The respective ends of the lifting arms 36 are pivotally connected to the base 32 and the frame 34, the same being true of the lifting arms 38. The system 30 includes as one of its primary components a rectangular base 32 which is suitably anchored to the bottom of the loading and unloading area 16 of the channel 14.Ī rectangular boat lifting, supporting and stabilizing frame 34 for the boat 10 is mounted on the base 32 by a pair of lifting arms 36 and another pair of lifting arms 38, the frame 34 being engageable with the bottom of the boat. The boat 10 may be equipped with wheels 22 on both sides designed to run on track-forming portions, not shown, of the closed boat path mentioned above.ĭisposed in the loading and unloading area 16 of the channel 14 is a boat braking, lifting and stabilizing system 30 of the invention. The water level in the portion of the channel 14 shown is designated by the numeral 20. The channel 14 includes a deepened loading and unloading area 16 having a loading and unloading dock 18 thereadjacent. 1 of the drawings, illustrated therein is a log-like boat 10 adapted to float on water 12 in a channel 14 forming part of a closed circuit or path for the boat, which path includes a flume, not shown. 1, but showing the braking and stabilizing system of the invention in its collapsed, lowered position.ĭESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION 7 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of FIG. 5 and 6 are sectional views respectively taken as indicated by the arrowed lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views respectively taken as indicated by the arrowed lines 3-3 and 4-4 of FIG. 2 is a plan view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 2-2 of FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a log-like boat partially elevated by a braking and stabilizing system of the invention located in the loading and unloading area of a flume channel shown in longitudinal section įIG. The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results which will become apparent in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinafter.įIG. Consequently, the inflatable pneumatic devices of the invention can be expected to have a long trouble-free service life, which is an important feature. Thus, the upward and downward motion of the boat lifting means is positive in nature, the upward movement being produced by the first inflatable means and the downward movement by the second, which is an important feature.Ī major advantage of the foregoing construction is that since the boat lifting means is elevated and lowered by inflatable pneumatic devices, preferably of an elastomeric rubber-like material, there are no submerged or submersible parts to be corroded by the water, as opposed to a system involving pneumatic or hydraulic rams, for example. A related object is to provide a structure wherein the boat lifting means, the base and the pairs of lifting arms form a parallelogram linkage.Īnother important object is to provide a pneumatic means which includes a second inflatable means connected to the boat lifting means for moving same downwardly to refloat the boat. More particularly, an important object of the invention is to provide a braking and stabilizing system which includes, and the invention may be summarized as including, boat lifting means in a water channel for the boat which is engageable with the bottom of the boat, and inflatable pneumatic means connected to the boat lifting means for moving same upwardly to elevate the boat and, at the same time, stabilize it as passengers enter and leave.Īnother object is to provide a base and two pairs of lifting arms interconnecting the base and the boat lifting means, the inflatable means being connected to one of the pairs of lifting arms. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a braking and stabilizing system, for a log-like boat for a log flume ride, or the like, which includes pneumatic means for lifting and stabilizing the boat during passenger embarkation and debarkation. The Thompson patent is probably the most pertinent of the foregoing, but, as will become apparent, discloses a different structure from the present invention operating in a different manner. More particularly, the invention relates to a system which lifts the boat and stabilizes it for embarkation and debarkation of passengers relative to a passenger loading and unloading dock adjacent the water channel. The present invention relates in general to a braking and stabilizing system for a boat in a water channel, especially a log-like boat used in a log flume ride.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |