Rollers For Use With Watercraft Ports and Lifts
A roller for a floating watercraft port or lift is generally circular in radial cross-section and defines a diameter which decreasing from an axial center of the rollers to opposite ends of the rollers; such that the rollers are variable diameter rollers. In a variation, the rollers include circumferential grooves through which watercraft chines can glide. The rollers are received in roller sockets in the watercraft port or lift. The rollers rotate about an axle in the socket, and the sockets includes axle receiving channels which receive the roller axles. The roller axles and roller socket axle channels are sized and shaped such that the roller axles can be snap fitted into the axle channel to allow for removal of the roller from the socket.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional App. No. 60/956,215 filed Aug. 16, 2007 which is titled Modular Floating Watercraft Assembly, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to floating docks or ports and lifts for personal and small water craft, and, in particular to rollers for use with such ports and lifts.
Over the past several years, manufacturers have begun producing larger (and heavier) personal water craft. Many of the existing floating ports are too small to support the newer personal watercraft out of the water when the personal water craft are placed on the ports. Further, the new personal water craft vary in their general shape, particularly, the shape of their hulls. Because of the difference in hull shapes, the position of the rollers on existing ports often needs to be adjusted. If the roller position is not adjusted, the rollers may not roll easily, and thus will not ease entry and exit of the watercraft on to the port. Further, when the rollers do not roll properly, the hull of the personal watercraft can be marred.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREBriefly stated, a roller for a floating watercraft port or lift is disclosed. The floating watercraft port/lift comprises an upper surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, a front surface and a back surface. A cradle defined by a pair of opposed inwardly sloping walls is formed in at least a part of the upper surface. A plurality of roller sockets positioned along the cradle walls and the rollers received in at least a pair of the roller sockets.
The rollers are generally circular in radial cross-section, and thus define a diameter. The diameter of the rollers decreases from an axial center of the rollers to opposite ends of the rollers, such that the rollers are variable diameter rollers. In an illustrative embodiment, the rollers have an arced outer surface. In a variation, the rollers include circumferential grooves. The grooves are defined by a sloping side surfaces such that the grooves are wider at the roller surface than at a bottom of the groove. The bottoms of the grooves all define diameters that are substantially the same. Hence, grooves positioned closer to the opposite ends of the roller are shallower than grooves positioned closer to the axial center of the roller.
The roller sockets comprise socket end surfaces and a socket main surface extending between the socket end surfaces. The socket decreases in width from the cradle defining wall to a radial bottom of the socket and the socket decreases in width from an axial center of the socket to opposed ends of the socket. Stated differently, the sockets, in cross-section, define a segment of a circle, and the radius of the circle decreases from the axial center of the socket to the opposed ends of the socket.
Axles extend through, or from the ends of, the rollers. The roller sockets include axle channels extending from opposite ends of the roller socket. The axles are sized, and the axle channels are shaped, such that the axles are snap fitted into the axle channels; whereby the rollers are removable from the roller sockets substantially without the use of tools.
Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the several figures of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what we presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A watercraft port 20 is shown generally in
The upper surface 22 defines a cradle 32, upper deck surfaces 34, and a sloping entrance or ramp section 37 at the back of the port entry. The cradle 32 is defined by a pair of walls 36 which slope downwardly and inwardly to a channel 38 which extends rearwardly from the front end of the port entry member 20 to the forward end of the entrance section 37. The slope of the cradle walls 36 corresponds generally to the dead rise of a watercraft hull. To accommodate a greater number of watercraft, the slope of the cradle walls 36 corresponds to a median of common watercraft hull dead rise angles. The bottom of the channel 38 is generally level. Hence, the cradle 32 does not slope from front to back, but rather, is generally horizontal.
A plurality of roller sockets 40 (shown in more detail in
The illustrative sockets 40, as best seen in
Rollers 50 are received in the roller sockets 40. In one illustrative embodiment, the roller 50 is shaped complementarily to the socket 40. Having the roller 50 and roller socket 40 shaped complementarily to each other provides for a gap of uniform size between the roller and socket. However, the roller and socket need not be shaped complementarily to each other. As seen in
The roller can take on other configurations. For example, the roller 50′ of
In another embodiment, the roller 50″ can have a generally straight, rather than arced or curved, side surface, such as seen in
The roller configurations shown in
The use of the roller of varying diameter (such as shown in
The rollers 50′ (
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. For example, although the rollers are described for use with a watercraft port, it will be apparent that the rollers could also be used with a watercraft lift. This example is merely illustrative.
Claims
1. A floating watercraft port/lift comprising an upper surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, a front surface and a back surface; a cradle being formed in at least a part of said upper surface; said cradle being defined by a pair of opposed inwardly sloping walls; a plurality of roller sockets positioned along said cradle walls and rollers received in at least a pair of said roller sockets;
- said rollers being generally circular in radial cross-section and defining a diameter; the diameter of said rollers decreasing from an axial center of said rollers to opposite ends of said rollers; such that said rollers are variable diameter rollers.
2. The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said roller sockets comprise socket end surfaces and a socket main surface extending between said socket end surfaces; said socket decreasing in width from said cradle defining wall to a radial bottom of said socket and said socket decreasing in width from an axial center of said socket to opposed ends of said socket.
3. The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said roller sockets, in cross-section, define a segment of a circle; the radius of the circle decreasing from the axial center of the socket to the opposed ends of the socket.
4. The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said rollers define an axis; said rollers being are circular in cross-section in a plane generally perpendicular to said axis and having an arced outer surface such that the diameter of said roller decreases from an axial center of said rollers to the opposed ends of said rollers.
5. The floating watercraft port of claim 4 wherein said rollers include circumferential grooves formed in said rollers.
6. The floating watercraft port of claim 5 wherein said grooves are defined by a sloping side surfaces such that said groove is wider at said roller surface than at a bottom of said groove.
7. The floating watercraft port of claim 5 wherein the bottoms of said grooves all define a diameters that are substantially the same.
8. The floating watercraft of claim 7 wherein grooves positioned closer to the opposite ends of said roller are shallower than grooves positioned closer to the axial center of said roller.
9. The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein axles extend through said rollers; said roller sockets including axle channels extending from opposite ends of said roller socket; said axles being sized, and said axle channels being shaped, such that said axles are snap fitted into said axle channels; whereby said rollers are removable from said roller sockets substantially without the use of tools.
10. The floating watercraft port of claim 1 including a cradle channel extending along a center of said cradle, said cradle channel being positioned between said sloping walls.
11. The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said roller sockets of said pair of walls are aligned with each other to define pairs of roller sockets.
12. A roller for use in a watercraft port or lift assembly; said roller comprising an outer surface and end surfaces and having an axis; said outer surface defining a circle in cross-section and having a diameter; the diameter of said roller outer surface decreasing from an axial center of said roller towards said end surfaces.
13. The roller of claim 12 wherein said outer surface defines an axial curvature.
14. The roller of claim 12 further including circumferential grooves formed in said roller outer surface.
15. The roller of claim 14 wherein said grooves are defined by a sloping side surfaces such that said groove is wider at said roller surface than at a bottom of said groove.
16. The roller of claim 15 wherein the bottoms of said grooves all define a diameters that are substantially the same.
17. The roller of claim 16 wherein grooves positioned closer to the opposite ends of said roller are shallower than grooves positioned closer to the axial center of said roller.
Type: Application
Filed: May 22, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 19, 2009
Applicant: E-Z-DOCK, INC. (Monett, MO)
Inventors: Dustin Imel (Rocky Comfort, MO), Curtis Downs (Denver, NC)
Application Number: 12/125,206
International Classification: B63B 35/44 (20060101); B63C 5/04 (20060101);