US2146623A

US2146623A - Inboard-outboard motorboat drive

Info

Publication number: US2146623A
Application number: US20469A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herman P Caroland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-05-08
Filing date: 1935-05-08
Publication date: 1939-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-02-07

Description

FeB. 7, 1939.

'H. P. CAROLAND 2,146,623 INBOARD-DUTBOARD MOTORBOAT DRIVEv Filed May 8, 1935 Z She etS-Sheet 1 Herman P-Caro/a nd YINVENTOR.

H. P. CAROLAND INBOARD-OUTBOARD MOTORBOAT DRIVE Feb. 7, 1939.

Filed May 8; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Herman P. Caro'lanal' INVENTOR.

Q/pM/ZLMJW.

V ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention appertains to marine propulsion for pleasure craft and small boats and provides for ready attachment and removal of the propeller and associated drive and adjustment of the propeller from Within through 360 degrees for steering.

The invention furthermore aims to devise an arrangement whereby the propeller is driven from a power unit on the boat at any stage of adjustment or direction of movement.

The invention also admits of steering from any convenient point on the boat in any direction of travel through a circle of 360 degrees.

The invention further aims to devise a simple, practical and effective construction which admits of the propeller and drive being easily and quickly placed in position and removed as required, the power transmitting shafts coupling and uncoupling without requiring special effort or inter- -=fering with the operation.

While the drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet specific needs and requirements, the design may be varied and changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the upper portion of the drive, the lower parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a detail view of the upper part of the bracket to which the drive is attached, showing the drive and steeringshafts mounted therein.

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Figure 6.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Figure 9. I

Figure 5 is a sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a side view of the drive showing the propeller in reverse position.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the direction indicating means.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

v Figure 9 is a side view of a drive mechanism illustrative of an embodiment of the invention, the full lines indicating the operative position and the dotted lines illustrating the drive swung to uncouple the power transmitting shafts to obviate injury when contacting an obstruction.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The mechanism embodies a bracket I8 which is secured to a boat 3! by bolts I9 or in any preferred manner. Collars 2!) and project from opposite sides of the bracket and provide housings for a gear 2| and bearings 35. The power shaft 38 from the inboard motor (not shown) is mounted in the bearings 35 and has a gear 2! fast thereto. A shaft 32 provided with an internal gear II to mesh with the gear 2i is mounted in the upper member 34 of a frame connected to the bracket l8. Lugs I! and an extension |8a project rearwardly from the bracket 8.

The frame comprises an upper member 34 and a lower member l4 bolted thereto. Bearings 3! in the member 34 receive the shaft 32 which is provided with a bevel gear 33a which is in mesh with a bevel gear 33 fast to the upper end of a vertical shaft l6 mounted in the lower member I4 of the frame. A cover plate 38 closes an opening in the top of the part 34 through which access is readily had to the upper part 34 of the frame. Lugs ID are pivoted to the lugs IT by a pintle 17a.

A tubular shaft I5 is mounted in the member I4 and has a worm ring gear 42 fast to its upper end. A worm shaft 43 in mesh with the worm gear 42 is mounted in the frame 34 (see Figure 8) and has an angular end portion [2 to engage a socket 23 of a shaft 23a mounted in the bracket IS. A spur gear 22 is fast to the shaft 23a and is adapted to receive a sprocket chain (not shown) to admit of rotating the shaft for steering. It will be understood that the drive gears and steering gears are housed in the frame 34. An outer flange 21 at the lower end of the shaft i5 engages the lower end of the frame [4 and has a guard 24 bolted thereto. An upstanding flange 25 carried by the element 27 of the shaft I 5 coacts with a companion flange 25 of the bracket I8 to sustain the stress when the boat is reversed as shown in Figures 5 and 6. These

flanges

25 and 26 extend approximately 90 degrees to maintain a maximum engagement.

The guard 24 is narrow and elongated from front to rear and its sides converge forwardly and rearwardly and intersect, as shown'most clearly in Figure 3, to minimize resistance to its passage through the water. The shaft I6 is mounted in the guard and has a bevel gear a fast to its lower end which is in mesh with a companion bevel gear 45 fast to the propeller shaft 56 which is mounted longitudinally in the lower portion of the guard 23. A tapering member 52 depends from the part 24 and coacts therewith to protect the propeller 5| secured to the projecting end of the shaft 50. The guard 24 is recessed to receive the gears and Ma and this recess is closed by the guard member 52.

The parts 34, I4 and 24 constitute a frame which is pivoted at its upper end to the bracket l8 and is held in position by a break pin 39 engaging lugs 38 and 40a of the bracket I8 and frame member it. When the drive is in reverse, as indicated in Figure 6, the upstanding arcuate flange 25 is positioned forwardly of the depending arcuate flange 26 to sustain the pulling strain. The pin 39 shears or breaks when the lower portion of the drive encounters an obstruction, thereby preventing injury to the propeller. A stabilizing plane 29 is carried by the frame and controls the vertical movements of the drive and the stern of the boat.

Indicating means are provided to designate the direction of travel when the power is applied to drive the boat. In Figure 7, two signals, such as

electric lights

56 and 62, are shown and included in electric circuits and 6! grounded at 58 and 59 and having switches 54 and 6G, respectively. The current is supplied by a battery 5'! or other source. A tappet il operable with the steering mechanism, being carried by the worm gear 42, is adapted to actuate the switches 54 and 6E] and close the respective circuits to indicate in which direction the boat will travel when the power is applied.

The shafts 32 and end portion [2 of the worm shaft automatically couple and uncouple from the

respective shafts

38 and 23a accordingly as the frame 34 swings forwardly or rearwardly. The steering may be effected from any convenient point of the boat by connecting the control to the shaft 23a, as by means of the spur gear 22 and a cooperating sprocket chain.

It will be noted that this construction obviates stuffing box and glands along a shaft extending from the engine interior the boat to the propeller below the water line, besides admitting of the propeller being turned through 360 degrees to any desired point. Furthermore, the construction is simple and admits of ready assembling and economical manufacture of the parts.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A propulsion unit for a marine vehicle comprising an upright bracket plate adapted to be fixed to said vehicle and having an outwardly turned lower end portion, a pair of parallel shafts journaled in the upper portion of the bracket plate, a housing pivoted to the upper end portion of the bracket plate for outward swinging movement relative thereto, an upright sleeve having the upper end thereof fixed directly to said housing, an upright propeller-carrying portion journaled in said sleeve for steering with the upper end of said portion projecting into the housing, a worm gear fixed on said projecting upper end in the housing, an upwardly extending propeller driving shaft in said portion projecting into the housing, a pair of parallel shafts journaled in the housing one of which is geared to the propeller driving shaft and the other carries a worm meshing with the worm gear, clutches for connecting the respective shafts of the pairs and arranged relative to the pivot for automatic engagement when the housing is in normal position and for disengagement upon swinging of said housing out of said normal position, overlapped lugs carried respectively by the upright sleeve and by the outwardly turned portion of the bracket plate, and a shear pin extending through said lugs and adapted to be sheared off upon striking an obstruction for upward swinging motion of the propeller carrying portion.

HERMAN P. CAROLAND.