Small craft lift devices for raising and lowering small craft type boats into and out of the water which can be mounted off larger boats have been used over the years. However, the known devices have limitations and problems that effect their applications in the real world.
Old versions of the small craft lift devices have used pulleys, and block and tackle arrangements with lines to raise and lower a fixed cradle or platform. However, the lines and pulleys and blocks and tackle required can easily become tangled, and difficult to operate. Also, these old type devices generally require hand operated cranks that are not desirable nor efficient or practical for the person operating these lift devices. Still furthermore, the fixed platforms and cradles used are also problematic since many include surfaces which may scratch, mar and damage the hulls and bottoms of the small type boats. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 582,069 to Leslie and U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,083 to Horton.
Many current type small craft boat lifts require complex and expensive arrangements of plural hydraulic type cylinders to raise and lower a platform or fixed cradle. These lifts often locate the small crafts at a distance from the main boat. The fixed platforms and cradles used are also problematic since many include surfaces which may scratch, mar and damage the hulls and bottoms of the small type boats. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,606 to Schmidt, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,463 to Giesler; U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,992 to Martin; U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,256 to Vogel; U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,842 to Alvord; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,170 to Trowbridge
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.
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