Boat centering and guiding device for boat trailers

Claim 1

In combination with the components of a conventional boat trailer including a centered, rear, journaled and horizontally mounted initial receiving roller and additional keel-platereceiving and supporting rollers spaced therefrom in direction longitudinal of the carrier; and a rigid carrier frame having a pulling device mounted thereon which imparts pull on a flexible element such as a cable longitudinally and forwardly relative to said trailer, a pair of cooperating, oppositely arranged, upstanding boatengaging members mounted in juxtaposition to the respective ends of the said receiving roller and having means for resiliently urging said members upwardly in upstanding position, means for anchoring the lower end of said members to the rear of said trailer at points below said rear roller, rollers rotatably mounted on the outer ends of said boatengaging members whereby with said opposed spaced relation said rollers initially and snugly engage and center the forward bow portion of a boat in loading action of said trailer, and thereafter shift with outward and opposite deflection of said resilient members to engage portions of the lower contour of the boat adjacent the keel plate thereof, for center-guiding said boat throughout its length as it is loaded upon the trailer, and said boat-engaging members including upstanding, closely coiled spring elements firmly anchored at their lower ends and carrying axial journals at their upper ends upon which said rollers are mounted.