US1763970A - Stream-line construction - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1930. L, J, JOHNSQN 1,763,970v

STREAM LINE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f/ n lu [g /6 ML Im u Z4 f zz O---;/ f@ /Z Si :6

/0 i i 'a a 53 June 17, 1930. L J JOHNSON 1,763,970

STREAM LINE CONSTRUCTION Filed June i8, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED 2sTATEs PATENT or-'Fi'cE LOUIS JAMES JOHNSON, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASBIGNOB TO JOHNSON BROTHERS ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA STREAM-LINE CONSTRUCTION Application led .Tune 18,

My invention relates to stream line constructions for the casing which encloses the lower unit of an outboard or inboard motor assembly. l

The present construction relates to certain improvements in the streamline construction shown in an application filed jointly by me and Harry L. Johnson on January 16, 1928, Serial N o. 247,004, relating to the stream line contour of the lower unit of an outboard or inboard type of motor and in which pi'ioi ap-plication the lower unit comprised an enclosing casing in which were housed the vertical drive shaft, the angularly disposed propeller shaft carrying the propeller, and wherein also there was provided an anti-cavitation plate which in conjunction with the casing and a water inlet and discharge, provided means in conjunction with the propeller for forcing water through the internal passages in the gear casing and upwardly to the water jacket of the engine. In this prior construction this gear casing was formed of stream line contour to a point above the normal water level whereby to permit the lower propeller carrying struct-ure or unit to move through the water with-little resistance.

In the present invention I have provided an improved stream line construction for this lower unit which new construction provides a minimum resistance to the Water during the travel of the boat. In this improved construction the lower portion of the housing or casing, or that portion which is wholly submerged inthe water, is formed with a stream line contour wherein the front vertically extending portion thereof is designated as a rounded blunt-like nose and trails rearwardly into a substantially knife-like edge, while the upper portion of the casing or that portion which lies slightly under, at, and above the water line and which is adapted to cut the water as the boat travels therethrough, is formed of approximately symmetrically shaped knife-edge contour, that is, the front edge ofthe casing oi' that edge which faces the direction of travel of the boat instead of being roundedly blunt as is the case with the corresponding lower portion of the casing is 1928. Serial No. 286,223.

of approximately wedge or knife-edge construction so as to provide a cutting action to the water. This combination of stream line contours of the casing offers the least resistance to the travel Aof the boat through the water and permits of extremely high speeds.

Certain other features of my invention relate to the bearing members for the approximately lvertical drive shaft and the approximately horizontal propeller shaft and also to the manner in which these bearings may i be lubricated.

-These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanyingy drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved stream line construction;

Figure 2 is a front view thereof;

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the lower portion of the structure;

Fgure 4 is avsection on line 4-4 of Figure Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fie;- ure 3; and A Figure 7 is a detail sectional View of the sealed bearing for the rear end of the propeller shaft.

Referring now to the /drawings in detail, my improved construction is shown for purposes of exemplification as applied to the propeller carrying unit of an outboard motor; the device is equally applicable to any type of inboard motor.

In figure 1 the outboard motor assembly comprises the usual bracket 2 adapted to be attached by means of the clamp 4 to the suitable stern support of a water vehicle. This bracket 2 is provided with a pivotal shaft 6 on which is mounted. the usual supporting collar 8 and tubular casing 10. The upper en d of this support and casing is provided with a cylinder block 12 on which is detachably mounted the self contained power plant or prime mover for driving the propeller. As in the usual type of outboard motor this to make locking engagement with correspondpower plant comprises a two-cycle d ouble opposed gas engine, one of lthe cylinders of which is shown at 14. .In addition the fucl tank 16, muier 18, the combined flywheel magneto and rope starter 20, the carburetor 22, the tiller control-24 and other adjunctive devices are all carried by the cylinder block. In the present type of construction the tiller control 24 and the entire rime mover turn with the tubular casing 10 ut other arranges ments are within the contemplation of this invention such for instance as turning the tubular casing 10 by means of the tiller control 24 without turning the engine or prime mover and its adjunctive parts.

The lower-most portion of the bracket 2 is provided with laterally curved spaced apart arms 26 slotted as at 28 to receive a clamping screw 30 which in turn carries a portion of av collar `32 having locking portions adapted ing lockinnr portions 34 on the lower portion ot' the casing 10 so that when the propeller carrying casing is shifted into reversing position the casing will not be permitted to tilt. All of the foregoing construction is old in the art and no specific claims are made thereto. v

The particular features foriinngthe subject matter of the present invention relate to the construction of the propeller carrying casing adapted to enclose theloWer-most part of the engine drive shaft which passes downwardly substantially vertically and within the tubular casing 10 and which gear casing also houses the propeller carrying shaft and carries the propeller and in addition is preferably provided with internal waterpassages and means for causing the circulation of the water upwardly through the casing to the water jacket of the engine. One of the features of my present invention resides in the particular stream line conformation of this casing whereby minimum resistance through the water is provided so that relatively high speeds may be attained. f

In the present construction which is a preteli-ed embodiment of my invention, the lower portion of the tubular casing l0 is provided with an upper housing 36 which flares forwardly and rearwardly as vat 38 and 40 towards its bottom and is there provided with a flanged cap 42 which approaches substantial stream line contour. This flanged cap 42 is bolted as at 44 and 46 to the upper portion of r the stream line propeller carrying casing 48.

*This propeller carrying casing is preferably formed asa main casting of light metal such as aluminum or aluminum alloy and is termed Witha lowervertical portion 50 which merges into a propeller casin 52 of substantially round dimensionsas c early shown in Figures 2 and 4. The front or nose of this propeller casing 52 is closed by means of a cap 54 bolted thereto as at 56 while the rear of the casing issubstantially closed b means of an appropriate packing hereina ter described and the propeller 58 and the nut 6( Located below the normal water level when the assembly is mounted on the boat in operative posit-ion, the casing 48 and 50 is provided with an integralv anti-cavitation late 62 adapted to directly overlie the pati of travel of the propeller blades. In my preferred embodiment this anti-cavitation-plate is utilized as a means for carrying a water gathering mouth 64 integral therewith which water gathering mouth is provided with an opening 66 having a grating 68 or screen for obstructing sticks and other ioating objects and preventing them entering the water circulating system.l As shown clearly in Figure-i, this anti-cavitation plate is formed hollow so as to provide a water conduit 70 which comnumicates with a water inlet passage 7 2 in the upper portion of thek casing 48 which passage in turn communicates by means of an outlet 74 with a water` inletpipe, not shown, passing upwardly through the circuit casing l0 about the vertical drive' shaft of the engine which forms an extension of the lower shaft 76 enclosed by the gear casing and which is detachably clutched thereto as is well known in the art.

In the prior application before mentioned, the entire gear casing above described was formed of stream line contour of substantially knife-edge construction and wherein it was formed from top to bottom of the cross section ysubstantially shown in Figure 6 of the present drawings, that is, ott symmetrical wedge-shaped construction. invention I have formed the lower portion of the casing or that portion 50 which extends up to the anti-cavitation late 62, of stream line design or contour dierent from the upper portion 48. This lower portion of the gear casing 50 is that portion which is constantly submerged and therefore in order to present the minimum resistance to the flow ot' water, the vertical front edge or nose of this portion of the casing 50 is formed of the stream line design shown in Figure 5, the same being of substantially blunt or rounded formation as is indicated at 78, the contour thence being formed of smoothl flowing symmetrical/walls terminating 1n' a -trailing knife-edge design portion 80. guishe'd from this particular shape the upper portion 48 from the horizontal plane of the anti-cavitation plate 62 to the top of the casing 48 is formed of the cross section In my present As distinsubstantially indicated at Figure 6 .wherein l the front edge or nose of this section 48 of the casing is formed of substantially Wedgeshaped or knife-edge shape as shown at 82.

The particular formation of this frontal edge or divide the water and spray during the passage of the casing unit through the water,y

-by means of this combination of stream line constructions, much higher speeds in traveling through the water are permitted. I

The internal construction of the lower unit or propeller carrying casing is substantially shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. This casing is provided with an internal partition 84 which forms the upper water passage 72 and provides a lubricant containing chamber 86. In addition, the lower portion of this chamber is rovided with an integral bearing 88 while t e upper portion is provided With a bearing 90, both for the vertical drive shaft 76 which forms a continuation of the engine shaft.

This vertical drive shaft has pinned thereto as at 92 a clutch collar 77 and the lower edge of this collar 77 provides a means whereby the-shaft can hang upon a seat formed by means of a washer 94 seating on an upper shoulder of the bearing 90'and upon a bushing 96 surrounding a large portion of the vertical shaft 76. In addition, this shaft is provided a-t its upper end with a. spiral oil groove feed 98 which is adapted to receive oil from a circular recess 100 in the upper portion of the casing 48 which bore or cup 100 is' fed with a lubricant which leaks downwardly from the upper crank casing and this lubricant in turn is fed by means of the spiral Y groove 98 into this bearing. In like manner, the lower bearing 88 is provided with a bushing 102 and the drive shaft) 76 is provided with an additional spiral groove 104 for feeding lubricant Within the chamber 86 of the casing to the bearing at thls point. The lower portion of the drive shaft 76 below this bearing has splined thereto a bevel gear 106 spaced from the bushing 102 and the bearing 88 by means of a Washer 108 which faces a circular flange on the bottom portion of the bearing 102. This gear 106 meshes with another bevel gear 110 mounted on.the propeller carrying shaft 112 which is arranged substantially at right angles to the shaft 76 and is mounted on a ball bearing 114 carried in the closing cap 116 which as heretofore stated is provided with a bluntly circular dome which closes the front of the propeller carrying portion of the casing' 52. lVithin this cap 116, a nut 118 securely holds the 1nner-most portion of the bearing 114 on the shaft. The outer ring of the ball bearing or that designated at 120 is provided with an inwardly extending ring 122, the inner circumferential edge of which is slightly spaced from the. outer periphery of the inner seal of the ball bearing member 114 sofas to revent the water or any leakage from wit in the chamber 86 from passing into the front chamber 124 within the dome 11.6. In addition by means of the rotation of the gear 110 the circumferential effect will throw the Water or other leakage outwardly and thus prevent it 1 l entering past the ball bearing 114 and into the chamber 124. This chamber is completely iilled with lubricant and thus a self contained lubricating system is attained by'r -means vof this bearing construction.

The rear end of this casing 52 is provided l with an opening through which the propeller shaft projects and this opening is sealed by means of a flexible washer 130 preferably of leather, carried by a sheet metal ring 132 in an enclosing or outer ring: 134, a coil spring 136 forcing the leather gasket 130 normally against the shaft whereby to provide a friction seal which-prevents water passing in from the rear of casing 52 and likewiseprevents a lubricant passing out. The hub of the `propeller 58 surxounds `the outer end of the shaft, being suitably attached thereto and is held in place on the threaded end of the shaft by means of the nut 60.

Lubricant may be fed into the chamber 86' of the lower casing through means of an inlet 138 and a lubricant outlet 140, the former being located substantially at they lowermost part of the propeller casing 52 and the latter being located substantially at the top asv shown in Figure 3. These holes 138 and 140 are closed by suitable threaded plugs, the outer surfaces of which form with the casing the proper stream line contour. Water which accumulates in chamber 86 may be Withdrawn from the bottom opening 138.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a Vmost improved construction for the lower unit or propeller carrying casing of an outboard or inboard motorv assembly.

In general, it is constructed of stream line contour of such design as to present a minimum resistance to the Water, particularly at high speeds, and inaddition is constructed so as to provide a most economical, eiiicient, and convenient assembly of bearing construction for the substantially vertical drive shaft and the substantially horizontal propeller shaft while at the same time thoroughly lubricatin g these shafts and their bearingsand preventing the leakage into the casing of any water from the'outside and also preventing the egress or'leakage of lubricant from within the casing.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A propulsion device for water vehicles comprising in combination, a support, a prime mover mounted thereon and having a substantially vertical drive shaft, a casing surrounding said drive shaft, a pro eller carrybelow the water level having a frontal edge of rounded blunt-likestream line contour and that portion of the casing at and above'the normal water level having a frontal edge of substantially wedge-shaped or knife-edge construction.l A

2. A propellerlcarr ing casing for a water propulsion device an having its upper portion adapted to project above the normal water level, said casing being of stream line contour from top to bottom, that portion of the casing which lies at and above the normal water level being of symmetrical knife-edge construction of stream line contour andthat portion below the normal water level having its frontal edge of bluntly rounded stream line contour with a trailing edge of substantially knife-edge stream line construction. I

3. A'propeller carrying casing for a propulsion device of a water vehicle having an anti-cavitation plate directly overlying the ath of travel of the propeller blades, and

ying below the water level, said casing having a ortion projecting above the water level of su stantially symmetrical knife-edge or wed e-like stream line contour and having a portion below said anti-cavitation plate, the front vertical edge of which is of substantiali ly bluntly rounded stream line contour and the trailing edge of which is substantially knife-edge or. wedge-like stream line contour.

4. A propeller carrying casing for a water propulsion device of a water vehicle comprisn ing an integral casin having an upper portion adapted to lie su stantiall at and above the normal water level, and eing of symmetrical substantially knife-edge construction of stream line contour, and having a lower portion of stream line contour wherein the front'vertical edge is of substantiallyrounded blunt-like Astream line contour and trails rearwardly into a substantially knife edge stream line contour.

5. A propeller carrying casing for a propulsion device for a Water vehicle comprising an integral casing carrying a vertical drive shaft, a propeller shaft and a propeller, said casing having an integral anti-cavitation plate extendin rearwardly and overlying the propeller, sai casing from the anti-cavitation plate upwardly being of symmetrical substantially knife-edge construction stream line contour and said casing from the antipath of travel of the propeller and provided with a water gathering mouth adapted to have water forced thereinto by the travel of the propeller blades, said anti-cavitation plate being formed with a hollow passage connecting with an internal passage within"v` the casing, said casing having a discharge outlet adapted to connect with the water jacket of the prime moverjof the propulsion device, said casing at and above the anti-cavitation platebeing of substantially symmetrical knifeedge stream line construction, said casing below the anti-cavitation plate having frontal vertical edge of substantially bluntly rounded stream line contour trailing into a knife-edge stream line contour.

7.-'1/hec0mbination with a propulsion device for a water vehicle, a prime mover having a vertically extending drive shaft, a gear casing adapted to carry the propeller, said gear casing having an upper bearing for said drive shaft and a spaced lower bearing for said drive shaft, a propeller carrying shaft disposed at right angles to said drive shaft and havingbearings in the lower portion of said casing, bevel gears interconnecting said shafts, a bushing for the upper bearing, means vat the upper portion of said bushing forming a lubricant containing recess, said drive shaft within said bushing being provided with a spiral groove adapted to receive lubricant from said recess, said drive shaft at said' lower bearing having a spiral groove for feeding lubricant contained within said casing to said lower bearing.

8. In a water propulsion device fora water vehicle, the combination with a support, a prime -mover thereon having a vertically depending drive shaft, a propeller carrying casing mounted on said support and adapted to house the lower end of said drive shaft, a horizontal propeller, shaft mounted in the lower portion of said casing and carrying a bevel gear meshing with a bevel gear on the lower end of said vertical drive shaft, a ball bearing for the frontal end of said propeller shaft, a cap closing the front of said casing and closing the front end of said propeller shaft and adapted to contain lubricant therein, the outer annular race of said ball bearing having an annular inwardly projecting ring carried thereby and spaced from the peripheral wall of the inner annular race of said ball bearing, said ring being spaced adjacent the bevel gear mounted onsaid horizontal shaft whereby the said bevel gear in its rotation will tend to keep water or other leakage away from said ball bearing and its rin and shaft mounted within said casing and geared` to the lower end of-said drive shaft, said casing having a rear opening through which said propeller projects,- a propeller on the prof'cting rear end of said shaft and a sealed pac 'ng carried by said casing and shaft for said opening through which the propeller shaft projects, said packing com rising a flexible annular gasket adapted to frictionally drag about the periphery of said propeller shaft and a resilient means directly engaging and pressin said flexible gasket against said shaft Where y to prevent the ingress of water into said casing and the egress of lubricant i out of said casing through said opening.

10. In a water propulsion device for the prime mover of a water vehicle comprising the combination of a prime mover having a vertically depending drive shaft, a support concentrically surrounding said drive shaft and having a gear casing at its lower end surrounding said drive shaft and enclosingthe same, a propeller carrying casing geared to said drive shaft and passing through the rear end of said casing, a propeller thereon, said casing being provided with an internal lubricant containing chamber extending substantially the height of said casing, said casing having a lower opening and being provided with an upper opening, vplugs closing said openings, said openings being adapted to the insertion of lubricant and the Withdrawal of water from said chamber.

11. A pro eller carrying casing for the lower unit o a propulsion device of an out'- board motor type, said casing being an integral construction of relatively light metal and provided with an integral anti-cavitation plate formed with an internal water passage, said casing at and above said anti-cavitation plate being of substantially symmetrical wedge-shaped stream line contour, andvsaid casing below said anti-cavitation plate having a frontal edge of substantially rounded bluntlike stream line contour trailing into a substantially knife-edge stream line contour, said anti-cavitation plate having a lower portion over-hanging the path of travel of the propeller blades and`provided with a water gathering mouth lying in the rear of the path of'travel of the propeller blades, said depending portion and water gathering mouth being of less width than the width of the streamv line contour at such horizontal plane of the casing.

12. A propeller carrying casing for the lower unit of an outboard motor pro ulsion device having an integrally forme anticavtationplate, and the casing having' a 'stream line contour with its frpnt vertical knife edge stream line contour.

13. A propeller carrying casingfor a water edge of com arati'vely blunt-like stream line c ontour trailing rearwardly to a substantially propulsion device havingl an integrally formed antiQcavitatiou plate, and the casing having a stream line contour with a knife edge both at the front and rear edges of the casing.

14. A propeller carrying casing for a water propulsion device having its upper portion adapted to project .above the normal waterlevel, said casing being of stream line con`\ tour from top to bottom; and that portion below the normal water level having its front edge of bluntly rounded stream line contour with a`trailing edge of substantially knife edge stream line construction.

15. A propeller carrying casing for a propulsion device of an outboard motor having an anti-cavitation plate overlying the path of travel of the propeller blades and having a water gathering mouth below the plate adapted to receive water forced there into by the propeller blades, and said casing being of stream line contour having a front vertical edge bluntly rounded and a trailing rear edge of thin stream line contour substantially less in width than the gathering mouth and located at a distance infront of the gathering mouth. l

16. A pro eller carrying casing for the lower unit o a propulsion device of an outboard motor type, having an integrally formed anti-cavitation plate, and the casing having a stream line contourabove and below the anti-cavitation plate, the front edge of the casing on one side of the plate being in advance of the front edge on the other side of the plate.

17. The combination with a propulsion device for a water vehicle of a prime mover having a vertically extending drive shaft, a gear casing adapted to carry the propeller, said gear casing having a bearing for saiddrive shaft and a recess at the upper end of the bearing for receiving lubricant, and said drive shaft within said bearing having groove for feeding lubricant to the bearing from said recess.

18. A propulsion device for a water vehicle comprising a prime mover having a vertically extendingdrive shaft, a gear casing adapted to carry the propeller said gear casing having a lubricant chamber and a shaft bearing therein and said drive shaft within the bearing having a groove communicatingv with the chamber for feeding lubricant contained within the casing chamber to said bearing. s

19. A propeller carrying casing for a water propulsion device having an integrally formed anti-cavtation plate, and the casing I propulsion devicehaving its upper ortion adapted to project above thefnorma water fm level, said casing being of stream line contour from top to bottom; and that portion below the normal water level having itsfront edge of bluntly rounded stream line contour ,with a trailing edge of substantially knifep 1.5 edge stream line construction and beingl less .20 propulsion device havingits upper portion in its dimensionsfrom its front toits rear edgei than. the portion at and above water leve 21. A propeller carrying casing for a water adapted to project above the normal Water level, said vcasing being of stream line con tour from top to bottom; that portion of the front edge of the casing at and above -25 the water. line being of sharpedged stream line contour and that vportion below the normal Water level having its front edge of bluntly rounded stream line contour with the trailing edge of substantially knife-edge o .stream line construction, .the casing at and above the water line being longer from its front to its rear edges than that portion below the normal water level.

In witness whereof, I have .hereunto sub- 35 scribed my name.

' 'LOUIS JAMES JOHNSON.

nlscLllu'MER p 1,763,970.-Lom's James Johnson, Waukegan, Ill. STREAM-LINE vCon*s'rRUcTIoN. Patent dated June 17, 1980. Disclaimer iled May 1942 by the assignee,

: l Johnson 'Brothers Engineering Corporation.: Hereby disclaims claims 3 and 14 of said Letters Patent. [Official Gazette June 2, 1942.]

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