US2968273A

US2968273A - Foot steering apparatus for outboard motor boats

Info

Publication number: US2968273A
Application number: US787462A
Authority: US
Inventors: Philip H Corbett; Brace James
Original assignee: Brace & Corbett Inc
Current assignee: Brace & Corbett Inc
Priority date: 1959-01-19
Filing date: 1959-01-19
Publication date: 1961-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 1978-01-17

Description

17, 1951 P. H. CORBETT ET AL 2,968,273

FOOT STEERING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR BOATS I Filed Jan. 19, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

\ Philip H. Corbezz and BY James Brace.

Jan. 17, 1961 P. H. CORBETT ET AL 2,968,273

FOOT STEERING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR BOATS Filed Jan. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IbgENTOR. Phzlzp H. orbetz and dc Brace mes A 7"7'ORNEYS 1951 P. H. CORBETT ETAL 2,968,273 v FOOT STEERING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR BOATS Filed Jan. 19, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Phil p H. CO/befl- BY ames Brace.

KE mm.

United States FOOT STEERING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR BOATS 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-153) This invention relates to foot steering apparatus for outboard motor boats, and has for an object to provide an extension steering apparatus which will enable the operator of an outboard motor boat to steer it with his foot thereby leaving him free to use both hands in fishing or other operations.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an apparatus for remote steering of an outboard motor boat in which a lever arm is pivotally mounted on a bracket that is removably clamped to the boat and said lever arm connected to the motor by a detachable connection, and the lever arm moved by a flexible connection to a pedal selectively positioned in the boat whereby the steering apparatus may be quickly and easily applied to the boat or removed therefrom; to provide such a steering apparatus wherein the foot pedal support rests on a supporting surface, such as the bottom of the boat, and is held in position during steering operations by the pressure of the foot of the operator whereby the foot pedal may be positioned at any convenient or desired location in the boat and selectively moved to permit the operator to face in any direction desired; to provide such a steering mechanism that is adaptable for mounting on outboard motor boats of existing construction without entailing any modification or permanent mounting devices; and to provide a foot steering apparatus for outboard motor boats which is economical to manufacture, easy to install and eflicient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

Fig. l is a partial perspective view of a boat provided with an outboard motor equipped with the foot steering apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the boat with the outboard motor and steering mechanism shown in front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through the boat on the line 33, Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the boat on the line 44, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the lever arm and bracket and connection to the outboard motor.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The numeral 1 designates generally a boat or other suitable water craft with an outboard motor 2 attached to the transom 3 by the use of conventional clamps 4, said outboard motor having a bail 5 extending forwardly therefrom with a steering arm 6 connected to said bail, said bail 5 and arm 6 being usual with conventional outboard motors and employed to move the outboard motor to one side or the other in accordance with the direction in which it is desired to steer the boat. The motor 2 is also of conventional structure and tiltable to raise the propeller to clear shallow areas. The boat 1 has a bottom 7 and a seat 8 extending transversely of the boat in forwardly spaced relation to the transom 3.

The foot steering apparatus includes a pedal 9 pivotally mounted on a base plate 10 having a flat underface 11 tent Patented Jan. 17, 1961 preferably provided with an anti-skid surface 12, for example a sheet of ribbed rubber suitably adhered as by adhesive to the bottom face 11 of the plate 10. The plate 10 has upwardly turned side flanges 13 with upstanding extensions or cars 13' midway the length thereof with bearing pins 14 in said ears to pivotally mount the depending side flanges 15 of a foot plate 16 of the pedal 9 whereby the foot plate 16 may be actuated by the foot of an operator to rock same about the axis of the pins 14. The foot plate 16 has spaced members depending from the central portion thereof to form a post 17 with a fastener member 18 pivotally mounted adjacent the lower end of the post near the base plate 10. The fastener 18 has one end 19 of a bendable relatively stifi wire 20 secured thereto. The wire 20 extends from the fastener 18 into an open end 21 of a tubular flexible sheath 22. The end 21 of the sheath is secured to an upstanding flange or rib 23 extending from the upper face of the base plate 10 with suitable fasteners such as nuts or the like 24 on each side of the flange to anchor the end 21 of the sheath thereto. The end 21 of the sheath is spaced from the fastener 18 through all the movements of the pedal, and the rocking movement of the foot plate on the axis of the pins 14 moves the fastener 18 toward and away from the end 21 of the sheath, thereby moving the wire 20 in the sheath 22. The other end 25 of the sheath extends through a flange 26 depending from a guide member 27 secured to a bracket 28. The sheath is held relative to the flange 26 by suitable fastening devices such as nuts 29 whereby the other end 30 of the wire 20 extends .from the end 25 of the sheath at the flange 26.

The bracket 28 is an elongate member adapted to be positioned substantially upright in engagement with the transom 3 or other portion of the boat on which the motor 2 is mounted. The bracket 28 includes a clamp member 31 at the upper end thereof whereby the bracket is clamped to the transom 3 of the boat. The bracket 28 also has a bar portion 28' at the upper end and extending laterally to engage the upper edge of the transom 3 of the boat to act as a stabilizer resisting lateral movement of the lower end of the bracket. The lower end of the bracket member is turned outwardly as at 32 and then upwardly to define an ear 33 on whichrthe lower end of a lever arm 34 is pivotally mounted as by a bolt 35. In the illustrated structure, the lever arm is formed of two pieces whereby the lower end is bifurcated to straddle the ear 33, and a portion 36 substantially in alignment with the end 25 of the sheath 22 is provided with spaced portions in which is pivotally mounted a fastener 37 to which the end 30 of the wire 20 is anchored as by screws 38. The lever arm 34 extends upwardly and forwardly from the portion 36 through a slot 39 in the guide 27 but then is otlset forwardly as at 40 whereby the upper end 41 has a fitting 42 secured thereto carrying a ball 43 of a ball arid socket connector 44 to form a universal connection with one end of a steering link 45, the other end car 47 and a stop 53 whereby the spring urges the link downwardly to maintain the keeper pin 51 engaged with the washer 50. This arrangement provides some play for the connection between the link 45 and the ear 47, and further provides a quick disconnect to permit the operator to quickly change to hand steering if desired. This also provides a quick disconnectif desired when tilting the motor 2 to extreme positions. To make the disconnect, the keeper pin 51 is pulled from the link end and the spring 52 moves the link downwardly to disengage same from the ear 47, whereby tilting of the motor will not be interfered with by the steering mechanism.

In assembling a steering mechanism constructed as described on a boat in which a motor 2 has been secured, the member 47 is secured to the bail 5 to position the car 47 whereby it extends forwardly and substantially horizontally from the bail 5. The clamp '31 is then opened, and the bracket 28 positioned on the transom in laterally spaced relation to the motor with the bar 28 engaging the upper edge of the transom 3, and the pedal is placed in the boat with the base plate resting'on the bottom or other portion of the boat, and then the portion 45' of the link 45 is, inserted into the opening 46 in the ear 47, the washer 50 placed thereon, and the keeper pin 51 inserted to complete the connection of the link with the ear 47. The bracket 28 is then moved laterally until the lever arm 34 is substantially upright midway between the ends of the slot 39, at which position the foot plate 16 should be substantially horizontal. Then the clamp 31 is tightened to secure the bracket 28 to the boat transom or the like. The steering apparatus is then ready for use. The operator assumes his position on the seat as he desires, either facing forwardly, rearwardly or to the side, and he then slides the pedal base plate over the bottom of the boat to a convenient position whereby his foot may comfortably rest on the pedal foot plate 16. Then, by swinging the pedal with his foot, the wire 20 is moved relative to the sheath 22 to swing the lever arm 34 to pivot the motor and steer the boat, as, for example, when the pedal foot plate is moved to a position as illustrated in Fig. 2 the boat will turn to the left, and if the foot plate is inclined in the opposite direction the boat will turn to the right. The wire 20 is a stiff wire that will take the curvature defined by the sheath 22 but still have suflicient rigidity that it will transmit the force from the pedal to the lever arm 34 to swing the motor and steer the boat.

It is to be understood that while We have illustrated and described one form of our invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat having an outboard motor mounted thereon to turn about a vertical axis comprising, a bracket, clamp means on the upper end of the bracket for removably mounting said bracket on a boat in laterally spaced relation to the outboard motor, a lever arm, means pivotally mounting the lever arm on the bracket whereby the lever arm is swingable thereon, a link, means pivotally connecting one end of the link to the lever arm, a plate clamped on the outboard motor and extending forwardly therefrom, a pin portion on the other end of said link pivotally connected tosaid plate, spring means between the link and plate and urging the link in disconnected relation thereto, a keeper removably mounted on the link pin portion to hold same in operative position relative to the plate, a pedal base plate having a fiat bottom surface for resting on a supporting surface in the boat, a foot plate pivoted on the pedal base plate whereby the foot plate has rocking movement relative thereto, and a flexible connection from the foot plate to the lever arm in spaced relation to the pivotal mounting thereof whereby the operator of the boat may steer it by rocking the foot plate on the base plate and transmitting the movement through the flexible connection, the lever arm and link to the outboard motor to turn same on its vertical axis.

2. Foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat having an outboard motor mounted thereon to turn about a vertical axis comprising, a bracket, clamp means on the end of said link pivotally connecting said link to the out-- board motor in spaced relation to the turning axis thereof, removable means on the link pin portion to hold same in operative position relative to said outboard motor, a pedal base plate having a flat bottom surface for resting on a supporting surface in the boat, spaced upstanding ears on said base plate, an elongated foot plate pivoted substantially midway its ends on the upper ends of said base plate ears whereby the foot plate has rocking movement relative thereto, a stiff bendable wire, means connecting one end of said wire to the lever arm in spaced relation to the pivotal mounting thereof, means connecting the other end of the stiff wire to the foot plate in spaced relation to the pivotal mounting thereof, a fiexible sheath surrounding said stilf wire and slidable thereon, means securing one end of said sheath to the base plate, and means securing the other end of the sheath to the bracket, said base plate being slidable in any direction on said supporting surface within the radius of said wire while said base plate remains operatively connected to said bracket and said foot plate remains operatively connected to said lever arm whereby the operator of the boat may steer it by rocking the foot plate on the base plate and transmitting the movement through the stiff wire, lever arm and link to the outboard motor to turn same on its vertical axis.

3. Foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat having an outboard motor mounted thereon to turn about a vertical axis comprising, a bracket, clamp means on the upper end of the bracket for removably mounting said bracket on a boat in laterally spaced relation to the outboard motor, a lever arm, means pivotally mounting the lower end of the lever arm on the lower end of the bracket whereby the lever arm is swingable crosswise of the boat, a link, means pivotally connecting one end of the link to the upper portion of the lever arm, a plate clamped on the outboard motor and extending forwardly therefrom, a pin portion on the other end of said link pivotally connected to said plate, spring means between the link and plate and urging the link toward, disconnected relation thereto, a keeper removably mounted on the link pin portion to hold same in operative position relative to the plate, a pedal base plate having a fiat bottom surface for resting on a supporting surface in the boat, spaced upstanding ears on said pedal base plate, a foot plate pivoted at the upper ends of said ears on the pedal base plate whereby the foot plate has rocking movement relative thereto, a post on the foot plate and depending therefrom, a stiff bendable wire, means connecting one end of said wire to the lever arm in upwardly spaced relation to the pivotal mounting thereof, means connecting the other end of the stiff wire to the foot plate post, a sheath surrounding said stiff wire and slidable thereon, means securing one end of said sheath to the base plate in spaced relation to the post, and means securing the other end of the sheath to the bracket whereby the operator of the boat may steer it by rocking the foot plate on the base plate and transmitting the movement through the stiff wire, the lever arm and link to the outboard motor to turn same on its vertical axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS