US3596624A

US3596624A - Propelling and steering means for boats

Info

Publication number: US3596624A
Application number: US19250A
Authority: US
Inventors: Willard E Lay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-03-13
Filing date: 1970-03-13
Publication date: 1971-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-03

Abstract

A manually operated propelling and steering means for boats comprising, a rotatable hand operated member which when rotated will through gears rotate a flexible shaft, a propeller for propelling the boat, and including a tubular housing surrounding the flexible shaft which is rotated manually to position the propeller to steer the boat.

Description

United States Patent wmm 1:. Lay 1810 N. Monitor Ave., Chicago, 111. 60639 19,250

Mar. 13, 1970 Aug. 3, 1971 {72] Inventor [21] Appl .No.

[22] Filed [45] Patented [54] PROPELLING AND STEERING MEANS FOR BOATS 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 115/18 [51] Int. Cl B63h 21/26 [50] Field of Search 115/24 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,752,617 7/1956 Fowler et al. 115/24 X 3,010,421 11/1961 Perkins 115/24 Primary ExaminerAndrew H. Farrell Attorney-Max R. Kraus ABSTRACT: A manually operated propelling and steering means for boats comprising, a rotatable hand operated member which when rotated will through gears rotate a flexible shaft, a propeller for propelling the boat, and including a tubular housing surrounding the flexible shaft which is rotated manually to position the propeller to steer the boat.

PATENTEUAUE 3:971 3.598624 SHEET '2 0F 2 Inventor WILLARD E. LAY

BY v

ATTY.

PROPELLING AND STEERING MEANS FOR BOATS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide a manually operated propelling and steering means for a boat which is economical to produce and which is easy to operate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of the device attached to the stern of a boat.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the device.

FIG. 3 is'a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view with the cover plate removed taken on line 5-5 ofFIG. 3, and I FIG. 6 is a schematic view and partly in section showingthe steering mechanism.

The device generally indicated at 9, as exemplified in the drawings, comprises a housing 10 made preferably of aluminum, having an inclined top portion 12 which has an enlarged opening 13 adapted to be closed by an oval-shaped plate or cover 14 removably fastened thereto by suitable fastening means. The plate or cover 14 is removable topermit access to the interior of the housing. The housing has a rearwardly extending hollow stub 16 which receives a rotatable shaft 18.

F ixedly secured as at 19 to the outer end of the shaft 18 is a crank arm 20 on which is mounted a handle 21. The opposite end of the shaft is enlarged as at 22 and fixedly secured to said opposite end of the shaft is a large bevel gear 24 which extends vertically and which meshes with a rotatable bevel pinion 26 having a collar 27 which in turn is supported on a supporting, block 28 which is supported in the housing 10. A rigid vertical shaft 30 is fixedly secured as at 32 to the collar 27 of the pinion 26 and said shaft extends through a bore 34 in they block 28.

4 The lower end of the rotatable shaft 30 is enlarged to form a cup-shaped end 33 to which is fixedly secured the end of a flexible shaft 34, as best seen in FIG. 6, so that rotation of the shaft 30 will correspondingly rotate the flexible shaft 34. A bearing 36 surrounds the cup-shaped end 33 of the rotatable shaft 30. The bearing 36 has an upper flange 37 which is received in an annular recess in the bottom of block 28; Sur-' rounding the flexible shaft 34 is a tubular housing 40 which is spaced from the flexible shaft 34. The lower end of the cupshaped end 33 is spaced as at 41 from the top of the tubular housing 40.

A clamping member 42 surrounds the upper portion of the" tubular housing and is clamped to said housing to rotate said" housing for steering purposes. The clamping member is bent at its opposite ends to provide

extensions

44 and 46 extending outwardly thereof which are fastened by a fastening element 48. Said extensions are spaced from each other and are tightened or brought together by the fastening element 48. Extension 44 has a hooked end 44' and extension 46'has a hooked end 46 to which are anchored the cables, presently to be described. When the clamping member is turned by the ca-' bles it will turn the housing 40 with it. The turning of the tubular housing 40 will position the propeller for steering.

A bearing 50 having a flange 51 is secured to said housing below and in spaced relation to said clamp. The flange 51 rides in an annular recess in a supporting plate 52 secured to the main housing 10.

The lower end of the tubular housing 40 is arcuately shaped as at 40 so that the end of the tubular housing is substantially at right angles to the vertical axis of the tubular housing. The flexible shaft 34 which extends inside the tubular housing 40 follows the curvature of the tubular housing and has a propeller blade 53 fixedly connected to thelower end'of said flexible shaft.

LII

STEERING MECHANISM The steering mechanism will now be described.

A steering member, generally of an inverted T-configuration, and generally indicated. at 54, comprises a central body portion 55 having a central U-shaped recess 56 with opposite laterally extending sides 58. A handle 59 extends upwardly of the body portion 55! The steering member is mounted on the stub 16 of the housing, with the U-shaped recess 56 embracing the stub 16. A strip 60 made of a spring metal material is secured by fasteners 61 to the sides 58 to span the mouth of the U-shaped recess 56 and to engage the stub 16 to apply a pressure against the stub and provide a tautness between the steering member and the stub. A suitable washer 62 is positioned in the groove 64 in. the stub to prevent lateral shifting of the steering member on said stub. The opposite ends of the metal strip 60 are shaped to form hook ends 66 to which the ends of the cables are-secured.

A pair of

cables

68 and 70 are attached to the hook ends 66 of the member 58. A pair of rollers or

pulleys

72 and 73 are freely rotatable and spacedly-mounted on a rod 74 which is supported on the housing in an-opening 76 thereof. Cable 68 is connected to one side of the steering member 54 and extends downwardly and inwardly at an inclined angle and around the roller or pulley 72,"with its end connected to the hook 46' of the clamp extension46 (FIG. 6). The other cable 70 is connected to the other side of the steering member 54 and also extends downwardly and inwardly at an inclined angle and around the other roller or pulley 73, with its end connected to the hook 44 of the clamp extension 44.

Pivoting the steering member 54 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, will move the cable 70 upwardly and cause the clamp 42 to rotate-clockwise (FIG. 6) to in-turnrotate with it the tubular housing 40 in the same direction and position the propeller blade at an angle to the Ieft'of center to steer the boat to the left. Pivoting the steering member 54 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, will elevate the cable 68 and cause it to rotate the clamp 42 counterclockwise and correspondingly rotate with it the tubular housing 40 and position the propeller at an angle to the right of center tosteer the boat to the right.

To propel the boat the crank arm 20 is rotated thereby rotating bevel gear 24 and bevel pinion 26 and shaft 30 with flexible shaft 34, thereby rotating the propeller blade 53 to propel the boat. Rotating. the crank arm 20 in the reverse direction will reversethe'rotation of the propeller to reverse the direction of the boat.

The housing has an opening 80 adjacent the clamp 42 and which is closed bya cover plate81. The main housing 10 is provided with a pair of spaced rearwardly extending arms 82 to which are pivotally secured, as at 84, a U-shaped clamp bracket 86 having clamping screws 87 to fasten the clamp to the stern wall 88 of the boat. The unit may then be pivoted with respect to theboat to lift the propeller clear of the water.

What I claim is:

l. A manually operated propelling and steering device for boats comprising in combination, a housing, gear means, a handle for manually rotating said gear means, a tubular housing, a flexible shaft rotatably supported in said tubular housing and connected to said gear means and a propeller blade mounted to said flexible shaft which when rotated rotates said propeller blade, a steering mechanism comprising a steering member, a pair of cables connected to said. steering member and to said tubular housing to rotate said tubular housing for positioning the propeller blade to steer said boat.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the cables are connected to a member which is secured to said tubular housing for rotating said tubular housing.v

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the propeller blade is positioned parallel to the vertical axis of the housing.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the cables pass around pulleys prior to their connection to said member which is secured to said tubular housing.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which a clamping member is connected to said tubular housing and in which the cables are secured to the clamping member.

9. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which a rigid shaft is operated by said gear means and said rigid shaft is connected to said flexible shaft to operate said flexible shaft.

10. A structure as set forth in claim 9 in which the cables are secured to a clamping member which rotates the tubular hous-

Claims

1. A manually operated propelling and steering device for boats comprising in combination, a housing, gear means, a handle for manually rotating said gear means, a tubular housing, a flexible shaft rotatably supported in said tubular housing and connected to said gear means and a propeller blade mounted to said flexible shaft which when rotated rotates said propeller blade, a steering mechanism comprising a steering member, a pair of cables connected to said steering member and to said tubular houSing to rotate said tubular housing for positioning the propeller blade to steer said boat.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the cables are connected to a member which is secured to said tubular housing for rotating said tubular housing.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the steering member has a central opening and is pivotally supported on an extension of said housing.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 5 in which a strip is secured to said steering member and bridges said opening to apply pressure on said extension.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said steering member is of a generally inverted T-shape configuration and has a central opening for pivotally supporting said steering member on an extension extending rearwardly of said housing.

10. A structure as set forth in claim 9 in which the cables are secured to a clamping member which rotates the tubular housing.