US2582040A

US2582040A - Method of installing propeller shaft struts

Info

Publication number: US2582040A
Application number: US43493A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur E Kammritz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-08-10
Filing date: 1948-08-10
Publication date: 1952-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1969-01-08

Description

Jan. 8, 1952 E. KAMMRITZ I METHOD OF INSTALLING PROPELLER SHAFT STRUTS Filed Aug. 10, 1948 II III R m W m m fly B y W m w 0 Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF INSTALLING PROPELLER SHAFT STRUTS Arthur Kammritz, East Hartford, Conn. Application August 10, 1948, Serial No. 43,493

1 Claim.

This invention relate to method of installing a propeller shaft-strut and more particularly to such struts as are used on motorboats and the like and extend from the keel thereof to support the propeller shaft at the proper angle and provide a bearing therefor.

The installation of a propeller shaft in a motor boat has heretofore been extremely difficult when using the one-piece type of propeller shaft strut, due to the fact that the shaft must be aligned exactly with the bearing on the strut in order to prevent vibration of the propeller shaft, due to misalignment, and subsequent damage to the bearings and other movable parts of the motor boat's power plant.

An object of this invention is to provide a propeller shaft strut which may be aligned with a previously installed propeller shaft and then secured in position on the boat in such alignment, thereby making it unnecessary to align the propeller shaft angle to correspond with. the angle of the bearing on the propeller shaft strut as is necessary with the one-piece type of strut.

A further object of this invention is to provide a propeller shaft strut which may be simply and quickly installed on the boat and which is adapted to receive various types of bearings in accordance with the particular type of propeller shaft used.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a propeller shaft strut which is simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and adapted to provide a rigid propeller guard to prevent damage to the propeller of the boat from foreign objects floating on or submerged'in the water.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved propeller shaft strut illustrating the manner in which it is attached to the keel of a boat.

Fig. 2 is an elevational side view of my improved strut illustrating the manner in which the strut is prepared for alignment with the shaft.

Fig. 3 is an elevational side view of my novel strut with the bearing attached thereto.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof on line 44 of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, my improved propeller strut preferably comprises a bracket 5 formed of a substantially fiat plate and having an integral flange 6 formed at the top thereof and perpendicular thereto and provided with a plurality of holes I for attaching the bracket to the keel of a boat 8 with suitable bolts or screws 9.

I To form a support for the propeller shaft H], which extends from the engine of the boat through a stufiing box H, I provide a bearing 12 having a propeller guard IZ-a extending downwardly therefrom and having ears l3-I3 extending upwardly therefrom to form a slot (4 therebetween which is adapted to receive the end of the bracket 5 when the strut is fully assembled and in position on the boat as shown in Fig. 1. The ears |3l3 are provided with coaxial holes to receive bolts l5l5 for securing the bracket therebetween as will hereinafter be described. The bearing [2 has an axial bore therein to receive a suitable bushing It in which is rotatably positioned the propeller shaft l0.

To install my improved propeller shaft strut on a boat, the propeller shaft [0 is first installed in the boat and the correct size of bushing Hi to fit the said shaft is placed in the bearing l2 and secured therein by means of a set screw [1. The bracket 5, which is made sufiiciently long to extend below the propeller shaft when the flange thereon is held against the keel of the boat, is

then held firmly against the keel in the desired position, with the flat sides of the blade extending fore and aft of the boat and the flange 6 firmly positioned against the keel thereof. The bracket 5 will then be in a position such as shown in Fig. 2 wherein the bottom of the bracket 5 extends below the top of propeller shaft l0. While in this position and using the propeller shaft as a guide, a line is scribed on the bracket parallel to the said shaft. The bracket is then removed and a second line I8, indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 2, is scribed on the bracket exactly parallel to the first line scribed thereon and a predetermined distance above the said first line which is equal to the distance between the top of the propeller shaft 10 and the bottom of the slot M. The bracket is then out along this line l8 and will appear as indicated in Fig. 3 wherein the bottom of the bracket is parallel to the propeller shaft l0 when the said bracket is positioned against the keel and provides a positioning end surface for properly aligning the bearing 12 with the propeller shaft.

The bearing I2 is then slipped over the propeller shaft Ill and moved along the propeller shaft until the end of the bracket 5 is positioned in the notch l4 as shown in Fig. 3 wherein the bottom of the bracket 5 is in engagement with the bottom of the notch H to thereby accurately locate the hearing at the proper angle. The

2,582,040 i Z Y the said ears and bracket.

It will thus be seen that by; providing, a propeller shaft strut which is aligned with the propeller shaft prior to the installation of the strut instead of having to align the propeller shaft with the strut, as is the case when using a onepiece strut, the angle of the propeller shaft does not have to be too carefully determined and the installation of the strut is thereforeextremely facilitated. V

It will also be noted that my improved propeller shaft strut may be slightly modified, to accommodate the particular wishes of the boat owner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

The method of installing a propeller strut bracket and a bearing therefor, wherein the bearing includes a slot, the bottom of which is parallel to the-longitudinal axis ofthe, bearing which includes first installing a propeller shaft in a boat and in the desired functioning position and in angular relation to the bottom thereof, then marking a line on the strut bracket along said shaft as said bracket is held in position against the bottom of the boat, then drawing a line parallel to the said scribed line at a distance predetermined by the distance between the bottom of the slot and theinner face ofthe bearing from said first line and cutting the bracket on said second line to produce a straight edge, then slipping the bearing member over said shaft, positioning. the bottom of the bearing slot against the straight edge of the bracket and rigidly securing said bearing to the bracket in straightedge contacting relation.

ARTHUR E. KAMMRITZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS List Mar. 17, 1925