US3078661A

US3078661A - Bow steering for hydraulic jetdriven boat

Info

Publication number: US3078661A
Application number: US56582A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry U Spence
Original assignee: UPSON MACHINE PRODUCTS Inc
Current assignee: UPSON MACHINE PRODUCTS Inc
Priority date: 1960-09-16
Filing date: 1960-09-16
Publication date: 1963-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-26

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 H. U. SPENCE BOW STEERING FOR HYDRAULIC JET-DRIVEN BOAT :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1960 INVENTOR. HENRY U- SPENCE r" r" f & fay

ATTORNEYS Feb. 26, 1963 H- U. SPENCE BOW STEERING FOR HYDRAULIC JET-DRIVEN BOAT Filed Sept. 16, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. HENRY u. SPENCE Fay a Fay ATTORNEYS Feb. 26, 1963 H, u. SPENCE 3,078,661

BOW STEERING FOR HYDRAULIC JET-DRIVEN BOAT Filed Sept. 16, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HENRYZU. SPENCE FIG] BY J 5 6% a fag ATTO RNEYS 3,078,ti61 Eatented Feb. 26, 1983 3,078,661 80W STEERING FER HYDRAULHQ JE DRIVEN BOAT Henry U. Spence, Painesville, Qhio, assignor to Upson Machine Products, Inc, Painesville, Ohio, a corporation of (thin Filed Sept. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 56,582 8 Claims. (Cl. 60-65254) This invention relates to a bow steering device for hydraulic jet driven boats and is particularly related to a take-off of water under high pressure that is directed to the bow of a boat to steer the bow.

The hydraulic jet driven boat, in common with the conventional propeller driven inboard boat, loses much of its maneuverability at low speeds such as in preparing to dock or otherwise moving in close quarters. At this low spee the direction of the bow becomes very susceptible to wind, currents or wake from passing boats. A further problem of present hydraulic jet driven boats is the lack of a means for steering them while going in a reverse direction. With the tremendous increase in boat traflic, this lack of adequate low speed and reverse control is presenting a serious safety problem which can be eliminated by the use of the bow steering device described herein.

Normal operation of the hydraulic jet driven boat equipped with my proposed bow steering device would be as follows:

At medium or high speeds, the direction of the boat would be controlled by means or a vane or rudder defleeting the propelling jet stream and activated by means of a steering wheel and cable or other connecting means. At low speeds, such as in preparing to dock, the engine speed is reduced and also the control lever is moved slightly backward which partially closes the primary jet nozzle which further slows the boat and also serves to increase the pressure in the diverter valve, which, in turn, increases the elfectiveness of the bow steering nozzles.

As the boat approaches the dock, the control lever may be moved to the left or right indicating directional control as needed to guide the boats accurately to the dock, and at the same time the lever may be moved slightly rearward into the reverse position to permit forward diversion of the primary hydraulic jet to act as a brake in stopping the boat at the desired spot. After the boat has come to rest against the clock, it may be held firmly in this position by moving the control lever to activate the bow steering nozzle on the opposite side of the boat from the docl: while passengers go ashore or come aboard. Backing out from the dock is accomplished by simply moving the control lever into the reverse thrust position and guiding the boat as needed by means of the bow steering control lever.

in general in connection with hydraulic jet pumps for small craft there have been a number of recent improve ments. Pumps of this type normally take water through a grated inlet on the underside of a boat and increased total hydraulic pressure or velocity through a pump. The water is then directed to the rear of the boat and is exhausted through a jet nozzle under high pressure. The water is deflected for steering by means of deflector vanes, butterfly valves, or directional nozzles. The pump develops a source of high-pressure water, part of which is then diverted by means of control valves to the bow of the boat, as described in this invention, to steer the boat as desired at low speeds and in reverse.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bow steering device for hydraulic jet turbines with the use of diverter valves for accurate control of the jet stream in order to control the bow of a boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved and novel bow steering means which is operatively related, and functionally attached to the high pressure source.

A still further object of this invention is to develop an improved hydraulic pump which is characterized by a tap in the high pressure section of the pump discharge for bow steering.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the following description setting forth in detail one approved means of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be used.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view with parts broken away of an inboard hydraulic pump and the bow steering control devices therefor;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the overall view of the controls for how steering;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of FIG. 1 with parts broken away showing the bow steering jet dis charge;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but shown in an alternate position, and showing in schematic lines the flow of water to the port jet nozzle which causes a reaction resulting in turning of the craft to starboard;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic, fragmentary plan view of FIG. 1 with parts broken away, showing the diverter valve supply from the high-pressure area of a typical pump, said diverter valve supply leading to the diverter valve for the bow steering;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of FIG. 2, showing the control lever, with the upper link actuating the bow steering diverter valves, and with the lower link actuating the push rod to the reverse flow diverter valve and the primary jet nozzle; and

F IG. 7 is a sectional View along the line '77 of FIG. 1 looking towards the bow of the boat and showing the port jet discharge together with the control rods for the diverter valve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 19 shows a small inboard water craft having an inboard engine shown schematically at 11, a drive shaft 12, a pair of

universal couplings

13 and 14 and a hydraulic pump at 15 generally with a boss 16 for the drive shaft 12. The hydraulic pump has an inlet at 16 for the intake of water and a jet nozzle 17 with auxiliary reversing jet nozzles 18' and 19. A tap is shown at 20 for supplying high-pressure fluid by means of a conduit 21 to the bow steering diverter valve 22. Other control means for the reversing mechanism is shown schematically at 23 and is operated by means of a cable as at 24, which is connected in with the control means as shown in the cut-away section of FIG. 2.

In general, in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, there are the steering wheel 25, cable operated steering means generally at 26 and the cable drum '27, all of which operate the control butterflies or reaction vanes 77 in the hy draulic jet shown schematically in FIG. 5. Hydraulic rod or other means of turning the reaction vanes may also be employed. The control for the bow steering and for the reversing is by means of a control lever in the forward position 28 and in the reverse position 29. There are a pair of links, one for bow steering as at 30 and one for the forward and reverse direction and control as at 31. The diverter valve 22 will be explained more fully in connection with other views.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the diverter valve 22. The diverter valve generally consists of a body for the valve as shown at 33 with a starboard (right) outlet 34, a port (left) outlet 35, a further conduit as at 36 with coupling means 37 to a jet nozzle as at 38 having gasket and flange means shown generally at 39 as well as a coupling be tween the jet nozzle and the conduit as at 40. The opposite jet nozzle is substantially the same. The passage of water under high pressure is by means of a conduit 21 to the inlet plenum 42, and then the water may pass either to the outlet on the starboard side at 34 or to the outlet on the port side 35 as selected by the control lever. In the body of the diverter valve 33 are a pair of butterflies as at 44 on the right and 45 on the left. The

valves

44 and 45 are supported for oscillatory movement by a shaft 46 which is operatively connected to control

arms

47 and 48. A plurality of stops 49 and 59 are provided with adjustment screws 51 and lock nuts 52 to adjust the angularity of the

valves

44 and 45. The oppo site ends of the

control arms

47 and 48 are shown at 53 and 54 and are connected by means of

pivot pins

55 and 56 to a collar device which is shown more particularly in connection with FIG. 7 at 60. The collar device 60 is freely slidable upon the rod 61. The port collar 62 is attached to control rod 61, the former being adapted to operate the arm 48 to operate the valve 45. A starboard collar is shown at 63 to operate arm 47 and valve 44 in a manner similar to the port collar 62.

The rod 61 is connected by means of a yoke assembly which is shown generally at 64 having a starboard and port dependent arm designated 65 and 66 respectively, and connected by means of a pin 67 to an assembly 68. In this way, the assembly is directly connected to the rod 61. By means of the yoke 64, which is connected by means of a rivet and pin 69 to a universal swivel connection at 70, the entire assembly and the diverter valves may be moved laterally by the control lever.

The diverter valve is caused to be operated by means of rod 61 so that collar 62 forces the end of arm 48 at 56 which is keyed to butterfly valve 45, and as the rod moves to the right as seen in FIG. 3 producing the action shown schematically in FIG. 4, a flow of water under high pressure may be diverted through the diverter valve out through conduit 36 to the jet nozzle 38, which causes the boat to move oppositely to the direction of the jet discharge.

It can be clearly seen in FIG. 4 that the arm 48 moves away from its stop 50, and that the buterfly valve 45 moves to a fully open position. Upon its return to a closed position as shown in FIG. 3, the arm 43 contacts stop 50 and the butterfly valve closes so that no water can pass therethrough. Upon a further movement of rod 61, collar 62 moves to the left, but arm 48 does not translate. Rather, it is held in position because of stop 50 and remains closed. Spring 72 returns the rod to the closed position. When movement is in the opposite direction, the action takes place in the opposite manner, and the opposite diverter valve 44 opens. When the

arms

47 and 48 are against their respective stops as shown in FIG. 3, both butterflies are closed. collar 63 on the rod should be noted as it has been displaced away from the end of the arm 55.

Pressure for the operation of the bow steering device is taken by means of conduit 21 from the pump discharge. This is shown schematically in FIG. where the pump 15 is driven by means of a shaft through the boss in the housing to a driving compressor or pump 75. The water passes a series of stator blades 76 to the control directional butterflies 77 and to the primary jet nozzle. The source of high-pressure fluid for the conduit 21 to the diverter valve is at 78, and the conduit 21 takes the high presure fluid to the diverter valve in the bow of the boat.

Complete control of the bow steering is by means of the control lever which is shown at 28 in detail in connection with FIG. 6. A socket or other control means 80 for the control lever 28 is shown, and the socket has a ball 81 in said socket. The forward operating position is shown to the left, and the reverse operating position is as shown in dotted lines to the right. The

The position of how steering rod is shown at 36 which is connected by means of a clevis 32 and a pin 33 to the control lever 22, and there is a ball 81 attached to the end of the rod 30 mounted in said clevis. A universal swivel 70 is shown as well as a mounting bracket 84 in which the end of the bow steering rod 36 is mounted. By this means the control lever can be moved either forwardly or in reverse, and to the right or to the left. Whole movements to the right or to the left eflect the universal swivel so that it translates the movements to the right or to the left through yoke 64, to the rod 61 and to the diverter valve. The rod 3:} is freely slidable in the collar or yoke member 35 which is pivotally mounted at 86 to yoke member 87 which is riveted to the steering yoke 64. The control lever actuates the rod 39 which is freely slidable in the yoke to the forward and reverse positions. As it moves to the right or to the left, the movement is transferred by means of the universal swivel to the yoke 64. T e control lever is also attached to the push rod 31 which has a clevis means 83 attached to the end with adjustment means as at 89, and as the control lever 28 is moved forwardly or to the reverse position, the push rod 31 projects through its bracket 9% in order to operate the primary jet deflector as seen more clearly in my copcnding application Ser. No. 56,510 entitled, Steering Device for Turbine Powered Watercraft.

The operation of the bow steering control device for hydraulic jet jumps is accomplished in the following manner:

To cause the craft to move to the starboard side, the engine may or may not be throttled down by separate controls (not shown). The control lever 28 is moved to the right, i.e., the starboard side, which opens butterfly valve 45 to cause a stream of water to flow through jet nozzle 38 to the port side, which directs the boat to the starboard. At the same time, if the control lever is put in reverse operating position, other controls may be moved while steering proceeds. The jet nozzles are generally directed downwardly so that adjacent boats or docks will not be splashed.

The invention may be embodied 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.

I claim:

1. In a bow steering device for a boat equipped with a hydraulic pump, a source of water under high pressure from said pump, conduit means from said source, diverter valve means connected to said conduit, additional outlet conduit means from said diverter valve to each side of the boat, jet nozzle openings in said outlet conduit means adjacent the sides of the boat for ejecting a high pressure stream from nozzle openings, said diverter valve means comprising a single actuating means and butterfly valves in each outlet conduit, said actuating means comprising a pair of control arms connected to said butterfly valves, each of said arms being slidably connected with a transverse arm, control means in connection with said transverse arm for selectively rotating one of said butterfly valves to an open position while maintaining the other in a closed position.

2. The bow steering mechanism of claim 1, in which said control means consists of control arms connected to the butterfly valves and slidably mounted on the transverse arm, with a stop collar and pivot on each of said arms, and resilient spring means on the transverse rod between said slidable pivots, whereby the transverse rod may be moved in either direction to force the collar against the slidable pivot and to open the control arm and butterfly valves, said spring means returning the butterfly valves to a neutral position upon release of force on the transverse rod.

3. The bow steering means of claim 2, in which there is an additional stopping device on each of the pivot arms oppositely disposed from the slidable pivot to prevent said arms from rotating in the opposite direction when they are in closed position.

4. The bow steering mechanism of claim 2, in which the stop collars are adjustably mounted on the transverse rod so that a limited amount of play may be provided before the butterfly valves are open to provide a control for opening of the steering ports before the turning action takes place.

5. A bow steering device for a jet driven water craft comprising conduit means from a pump providing a source of high-pressure fluid, a diverter valve means connected to said conduit separating the fluid into a num ber of jet stream passages to the starboard and port sides of a water craft, said diverter valve closing one of said jet stream passages and opening the other to selectively direct the control of the water to starboard and port sides of a water craft, and control means for said diverter valve comprising a yoke structure connected to said diverter valve and a universal swivel connected to said yoke structure, a control lever and swivel mounted in the water craft having a control rod attached to said swivel passing through said universal swivel and being pivotally mounted at the opposite end, whereby movement of the control lever to one side or the other will cause the universal swivel and the yoke to control the diverter valve and the direction of movement.

6. A control device for bow steering of a jet water craft provided with a pump, comprising conduit means from said pump providing source of high-pressure fluid, a diverter valve means connected to said conduit separating the fluid to the port and starboard sides of a water craft, openings on the port and starboard sides of said water craft, said diverter valve means having control means in each of said passages to the port and starboard sides and control means in combination with said diverter valve means to open one of said control means and close the other of said control means to direct the source of high-pressure fluid to either the port or the starboard sides of said water craft, and a yoke connected to said control means and a universal swivel on said yoke, a rod member passing through said universal swivel being pivotally mounted at one end and being swivelled at the other end, said other end being connected to a control lever having a control handle, a fixed mounting in the water craft and a connection to said swivel and rod, whereby movement of said control arm lever will cause the universal swivel and the yoke to move and the control arms of the diverter valve as is required to provide directional control to the water craft.

7. The steering device of claim 6 in which a further steering control is provided by means of another connection on the control lever with a swivel and a push rod, an actuating cable to a primary jet nozzle having forward and reverse jet nozzle selections, said actuating cable providing forward and reverse jet nozzle selection for the water craft, whereby movement of the control lever in addition to the bow steering control will provide a further control by means of an in and out movement of the push rod to actuate a forward and reverse control selection of the water craft.

8. A control lever for a water craft provided with a hydraulic pump having a discharge which provides a source of high pressure fluid, control means on said pump discharge for selecting forward and reverse flow thereof, a diverter valve means connected to the high pressure fluid, with a conduit separating said fluid into at least one pair of jet stream passages, one of said pair leading to the starboard side and the other of said pair leading to the port side of the water craft, openings on the starboard and port sides of said water craft connected to said jet stream passages, said diverter valve means comprising control valve means in each of said passages to the port and starboard openings, and further coordinated control means in connection with said control valve means to open one valve and close the other valve to direct the source of high-pressure fluid to either the port or starboard sides of said water craft, and a yoke structure inv connection with said control means, a universal swivel connected to said yoke structure, and a rod structure extending through said universal swivel and slidably received in a bracket fixedly connected to the water craft, a control lever means connected to the opposite end of said rod, which control lever is fixedly mounted in the water craft for multi-directional angular movement, whereby the control lever means may move to starboard or port to move the universal swivel and the yoke structure to the bow steering device and a further swivel connected to said yoke structure, a push rod connected to said latter swivel and control operating means from the push rod to the forward and reverse control means on said pump, whereby the control lever controls both starboard and port direction as well as forward and reverse direction for the water craft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 300,131 Reichmann June 10, 1884 514,527 Wauters Feb. 13, 1894 917,201 Vollmer Apr. 6, 1909 961,306 Mayhall June 14, 1910 1,337,442 De Cazen Apr. 20, 1920 1,541,712 Horn June 9, 1925 1,694,840 Brown Dec. 11, 1928 1,702,222 Paxton Feb. 12, 1929 1,759,442 Depew May 20, 1930 2,024,274 Campini Dec. 17, 1935 2,363,550 Reichert Nov. 28, 1944 2,745,506 McCallurn May 15, 1956 2,993,463 McKinney July 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 746,383 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Robberson, Wet-Jet Propulsion, Yachting Magazine, vol. 106, No. 5, pp. -71, November 1959,

Claims

1. IN A BOW STEERING DEVICE FOR A BOAT EQUIPPED WITH A HYDRAULIC PUMP, A SOURCE OF WATER UNDER HIGH PRESSURE FROM SAID PUMP, CONDUIT MEANS FROM SAID SOURCE, DIVERTER VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT, ADDITIONAL OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS FROM SAID DIVERTER VALVE TO EACH SIDE OF THE BOAT, JET NOZZLE OPENINGS IN SAID OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT THE SIDES OF THE BOAT FOR INJECTING A HIGH PRESSURE STREAM FROM NOZZLE OPENINGS, SAID DIVERTER VALVE MEANS COMPRISING A SINGLE ACTUATING MEANS AND BUTTERFLY VALVES IN EACH OUTLET CONDUIT, SAID ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF CONTROL ARMS CONNECTED TO SAID BUTTERFLY VALVES, EACH OF SAID ARMS BEING SLIDABLY CONNECTED WITH A TRANSVERSE ARM, CONTROL MEANS IN CONNECTION WITH SAID TRANSVERSE ARM FOR SELECTIVELY ROTATING ONE OF SAID BUTTERFLY VALVES TO AN OPEN POSITION WHILE MAINTAINING THE OTHER IN A CLOSED POSITION.