US2257698A - Marine propelling device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 30, 1941 R MCCOMBIE 2,257,698

MARINE PROPELLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. Ja /V A. 2% (OMB/E,

Sept. 30, 1941 J. R. MOCOMBIE MARINE PROPELLING DEVI CE Filed Nov. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR'. Jaw ALMC COMB/E,

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE MARINE PROPELLING DEVICE John R. MoCombie, Newark, N. J. Application November 27, 1940, Serial No. 367,469 (o1. 115--2a) 1 Claim.

The present invention is an improvement in marine propelling devices and is more particularly concerned with manually operable paddle wheels adaptable for use upon all types of small boats. l

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a durable and inexpensive marine propulsion mechanism which is readily adaptable for use upon small boats and which mechanism does not require any alterations to the hull in the mounting and use of the same upon the boat.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of paddle wheel which is of a light but durable construction and directs the flow of water adjacent thereto away from the boat supporting the paddle wheel.

An equally important object of the present invention is to provide a boat propelling mechanism which can be simply and quickly mounted upon small boats of all types and which eliminates the need for a rudder for steering the boat.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed description of the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exterior side view of a paddle Wheel according to the present invention as mounted upon a portion of a boat hull.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of a boat hull having a pair of paddle wheels with driving and supporting mechanism mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a front cross sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figs. 2 and 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a modification of the supporting members for the paddle wheel propelling mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding numerals designate similar elements, numeral l refers generally to a boat having gunwales 2 mounted upon the sides thereof. Numeral 3 refers to the seat to be used by the person operating the propelling device. As shOWn in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, each of the gunwales 2 have an elongated plate 5 firmly secured thereto by a pair of screws 1. The central portion of plate 5 is enlarged and has a bore 6 formed laterally therethrough.

Extending through said bore 6 is a crankshaft 8, which crankshaft 8 is bent obliquely as at 9 and further bent as at ill to form an offset portion upon which is mounted a pedal I2, said pedal l2 being retained upon the portion ID by a flange H formed upon the end of the crankshaft. The opposite end I4 of the crankshaft is threaded and has mounted thereon a retaining nut 15 which coacts with a fixed flange l3 for retaining the crankshaft in position with regard to plate 5.

A further pair of supporting plates I6 and H, which whenplaced one upon the other surround and form a support for the portion of crankshaft 8 adjacent the oblique portion 9 thereof, are supported at'each end by a pair of arms I8 and at the medial portion thereof by a third arm 20. Nuts and bolts l9 which retain the bearing plates l6 and I! together are used for connecting the same to the arms I8. Said arms l8 are supported by connection to the gunwale 2 while arm 2|] is connected to one of the boat frames 4.

A slightly concave disc 26 is supported upon threaded end M of the crankshaft 8 and retained thereon by a pair of nuts 22 and 23, each of which is mounted upon an opposite side of the disc 26. Radially extending from the outer or concave face, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, of the disc 26 are a plurality of paddles 21, each of which is fixedly connected to the face of disc 26.

In assembling the present propelling mechanism upon any type of boat hull, all that is required is that the plate 5 be securely fastened to the boat gunwale in any given manner, depending upon the character and shape of the gunwale, while the arms l8 each may be fastened to the side of the gunwale 2 with the third arm 20 being firmly fastened to a side member of the hull, such as for example, the frame 4 as shown. The preferable position for the entire mechanism is the center of the hull with each of the crankshafts 8 of a pair of the devices being positioned diametrically opposite one another. It is to be appreciated that the propelling mecha nism is merely detachably positioned upon the hull and can be removed therefrom Without injury or alteration to the boat.

In operating the present device, after a pair of the same have been mounted upon a boat hull, the operator can position himself upon the seat 3 or like support and apply each of his feet or hands to one of the pedals l2. The operator then is in a position to rotate the pedal l2 as well as w the crankshaft 8 which is rotatably supported within the bore 6 and between the plates l6 and I l at two separated points for a firm support thereof. The disc 26, being connected to crankshaft 8 by the tightening of nuts 22 and 23 against the disc 26, will therefore rotate simulthe boat gunwale by screws 33.

taneously with the crankshaft 8, thus applying thepaddles 21 in rapid succession to the water adjacent the boat hull for creating a propelling movement of the boat. By altering the relative speeds of the opposing crankshafts 8, the craft can be readily steered, especially due to the central position with regard to the boat hull of said crankshaft 8. Further, either or both of the crankshafts 8 can be reversely rotated for changing the direction of travel. Attention is directed to the concave formation of each of the discs 26 which during their rotation, introduce each of the paddles 21 into the water at a slight angle from the perpendicular, thereby carrying the water therewith and directing the movement of the water away from the boat hull upon the emerging of the paddles, thereby preventing the occupants of the boat from beingv wetted and thus eliminating the need for shields or the like for the paddle Wheels.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of bearing support for use with the crankshaft 8 and which may be more readily applied to certain types of hulls than that shown in the principal form of the invention. The crankshaft 8 is supported by a plate 30 upon which is superimposed a second plate 3!, both plates being firmly connected to Saidplate 3| has an arched portion 32 through which the crankshaft 8 extends. A pair of arms 34 support and are'connected to plates [6 and I! by means of bolts 19 at one end and are connected to plate 30 at their opposite end by screws 35. In this manner, crankshaft 8 is given a twopoint support with the supporting members being connected to the boat gunwale through two bolts or the like 33.

The modified form of support permits the crankshaft 8 to be operated in a similar manner to the principal form as hereinbefore described.

The present invention is capable of considerable modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claim are deemed to be a part of the present invention.

I claim:

it manually propelling device for boats having a pair of spaced gunwales comprising in combination a bearing detachably connected to each gunwale, a crankshaft journalled in each bearing, a pedal connected to the inner end of each crankshaft, a paddle wheel connected to the outer end of each crankshaft and retained in spaced relation with the outer sides of the boat,

each paddle wheel consisting of a concave disc, radially extending paddles secured to the outer concave face of each disc, the outer extremities JOHN R. Macon/ham.

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