Patent US3974923A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3974923A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Tilting ramp assembly for fishing vessels
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-09-16
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Granted: 1976-08-17
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Expires: 1994-09-16
Abstract
Abstract Tilting ramp assembly for fitting to fishing vessel for assisting in raising fishing nets, and launching and recovery of small boats. Assembly has fixed portion secured adjacent the stern of the vessel and moving portion hinged thereto with roller journalled at outer end. Hydraulic cylinder extends between fixed and moving portions for swinging the portions between raised and lowered positions. Spooling gear mounted on ramp assembly feeds rope smoothly onto winch and has spool guides which are removeable when the net is drawn up the ramp, and also serve as skiff guides when hauling skiff up ramp. When raising the net, ramp moves simultaneously from lowered position to raised positon as net swings upwards, reducing crushing of fish.
Inventors
- 👤 Viggo Mark
- 👤 Matthew John Sikich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 12:10
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B35/00; B63B35/14; B63B35/16; B63B35/18; B63B27/00; B63B27/14; B63B27/143
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
295 words
A tilting ramp assembly adapted for fitting to a fishing vessel in which the fishing vessel has a central longitudinal axis and a transom at the stern thereof, the ramp assembly being adapted for attachment adjacent the transom, the ramp assembly having: a. a fixed portion secured to the vessel, the fixed portion having a first hinge portion including a pair of spaced parallel fixtures adapted to be secured adjacent the transom, each fixture having a bracket extending therefrom, the brackets having aligned bores, b. a moving portion having a second hinge portion complementary to the first hinge portion to form a hinge having a hinge axis concentric with the aligned bores of the fixed portion and disposed normally to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and generally horizontally when the vessel floats without list, so that the moving portion can be swung relative to the fixed portion between raised and lowered positions, the moving portion having a ramp platform with inner and outer ends which are relatively unrestricted to facilitate passage of items along tge ramp platform, the moving portion also including bearing means complementary to the brackets of the first hinge portion to form the hinge and provided adjacent the inner end of the ramp platform, c. first and second rollers provided generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the ramp platform, each roller being journalled for rotation about a respective central axis thereof disposed parallel to the hinge axis, the first roller being disposed on a side of the hinge axis remote from the second roller so that the first roller can swing below the hinge axis towards the water, d. powered means cooperating with the fixed and moving portions to swing the moving portion between the raised and lowered positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
295 words
A tilting ramp assembly adapted for fitting to a fishing vessel in which the fishing vessel has a central longitudinal axis and a transom at the stern thereof, the ramp assembly being adapted for attachment adjacent the transom, the ramp assembly having: a. a fixed portion secured to the vessel, the fixed portion having a first hinge portion including a pair of spaced parallel fixtures adapted to be secured adjacent the transom, each fixture having a bracket extending therefrom, the brackets having aligned bores, b. a moving portion having a second hinge portion complementary to the first hinge portion to form a hinge having a hinge axis concentric with the aligned bores of the fixed portion and disposed normally to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and generally horizontally when the vessel floats without list, so that the moving portion can be swung relative to the fixed portion between raised and lowered positions, the moving portion having a ramp platform with inner and outer ends which are relatively unrestricted to facilitate passage of items along tge ramp platform, the moving portion also including bearing means complementary to the brackets of the first hinge portion to form the hinge and provided adjacent the inner end of the ramp platform, c. first and second rollers provided generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the ramp platform, each roller being journalled for rotation about a respective central axis thereof disposed parallel to the hinge axis, the first roller being disposed on a side of the hinge axis remote from the second roller so that the first roller can swing below the hinge axis towards the water, d. powered means cooperating with the fixed and moving portions to swing the moving portion between the raised and lowered positions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 1 further including: i. a pair of spaced skiff guides releasably secured to the moving portion adjacent the second cylindrical roller, the spacing between the skiff guides being adjustable to accommodate skiffs of different widths, the skiff guides being removeable for passage of a net along the ramp platform.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the powered means includes an extensible and retractable hydraulic cylinder extending between the fixed and moving portions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which: i. the ramp platform includes a pair of spaced parallel arms having inner and outer ends, ii. the first and second rollers are cylindrical and extend normally between the arms and are generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the arms respectively.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 4 further including: i. a spooling gear provided between the first and second cylindrical rollers, the spooling gear having a pair of spaced sheaves and being adapted to reciprocate simultaneously between the arms whilst feeding a rope therethrough.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one of the sheaves is detachable to permit passage of a skiff past the spooling gear when the spooling gear is adjacent one arm of the ramp.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
98 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein: i. the powered means is a pair of extensible and retractable devices, each device being disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis and having fore and aft portions, each device being fitted within a respective fixture so that the forward portion of each device is enclosed, ii. the inner end of the arms extend forward and are shaped so as to enclose the aft end of the extensible and retractable device when the ramp is in the raised position, thus protecting to some extent the extensible and retractable device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
117 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein: i. each device is an extensible and retractable hydraulic cylinder, each hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder mounting means secured to the respective fixture, and a ram having an outer end hinged to the respective arm, each cylinder being disposed so that, in the raised position the cylinder is retracted and the outer end of the ram is forward of the hinge axis, and in a fully extended position the outer end of the ram is aft of the hinge, and the ramp is in the lowered position, so that extension of the cylinder from fully retracted to fully extended positions swings the ramp platform through approximately 90°
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A tilting ramp assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which: i. the hinge axis is disposed below a common tangent of upper surfaces of the rollers so that items on the ramp platform are clear of the hinge.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
227 words
A tilting ramp assembly adapted for fitting to a fishing vessel, the ramp assembly having: a. a fixed portion secured to the vessel, the fixed portion having a first hinge portion, b. a moving portion having a second hinge portion complementary to the first hinge portion to form a hinge having a hinge axis disposed horizontally when the vessel floats without list so that the moving portion can be swung relative to the fixed portion between raised and lowered positions; the moving portion having a ramp platform with inner and outer ends which are relatively unrestricted to facilitate passage of items along the ramp platform, c. first and second rollers provided generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the ramp platform, each roller being journalled for rotation about a respective central axis thereof disposed parallel to the hinge axis, the first roller being disposed on a side of the hinge axis remote from the second roller so that the first roller can swing below the hinge axis towards the water, d. powered means cooperating with the fixed and moving portions to swing the moving portion between the raised and lowered positions, e. a spooling gear provided between the first and second rollers, the spooling gear having a pair of spaced sheaves and being adapted to reciprocate simultaneously across the ramp platform whilst feeding a rope therethrough.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
227 words
A tilting ramp assembly adapted for fitting to a fishing vessel, the ramp assembly having: a. a fixed portion secured to the vessel, the fixed portion having a first hinge portion, b. a moving portion having a second hinge portion complementary to the first hinge portion to form a hinge having a hinge axis disposed horizontally when the vessel floats without list so that the moving portion can be swung relative to the fixed portion between raised and lowered positions; the moving portion having a ramp platform with inner and outer ends which are relatively unrestricted to facilitate passage of items along the ramp platform, c. first and second rollers provided generally adjacent the outer and inner ends of the ramp platform, each roller being journalled for rotation about a respective central axis thereof disposed parallel to the hinge axis, the first roller being disposed on a side of the hinge axis remote from the second roller so that the first roller can swing below the hinge axis towards the water, d. powered means cooperating with the fixed and moving portions to swing the moving portion between the raised and lowered positions, e. a spooling gear provided between the first and second rollers, the spooling gear having a pair of spaced sheaves and being adapted to reciprocate simultaneously across the ramp platform whilst feeding a rope therethrough.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-08-17 | 1980-02-16 | 1980-08-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-08-17 | 1984-02-16 | 1984-08-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-08-17 | 1988-02-16 | 1988-08-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |