roller bunks

[glenn property of pam]

I was working on a sizer today and it dawned on me that the conveyors looked like boat bunks. They are 4" wide uhmw with a track cut down the middle that a conveyor belt with a location v on the back rides on then there's drums at either end so the belt is one continues loop. I looked around the net and could not find a anything like this so I was wondering what you guys thought of the idea of bunks that could be powered so you dock then turn on the conveyors and the belt slides over the uhmw and moves the boat up.

 

[roscoe]

Re: roller bunks

Well, if you could keep them dry so the hull would not slip, and keep the rollers, bearings, drive motor and rollers from getting wet and from slipping, and keep them from leaving marks on the hull, and provide a power source, and get it to move the boat fast enough, and make sure it will pull the boat evenly and straight onto the trailer, and keep the cost down below $100, I'm in.

I'm thinking a power winch would be easier and lots cheaper.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: roller bunks

Sounds High maintenance to me.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: roller bunks

I think I could use uhmw bushings for bearings or use uhwm as the tail drum then maintenance would be very low but im not sure how much side load the boat puts on the bunks when its being loaded. The design im thinking off is great in pulling or pushing a straight load but worthless at handling a side load. If I used a rug top belt that would allow some side loads but it would also slip on the hull which would cause loading problems.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: roller bunks

this will be about as simple as raising the costa concordia