On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin
wrote:

As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road' position),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on paper
but didn't quite work out in real life. There may be a reason why
that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot of other
trailers with a feature like that.

On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road' position),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on paper
but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a reason why
that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot of other
trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. But then again,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody would be
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may have
some info left on it.

Tim wrote in
:

On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a reason
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot of
other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. But then again,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody would be
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may have
some info left on it.


It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over builder's plate
this afternoon. Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to decipher
the patent number. Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt is that
it's long since belly-up. (The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan)

On Feb 16, 10:04*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:
Tim wrote :





On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a reason
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot of
other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. *But then again,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody would be
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may have
some info left on it.

It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over builder's plate
this afternoon. *Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to decipher
the patent number. *Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt is that
it's long since belly-up. *(The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it's anything like most trailers then it was not real complicated.
You might be able to fabricate the missing pieces. But I have to
agree with these guys about the practicality. I've always found these
guys to be helpful and have good prices on regular trailer stuff.

http://www.championtrailers.com/

wrote in
:

On Feb 16, 10:04*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:
Tim wrote
innews:a30b718e-902a-4229-8232-4b4565f65f
:





On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B
wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a
reaso
n
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot
of other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. *But then
again, in practicality... if it was such a great idea then
everybody would be doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may have
some info left on it.

It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over builder's
pla
te
this afternoon. *Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to
deciph
er
the patent number. *Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt is
t
hat
it's long since belly-up. *(The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor,
Michi
gan)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it's anything like most trailers then it was not real complicated.
You might be able to fabricate the missing pieces. But I have to
agree with these guys about the practicality. I've always found these
guys to be helpful and have good prices on regular trailer stuff.

http://www.championtrailers.com/

Yeah - the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that a manual
lowering of several hundred pounds of boat and trailer a foot or so
might get uncontrollable kinda quick, regardless of a small mechanical
advantage - not to mention after several hours rowing, all nice and
tired, having to manually lever the thing back up. No, I think in this
case letting well enough alone is probably the wisest course... though
it would still be neat.. And thanks for the link!

On Feb 16, 10:04*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:
Tim wrote :





On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a reason
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot of
other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. *But then again,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody would be
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may have
some info left on it.

It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over builder's plate
this afternoon. *Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to decipher
the patent number. *Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt is that
it's long since belly-up. *(The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it's anything like most trailers then it was not real complicated.
You might be able to fabricate the missing pieces. But I have to
agree with these guys about the practicality. I've always found these
guys to be helpful and have good prices on regular trailer stuff.

http://www.championtrailers.com/

On Feb 17, 8:06*am, wrote:
On Feb 16, 10:04*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:





Tim wrote :

On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a reason
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot of
other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. *But then again,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody would be
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may have
some info left on it.

It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over builder's plate
this afternoon. *Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to decipher
the patent number. *Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt is that
it's long since belly-up. *(The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it's anything like most trailers then it was not real complicated.
You might be able to fabricate the missing pieces. *But I have to
agree with these guys about the practicality. *I've always found these
guys to be helpful and have good prices on regular trailer stuff.

http://www.championtrailers.com/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here's a link to a patent for such a trailer held by that company:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...&RS=PN/2968413

I remember an old trailer my dad had under an 18' Penn Yann at one
point. While I think it was much bigger it wasn't as complicated
looking as the one in the patent but operated using the same general
idea. The swinging axle was connected to a hyadraulic bottle jack at
the tongue by two long metal straps. Pumping the jack placed tension
on the rods and pulled the axle causing it to rotate through an arc
raising the trailer and boat. Using the release screw on the jack
allowed a controlled lowering. I actually worked fairly well and
allowed us to launch from very shallow ramps.

stp wrote in
:

On Feb 17, 8:06*am, wrote:
On Feb 16, 10:04*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:





Tim wrote
innews:a30b718e-902a-4229-8232-4b4565f6
:

On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B
wrote
:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a
rea
son
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot
of other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. *But then
again
,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody
would b
e
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may
have some info left on it.

It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over
builder's p
late
this afternoon. *Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to
deci
pher
the patent number. *Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt
is
that
it's long since belly-up. *(The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor,
Mic
higan)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it's anything like most trailers then it was not real complicated.
You might be able to fabricate the missing pieces. *But I have to
agree with these guys about the practicality. *I've always found
these guys to be helpful and have good prices on regular trailer
stuff.

http://www.championtrailers.com/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here's a link to a patent for such a trailer held by that company:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...ct1=PTO1&Sect2
=HITOFF&d=PAL
L&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l= 50&s1=2968413.PN.
&OS=
PN/2968413&RS=PN/2968413

I remember an old trailer my dad had under an 18' Penn Yann at one
point. While I think it was much bigger it wasn't as complicated
looking as the one in the patent but operated using the same general
idea. The swinging axle was connected to a hyadraulic bottle jack at
the tongue by two long metal straps. Pumping the jack placed tension
on the rods and pulled the axle causing it to rotate through an arc
raising the trailer and boat. Using the release screw on the jack
allowed a controlled lowering. I actually worked fairly well and
allowed us to launch from very shallow ramps.


YOU DA MAN!!! THAT"S MY TRAILER!! Thank you! If ever you get into
the Utica, New York area I owe you a beer or three.

On Feb 17, 1:50*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:
stp wrote :







On Feb 17, 8:06*am, wrote:
On Feb 16, 10:04*pm, Jim Willemin
wrote:

Tim wrote
innews:a30b718e-902a-4229-8232-4b4565f6
:

On Feb 16, 6:02*pm, Wayne.B
wrote
:
On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:22:11 -0600, Jim Willemin

wrote:
As
it is, the trailer is safe (the linkage is locked in the 'road'
position
),
but you know how it is when something neat is bust...

It might turn out to be one of those things that looked great on
paper but didn't quite work out in real life. * There may be a
rea
son
why that handle is missing, and why there don't seem to be a lot
of other trailers with a feature like that.

I was going to say, it does sound like a neat idea. *But then
again
,
in practicality... if it was such a great idea then everybody
would b
e
doing it.

That's just my opinion.

did you see if the Mfj. was still in buisness? if so, they may
have some info left on it.

It's early innings yet - I just discovered the painted-over
builder's p
late
this afternoon. *Maybe tomorrow when the sun is out I can try to
deci
pher
the patent number. *Anyhow, I googled the company, and scuttlebutt
is
*that
it's long since belly-up. *(The F.A. Long Company, Benton Harbor,
Mic
higan)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it's anything like most trailers then it was not real complicated.
You might be able to fabricate the missing pieces. *But I have to
agree with these guys about the practicality. *I've always found
these guys to be helpful and have good prices on regular trailer
stuff.

http://www.championtrailers.com/-Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here's a link to a patent for such a trailer held by that company:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...ct1=PTO1&Sect2
=HITOFF&d=PAL
L&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l= 50&s1=2968413.PN.
&OS=
PN/2968413&RS=PN/2968413

I remember an old trailer my dad had under an 18' Penn Yann at one
point. While I think it was much bigger it wasn't as complicated
looking as the one in the patent but operated using the same general
idea. The swinging axle was connected to a hyadraulic bottle jack at
the tongue by two long metal straps. Pumping the jack placed tension
on the rods and pulled the axle causing it to rotate through an arc
raising the trailer and boat. Using the release screw on the jack
allowed a controlled lowering. I actually worked fairly well and
allowed us to launch from very shallow ramps.

YOU DA MAN!!! *THAT"S MY TRAILER!! * Thank you! *If ever you get into
the Utica, New York area I owe you a beer or three.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Glad I could help. Good luck with the project and keep those beers
cold.

Steve P.