US2891259A - Motorized surfboard control - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1959 v. 1.. PERRY MOTORIZED SURFBOARD CONTROL Filed. Nov. 21, 1956 INVENTOR. VERNoN L. PERRY' BY wuaamm,s mwb,

add/nut a HTTOPNE Y5 United States atent Patented June 23, 1959 Flee MOTORIZED SURFBOARD CONTROL Vernon L. Perry, St. Paul, Minn.

Application November 21, 1956, Serial No. 623,638

4 Claims. (Cl. 9-1) This invention relates to a motorized surfboard and more particularly to a control assembly therefor.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and simple motorized surfboard structure which will be capable of supporting a user and require skill in operating. and maneuvering the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surfboard of the character described which is capable of complete control with two hand lines which also provide means for maintaining the balance of the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of pull lines with differential leverage and a motor mounting so inter-related in the motorized surfboard structure as to make possible simultaneous steering and controlling of speed by merely pulling on the lines.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my entire surfboard device;

Figure 2 is a top View of the device, certain hidden portions being shown in dotted line;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the surfboard at the enlarged forward end thereof taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, portions of the parts being shown in full line representation and others in dotted. line;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the control means, the general configuration of the motor housing being shown in dotted line and the layout thereof being viewed in the direction of the arrows 44 of Fig ure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top view of the throttle actuator taken onthe line .5.--5. and looking in the direction of the arrows as shown in Figure 3.

With continued reference to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows my entire motorized surfboard which has generally a flat elongated floating body with a rear platform 11 adapted to carry a user in supported relation thereon and so angulated that the user may be supported in standing, sitting or prone position. Also a partof the elongated floating body is a forward chamber portion 12 adapted to retain in enclosed relation the motor 13. Motor 13 may be of the internal combustion type somewhat similar in construction to the conventional outboard motor. The forward chamber 12 is rigidly attached to the rearward platform 11 and may be further sup ported by a frame structure 14 in such a manner as will cooperatively provide a railing or hand grip at each side of the surfboard. The design of the surfboard is such as to maintain proper angulation and contact with the surface of water during use with a person supported on the platform in the manner described.

Motor 13 extends downwardly through the bottom of the chamber portion 12 so as to depend therefrom and be submerged in water during use. The lower portion of the motor 13 constitutes a rigidly connected drive housing 15 which terminates in a propeller housing 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.. The drive housing 15 is provided with a rearwardly extending rudder 17 which assists in steering and directing the surfboard during use.

The motor mount is shown generally at 18 and comprises a stem or tube 19 which interconnects the upper portion of motor 13 with the drive housing 15 and surrounds the motor drive shaft 20 which, in turn, is driv ably interconnected with the rearwardly facing propeller 21. Secured to the inner floor 22 of the chamber .12 is an upstanding stem housing 23 which is provided at its upper end with a thrust bearing surface 24 and an inner circular bearing surface 25, both of which are adapted to contact the shouldered upper end 26 of the stem 19, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower end of the stem 19 has an annular flanged plate 27 keyed thereto by key 28 and providing bearing contact at 29 with the lower flanged portion 30 of the stem housing 23. The flange portion 36 has an annular step 31 formed therein to receive in bearing contact an annular wear ring 32 which in turn is secured to the bottom of the flanged plate 27 as by bolts 33. The upstanding stem housing may be secured in water-tight relation at its lower flanged portion 30 to the chamber bottom 22 by means of fasteners such as bolts 34. The motor mount 18 thus permits the entire motor 13 to be rotated on the motor axis extending coaxially through the stem 19. The rotary steering movement will cause the rudder 17 and propeller 21 to be simultaneously rotated to effect steering of the surfboard. i

As a part of the motor 13, the fuel throttle 35 has an arm 36 adapted for reciprocation in order to accelerate and decelerate the speed of motor 13. An. actuator for the throttle arm 36 is indicated generally at 37 and comprises, inthe form shown, an actuating shaft 38 rotatably received in the bearing brackets 39 which, in turn, are secured to the motor 13 by means of fasteners such as bolts 40. The actuating shaft38 has at its upper end a radial arm 41 which is. pivotally connected to rod 42 by means of pivot pin. 43 as shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the lower end of the actuating shaft 38 .is a reel 44-. A coiled spring 45 is secured about the shaft 38 and fixed at its upper end 46 to the motor 113 and fixed at its lower end 47 to' the reel 44,. The spring 45 constantly urges the actuating shaft 38' and reel 44 in a d rection which will. tend to close the arm 36 of throttle 35.

Line-guide means, indicated generally at 48, are employed to actuate both the fuel throttle and the rotation of the motor for steering as will be subsequently described. The line-guide means includes a pair of idler pulleys 49 and 50 which are rotatably mounted on a flanged support 51, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Also includedin the line-guide means is an idler pulley 52 which is rotatably mounted adjacent the reel 44 in such a manner that the outer circumferencethereof will lie equidistant to the side of. the center line 53 of. motor 13 with the outer circumference of reel 44 and in opposed relation, as shown in Fig. 4. A still further part of the line-guide means includes a pair of pulleys 54 and 55 rotatably mounted on respective brackets 56 and 57 which, in turn, are mounted in opposed relation to the inside of the chamber portion 12 and in alignment with the pulleys 49 and 50. The pulleys 54 and 55 lie equidistant from the center line 53 of motor 13 when it is in its normal aligned position with the longitudinal center line of the entire surfboard.

A pair of lines 58 and 59 are secured in opposed relation at 60 and 61 respectively to the reel 44, as shown in Fig. 4. The lines 58 and 59 are then wrapped in the same direction around reel 44 and extend outwardly therefrom in a direction which tends to oppose the spring tension of spring 45 and to open the throttle 35 when pulling force is exerted thereon. The line 59 is directed around the pulley 52 so as to give equal torque application at each side of the reel 44 and thus minimize wear upon the shaft 38 and other moving parts associated therewith. The lines 58 and 59 then extend forwardly about the respective pulleys 49 and 50, then diverge to the respective idler pulleys 54 and 55. Lines 58 and 59 then extend rearwardly and upwardly to pass through guide openings 62 and 63 formed respectively at each side of the chamber 12, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Lines 58 and 59 terminate at their upward and rearward positions in handles 64 and 65, respectively, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

During the use and operation of my motorized surfboard, the user positions himself on the platform 11 and grips the handle 64 in his left hand and the handle '65 in his right hand. With the motor operating and the surfboard on the surface of the water, the motor may be accelerated by pulling rearwardly with even force on both of the lines 58 and 59. The greater the simultaneous pull, the faster the surfboard will travel. Now, however, when it is desired to turn the surfboard, one of the handles is pulled rearwardly while the other is permitted to advance forwardly without changing the total pulling force thereon. Thus, the surfboard may be turned to the left or the right without accelerating or decelerating. If desired, the surfboard can be accelerated or decelerated during turning by manipulating the handles as noted previously and simultaneously increasing the total pulling force or releasing it, as desired.

Still further, the surfboard may be maintained in a particular course, either straight ahead or in a curved path and without adjusting the relative position of handles 64 and 65, they may be pulled or released to accelerate or decelerate the surfboard.

The ability to independently steer and control the surfboard is dependent upon the greater torque force applied to rotation of the entire motor 13 on the axis of stem 19 rather than upon the rotation of reel 44 against the force of spring 45. The axis of reel 44 may be positioned eccentrically with respect to the motor axis to increase the torque force applied to the motor as compared to that applied to the throttle, or the strength of coil spring 45 may be such that the net torque resistance of the throttle is greater than that of the motor. This difierence in applied force makes it possible to steer the motor independently of actuating the fuel throttle.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing fromthe scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a motorized surfboard having a propeller-type motor rotatably mounted thereon, line-guide means secured radially outward of the axis of rotation of the motor, a fuel throttle having an actuator therefor mounted on said motor and resiliently urged in a direction to close said throttle, a pair of lines secured to said actuator and extending in the opposed direction to throttle-closing direction for opening the throttle to predetermined set-- tings dependent upon the amount of pulling force exerted upon said lines, said pair of lines being shiftably received in the respective line-guide means and directed to opposite sides of the motor, and a handle secured to each line at its outer terminus, the torque resistance of the throttle actw ator being greater than that of the motor, whereby said motor can be rotatably steered by exerting differential pulling force upon the handles and accelerated independently by exerting greater total pulling force upon the handles. v

2. in a motorized surfboard having a propeller-type motor rotatably mountedthereon, line-guide means secured radially outward of the axis of rotation of the motor, a throttle actuating shaft having a reel secured axially thereto, spring means constantly urging the reel and shaft in a direction of rotation to throttle-closing position, a pair of lines secured to said reel in radial relation with the axis of said shaft and extending in opposed direction to that for closing the throttle whereby to open the throttle to predetermined settings dependent on the amount of pulling force exerted on said lines, said pair of lines being shiftably received in the respective lineguide means at opposite sides of the motor, and a handle secured to each of said lines at its outer terminus, the torque resistance of the throttle shaft being greater than that of the motor, whereby said motor can be rotatably steered by exerting dilferential pulling force upon the handles and accelerated independently by exerting greater total pulling force upon the handles.

3. The subject matter set forth in claim 2, wherein the axis of the actuating shaft is eccentrically positioned with respect to that of the motor axis and the radial distance from the motor axis to the line-guide means is greater than that from the point of line attachment to the axis of said actuating shaft so as to apply greater turning torque to the motor than to the throttle shaft.

4. In a motorized surfboard having a propeller-type motor rotatably mounted thereon, a pair of pulleys secured at equal distances in opposed relation to the central plane intersecting the axis of rotation of said motor, a fuel throttle having an actuator therefor mounted on said motor and resiliently urged in a direction to close said throttle, a pair of lines secured to said actuator and extending in the opposed direction to throttle-closing direction for opening the throttle to predetermined settings, depending on the amount of pulling force exerted on said lines, said pair of lines being shiftably received in the repective opposed pulleys, said lines extending first in a forward direction from the actuator to said pulleys then upwardly and rearwardly, and a handle secured to each of said lines at its upper and rearward terminus, the torque resistance of the throttle actuator being greater than that of the motor, whereby said motor can be rotatably steered by exerting differential pulling force upon the handles and accelerated independently by exerting a greater total pulling force upon the handles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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