US2103183A

US2103183A - Water buoyed engine and mounting for motor boats and the like

Info

Publication number: US2103183A
Application number: US730953A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh M Rockwell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-06-16
Filing date: 1934-06-16
Publication date: 1937-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1954-12-21

Description

ww u II "III Dec. 21, 1937. H. M. ROCKWELL WATER B UOYED ENGINE AND MOUNTING FOR MOTOR BOATS AND LIKE Filed June 16, 1934 Patented Dec. 21, 1937 WATER BUOYED ENGINE AND MOUNTING FOR oron BOATS, AND, THE LIKE Hugh M.- Rc kwell, Freeport; N; Y.

Application June, 16, 1934, SeriaLNo. 730,953

12 Claims.

My-invention relates to motor; boats; launches and other'motor propelled marine craft, and more particularly towater buoyed motors and mountings for motor boat engines'and the like.

It is one of the objects of my invention to flexibly and/or resiliently mount the motor or engine in the craft so that the weight of the motor'or engine, as far as possible or practical, is supported by the water.

Another object, of the invention is to so support the motor or engine that it is flexibly. supported in such a way that whether the engine is over or under the weight of the water displaced by the engine, it is held in a position suitable for. proper operation, and in this manner a simple self-contained power andpropulsion unit is provided, inexpensive to install and of a type that lessens noise and eliminates vibration being transmitted tothe boat.

Still further objects ofthe invention are to cool the oil in the bottom of the engine casing, thereby eliminating the usual oil cooler, eliminating the usual and customary journal or bearing in the hull of-the boat, and in some cases the necessary coupling between the engine and the propeller shaft.

Other objects will be'apparent, particularly to those skilled in the art, upon further perusal of the specification.

My invention broadly" contemplates fioatably supporting the motor or engine which may be accomplished by. providing in the bottom of the hull of the boat a suitable openingin which-the motor is flexibly and/or resilientlysupported: and providinga water-tight joint between the motor-and the hull.

The motor may drop down below the bottom of the boat, and the water displaced by the motor will assist'insupporting the same. Instead of having the motor in direct contact with the water, I may support a pan or adapter in the opening and-have the motor rest in the pan. In this form there will be a suitable bearing and stufling box in the pan for supporting the motor shaft. In the first form, the stuifing box may be inthe end, of the crank case.

In eachuformrof. my. invention it may notv be possible to keep an absolute balance so that the engine accurately displaces its weight in water, but the nearer this point is approached, the less weightone Way or the other will have to be carried by the engine mounting. In any event, much 'of'the weight of the engine-is supported directly by the-water and it is possible'thatthere may be conditions where there is agreater -iorceexerted upwardly onthe engine engine. 7 v I 7 My invention will be, better understood: by reference to the accompanying drawing in. which: Figural is a side elevation of a motorboat and: the like showingmy waterxbuoyed engine and 1 mounting; withparts; in dotted lines.

Figure 2 isv an endelevation of the same. Figure 3 is a sectionalzdetailview showingzthe, flexible-mounting, for the motor. I w

Figures i -and 5 are. detailviews, of the flexible mounting. Figures 6,7: and 8 are views showing some-of the various shapes; the flexible mountingmay assume, as; desired, and r Figure 9 isa fragmentary view partly insection of a modified formof my invention,v

than thew ightorthe Upon referring to the drawing, A designates generally-a motor-boat or other, power propelled craft av the u11 l pro dedw h a: o tom 2. Inthe bottom 2 of the hull may be provided a suitable opening 3 of any suitable contouniin which is located the engine 4am], extending be lowthezhull bottom, The-opening 3vinthe bottom of, the hull ispreferab-ly located aft, although it may be located forwardas in racing craft, or at any point desired. The engine-lhas thecrank case 5 through'which extends a motort orpropeller shaft 6 having a suitable propeller I thereon, The crank case may be-prov-idedwith anextended flange 8 havinga rabbet 8 along its lower outer edge For resiliently supporting the, motor-from the hull I employ flexible and/or resilientsupporting. means 9. V This flexible supporting means may be, made of vulcanized rubber and may be in the form of strips and thelike if. desired. It may also be made in one continuous pie ce, if convenient. This resilient supporting means may -be made of the same thickness as the depthof the rabbet 8' in the flange of the crank case, and is secured thereto in any suitable manner. I prefer to secure-the resilient supporting means tothe flange of the crankcase by means of boltsv Ill, The resilient, supporting means may have secured in its lower face the non-corrodible metal strips which are located in grooves l2 in the bottom, face of the resilient supporting means. Thesemetal strips may be left free in the groove, or they may be vulcanized and bonded in place, As shown in Fi u es 4 and .,1 hese strinsoo fl on: r dible metal y e ntirely mbedded in the resilient supporting means.

The outer end of the resilient supporting means maybe secured to the bottom or the; by means of'bolts' l3'passing through bed'members l4. These bed members are rabbeted as at l5 to receive the outer ends of the resilient supporting means when the resilient supporting means is of greater thickness than the bottom of the hull. When the bolts are screwed home, a water-tight joint is provided between the resilient supporting means and the engine motor flange, and also between the resilient supporting means and the hull of the boat.

The engine or motor rests on the water and is resiliently suspended or attached to the bottom of the boat. The resilient supporting means may be formed in strips, as many as desired, and as shown in Figures 6, '7, and 8 may be of various shapes to conform to the preferred opening in the hull of the boat. While I have illustrated a rectangular, trapezoidal, and an oval shaped opening, yet openings of other shapes or contours may be employed if preferred.

The portion of the crank case in the water may be provided with an intake pipe 50 which will conduct cooling water through thecrank case to the water jacket of the engine. A similar pipe 5| may be employed to conduct the water from the water jacket. By making these conduits or passages in the crank case, flexible connections may be eliminated. It may be preferable in a large number of instances to have the incoming cooling water come through the casing as by means of the pipe 50 or other suitable means, and have the outgoing water lead into the engine exhaust pipe which in turn will pass through an opening in the hull of the boat. With an arrangement of this kind, the outlet for the exhaust water and engine gases would require a flexible connection to permit of the sliding relative movement between the hull and the engine, but it would not be necessary to have a flexible connection for the incoming water, as

. this inlet is located through the crank case by means of the pipe 50. If desired, I may have the inlet for the cooling water, and the outlet for the cooling water, and the exhaust pipe all pass through the crank case so as to eliminate all flexible connections, and have a more selfcontained engine unit.

As a modified form, as shown in Figure 9, I may employ a pan or adapter B, which adapter is supported in the opening in the hull by the re silient supporting means, and the engine or motor 4 is mounted in the pan B or adapter. A suitable stuffing box I6 and bearing is provided in the pan.

When the engine or motor 4, with or without the pan or adapter B, is properly mounted in the opening 3 in the hull of the boat, the opening is completely closed and no water can leak through into the hull. The engine is relatively low in the boat and if desired can be covered up in any suitable manner to provide additional space. Further, by having the engine: so mounted, a low center of gravity is obtained. The vertical center of gravity of the engine may be off the center of the opening in the boat in order to partly made downwardly from the engine casing or boat in order to protect the propeller in shallow water.

In the embodiment of my invention shown herein, I have only illustrated and referred to a single engine, but it is possible that one or more could be'used as desirable or practicable. Further, the engine may be surrounded by water-tight compartments or bulkheads and the like so that leaks of any naturein other parts of the boat will not reach the engine compartment, or leaks of any nature in the engine compartment will not get to the other parts of the boat.

Other minor changes in my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

. 1. A motor boat provided with an opening in its bottom, a complete power plant including a propeller and a shaft mounted as a unit inthe bottom of a boat hull, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of said com; plete power plant, and a flexible and resilient water tight mounting joining the power plant directly to the boat, and permitting relative universal movement between the power plant and the boat bottom.

2. A motor boat and the like having a hull provided with an opening in its bottom, a power plant disposed within the opening, a flexible and resilient mounting substantially surrounding the power plant and constituting the sole means of support for the power plant from the boat, said power plant being suspended from the boat by the mounting, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the power plant, and water tight connections between the mounting and the powerplant and between the mounting and the hull.

3. In a motor boat having an opening in its bottom and a propulsion unit mounted in said opening, and a flexible and resilient supporting means for the unit substantially surrounding the unit and connected to said unit and the boat in a water-tight manner, said propulsion unit being suspended from the boat by the supporting means, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the propulsion unit.

4. A complete engine propelling unit including a propeller and shaft, a flexible mounting surrounding the engine and extending through an opening in the bottom of the hull of the boat and suspending the engine, and having universal movement relative to the boat, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the propelling unit.

5. A boat with an opening in the bottom of its hull, an engine flexibly mounted in said opening and a water tight, slightly yieldable engine mounting connecting the engine to the boat bottom and so arranged that the engine is positioned against side loads and end loads by the mounting, the area of the opening in the hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the engine.

6. A motor boat provided with an opening in its bottom, a pan means so flexibly supported in the opening as to have universal movement relative to the boat bottom, an engine supported by the pan and water tight connections between the pan and the boat, the area of the opening in the boat bottom being so proportioned that the up- I ward weight of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the pan and the engine supported thereby.

'7. A motor boat having an opening in the bottom of its hull and a motor suspended in the opening, means secured to said motor and hull sealing said opening and floatably and flexibly mounting said motor therein so that the motor will have universal movement relative to the hull, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the motor.

8. A motor boat and the like having a hull provided with an opening in its bottom, a power plant disposed in the opening and projecting below the bottom, a flexible and resilient mounting substantially surrounding the power plant and constituting the sole means of-support for the power plant from the boat, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the power plant, and water tight connections between the power plant and the mounting and between the mounting and the hull.

9. A motor boat and the like having a hull provided with an opening in its bottom, a power plant disposed within the opening and projecting below the boat bottom, a resilient mounting substantially surrounding the power plant and forming a water tight connection between the power plant and the boat, whereby the power plant is floatably supported, the area of the opening in the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area is approximately equal to the weight of the power plant. 7

10. A motor boat having an opening in the bottim of its hull and a motor suspended in the opening, means secured to said motor and hull sealing said opening and floatably and flexibly mounting said motor therein so that the motor will have universal movement relative to the hull, the area of the openingin the boat hull being so proportioned that the upward pressure of the water on said area takes up a substantial portion of the weight of the motor.

11. A motor boat and the like having a hull provided with an opening in its bottom, a power plant disposed in the opening and projecting below the bottom, and a flexible and resilient mounting completely surrounding the power plant, with the mounting securely fastened to the power plant and the boat hull and making a permanent, water-tight connection, with the mounting completely submerged in the water at all times.

12. A motor boat and the like having a hull provided with an opening in its bottom, a power plant disposed in the opening and projecting below the bottom, and a flexible and resilient mounting completely surrounding the power plant and suspending the power plant from the boat hull, with the center of gravity of the power plant being within the confines of the mounting and the carrying load taken at approximate right angles to the mounting enclosure, the mounting being at all times in contact with the water and providing a water-tight seal. 7

HUGH M. ROCKWELL.