Power-Actuated Deploying Platform for a Small Marine Vessel

Abstract

A power-actuated platform affixed to the frame of the marine vessel that rides on wheels that follow tracks to form a moving carriage. The relative angle of the platform in relation to the deck or water surface changes as the platform travels from a stowed position to a deployed position. The device is uses a powered actuator attached to a fixed substrate of the device at one end and the carriage on the other. The actuator can be controlled remotely by the vessel operator using a directional power controller affixed to the helm, by radio signal from a handheld unit that can be a cellular telephone, or by means of a plug-in the lanyard multidirectional controller. On a pontoon boat or catamaran, the platform of the present invention can be attached to the forward deck area for convenience. When deployed, the platform provides easy ingress and egress to the vessel.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A powered apparatus for ingress and egress from a small marine vessel comprising:
 a platform rigidly attached to separated first and second parallel horizontal axles with one or more elongated members, the first axle being vertically higher than the second axle;   the first and second axles having wheels on each end with projecting end members; the projecting end members being inserted into first and second slot pairs in a parallel rigid frame, the first axle end members being inserted into the first slot pair, and the second axle end members being inserted into the second slot pair, the rigid frame constructed to be affixed to a front or rear deck of a pontoon boat or catamaran vessel;   the first slot pair including first slots on each side of the parallel frame, the first slots running fore and aft and slanting upward at a predetermined angle;   the second slot pair including second slots on each side of the parallel frame, the second slots running fore and aft and being level;   each of the wheels riding on a track running fore and aft, the wheels on the first axle riding on a track slanting upward at the predetermined angle; the wheels on the second axle riding on a level track;   a powered actuator extendable fore and aft attached to the first or second axle, the actuator constructed to pull or push the axles and wheels along the first and second tracks;   wherein, the actuator can pull axles and platform upward toward the boat into a stowed configuration, and the actuator can push axles and platform downward away from the boat into a deployed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the actuator is controlled by a directional control from a location at the helm of the boat. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the actuator can be wirelessly controlled from a handheld device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the handheld device is a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the actuator can be controlled from a plug on a lanyard controller. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the elongated members holding the platform to the first and second axle are bars or elongated plates. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein there are two bars and one elongated plate. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined angle is between 15 and 45 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . A powered retractable boat ingress and egress platform comprising:
 a rigid frame portion constructed to be affixed to a boat, the rigid frame portion having a set of tracks;   a movable carriage portion having wheels rolling on said tracks, the tracks extending along the frame portion outward and downward so that the carriage portion can be moved toward the boat or away from the boat along the tracks;   a platform portion rigidly attached to the movable carriage portion;   a powered actuator attached to the movable carriage portion at a first end and to the rigid frame portion at the second end, or configured to be attached to a boat at the second end;   wherein, the powered actuator can move the carriage portion and the platform from a stowed position to a deployed position.   
     
     
         10 . The retractable platform of  claim 9  wherein the actuator is controlled by a directional control from a location at the helm of the boat. 
     
     
         11 . The retractable platform of  claim 9  wherein the actuator can be wirelessly controlled from a handheld device. 
     
     
         12 . The retractable platform of  claim 11  wherein the handheld device is a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         13 . The retractable platform of  claim 9  wherein the actuator can be controlled from a plug on a lanyard controller. 
     
     
         14 . The retractable platform of  claim 9  wherein the movable platform has four wheels on two axles. 
     
     
         15 . The retractable platform of  claim 14  wherein the platform portion is rigidly attached to the two axles. 
     
     
         16 . The retractable platform of  claim 14  wherein each of the two axles has a protruding end member, the protruding end members inserting into slots in the rigid frame portion. 
     
     
         17 . A method of providing a powered retractable boat ingress and egress platform comprising:
 providing a rigid frame portion constructed to be affixed to a boat, the rigid frame portion having a set of tracks;   providing a movable carriage portion having wheels rolling on said tracks, the tracks extending along the frame portion outward and downward so that the carriage portion can be moved toward the boat or away from the boat along the tracks;   providing a platform portion rigidly attached to the movable carriage portion;   providing a powered actuator attached to the movable carriage portion at a first end and to the rigid frame portion at the second end, or configured to be attached to a boat at the second end; wherein, the powered actuator can move the carriage portion and the platform from a stowed position to a deployed position.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the actuator is controlled by a directional control from a location at the helm of the boat. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the actuator can be wirelessly controlled from a handheld device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the handheld device is a cellular telephone.