Rollers For Use With Watercraft Ports and Lifts
A roller for a floating watercraft port or lift is generally circular in radial cross-section and defines a diameter which decreasing from an axial center of the rollers to opposite ends of the rollers; such that the rollers are variable diameter rollers. In a variation, the rollers include circumferential grooves through which watercraft chines can glide. The rollers are received in roller sockets in the watercraft port or lift. The rollers rotate about an axle in the socket, and the sockets includes axle receiving channels which receive the roller axles. The roller axles and roller socket axle channels are sized and shaped such that the roller axles can be snap fitted into the axle channel to allow for removal of the roller from the socket.
1 . A floating watercraft port/lift comprising an upper surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, a front surface and a back surface; a cradle being formed in at least a part of said upper surface; said cradle being defined by a pair of opposed inwardly sloping walls; a plurality of roller sockets positioned along said cradle walls and rollers received in at least a pair of said roller sockets;
said rollers being generally circular in radial cross-section and defining a diameter; the diameter of said rollers decreasing from an axial center of said rollers to opposite ends of said rollers; such that said rollers are variable diameter rollers.
2 . The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said roller sockets comprise socket end surfaces and a socket main surface extending between said socket end surfaces; said socket decreasing in width from said cradle defining wall to a radial bottom of said socket and said socket decreasing in width from an axial center of said socket to opposed ends of said socket.
3 . The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said roller sockets, in cross-section, define a segment of a circle; the radius of the circle decreasing from the axial center of the socket to the opposed ends of the socket.
4 . The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said rollers define an axis; said rollers being are circular in cross-section in a plane generally perpendicular to said axis and having an arced outer surface such that the diameter of said roller decreases from an axial center of said rollers to the opposed ends of said rollers.
5 . The floating watercraft port of claim 4 wherein said rollers include circumferential grooves formed in said rollers.
6 . The floating watercraft port of claim 5 wherein said grooves are defined by a sloping side surfaces such that said groove is wider at said roller surface than at a bottom of said groove.
7 . The floating watercraft port of claim 5 wherein the bottoms of said grooves all define a diameters that are substantially the same.
8 . The floating watercraft of claim 7 wherein grooves positioned closer to the opposite ends of said roller are shallower than grooves positioned closer to the axial center of said roller.
9 . The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein axles extend through said rollers; said roller sockets including axle channels extending from opposite ends of said roller socket; said axles being sized, and said axle channels being shaped, such that said axles are snap fitted into said axle channels; whereby said rollers are removable from said roller sockets substantially without the use of tools.
10 . The floating watercraft port of claim 1 including a cradle channel extending along a center of said cradle, said cradle channel being positioned between said sloping walls.
11 . The floating watercraft port of claim 1 wherein said roller sockets of said pair of walls are aligned with each other to define pairs of roller sockets.
12 . A roller for use in a watercraft port or lift assembly; said roller comprising an outer surface and end surfaces and having an axis; said outer surface defining a circle in cross-section and having a diameter; the diameter of said roller outer surface decreasing from an axial center of said roller towards said end surfaces.
13 . The roller of claim 12 wherein said outer surface defines an axial curvature.
14 . The roller of claim 12 further including circumferential grooves formed in said roller outer surface.
15 . The roller of claim 14 wherein said grooves are defined by a sloping side surfaces such that said groove is wider at said roller surface than at a bottom of said groove.
16 . The roller of claim 15 wherein the bottoms of said grooves all define a diameters that are substantially the same.
17 . The roller of claim 16 wherein grooves positioned closer to the opposite ends of said roller are shallower than grooves positioned closer to the axial center of said roller.