Portable Dock System

• US 20100296874A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Preston Woodhouse
• Original Assignee: Preston Woodhouse
• Inventors: Woodhouse, Preston
• Granted Patent: US 8,651,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/219
• CPC Class Codes: E02C 3/00 Inclined-plane ship-lifting mechanisms ; Systems for conveying barges or lighters over land, e.g. by railway

Abstract

A portable trailer dock system features a floating dock assembly pivotally mounted atop a trailer frame to allow elevating of a free end of the floating dock assembly above the corresponding distal end of the trailer opposite the towing end thereof so that the dock can be held above the water surface when the trailer is backed into a body of water to temporarily install the dock thereat. In another embodiment, the connection between the dock and trailer is releasable to allow floating of the dock further out over the water. Another embodiment features a cover disposed over an a-frame neck of the trailer and a pair of extensions pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the neck for selective pivoting into deployed positions cooperating with the a-frame cover to form a walkway between the dock and the towing vehicle.

Claims

1. A portable dock system comprising:

a trailer frame extending in a longitudinal direction between proximal and distal ends;

a coupling component mounted to the trailer frame proximate the distal end thereof for selective coupling of the trailer frame to a tow vehicle;

a pair of wheel assemblies mounted to the trailer frame between the proximal and distal ends at a distance from the proximal end to rollably support the trailer frame for towing by thereof by the towing vehicle;

a dock assembly carried on the trailer frame and comprising a deck surface extending in the longitudinal direction above the trailer frame from a pivot end of the dock assembly adjacent the proximal end of the trailer frame to an opposite free end of the dock assembly adjacent the distal end of the trailer frame, the pivot end of the dock assembly being pivotally mounted to the trailer frame for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the trailer frame to allow lifting and lowering of the free end of the dock assembly relative to the trailer frame;

floats mounted on the dock assembly below the deck surface thereof to float the dock assembly under entry of the floats into a body of water.

2. The portable dock system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a lift control winch mounted on the trailer frame adjacent the proximal end thereof;

at least one upright mounted on the trailer frame between the lift control winch and the distal end of the trailer frame at a distance from the lift control winch along the longitudinal direction; and

a lift line extending from the lift control winch, passing over a line support on each upright and extending downward from the line support to a respective lift connection with the dock assembly so as to lift and lower the free end of the dock assembly relative to the trailer frame under rotation of the lift control winch in opposite directions.

3. The portable dock system according to claim 2 wherein the lift line passes under the dock assembly between the lift control winch and the at least one upright.

4. The portable dock system according to claim 2 wherein the lift line extends below the assembly from the pivot end thereof to the at least one upright.

5. The portable dock system according to claim 2 wherein the at least one upright comprises two uprights mounted to the trailer frame on opposing sides of the dock assembly.

6. The portable dock system according to claim 5 wherein the lift line comprises a first line section fixed to the lift control winch and second line sections fixed to an end of the first line section opposite the lift control winch and diverging outward therefrom toward the uprights on the opposing sides of the dock assembly.

7. The portable dock system according to claim 2 wherein the at least one upright is positioned at a location of the wheel assemblies along the longitudinal direction, the wheel assemblies carrying at least one line guide about which the lift line extends from below the dock assembly to the line support of each upright.

8. The portable dock system according to claim 7 wherein each line guide is mounted to a connector that interconnects a suspension member of a respective one of the wheel assemblies to an axle of the wheel assemblies.

9. The portable dock system according to claim 1 wherein the pivotal end of the dock assembly is releasable from the trailer frame.

10. The portable dock system according to claim 9 further comprising a tether control winch mounted on the trailer frame and a tether line extending between the tether control winch and a tether connection on the dock assembly, release of the pivot end of the dock assembly from the trailer frame when the trailer is deployed into a body of water to float the dock assembly thereon allowing deployment of the dock assembly away from the proximal end of the trailer and rotation of the tether control winch facilitating retraction of the dock assembly back toward the proximal end of the trailer frame after.

11. The portable dock system according to claim 10 further comprising a tether guide mounted to the trailer frame on a side of the tether connection opposite the tether control winch when the pivotal end of the dock assembly is secured to the trailer frame, the tether line being removably engagable about the tether guide to change a pulling direction in which the tether connection would be pulled by rotation of the winch in a single rotational direction when the tether connection is situated between the tether control winch and the tether guide in the longitudinal direction.

12. The portable dock system according to claim 11 wherein the tether guide is realeasably mounted to the trailer frame for selective installation in an operational position thereon.

13. The portable dock system according to claim 1 wherein the trailer frame comprises an a-frame neck that defines the proximal end thereof and comprises two side members converging toward the proximal end and an a-frame cover mounted over the two side members to cover space defined between the two side members, and wherein two extensions are pivotally mounted on the two side members of the a-frame neck and are pivotal between deployed positions projecting outward from the side members of the a-frame neck in orientations parallel to the a-frame cover and stowed positions projecting inward from side members of the a-frame cover over the a-frame cover.

14. The portable dock system according to claim 13 wherein the extensions are right angle triangles that cooperate with the a-frame cover in the deployed positions define a rectangular walkway between the proximal end of the trailer frame and the pivotal end of the dock assembly.

15. The portable dock system according to claim 13 wherein the extensions comprise flat pieces of mesh pivotally secured to the a-frame neck of the trailer frame.

16. The portable dock system according to claim 13 wherein the a-frame cover comprises mesh material mounted atop the a-frame neck of the trailer frame.

17. The portable dock system according to claim 13 further comprising stop elements defined between the extensions and the a-frame neck to block pivoting of the extensions past the deployed positions from the stowed positions.

18. A portable dock system comprising:

a trailer frame extending in a longitudinal direction between proximal and distal ends;

a coupling component mounted to the trailer frame proximate the distal end thereof for selective coupling of the trailer frame to a tow vehicle;

a pair of wheel assemblies mounted to the trailer frame between the proximal and distal ends at a distance from the proximal end to rollably support the trailer frame for towing by thereof by the towing vehicle;

a dock assembly comprising a deck surface mounted on a plurality of floats to float the dock surface over a body of water when the dock assembly is placed thereon, the dock assembly further comprising a releasable connection to the trailer frame to facilitate placement of the dock assembly on the water while attached to the trailer frame at the releasable connection and subsequent floating of the dock away from the proximal end of the trailer further out over the body of water when disconnected from the trailer frame at the releasable connection.

19. The portable dock system according to claim 18 further comprising a tether connection between the trailer frame and the dock assembly to limit a distance of separation between the dock assembly and the trailer frame when disconnected from one another at the releasable connection.

20. A portable dock system comprising:

a trailer frame extending in a longitudinal direction between proximal and distal ends and comprising an a-frame neck that defines the proximal end of the trailer and comprises two side members converging toward the proximal end;

a coupling component mounted to the trailer frame proximate the distal end thereof for selective coupling of the trailer frame to a tow vehicle;

a pair of wheel assemblies mounted to the trailer frame between the proximal and distal ends at a distance from the proximal end to rollably support the trailer frame for towing by thereof by the towing vehicle;

a dock assembly carried on the trailer frame and comprising a deck surface extending in the longitudinal direction above the trailer frame an a-frame cover mounted over the two side members of the a-frame neck of the trailer frame to cover space defined between the two side members; and

two extensions that are pivotally mounted on the two side members of the a-frame neck and are pivotal between deployed positions projecting outward from the side members of the a-frame neck in orientations parallel to the a-frame cover to define a walkway between the dock assembly and the proximal end of the trailer frame and stowed positions projecting inward from side members of the a-frame over the a-frame cover.