Boat lift bunk with integral T-slot
View Patent ↗A boat lift bunk includes elongate bottom and top walls and a pair of elongate first and second side walls that interconnect the bottom and top walls. The first side wall includes at least one longitudinal T-slot for receiving and retaining the head of a threaded connector such that a threaded post of the connector extends exteriorly of the first wall of the bunk for connecting the bunk to a cradle beam or other underlying supportive boat lift structure.
1 . A boat lift bunk for mounting to underlying supportive boat lift structure for supporting a marine vessel thereon, said bunk comprising:
an opposing pair of elongate top and bottom walls and an opposing pair of elongate first and second side walls interconnecting said top and bottom walls, said bottom wall being flat and extending laterally between respective lower ends of said first and second side walls, said top, bottom, first side and second side walls being movable longitudinally across the underlying supportive boat lift structure to a selected longitudinal position on the underlying supportive boat lift structure; said first side wall having a longitudinal T-slot formed therein for interengaging one or more connectors, each said connector being retained by and longitudinally slidable through said T-slot for selectively positioning each said connector to interengage and attach to the underlying supportive boat lift structure such that said one or more connectors secure said top, bottom, first side and second side walls of said bunk in the selected longitudinal position on the underlying supportive boat lift structure.
2 . The device of claim 1 in which said first side wall includes a parallel pair of longitudinal T-slots for receiving and slidably retaining respective threaded connectors.
3 . The device of claim 1 in which said T-slot includes an entry gap formed through said first side wall and a connector retaining channel attached interiorly to said first side wall.
4 . The device of claim 3 in which said connector retaining channel is bounded by an interior channel wall that separates said retaining channel from an interior space of said bunk.
5 . The device of claim 3 in which said retaining channel communicates with and is laterally wider than said entry gap of said T-slot.
6 . A boat lift bunk for mounting to an underlying boat lift cradle beam to support a marine vessel thereon, said bunk comprising an opposing pair of elongate top and bottom walls and an opposing pair of elongate first and second side walls that interconnect said top and bottom walls to define an interior space of the bunk, said bottom wall being flat and extending laterally between respective lower ends of said first and second side walls for being supported above the underlying boat lift cradle beam; said top, bottom, first side and second side walls being movable longitudinally across the underlying boat lift cradle beam to a selected longitudinal position on the underlying boat lift cradle beam; said first side wall carrying a longitudinal T-slot for slidably interengaging a threaded connector, which threaded connector includes a head that is retained by and longitudinally slidable through said T-slot and a threaded post that extends from said head, through said T-slot and exteriorly of said first side wall of said bunk; said head of said connector being slid longitudinally through said T-slot to selectively position said threaded post for interengaging and attaching to the underlying boat lift cradle beam such that said connector secures said top, bottom, first side and second side walls of said bunk in the selected longitudinal position on the underlying cradle beam.
7 . The device of claim 6 in which said first side wall carries a parallel pair of longitudinal T-slots, each said T-slot for receiving and slidably retaining a respective threaded connector.
8 . The device of claim 6 in which said T-slot includes an entry gap formed through said first side wall and a connector retaining channel that is attached interiorly to said first side wall.
9 . The device of claim 8 in which said connector retaining channel is bounded by an interior channel wall that separates said connector retaining channel from said interior space of the bunk.
10 . The device of claim 8 in which said connector retaining channel communicates with and is laterally wider than said entry gap of said T-slot.
11 . The device of claim 8 in which said bunk is further connected to the underlying cradle beam by a pair of vertical bunk brackets attached to opposite forward and rearward sides of the cradle beam.
12 . The device of claim 11 in which said bunk includes a pair of longitudinal T-slots.
13 . The device of claim 12 in which a pair of said threaded connectors are interengaged in each said T-slot and positioned on respective said forward and rearward sides of the underlying cradle beam.
14 . The assembly of claim 13 in which each said bunk bracket includes a vertically oriented L-bracket having a first elongate vertical leg that interengages said first side wall of said bunk and respective said threaded connectors retained by said first side wall, and in which each said bunk bracket further includes a second elongate vertical leg attached perpendicularly to said first elongate vertical leg for interengaging a respective one of said forward and rearward sides of said cradle beam.
15 . A boat lift bunk and cradle beam assembly for supporting a marine vessel thereon, said assembly comprising:
an elongate bunk including an opposing pair of longitudinal top and bottom walls and an opposing pair of longitudinal first and second side walls that interconnect said top and bottom walls to define an interior space of said bunk, said bottom wall extending laterally between, and interconnecting respective lower ends of said first and second side walls of said bunk;
an elongate cradle beam that extends laterally beneath and beyond said first and second side walls of said bunk, said cradle beam including a top surface, said bottom wall of said bunk being supported above said top surface of said cradle beam, said cradle beam also including forward and rearward vertical sides that depend from said top surface of said cradle beam; said top, bottom and side walls of said bunk being movable longitudinally across said top surface of said cradle beam to a selected longitudinal position on said cradle beam;
said first side wall of said bunk having a parallel pair of longitudinal T-slots interengaged by and retaining respective threaded connectors, said threaded connectors being longitudinally slidable through said T-slots; and
said cradle beam carrying a pair of elongate, vertically oriented bunk brackets respectively supported on said forward and rearward sides of said cradle beam, said bunk brackets interengaging said first side wall of said bunk and said threaded connectors being slid through said T-slots and selectively positioned longitudinally in said bunk to interengage and attach to respective said bunk brackets such that said threaded connectors secure said top, bottom, first side and second side walls of said bunk in said selected longitudinal position on said underlying cradle beam.
16 . The assembly of claim 15 in which a pair of said threaded connectors are installed in each said T-slot; one of said pair of threaded connectors being positioned forwardly of said underlying cradle beam and the other of said pair of threaded connectors being positioned rearwardly of said underlying cradle beam.
17 . The assembly of claim 15 in which each said threaded connector includes a head retained in a respective said T-slot and a threaded post attached to said head and extending through said T-slot and exteriorly of said first side wall, said heads of said threaded connectors being slid longitudinally through respective said T-slots to selectively position said threaded posts for interengaging and attaching to respective said bunk brackets such that said threaded connectors secure said top, bottom, first side and second side walls of said bunk in the selected longitudinal position on the underlying cradle beam supporting said bunk brackets.
18 . The assembly of claim 17 in which a respective nut is attached to each said threaded connector to secure said bunk to said vertical bunk brackets.
19 . The assembly of claim 18 in which said bunk brackets include degree ninety L-brackets, each said L-bracket having an elongate first vertical leg that faces said first wall of said bunk and said T-slots formed in said bunk.
20 . The assembly of claim 19 in which each bunk bracket further includes an elongate second vertical leg formed perpendicularly to said first vertical leg for facing and attaching to a respective one of said forward and rearward sides of said underlying cradle beam.