Abstract: A damage preventing bumper attachable to fixed marine structures to cushion boats and the like against engagement with the structure. The bumpers are air filled to absorb the shocks of a boat engaging the marine dock or post and include a valve for adjustment of the air quantity. The bumpers are fixedly secured to the marine structure by screws which pass through a sleeve formed through the bumper body. The bumpers are formed in a plurality of configurations to cover the critical areas of the structure including corners and posts. A groove formed in the top of the bumper allows the user to lay marine utility lines such as electrical cords and hoses within the bumper and therefore off of the docking facility. The bumpers are made of a marine grade vinyl for durability and to prevent marring of the boat.

Abstract: A satellite antenna drive mechanism which includes a drive gear housing for reciprocally driving a satellite antenna dish. Generally, the satellite dish is supplied with a retaining bracket to which a U-shaped bow screw is mounted. The bow screw threadably engages the drive gear housing such that rotation of the drive gears causes a corresponding movement of the bow screw and the dish. The drive housing includes three meshed gears which cooperate to drive the bow screw. A first gear drive is connected to drive means for manually or mechanically driving the gears. An intermediate gear connects the first gear to a third internally threaded gear which receives the bow screw of the antenna dish. This third gear drive is positionally captured between the wall plates of the housing yet is free floating within the housing to provide smooth travel of the bow screw through the drive housing.

Abstract: A boat motor support for use in towing a boat on a boat trailer. The support is adapted to provide adjustable absorption of impact loads against either the trailer or the overhung motor itself. The support includes a trailer frame mount bracket at one end and a motor mount bracket at the other end thereof. The support includes telescoping members which may be relatively adjusted to shorten or lengthen the support. A plurality of elastic members are disposed within the telescoping members to cushion the longitudinal movement. The number, size and elasticity of the cushion members can be varied to alter the shock absorption properties of the support. As a result, the boat motor support can accommodate boat motors of different sizes and weights.

Abstract: A coupler for a ball type hitch has a body member that includes a socket portion and a closure mechanism that is slidably mounted on the body member for movement between the open position, a closed position, and a third overshoot position. The closure mechanism includes a lower retaining plate and a latch plate which automatically latches when the closure mechanism achieves the closed position. A spring biases the closure mechanism from the open position to the closed position and third position. The closure mechanism is retained in the closed position when the coupler is engaged to a properly sized hitch ball. The closure mechanism is free to move to the third overshoot position when the coupler is engaged to an undersized ball. Visual indicators exit the coupler body member when the closure mechanism is in the open or third overshoot positions. The retainer plate includes a lock receiving aperture for receiving a lock that prevents unauthorized opening of the coupler.

Abstract: A jack support for rotatably supporting a jack between the support position and a stored position. The jack support has two brackets with one bracket welded to an outer housing of the jack and a second bracket mounted onto the tongue portion of a trailer. The second bracket attached to the trailer has two lugs that extend therefrom. The first bracket welded to the jack has a slot and a notch therethrough which interconnect with the two lugs. The first bracket can pivot between a support position and a stored position. A spring biased pin is mounted to the first bracket and can be received within one of two holes in the second bracket to fix the support in either the stored or support position.

Abstract: A pair of pipe clamps each having a pair of gripping members for clamping a pipe therebetween with the pipe extending through the clamps beyond opposite sides and with each clamp having a generally L-shaped projection away from the gripping members with the plane of the web lying in the plane of a pipe clamped in the gripping members and means for pivotally connecting and adjustably clamping the webs.

Abstract: A winch has a drum and drum gear attached thereto. The drum gear is driven by a pinion gear that is attached to an operating shaft which in turn, is attached to an operating handle. The drum side adjacent the drum gear has a plurality of notches which allows the pinion gear to axially slide therethrough to disengage the pinion gear from the drum gear whereby paying out of the rope can be done without spinning of the pinion gear or the operating handle. The pinion gear can remesh with the driving gear by passing through the notch toward its operating position.

Abstract: A coupler for a ball type hitch has a body member that includes a socket portion and a closure mechanism that is slidably mounted on the body member for movement between the open position, a closed position, and a third overshoot position. The closure mechanism includes a lower retaining plate and a latch plate which automatically latches when the closure mechanism achieves the closed position. A spring biases the closure mechanism from the open position to the closed position and third position. The closure mechanism is retained in the closed position when the coupler is engaged to a properly sized hitch ball. The closure mechanism is free to move to the third overshoot position when the coupler is engaged to an undersized ball. Visual indicators exit the coupler body member when the closure mechanism is in the open or third overshoot positions.

Abstract: An emergency stop mechanism for a lifting device capable of moving a load along a predetermined path against and with the force of gravity using a primary cable. The emergency stop mechanism includes a secondary cable or line functionally in parallel with the primary cable. The secondary cable is attached to the load and is wound around an idling drum, with means provided to keep the secondary cable taut around the idling drum. In the event of a failure of the primary lifting system, a braking assembly, sensing and actuated by a decrease in tension in the primary cable, arrests the rotation of the idling drum and thus stops or slows the descent of the payload.