Abstract: In a watercraft storage system a “wishbone” or U-shaped cradle liftable and rotatable by an overhead crane comprises adjustable air filled hull supports to either side of a boat hull and a keel support toward the stern of the watercraft. The cradle central opening clears a cantilever storage rack support beam assembly allowing the watercraft to be lowered onto or raised from the cantilever storage rack support beam assembly by an overhead traveling crane. To substantially reduce any longitudinal swaying of the cradle and watercraft during raising and lowering, a system or diagonal anti-sway bracing cables that automatically retract and extend is employed. In the preferred embodiment, the cradle is lowered into a water-filled channel within the storage structure to re-float the watercraft. A watercraft to be stored can be brought into the channel which contains alignment means to accurately position the watercraft over the cradle.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 2, 2007
Date of Patent:
October 17, 2017
Assignee:
Maff-Stack, LLC
Inventors:
Christian F. Rosenberg, William C. Maffett, Brian D. Maffett, Mark E. Williams
Abstract: A watercraft storage system, a ‘wishbone’ or U-shaped cradle, liftable and rotatable by an overhead crane, comprises adjustable air filled hull supports to either side of a boat hull and a keel support toward the stem of the watercraft. The cradle central opening clears a cantilever storage rack support beam assembly allowing the watercraft to be lowered onto or raised from the cantilever storage rack support beam assembly by an overhead traveling crane. To substantially reduce any longitudinal swaying of the cradle and watercraft during raising and lowering, a system of diagonal anti-sway bracing cables that automatically retract and extend is employed. In the preferred embodiment, the cradle is lowered into a water-filled channel within the storage structure to re-float the watercraft. A watercraft to be stored can be brought into the channel which contains alignment means to accurately position the watercraft over the cradle.
Type:
Application
Filed:
November 3, 2011
Publication date:
May 10, 2012
Applicant:
MAFF-STACK, LLC
Inventors:
Christian F. Rosenberg, William C. Maffett, Brian D. Maffett, Mark E. Williams
Abstract: A cradle assembly for moving and positioning a watercraft with respect to a support module. The cradle assembly comprises a plurality of horizontally varying cradle beams, a cradle wall extending upward from the cradle beams and a transportation track traversing the cradle beams. A transportation rail is slideably positioned on the transportation track to engage the bottom of the water craft as the cradle assembly moves the watercraft with respect to the support module. A positioning system is operatively connected to the transportation rail to extend a substantial portion of the transportation rail within the support module to place the watercraft in and retrieve it from the support module.