Boat lift attachment with side mount actuators

Abstract

An onboard lift for lifting a boat such as a pontoon boat includes legs that have one end pivotally attached to a bottom substantially horizontal surface of a boat deck. The legs are typically continuous substantially imperforate tubes throughout essentially the entire length. The lower ends of the legs carry support feet or pads. One end of an actuator attaches to an outer side of one of the tubular legs and another end of the actuator is attached to a bottom substantially horizontal bottom surface of the boat deck. The actuators are manipulated to pivot each of the legs between a retracted or stowed position where the legs are substantially parallel to the bottom substantially horizontal surface of the boat deck and a working or lifting position where a pad or foot engages the bottom of the body of water and as the legs are further pivoted downwardly, the boat is lifted upward and out of the water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An onboard boat lift comprising:
 a plurality of support legs each having a length;   a first mounting bracket attachable to a lower deck material of a boat pivotally mounting each of the support legs, the support legs pivoting about a pivot axis between a generally horizontal stowed position adjacent the lower deck material of the boat on which it is mounted, and a substantially upright support position; and   a separate power actuator for moving a respective legs between the generally horizontal stowed position and the substantially upright support position, the power actuators each having an extendable and retractable rod, a first end of the respective power actuator being pivotally mounted to the lower deck material of a boat, and a second end of the respective power actuator being pivotally mounted to a side of the respective leg on an exterior thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The lift of  claim 1  and wherein each leg comprises an imperforate tubular member throughout the length thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The lift of  claim 1  and further comprising a first pivot pin extending through the first mounting bracket and the leg to pivotally attach the leg to the first mounting bracket. 
     
     
         4 . The lift of  claim 3  and further comprising a second mounting bracket attached to the lower deck material wherein the first end of the power actuator is pivotally attached thereto, where in the second mounting bracket is offset from the first mounting bracket such that the power actuator is positionable along a side surface of the leg. 
     
     
         5 . The lift of  claim 4  and further comprising a shaft extending from the side surface of the leg for mounting the second end of the power actuator to the leg. 
     
     
         6 . The lift of  claim 1  and wherein the plurality of support legs comprises a front right leg, a front left leg, a back right leg and a back left leg wherein the front and back left legs are aligned such that a first plane passing through top ends of the front and back left legs is parallel and spaced a first distance from a mid-plane of the boat and wherein the front and back right legs are aligned such that a second plane passing through top ends of the front and back left legs is parallel to and spaced a second distance from the mid-plane of the boat. 
     
     
         7 . The lift of  claim 6  and further comprising a power supply in communication with the left front leg, the right front leg, the left back leg and the right back leg wherein each of the legs is manipulated independent from each other. 
     
     
         8 . The lift of  claim 6  and further comprising a power supply in communication with the left front leg, the right front leg, the left back leg and the right back leg wherein the left and right front legs are manipulated together as a pair independent of the left and right back legs and the left and right back legs are manipulated as a pair independent of the left and right front legs. 
     
     
         9 . The lift of  claim 1  and wherein the power actuators comprise hydraulic cylinders for manipulating the legs between the generally horizontal stowed position and the substantially upright support position. 
     
     
         10 . The lift of  claim 1  and further comprising a foot pivotally attached to attached to a distal end of each of the plurality of legs. 
     
     
         11 . The lift of  claim 1  and wherein the foot is spring biased into an extended engaging position for contacting a bottom surface of a body of water. 
     
     
         12 . The lift of  claim 1  and further comprising a stop to limit the rotation of the foot such that the foot is in the extended engaging position. 
     
     
         13 . An onboard boat lift comprising:
 a plurality of support legs each having a length between a proximal end and a distal end;   a first mounting bracket attachable to a lower deck material of a boat pivotally mounting each of the support legs proximate the proximal end with a first pivot pin having a pivot axis, the support legs pivoting about the pivot axis between a generally horizontal stowed position adjacent the lower deck material of the boat on which it is mounted, and a substantially upright support position;   a second mounting bracket attachable to the mower deck material of the boat and being offset from the first mounting bracket a selected distance; and   a separate power actuator pivotally attached to the second mounting bracket proximate a first end with a second pivot pin having a second pivot axis and a second end of the actuator being pivotally attached to a mount extending from a side wall of the support legs and having a third pivot axis, the power actuator being manipulated for pivotally moving the actuator about the second and third pivot axes such that the respective legs are positioned between the generally horizontal stowed position and the substantially upright support position, the power actuators each having an extendable and retractable rod, a first end of the respective power actuator being pivotally mounted to the lower deck material of a boat, and a second end of the respective power actuator being pivotally mounted to a side of the respective leg on an exterior thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The lift of  claim 13  wherein each leg comprises an imperforate tubular member throughout the length thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The lift of  claim 13  and wherein the first pivot axis, the second pivot axis and the third pivot axis are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         16 . The lift of  claim 13  and wherein the plurality of support legs comprises a front right leg, a front left leg, a back right leg and a back left leg wherein the front and back left legs are aligned such that a first plane passing through top ends of the front and back left legs is parallel and spaced a first distance from a mid-plane of the boat and wherein the front and back right legs are aligned such that a second plane passing through top ends of the front and back left legs is parallel to and spaced a second distance from the mid-plane of the boat. 
     
     
         17 . The lift of  claim 16  and further comprising a power supply in communication with the left front leg, the right front leg, the left back leg and the right back leg wherein each of the legs is manipulated independent from each other. 
     
     
         18 . The lift of  claim 16  and further comprising a power supply in communication with the left front leg, the right front leg, the left back leg and the right back leg wherein the left and right front legs are manipulated together as a pair independent of the left and right back legs and the left and right back legs are manipulated as a pair independent of the left and right front legs. 
     
     
         19 . The lift of  claim 13  and wherein the power actuators comprise hydraulic cylinders for manipulating the legs between the generally horizontal stowed position and the substantially upright support position. 
     
     
         20 . The lift of  claim 13  and further comprising a foot pivotally attached to attached to a distal end of each of the plurality of legs.