is a similar view of a hook assembly for metal (i.e. aluminium) 25 boats. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: [0016] The present invention will now be described with reference to the retro-fitting of the boat trailer catch and release system 10 to an existing 30 boat trailer 20. The skilled addressee will appreciate that the system 10 can be fitted at the time of manufacture of the boat trailer 20. [0017] The term "boat" is used to include dinghies, "tinnies", personal 4 water craft (PWC), trailer-able sailing boats (i.e. "trailer-sailers"), and like watercraft which can be transported on boat trailers or like transport vehicles. [0018] In FIGS. 1 to 3, the boat trailer 20 has a drawbar 21 on which is 5 mounted a winch 22 provided with a cable or strap 23, the free end of which is provided with a hook, or other fitting, not shown, engageable with the bow portion 31 of the boat 30 to enable the latter to be retrieved. [0019] A winch post 24, having a pair of winch post arms 25, is provided intermediate the winch 22 and the boat 30 to assist the cable or strap 23 10 to be guided on the winch 22 as the boat 30 is retrieved. Respective guides 26 are mounted at the tops of the winch post arms 25 to engage / guide the bow portion 31 when the boat 30 is being / has been retrieved. [0020] The hook assembly 40 is preferred for fiberglass (or composite) hulls for the boat 30. The hook assembly 40 is fabricated with a 15 substantially U-shaped body 41 and a substantially L-shaped rearwardly directed tongue 42. A brace member 43 interconnects the body 41 and tongue 42 to form a smaller eyelet 44A to receive a D-shackle on a safety chain. The body 41 forms larger eyelet 44 to receive the hook on the cable or strap 23. 20 [0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a first alternative form of the hook assembly 140, where the body 141, tongue 142 and eyelets 144, 144A are formed in a unitary manner e.g. as a metal casting. [0022] A pair of studs 145 extend from the body 141 and pass through complementary holes in the bow portion 31 of the boat 30, and are 25 secured by a mounting plate 146, washers 147 and nuts 148 (which are either self-locking, or provided with lock-nuts, safety-wire or locking-pins to prevent accidental release). [0023] FIG. 6 illustrates a second alternative form of the hook assembly 240, where the body 241, tongue 242 and eyelet 244 are again formed in 30 a unitary manner; but where the body 241 has a rearwardly-directed slot 243 dimensioned to receive an existing eyelet (not shown) on the fiberglass boat, and the body 241 is secured thereto by a stud 245 which 5 passes through aligned holes 249. The stud 245 may be secured by a nut (not shown), or screw-threadably engaged in one of the holes 249. [0024] FIG. 7 illustrates a hook assembly 340 suitable for aluminium boats. The hook body 341, e.g. cast in metal, has a pair of spaced plates 5 343, with aligned holes 349 to receive studs 345 which pass through aligned holes 349 in the bow portion of the boat. The studs 345 may be secured by nuts (not shown) or complementary screw-threads in one of the pairs of holes 349. The hook assembly 340 has a downwardly directed tongue 342 and eyelet 344. 10 [0025] The hook assemblies 40, 140, 240, 340 are all capable of co operating with the catch assembly 50 to be described with particular reference to FIG. 4. [0026] The catch assembly 50 has a pair of spaced catch arms 51, e.g. formed from corrosion-protected metal strip (and may be tapered, as '15 illustrated in FIG. 4.) A mounting hole 52 is provided at the proximal end of each catch arm 51, to be hingedly journalled on the tubular body 53 of a bush 54, having a peripheral end flange 55. [0027] The distal end of one of the catch arms 51 is provided with a laterally-extending stud 56, which is received in an aligned hole 57 in the 20 other of the catch arms 50, where a nut 58 engages a screw-threaded portion 59 of the stud 56. A roller 60 is rotatably journalled on the stud 56, and is engageable by the hook-member 40, 140, 240, 340 as will be hereinafter described. (The skilled addressee will appreciate that the screw-threaded portion 59 enables the spacing between the catch arms 25 51 to be varied to suit the particular installation.) [0028] A transverse axle 61 passes through aligned holes (not shown) at the upper ends of the winch post arms 25 and through the tubular bodies 53 of the bushes 54 which are located outwardly of the respective winch post arms 25. The peripheral end flanges 55 act as washers between the 30 adjacent winch post arms 25 and the catch arms 51. [0029] The axle 61 supports the guides 26 and also passes through the body 62 of a clockwork-type spring 63. The axle 61 is formed by a stud 64 6 having a head 65 at one end and a screw-threaded portion 66 at the other end to receive a lock-nut 67. [0030] A winch post roller 29 is rotatably journalled about the axle 61, intermediate the end flanges 55 of the bushes 54, and guides the cable or 5 strap 23 as it is fed from, or wound onto the winch 22. [0031] By this arrangement, the catch assembly 50 can be mounted on the winch post arms 25 without any modification to the latter; and without fouling, or otherwise compromising, the operation of the winch 22. [0032] One arm 68 of the clockwork-type spring 63 is anchored on the 10 adjacent winch post arm 25, while the other arm 69 of the spring 63 is fixed in the catch arm 51. [0033] The clockwork-type spring 63 urges the catch arms 51 upwardly so that the roller 60 is in a raised "set" position. [0031] This "set" position is adjustable to suit the particular boat trailer 20 / 15 boat combination. A chain 70 has one end 71 attached to one of the catch arms 51, and the other end 72 attached to a hook 73 on a tension coil spring 74 anchored on a support post 28 on the trailer 20. By selective engagement between the chain 70 and the hook 73, the roller 60 can be raised or lowered to ensure correct engagement between the roller 60 and 20 the hook member 40. The coil spring 74 will absorb, and counter-act, any forces applied to the catch assembly 50 by the boat 30 seeking to raise the roller 60. {0032] In use, the hook member 40 will be mounted on the boat 30 and engaged by the roller 60. 25 [0033] To launch the boat 30, the boat trailer 20 and boat 30 are reversed down the boat ramp until the rear of the boat trailer 20 is in the water. The spring arm 68 is manually moved rearwardly and engaged with the winch post arm 25, urging the catch arms 51 (and roller 60) to the "set" position. [0034] The cable or strap 23 is paid off the winch 22 until the boat 30 30 moves rearwardly relative the boat trailer 20 and is held in place by the engagement of the hook member 40 with the roller 60. [0035] The spring arm 68 is manually released from the winch post arm 7 25 and is moved forwardly, and the hook on the winch cable or strap 23 is released from the larger eyelet 44. [0036] The driver can now safely board the boat 30. [0037] To release the boat 30, the driver drives the boat 30 forward until 5 the roller 60 is released by the hook tongue 42 and gravity causes the roller 60 to drop free of the hook member 40. [0038] The boat 30 is then driven rearwardly off the trailer. [0039] To retrieve the boat 30, the boat trailer 20 is reversed down the boat ramp until the rear of the boat trailer 20 is in the water. 10 [0040] The spring arm 68 is engaged with the winch post arm 25, and the clockwork-type spring 63 urges the catch arms 51, and thereby the roller 60, to the "set" position. [0041] The driver can then board the boat 30 and drive the boat 30 all the way up the boat trailer 20 until the roller 60 is engaged by the hook 15 member 40. [0042] As the driver drives the boat 30 onto the boat trailer 20, the hull is guided by the trailer guides until the bow portion 31 engages the roller 60. The roller 60 is depressed from the "set" position, against the bias of the clockwork-type spring 63, and the tongue 42 of the hook member 40 rides 20 over the roller 60. The spring 63 urges the catch arms 51 upwardly, until the roller 60 engages the boat 30. As the boat 30 moves rearwardly, the roller 60 is engaged by the hook member 40 to secure the boat 30 to the boat trailer 20. The location of the bow portion 31, and thereby the hook member 40, relative to the catch assembly 50 is assisted by the guides 26 25 on the winch post 24. [0043] The driver can now safely exit the boat 30 and attach the winch cable or strap 23, via the hook thereon, to the larger eyelet 44 and/or the safety chain to smaller eyelet 44A. [0044] The skilled addressee will appreciate that the boat trailer catch and 30 release system 10 of the present invention enables a single driver, in the boat, to drive the boat onto the boat trailer and secure it thereto before having to exit the boat.

8 [0045] In addition, the system 10 can be retro-fitted to existing trailers and boats e.g. without requiring any structural modification to the boat trailer such as relocation of the winch. [0046] The system 10 can be fitted to a boat trailer by a person with 5 limited skills or tools. [0047] The system 10 does not extend above the height of the winch post 24; and on initial contact between the roller 60 and the hook assembly 40, the catch assembly is deflected downwardly and inwardly, to minimise possible injury to any person adjacent the boat trailer during retrieval. 10 [0048] When the system 10 is not required to operate e.g. during transport of the boat 30 on the boat trailer 20, the arm 68 of the clockwork-type spring 63 is released from the adjacent winch post arm 25; and the catch arms 51 are permitted to swing downwardly to a substantially vertical position. The chain 70 can be adjusted to retain the catch arms 51 in this 15 "transport" position. In the "transport" position, the catch assembly 50 allows free access to the bow portion 31 of the boat 30. [0049] The skilled addressee will appreciate: the selection of materials; relative dimensions of the components; and/or the relationships between the components, can be varied and selected to suit different intended 20 applications. [0050] Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention. 25 30

Claims (5)

1. A boat trailer catch and release system including: a hook member, mountable on a bow portion of a boat; and 5 a catch assembly including: a pair of spaced catch arms hingedly mountable on a support on the boat trailer; a hook-engaging member interconnecting distal ends of the catch arms; and 10 at least one spring mechanism mountable on the support and connected to at least one of the catch arms, operable to hold the catch arms, and thereby the hook-engaging member in a "set" position engageable by the hook member, while allowing the hook-engaging member to be movable downwardly to a "release" position. 15

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: the hook member includes: a hook body mountable on the bow portion by a plurality of fasteners; and a hook tongue extending downwardly and rearwardly from the hook body.

3. The system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: 20 the support on the boat trailer includes a pair of winch post arms; the catch arms are hingedly mounted, at their proximal ends, on a transverse axle which interconnects upper ends of the winch post arms; the hook-engaging member includes a transverse rod or bolt, which rotatably supports a roller engageable by the hook member; and 25 the spring mechanism is a clock-work type spring, mounted about the axle and having a distal end of a spring-arm connected to one of the catch arms.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system further includes: 30 at least one flexible tether operable to interconnect at least one of the catch arms to the boat to adjust the "set" position of the hook-engaging member; and 10 at least one resiliently extensible member is provided within, or at one end of, the flexible tether to absorb excessive upward movement of the hook engaging member, at the "set" position, when engaged with the hook member.

5 5. The system of claim 4, wherein: the flexible tether is a cable or chain; the resiliently extensible member is a tension coil spring; and the transverse axle also rotatably supports a winch post roller and/or one or more guide rollers engageable by the bow portion. 10 15 20 25 30