3 detachable crank handle 35 through reduction gearings 36 enclosed in a hoi-,sing 37. In the operation of the device the boat cradle 20 including the keel support 21 and cross braces 23 and 24 is raised and lowered between the longi- 5 tudinal frame niembers 6 of the frame 5 by means of the cables 26 and 27 and drums 30 and 3i. The central portion of the axle 14 is connected to the keel support 21 by a pivoted link 38 for raising and lowering the axle with the boat io cradle 20. The lifting straps 25 are slidable in guides 39 projecting innvardly from brackets 40 welded or otherwise secured to the frame 1-nembers 6 and the lower ends of the straps 25 are formed with outwardly extending hooks 41 for engaging under the frame members 6 as shown i@-1 Figure 6 -@VL the drawings. A lockin.- ha--qdle C2 is pivoted to the outer end of bracket 40 to which is pivotally 8ecured the upper end of a metal loop 43 for engaginglunder a lip 44 on the outer end of hook 41 whereby to lock the hook and strap 25 in a;raised po@ition under the frame members 6 by a raising movement of the haiidle 42 land thus secure the boat ,cradle 20 -to -,he main frame 5 of the trailer while @transporting -, boat supported thereon. In order to load and unload a boat on the boat cradle in shallow water I -,orov;de a. drum 45 suitably.supported on a bracket 46 carried by the 'downwardly inc-lined ends I 0 of the upper rails 9 and to the drum is attached one end o@.L' a cable '47 which exTends rearwardly over a pulley 48 journ:@led on a bran-ket 49 suitably secured to the .r.ear bow me:qiber 12, the free end bf the cable @47 then extendii)g forwardly and provided with a hook 50 for att,@iching to the bow Dortion 51 of a boat 52 when resting on the cradle 20 to slide the 'boat rearviardly from the cradle by the operation f the -drum @45. The drum @45 incliides a shaft .53. projecting from one side thereof and to which the crarik handle @35 may be attached. "When it is desired to load the boat 52 onto the -cro@dle@'70'the cable 47 is removed from the pulley '48 and the' hook 50 attached to the bow 51 of the boativhich is then pulled forwardly on the cradle @20 by the operation of the drum 45. Chocks 54 include a lower fixed sectibn 55 'W(@lded or otherwise suitably secured on top 6f the cross br,).ces 23 and 24 and a vertically ad-,.50 ,justb,ble iioper section :36 pivoted at their inner ends to the fixed sections and vertically swingable@@Lt:their outer ends to adjust the chocks to @the'hull 6f the boat. The upper sections of the -blocks--are secured in vertically adjusted position ..55 ,by set screws 57 carried by the lower section working in @ arciiqte slots 58 in the upper section. The drums 30 and 31 are@double grooved to @prevent -fouli7-ig of cables 2 6 and @ 2 7 with each other. .60 In view of the forgoing descril3tion taken in @conjunction -v@,ith the accompanying drawings it is beiieved that a clear understandin.- of the con;@;tructiola, operation and advantages of the device .will- be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. .65 A more detailed d.-scription is accordingly deemed -unnecessary. I It is to be iinderstood ho,,vever that even though ,there is herein shown and described a preferred @embodiment of the invention the same is sus70 ceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit nf the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims. . Having,described.the invention, what is claimed ,.as new is: 75 4 1. A boat trailer comorising a trailer frame, 9, boat cradle positio-ned vvithin the frame, hoisting rieans for th(, cradle carried by the frame and including metal straps at each side of the cradle, means locking -'Llie straps to the frame to hold the cradle in @- ra-ised position, said locking means comprising hool-,s on the straps engaging the underside of the frame, and swingable bails carried by the frame and holding said hooks upwardly against the frame. 2. A boat trailer comorising a trailer frame, wheels mour,-tpd at the sides of the frame, an axle pi-voted adj,,i--ent -its end portions to the frame and having a c@,- iitra, craia@-- portion, a boat cradle 15 nositioned bet,;.7een the sides of the frame, a hoist carried by the frariie, including cables attached to each side of the cradle for raising and lowering the cradle, and means connecting the crank portion of the to the cradle for raising and r . '20 lowe,,-ing ni-oveireit the ew; th. 3. A boat trail-,r coriapr-ising a trailer frame, a boat.cradle posit-@'@-,-Tied between the sides of the frame and ineludin- a centrally disposed channel shaped keel suppo'rt and cross bars extending 25 outwardly at each sidebf the kee! support, metal lift bars rising from-.the ends of said cross-bars, and hoistin.- means carried by the frame and including cables attached to said lift@bars. 4. A boat tr@liler comprising @ a @trailer frame, -30, a boat cradle oositioned between the sides of,,the frame and ine'ludiiig a centrally disposed channel shar-ed keel s-cpport and cross bars extending outwardly at eoch side of tlie l@:eel support, metal lif t bars risin- f ror-ra the ends of said - cross bars, 35 -guides on the flame for sad lift bars, and. hoisting means carried by the frame and including cables attached to said lift bars. 5. A boat trailer comprising a.trailer@frame, a.boat cradle posi-tioned between-the sides of the 40 frame and includins a centrally -disposed, keel support and cross bars e@,tending outwardly at -each s-ide of the keel scipport, metal lift@.bars rising from the ends GF said-cross bars, and having hooks at their lower ends, guides on the@frame 45 for said lift bars, hoisting means carried by.the frame and inc'udin., cables attached to.said-lift bars to raise the crad,e into a position-with the hooks enga,-in- the ii-nderside o f:the,frame,.and means locki.ng the lift bars to the frame. @6. A boat trailer coniprisin- a traileriframe, a -boat cradle positioned betwe;-n the sides of the frame and inci@,,ding a cent@-ally,disposed keel support and cross bars extendi-ng outwardly.at each side of the keel support, metal lift bars rising from the ends@of said cross bars, and.having hooks at their lower ends, g-,iides on the frame for said lift bars, hoistin,- means carried.by, the frame and includiiig cab"es-attached to.said:lift bars to raise the crodle into,a position.-with the hooks engagid-g the ur,.derside of the frame,-and means locking the 1-ift bars to the frame,.said last named mea-ris comprising swingable -bails engaging the hooks to hold.the hooks upwardly against the f rarfie. 7. A boat trai,.-r compri-Sing a trailer -frame, a boat cradle pos'tio-Tied within the- frame, hoistin-q. means carried by the frame for. raising -and lowering the c@, adle, said cradl-e including a. Ion-itudina'ly extendin@ chan,,-lel shaped keel supp@rt and cross suppcrts a-@tending outwardly'from opposite sides of t'@ie keel slipport, and.adjustable chocks carried by the cross s@.ipports-for engaging under the hull o-f ,,, boat resting in the,cradle. 8. A boat tra'ler comprising a trailer frame, a boat cradle positioned within the@ frame,. hoist-

5 ing means carried by the frame for raising and lowering the cradle, said cradle including a longitudinally extending channel shaped keel support and cross supports extending outwardly from opposite sides of the keel support, and adjustable chocks carried by the cross supports for engaging under the hull of a boat resting in 'the cradle, said chocks including a vertically swingably chock element and means securing the same in vertically adjusted position. ARTHUR V. MONTGOMERY. REFERENCESCITED The fo!lowing references are of record in the file of this patent: UNIT ED STATES PATENTS Numb er Name Date 1,59 8,844 Bax ter ------------- Sep t. 7, 192 6 1,798,412 Grab -------------- Mar. 31, 1931 5 2,028,442 Dormer ------------ Jan. 21, 1936 2,156,183 King -------------- Apr. 25, 1939 2,211,083 Smith ------------- Aug. 13, 1940 2,240,564 Le Tourneau -: ------ May 6, 1941 2,361, 951 Livermo n ---------- Nov. 7, 1944 10 2,389,33 8 Zorc, Jr - ------- --- Nov. 20, 1945 2,444, 231 Sanford ----------- June 29, 1948 2,448, 119 Peterson ----------- Aug. 31, 1948 is

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 295369563 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,536,563 BOAT TRAILER AND LOADING AND UNLOADING MEANS THEREFOR Arthur V. Montgoniery, Sinton, Tex. AppHeation October 30, 1947, Serial No. 783,045 8 Claims. (Cl. 214-65) 2 The present invention relates- to new and useful improvements in boat trailers and more particularly to means for loading and unloading a boat on the trailer. An important object of the present invention 5 is to provide a boat cradle including a full keel support for a boat to keep the keel from sagging while supported on the trailer. A further object of the invention is to provide means for raising and lowering the boat cradle 10 while loading and unloading the boat on the trailer. A stM further object of the invention is to provide winch means for sliding a boat onto the boat cradle for loading the boat thereon in shallow 15 water and also for sliding the boat off of the cradle for unloading the same into shallow water. A still further object is to provide a boat trailer of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, efficient 20 and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensii?e to manufactu re a-nd otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended. Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully 25 hereinafter described and ciaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer tD like Figure 2 is a side elevational view; Figure 3 is a rear elevational view; Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 4-4 of Mgure 1; Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionai 35 view taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 2; Fligure 6 is a similar view taken on a line 6-6 of Flgure 2 and showing the locking means for the cradle lifting strap; Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the cradle 40 locking means; and, Figures 8 and 9 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views taken respectively on the lines 8-8 and 9-9 of Mgure 1. Referring now to the draviings in detail wherein 45 for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates the trailer fra-me generally and which is preferably constructed of longitudinally extending tubular frame members 6 converging .50 at their front ends as shown at 7 and provided with a tongue 8 for towing the trailer. Side rails 9 are forrned by bending the rear en& of thelongitudinal frame members 6 upwardly and for,wardly above said frame members and inclining t-he front ends of the rails to join with the frame members as shown at 10 and welding the same thereto. Posts I I supp(>rt the front and rear ends of the rails on the frame members. Inverted U-shaped cross frame members 12 have their lower ends welded to the rails 9 immediately above the posts I 1. A U-shaped or crank axle 14 is formed with outwardly extending ends 15 pivotally supported in spring saddles I 6 at the central portion of leaf springs 17 which have their ends secured to the underside of the frame member 6 by conventional shackles or brackets 18. The central portion of the axle 14 is swingable ver'Lically substantially in the arc of the outer periphery of wheels 19 journaled on the axle extensions 15 whereby the central portion of the axle may be lowered on the ground when loading a boat on the trailer. A boat cradle designated generally at 20 . ineludes a channel-shaped keel 21 extending longitudinally at the center of the frame 5, the front end of the keel support or seat 21 being curved keel support 21 and are welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto' To. the outer ends of the cross braces 23 and 24 are welded or othel-wise suitably secured the lower ends of metal lifting straps 25, the upper ends of the front and rear lifting straps having cable.% 126 and 27 attached respectively thereto and are trained over front and rear puileys 28 and 29 secured respectively to the front and rear portions of rails 9. The cables 26 and 27 at each side of the frame are attached to driuns 30 and 31 suitably secured to the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 32 for winding the cables on the drums. The shaft 32 s supported in bearings 33 suitably secured to th6 front ends of the side rails 9. The drum 30 at one end of the shaft-32 is pro@vided with a conventional pawl and ratchet riie6hanism 34 and t-he shaft is rotated by means@ of @ 6, parts throughout, and in which: 3. upwardly as shown at 22. Front and rear cross Flgure I is a top plan view; braces 23 and 24 extend transversely under the