US2638863A

US2638863A - Vertically adjustable mount for outboard motors

Info

Publication number: US2638863A
Application number: US242896A
Authority: US
Inventors: Le Roy A Kiebler; Donovan D Aldrich; Dale W Weller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-08-21
Filing date: 1951-08-21
Publication date: 1953-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-19

Description

May 19, 1953 LE 'RoY A. KIEBLER ET L VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE MOUNT FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Au 21, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented May 19, 1953 OFFICE VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE MOUNT FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Le Roy A. Kiebler, De Witt, and Donovan D. Aldrich and Dale W. Weller, Lansing, Mich.

Application August 21, 1951, Serial No. 242,896

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to mounting structures for outboard motors and more particularly to a vertically adjustable mounting structure for raising and lowering an outboard motor relative to a boat on which the motor is carried and for supporting the motor at selected positions of elevation relative to an associated boat.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved mounting structure for an outboard motor which structure can be manually operated or power operated under manual control to raise or lower the motor relative to a boat carrying the motor, so that the motor can be raised for operation in shallow water or to pass over weed beds and other obstructions and lowered for eflic'ient operation in open water of sufiicient depth; which can be connected to an existing motor and motor bracket with no material modification of the motor or bracket construction; which firmly supports'the motor for operation at selected positions of elevation relative to an associated boat;

and which is simple and durable in construction,

thereof Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view I of the support structure and adjacent portion of the motor with parts broken away and shown in cross section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of motor mounting structure with associated parts of the motor and motor mounting bracket;

Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the modified form of supporting structure illustrated in Figure 6 with parts broken way and. shown in cross sectionto better illustrate the construction thereof; and

Figure 8 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7,

With continued reference to the drawings, the numeral I0 generally indicates an outboard motor mounting bracket of known construction having a fiat face or pad H adapted to bear against the outer surface of a boat transom l2, a lug structure l3 spaced from and opposed to the face II to receive the upper portion of the boat transom between the lug structure and the face or pad and clamp screws l4 and I5 threaded through spaced apart, tapped holes in the lug structure and opposed to the pad of the bracket to bear against the inner surface of the boat transom and clamp the boat transom against the face or pad of the bracket. Between the lugs and the pad the bracket is provided with an abutment surface l6 which rests upon the upper edge of the transom to support the weight of the motor and is provided near its upper front corner with bearing openings, as indicated at IT, to receive a pivot bolt It for pivotally connecting the motor to the bracket. The bracket is also provided with series of spaced apart apertures l9 extending along the pad thereof to receive a fastening element for supporting the motor in selected positions of inclination relative to the bracket.

The outboard motor, generally indicated at 20, has an engine 2| and a stem 22 depending from the engine and carrying a propeller, not illustrated, at its lower end, a vertical shaft extending through the stem from the engine to the propeller shaft.

The motor is ordinarily pivotally mounted directly on the bracket [0 for swinging movements about a substantially horizontal axis, so that the motor can be set at selected positions of inclination relative to the bracket, and means are also provided to give the motor freedom of steering movement about a substantially vertical axis.

In the arrangement illustrated, the motor stem 22 is provided with forwardly projecting lugs or

cars

24 and 25, one of which is disposed at the lower side of the engine 2 I, and the other of which is spaced from the upper lug 24 along the stem in a direction from the engine. These ears are apertured to receive a pivot bolt 26 which extends through the lugs and through an element pivotally secured to the bracket I 0 by the pivot bolt Hi to provide a hinge connection between the motor and the bracket, so that the motor can be turned about a generally vertical axis by the steering handle 21 projecting forwardly from the engine 2|, to steer the boat on which the motor is mounted. Various other means, well known to the art, are used to provide a generally vertical pivotal connection between the motor and the motor mounting bracket.

When the motor is mounted directly on the mounting bracket in the usual manner, the propeller, carried at the bottom of the motor stem 22, cannot be raised sufliciently for operation of the motor in very shallow water and to pass over submerged obstructions, such as weed and grass beds, submerged logs and stones. The present invention contemplates the interposition of manually operated or manually controlled means between the mounting bracket and the motor for elevating the motor sufiiciently to bring the propeller adjacent the bottom of the boat, so that the motor can operate in water of a depth only sufiicient to float the boat and can be operated over submerged obstructions, such as those indicated above.

The motor elevating mechanism is generally indicated at 30 and, in the form illustrated in Figures 1 to inclusive, includes a fiat support bar 3|,

base receptacles

32 and 33 secured to one end of the supporting bar, one at each side thereof and projecting perpendicularly from the bar at the lower end of the latter when the structure is operatively mounted on the bracket It, as illustrated in Figure l. A pair of

arms

34 and 35 are joined, each at one end, to the end of the bar 3| remote from the

receptacles

32 and 33, one at each side of the bar and extend from the bar in a direction opposite that in which the receptacles extend from the bar. These arms are provided near their ends remote from the bar with aligned apertures which receive the pivot bolt I8 to pivotally connect the auxiliary bracket structure including the bar 3|, the

base receptacles

32 and 33, and the

arms

34 and 35 to the motor mounting bracket l0.

Hollow cylindrical plunger guides 'or

tubes

36 and 31 have their lower ends threaded into internally screw threaded recesses in the upper sides of the

base receptacles

32 and 33, respectively, and extend upwardly from these base receptacles along the bar 3| in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other. Apertured

ears

38 and 39 extend laterally from the bar 3 I, one at each side of the bar, and receive the upper ends of the

guide tubes

36 and 31 to rigidly secure these tubes to the support bar 3|.

Cylindrical plungers

40 and 4| are slidably received in the

guide tubes

36 and 31 respectively, and project from the upper ends of these guide tubes. At their upper ends the

plungers

40 and 4| are threaded into screw threaded recesses in the lower side of a yoke 42 which spans the distance between the plungers and rigidly interconnects the plungers at their upper ends.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the

plungers

40 and 4| are hollow cylinders and pistons, as indicated at 43 in Figure 2, are slidably disposed, one in each of the

cylinders

40 and 4|. These pistons are held in position adjacent the upper ends of the

corresponding guide tubes

36 and 31 by rods, as indicated at 44, which extend from the pistons downwardly of the guide tubes and through apertures provided in the

base receptacles

32 and 33, these rods being rigidly secured to the base receptacles by clamp nuts, as indicated at 45 and 46 for the rod 44, threaded onto the screw threaded lower ends of the rods and disposed one at each side of the corresponding receptacle. The lower nut for the rod in the guide tube 36 is indicated at 41.

A tongue 48 of elongated, rectangular cross sectional shape, depends from the yoke 42 between the

guide tubes

36 and 31 and a pair of plates 49 and 50 are secured to this tongue near the end thereof remote from the yoke 42, one at each side of the tongue and partly surround the

guide tubes

36 and 31 to provide a guideway for the lower end of the tongue. A projection 5| extends rearwardly from the upper portion of the tongue and has a length equal to the distance between the

ears

24 and 25 on the motor stem. This projection is received between the

ears

24 and 25 and is provided with a longitudinally extending bore 52 which receives the pivot bolt 26 to pivotally connectthe motor stem to the tongue 48.

The tongue is provided with a second bore 53 extending longitudinally therethrough and spaced from the bore 52 and an inlet tube 54 is connected at one end to the lower end of the tongue in communication with the bore 53 and depends from the tongue to a location adjacent the bottom end of the motor stem 22, this tube being connected near its lower end to the stem by a hoop 55 which surrounds the tube and the stem. A check valve 56 is disposed in the lower end of the tube 54 and is effective to admit water into the tube while precluding passage of water out of the tube at the lower end of the latter.

A pump cylinder 51 is formed on the yoke 42 and projects forwardly from the yoke substantially at the mid-width location of the latter and a pump piston 58 is slidably mounted in the pump cylinder and connected to one end of a pump rod 59 which extends through a packing gland 60 threaded into the outer end of the pump cylinder and carries a hand knob 6| on its outer end.

The yoke 42 is provided with a longitudinal bore 62 which communicates at its opposite ends with the interiors of the

cylinders

40 and 4| and communicates at its mid-length location with the bore 53 and with the interior of the pump cylinder 51 through a passage 63. A check valve including a valve ball 64 and a spring 65 is mounted in the yoke with the ball 64 engaging a valve seat at the intersection of the passage 63 with the bore 62 in the yoke.

With this arrangement, when the hand knob 6| is pulled outwardly, water will be drawn from the body of water in which the lower end of the motor stem is submerged through the tube 54, the bore 53 and the passage 63 into the interior of the pump cylinder 51. When the hand knob 6| is then forced inwardly, the water in the pump cylinder will be forced past the check valve ball 64 into the bore 62 in the yoke, passage of this water outwardly through the tube 54 being precluded by the check valve 56 and from the bore 62 in the yoke into the upper ends of the

cylinders

40 and 4| where it will react against the pistons in these cylinders and, filling the space betweenthe pistons and the yoke, will force the pistons upwardly relative to the

guide tubes

36 and 31, raising the motor 20.

The bore 62 is extended to one end of the'yoke and a manually controlled relief valve 66 is threaded into this end of the bore 62. When it is desired to lower the motor, the relief valve 66 is opened to allow the water to flow from the spaces in the cylinders 4|] and 4| between the pistons and the yoke 42, thus permitting the tongue 48 and the motor carried thereby to settle or descend relative to the

guide tubes

36 and 31.

Suitable means, such as pins, are connected to the

guide tubes

36 and 31 and are engageable in selected apertures H! in the motor bracket ID to secure the support structure 30 and the motor 20 at desired angles of inclination relative to the boat.

Where the motor isprovided with a pressure pump for forcing cooling water past the engine cylinders, the outlet of this pump may be connected by a suitable tube to the bore 62 in the yoke 42 through a manually operated two-way valve which may be substituted for the pump described above, so that the power of the outboard motor can be used to raise the motor.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the structure is the same as that illustrated and described above, except that the plungers l0 and "H in the modified form of the invention, instead of being hollow cylinders, as are the cylindrical plungers '40 and 4!,

of the above described form of the invention, are cylindrical elements, each of which has rack teeth 12 extending along the front side thereof and a pinion member 13 is rotatably mounted in bearings 14 and 15 received in a cylindrical housing 16 mounted at its ends in the

auxiliary bracket arms

34 and 35. This pinion member has gear formations ll and'lB thereon which respectively mesh with the rack teeth 12 on the cylindrical plungers 10 and H.

The pinion element 13 is provided at one end with an extension 19 of reduced diameter which extension is provided near its outer end with a transverse aperture. slidably received in the transverse aperture in the extension 19 and is provided with enlarged ends 8| and 82 which retain it in operative assembly with the extension 80. This handle is used to manually rotate the pinion element 13 to move the cylindrical elements or plungers 10 and H longitudinally of the guide tubes 36 and 3! and thereby raise and lower the motor 2|].

Near one end the pinion element 13 is provided with an annular series of ratchet teeth 83 and a paw184 is slidably received in an aperture provided in the housing 16 and has one end engaging the ratchet teeth 83 on the pinion element. A flat spring 85 mounted on the arm 34 has one end in engagement with the pawl 84 and resiliently urges the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth 83, the arrangement being such that the pawl will hold the pinion element against reverse rotation when the pinion element is manuall rotated in a direction to raise the motor. A head or hand knob 86 is provided on the end of the pawl 84 remote from the pinion element and when it is desired to lower the motor, this knob is manually rasped and the pawl pulled away from the ratchet teeth to free the pinion element to rotate in a reverse direction, so that the motor will descend relative to the mounting bracket.

The invention may be provided in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an outboard motor and a motor supporting bracket, a longitudinally adjustable motor mount interposed between said bracket and said motor for raising and lowering the motor when the bracket is operativel mount- A crank or handle 60 is ed on a boat comprising an auxiliary bracket structure pivotally connected at one end to said bracket for movement about an axis extending transversely of said bracket and overlapping the latter, a pair of guide tubes secured to said auxiliary bracket structure and extending from the other end of the latter longitudinally thereof in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other, cylindrical plungers slidably mounted one in each of said guide tubes and projecting from the ends of the latter remote from said other end of the auxiliary bracket structure, a yoke mounted on said cylindrical plungers at the ends of the latter projecting out of said guide tubes, a tongue depending from said yoke, means guiding said tongue relative to said auxiliary bracket structure for longitudinal movement of the former relative to the latter, means carried by said tongue and pivotally connecting said motor to said tongue for movement about an axis extending longitudinally of the latter, and manually operated means connected between said aux iliary bracket structure and said plungers for imparting substantially vertical movements to said yoke and said tongue relative to said auxiliary bracket structure.

2. In combination with an outboard motor and a motor supporting bracket, a longitudinally adjustable motor mount interposed between said bracket and said motor for raising and lowering the motor when the bracket is operatively mounted on a boat comprising an auxiliary bracket structure pivotally connected at one end to said bracket for movement about an axis extending transversely of said bracket and overlapping said bracket, a pair of guide tubes secured to said auxiliary bracket structure and extending from the other end toward said one end of the latter in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other, cylindrical plungers slidably mounted one in each of said guide tubes and projecting from the: ends of the latter remote from said other end of the auxiliary bracket structure, a yoke mounted on said cylindrical plungers at the ends of the latter projecting out of said guide tubes, a tongue depending from said yoke,- means guiding said tongue relative to said auxiliary bracket structure for longitudinal movement of the former relative to the latter, means carried by said tongue and pivotally connected to said motor for movement of said motor relative to said tongue about an axis extending longitudinally of said auxiliary bracket structure, each of said cylindrical plungers constituting a hollow cylinder, pistons slidably mounted one in each cylinder, means in said guide tubes supporting said pistons from the ends of said guide tubes remote from said yoke, a hand pump mounted on said yoke, said yoke having fluid passages therein connecting said pump with the spaces within said cylinders betweensaid pistons and said yoke and said tongue having a fluid passage therein connecting the fluid passages in said yoke with the end of said tongue remote from said yoke, check valves in said fluid passages constraining the flow of fluid from the end of said tongue remote from said yoke to said pump and from said pump into said cylinders, and a manually operated relief valve connected to one of said fluid passages for venting fluid from said cylinders.

3. In combination with an outboard motor and a motor supporting bracket, a longitudinally adjustable motor mount interposed between said bracket and said motor for raising and lowering the motor when the bracket is operatively mounted on a boat comprising an auxiliary bracket structure pivotally connected at one end to said bracket for movement about an axis extending transversely of said bracket and overlapping the bracket, a pair of guide tubes secured to said auxiliary bracket structure and extending from the other end toward said one end of the latter in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other, cylindrical plungers slidably mounted one in each of said guide tubes and projecting from the ends of the latter remote from said other end of the auxiliary bracket structure, a yoke mounted on said cylindrical plungers at the ends of the latter projecting out of said guide tubes, a tongue extending from said yoke between said guide tubes, means guiding said tongue relative to said auxiliary bracket structure for longitudinal movement of the former relative to the latter, means carried by said tongue and pivotally connected to said motor for movement of said motor relative to said tongue about an axis extending longitudinally of said auxiliary bracket structure, each of said cylindrical plungers constituting a hollow cylinder, pistons slidably mounted one in each cylinder, means in said guide tubes supporting said pistons from the ends of said guide tubes remote from said yoke,

and manually controlled hydraulic means connected with the spaces in said cylinders between said pistons and said yoke for imparting movement to said tongue longitudinally of said auxiliary bracket structure.

4. In combination with an outboard motor and a motor supporting bracket, a longitudinally adjustable motor mount interposed between said bracket and said motor for raising and lowering the motor when the bracket is operatively mounted on a boat comprising an auxiliary bracket structure pivotally connected at one end to said bracket for movement about an axis extending transversely of said bracket and overlapping said bracket, a pair of guide tubes secured to said auxiliary bracket structure and extending from the other end of the latter toward said one end thereof in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other, cylindrical plungers slidably mounted one in each of said guide tubes and projecting from the ends of the latter remote from said other end of the auxiliary bracket structure, a yoke mounted on said cylindrical plungers at the ends of the latter projecting out of said guide tubes, a tongue extending from said yoke between said guide tubes, means guiding said tongue relative to said auxiliary bracket structure for longitudinal movement of the former relative to the latter, means carried by said tongue and pivotally connected to said motor for movement of said motor relative to said tongue about an axis extending longitudinally of said auxiliary bracket structure, each of said cylindrical plungers having rack teeth along one side thereof, a pinion element mounted in said auxiliary bracket structure for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the latter and meshing with the rack teeth on said plungers, means connected to said pim'on element for manually imparting rotational movement to the latter to move said tongue longitudinally of said auxiliary bracket structure, and means carried by said auxiliary bracket structure and releasably engaging said pinion element to hold said tongue in selected positions of longitudinal adjustment relative to said auxiliary bracket structure.

LE ROY A. KIEBLER. DONOVAN D. ALDRICH. DALE W. HELLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,135,907 Miller Nov. 8, 1938 2,302,795 Noble Nov. 24, 1942 2,508,240 Fenn May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 309,789 Italy July 17, 1933 631,036 France Sept. 3, 1927