US3636911A

US3636911A - Power driven aquaplane

Info

Publication number: US3636911A
Application number: US11574A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joe E Piazza; Paul E Nichols
Original assignee: Leisure Products Corp
Current assignee: Leisure Products Corp
Filing date: 1970-02-16
Publication date: 1972-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-25

Abstract

A power driven aquaplane adapted for steering by body motion alone and having a transverse throttle bar mounted above a foreward portion of the plane or boat which is operable from either end to control the speed of an outboard motor mounted on a stern plate of the vehicle.

Description

United States Patent Piazza et a1.

Jan. 25, 1972 POWER DRIVEN AQUAPLANE Inventorsz, Joe E. Piazza, Pacifica; Paul E. Nichols,

Sunnyvale, both of Calif.

Leisure Products Corporation, Menlo Park, Calif.

Feb. 16, 1970 Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

U.S. Cl ..1 15/70, 74/480 B Int. Cl ..B63b 35/00 Field of Search ..1 15/70, 17, 18; 74/480 B, 480,

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,280,786 10/1966 Rowell ..l15/70 637,821 11/1899 Pau1son.. ...74/488 X 1,902,524 3/1933 Roth ..74/488 X Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix I AttomyStanley Bialos and Gregg & Hendricson 5 7] ABSTRACT A power driven aquaplane adapted for steering by body motion alone and having a transverse throttle bar mounted above a foreward portion of the plane or boat which is operable from either end to control the speed of an outboard motor mounted on a stern plate of the vehicle.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JAN25 I972 SHEET 3 [IF 4 lllllllllll I ham-wraps Jo: f. Pmzzn P404 i, Men/045 MM flrroeA/if POWER DRIVEN AQUAPLANE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION board upon which the operator stands, together with a looped line held by'the-operator as the board istowed through the water by a power boat. This type of boat or plane together with water skis find widespread favor as a leisure device at water resorts. A major limitation is present in the dependency upon separate motive power as from a motor boat or the like. Further, the operator is not able to control the direction of travel for the vehicle must follow the towing boat.

There have been at least suggested the mounting of a motor upon an aquaplane, however numerous difficulties and hazards are present in such a combination. An aquaplane is inherently unstable in the water, particularly at rest, and the balance and reflexes of the operator standing on the plane are additionally taxed by attachment of a motor. The weight of a motor may well sink a conventionally designed aquaplane and also, when placed in the rear, as is almost necessary, poses a major problem to start up. Although a rigid forward upright may be provided on an aquaplane to assist the operator to balance himself, this fails to solve the problem of an operator starting such as an outboard motor that may be mounted at the rear of the aquaplane while controlling the speed of such motor, and also fails to afford an operator the capability of leaning far outboard while controlling motor speed.

The present invention solves the foregoing and other problems of a power driven aquaplane by provision of an improved motor control system and aquaplane structure.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention provides an improved aquaplane structure of substantial buoyancy and including a removable rigid upright handlebar assembly transversely of the body and forward of the center thereof. A rear transom plate is provided for mounting of a conventional outboard motor upon the aquaplane. The aquaplane is adapted for use by an operator standing thereon while gripping the handlebars and steering the aquaplane solely by body movement, i.e., shifting body weight and leaning to port or starboard. An outboard motor mounted on the transom has the shaft locked to prevent horizontal traverse so that only body motion provides steering.

The invention further provides an improved throttle control unit extending between an outboard motor mounted on the transom plate and the handlebars. This throttle control is operable from either port or starboard ends of the handlebars to vary the speed of the motor and includes means for automatically returning the motor to a condition of idle or shutoff" upon throttle control release. Particular advantage is achieved by this double-ended" throttle capability in the steering and starting of the aquaplane. One standing upon the aquaplane must turn toward the motor and reach out with one hand to pull the start cord" and normally retains his balance by gripping the handlebars with the other hand. As soon as the motor starts the aquaplane is placed in motion and the operator must then pivot about to face forward and operate the controls. With the present invention, an operator may grip either end of the throttle control during starting, depending upon whether he operates the invention right or left handed. Consequently the operator is able to retain balance at all times during the start-up operation. Further, the double-ended" throttle control allows an operator to lean far outboard with both hands gripping one end of the handlebars and yet exercise throttle control.

There is also provided herein an improved method of providing remote throttle control of an outboard motor.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES The present invention is illustrated as to a preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a power driven aquaplane in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the aquaplane of FIG. 1 illustrating the position of a right-handed and a lefthanded operator starting the motor;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the throttle control at the handlebars taken in the plane 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partially schematic illustration of portions of the throttle control at the handlebars;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the throttle control taken in the plane 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the throttle control taken in the plane 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a partial side view of the throttle control connection to an outboard motor mounted on the aquaplane;

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the throttle control connection at the motor taken in the plane 99 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a partial transverse sectional view taken in the plane 10-l0 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Considering now a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein there will be seen to be shown an aquaplane 21 formed in accordance with the present invention. The aquaplane is preferably formed as a unitary hollow hull or body of a rigid structure from front to rear end of a material such as Fiberglas by joining together top and bottom portions 22 and 23 to form one or more flotation compartments therebetween and there is formed a central depression in the upper portion 22 as generally illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3. At the rear of the aquaplane there is provided a transom 26 formed, for example, of a heavy transverse board of plywood or the like firmly anchored to the Fiberglas body as a rear closure to the depression 24 and providing means for mounting an outboard motor 27. The motor may be clamped to the transom 26 in the same manner as outboard motors are normally attached to the stern of boats. The aquaplane of the present invention also includes an upright handlebar assembly 28 mounted forwardly of the body in extension upwardly from the top thereof and extending transversely across the body. This handlebar assembly 28 is provided for the purpose of gripping by an operator of the aquaplane 21 for balancing purposes of the operator and also for operation of the outboard motor 27 mounted on the aquaplane. Throttle control means 29 are provided in extension from the handlebar apparatus to the motor for the foregoing purpose.

Considering the throttle control means 29 in somewhat further detail and referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, it will be seen that the handlebar assembly 28 includes a rigid upright structure 31 adapted for removable attachment to the hull of the aquaplane 21 and mounting at the top thereof a pair of aligned laterally spaced cylindrical mounts or mounting blocks 32 and 33. An elongated handlebar tube 34 is extended through these mounts 32 and 33, as shown in FIG. 4, and is secured thereto by a pair of screws 36 that may, for example, be self tapping.

An elongated torque tube 41 is disposed axially through the handlebar tube 34 and a cylindrical spacer 42 is connected to each end of the torque tube 41 by means of a pin 43 extending through tube and spacer, as illustrated in FIG. 5. These spacers 42 are disposed about the torque tube at opposite ends of the handlebar tube 34 against the outer ends of the handlebar tube, as shown in FIG. 4. At each end of the handlebar tube there is provided a rotatable sleeve assembly or twist member 44 of like construction and, referring to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the sleeve assembly 44 includes a hollow cylindrical sleeve 46 having a slotted outer end. The sleeve fits over the handlebar tube 34 at the end thereof with the above-noted pin 43 extending into the end slot 47 of the sleeve with the sleeve extending over the cylindrical spacer 42 at the end of the torque tube. Thus, it will be seen that the torque tube is mounted within the handlebar tube for rotation by twist members or sleeve assemblies which are adapted to be rotated about the handlebar tube. Thus the twist members at opposite ends of the handlebar are coupled together.

At the left of the handlebar assembly as shown in FIG. 4, there is provided what may be termed a twist grip assembly 51 including the above-described sleeve assembly 44. This twist grip assembly 51 includes a pulley wheel or drum 52 disposed about the sleeve 46 in attachment thereto and a housing 53 over the drum. The housing is formed as two meeting halves that are placed together about the sleeve 46 and tightened in position by means of bolts 54 with each bolt having a head abutting a surface of one-half and a shank threaded into the other half, as shown in FIG. 7. The housing 53 extends about the pulley wheel or drum 52 with openings for access to the bolt heads and includes a depending hollow cylindrical projection 57 through which a cable at 58 is adapted to pass for engagement with the pulley wheel. The throttle cable 58 may be of the general type employed as a speedometer cable or the like wherein an outer sheath or casing 59 surrounds the cable 58 so that the cable itself is free to move within the sheath. At the end of the cable 58 there is provided a fitting 55 as, for example, in the form of a short cylinder secured to the cable end for the purpose of attachment of the cable to the pulley wheel 52. This attachment may be accomplished by the provision of corresponding circular openings 56 through the sides of the pulley wheel, as shown in FIG. 5, with a slot extending from these openings to the wheel periphery. The fitting may thus he slipped laterally into the wheel openings with the cable then lying about the wheel hub as shown in FIG. 6 and extending through the housing opening 57. A rubber or plastic twist grip 60 may be slipped over the sleeves at opposite ends of the handlebar tube and cemented thereto if desired.

It will be seen that with the foregoing construction of the handlebar assembly, turning of the grips 63 from either end of the assembly will serve to rotate the pulley wheel and move the cable 58. This capability is highly advantageous in control of a power driven aquaplane, and set forth in more detail below.

Considering now the throttle control 29 of the present invention as applied to an outboard motor 27 mounted upon the transom of the aquaplane 21, reference is made to FIGS. 8, 9 and of the drawings. The outboard motor 27 is conventionally provided with a throttle bar 61 which is rotated to vary the throttle setting of the motor. The present invention operates to produce this rotary motion to the throttle bar from the handlebar assembly described above. To this end there is provided a split pulley wheel 62 having a somewhat rectangular shaft opening with serrations 63 formed along at least part of the inner surface of the opening. Spacers 64, also having serrations along the inner surfaces thereof, may be provided for the purpose of accommodating attachment of the pulley to different sized throttle bars on different outboard motors. In assembly the split pulley wheel 62 is placed about the throttle bar 61 with or without one or both spacers 64 as may be required and is clamped to the bar 61 by means of bolts 66 extending from one wheel half into threaded engagement with the other, as shown in FIG. Q. The throttle control assembly is adapted to provide a dead man throttle which returns the throttle control to idle or shutoff position when released.

The throttle bar 61 is in fact comprised as a central rotata ble bar or the like extending from a cylindrical housing 71 and having, for example, a twist grip on the end thereof for normal outboard motor operation. In accordance with the present invention, this twist grip is either removed from the throttle bar and the above-noted pulley wheel 62 is secured to the end of the rotatable throttle bar, or it is possible to attach the pulley wheel about the twist grip itself or to the bar between grip and housing, as shown. As briefly noted above, the present invention provides for returning the throttle to an idle or shutoff position when the throttle control mechanism of the present invention is released. This is herein accomplished by the provision of a bracket 72 which is mounted upon the throttle bar housing 71 and depends therefrom. As shown in FIG. 8, this bracket 72 extends downwardly beneath the throttle bar housing 71 and is mounted thereon as by means of one or more clamps 73 which may include depending plates bolted to the top of the bracket. An individual clamp, such as shown in FIG. 10, may, for example, comprise a flexible strip of laterally slotted metal 74 extending about upper lateral pro jections of a mounting plate 76 and having a thumbscrew operated threaded engagement for tightening the strap or the like 74 about the housing, somewhat in the manner of a pipe clamp. Alternatively other types of mounting means may be employed.

At the lower end of the bracket 72 there is provided mounting means such as a split mounting block 77 with the two portions thereof defining the vertical aperture therethrough. This block 77 is attached to the bracket by a thumbscrew 78 extending through the bottom of the bracket and threaded into one side of a mounting block. A pair of bolts 79 extend from the exterior of the mounting block through the outer portion thereof into threaded engagement with the inner portion adjacent the bracket 72, as generally illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. The cable 58 is placed between the portions of the mounting block 77 and the mounting block bolts 79 are then tightened to grip the cable casing or sheath 59. Alternatively the block may be formed integrally with the bracket 72. The end of the cable 58 is extended about the pulley wheel 62 and has the end thereof formed as a loop, as indicated at 81 of FIG. 9, A transverse pin 82 is extended through the side flanges of the pulley wheel with a head on one end of the pin exteriorly of the wheel. This pin extends through the loop 81 on the end of the cable and a cotter pin 83 engages the opposite end of the pin 82 to maintain such pin in recited position.

With the above-described structure it will be seen that drawing of the cable 58 downwardly in FIG. 9 will serve to rotate the throttle shaft 61 in a counterclockwise direction, which in this illustration is intended to increase the throttle setting, i.e., speed up the motor. An elongated spiral return spring 86 has one end thereof looped about the pin 82 of the pulley wheel and the other end looped about a convenient location at the bottom of the bracket such as, for example, the head of one of the bolts 79 of the mounting block 77. This spring is maintained in tension so as to thus at all times tend to rotate the pulley wheel and thus the attached throttle shaft 61 in a clockwise direction for returning the throttle setting to either idle or shutoff.

The throttle control cable 58 extends from the handlebar assembly as described above to the throttle control of the outboard motor. In such extension it is preferable to provide a number of small retaining clips 88 which may snap about the cable sheath or casing and attach to the aquaplane hull as, for example, along the inner side of the recess therein as shown in FIG. 1. It will be seen that, with the throttle control means as described above, rotation of either end of the handlebar assembly by an operator will result in movement of the cable 58 which consequently rotates the throttle control bar of the outboard motor to thereby vary the speed of the outboard motor.

It is to be particularly noted that outboard motor is to be locked so as to operate only in a straight fore and aft condition. This is accomplished by use of the steering adjustment or friction screw which is an integral part of outboard motors and is schematically illustrated at 91 of FIG. I. With the motor screw 92 oriented to drive the motor directly forward, the friction screw 91 is tightened to lock the motor in this condition inasmuch as steering of the improved aquaplane of the present invention is accomplished solely by the shifting of body weight by an operator, as is described in more detail below.

Considering now operation of the present invention and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, it is first noted that the aquaplane is preferably formed of a size to readily accommodate or hold a single person standing upright in the center thereof. Thus, for example, the body or hull may have a length of the order of 7 to 8 feet and a width of 3% feet. The handlebar assembly 28 extends upwardly from the hull sufficiently so that an operator standing in the recess 24 of the hull can conveniently grip the handlebars while remaining in a relatively upright position. To this end the total height of the hull and handlebars may be of the order of 3 feet and it is further noted that the handlebar assembly is preferably detachably mounted on the hull so as to be readily removed for storage and transport of the aquaplane. In operation a person stands in the hull and grips the handlebar. By rotating the handlebar ends the throttle setting of the outboard motor is changed so that the speed of the aquaplane through the water is continuously variable at the will of the operator. Control over direction of the aquaplane is accomplished by the operator leaning from one side to the other and thus shifting his body weight, somewhat in the manner that a water skier directs his travel. There is, however, provided by the present invention complete control over the velocity of movement by the operator himself and also a complete freedom as to direction of travel so that the operator then has the freedom of power boating with the thrill and athletic endeavor of water skiing. Control over turning is accomplished by a coordination of shifting of the weight of the operator with throttle control as the turning radius is in part dependent upon the speed of the plane through the water. Only a relatively small outboard motor, such as 6 to [4 horsepower, is required to reach substantial speeds, as of the order of 25 mph.

A particular and important improvement afforded by the present invention is the double-ended throttle control at the handlebars of the present invention. The importance of this type of control under starting conditions is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. It is intended that the present invention shall be adapted for use with substantially all outboard motors of relatively low power and such motors are conventionally started by rapidly pulling a starter cord 93 which thus requires the operator to turn toward the motor in order to grip this cord. There is illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, an operator 94 standing in the aquaplane 21 and reaching back with his left hand to pull the starter cord 93. It is to be appreciated that the aquaplane of the present invention, in common with small boats, has a limited stability at rest in the water and consequently it is necessary for the operator to balance himself not only during travel in the aquaplane but particularly during start-up operations. As shown in FIG. 2, the operator is gripping the handlebar with his right hand on the port side of the aquaplane. Thus the operator is able to stand in the normal balanced position of operation and yet to swing his body about to start the motor while gripping the handlebar throttle control. Similarly there is illustrated in FIG. 3 the operator 94 standing up in the aquaplane at rest in a position of balance with his right hand extended rearwardly to pull the start cord 93 and his left hand gripping the starboard end of the handlebar throttle control. It is to be particularly noted that in either of the above circumstances, should the operator be required to grip the other end of the throttle control from that illustrated, his body weight would be disposed laterally outward from the center of gravity of the aquaplane to thus endanger the stability of the plane and himself in the water. It is only by providing double-ended throttle control at the handlebars that both right-handed and left-handed starting operations are possible as illustrated. Owing to a limited stability of the aquaplane at rest in the water, it is highly important that the operator be able to balance himself therein during starting operations. It is further noted that a rapid pull on the start cord does impart some tipping motion to the aquaplane and this then imposes a further requirement for good balance by the operator that can only be attained by proper location of his feet and body throughout the operation.

The double-ended throttle control at the handlebars is also highly advantageous in controlling the aquaplane underway. As noted above, turning of the aquaplane is accomplished by a combination of throttle control and shifting of body weight. Thus for a relatively sharp turn it is necessary for the operator to lean far out to one side and in so doing he preferably grips one side of the handlebars with both hands. In this position the 'operator still retains full control over the speed of the aquaplane whichever way he is leaning because either end of the throttle bar can be twisted for speed control. Any other type of throttle control would necessarily limit the degree that an operator could lean and still control the throttle. Thus the capabilities of aquaplane control are materially increased by the present invention.

The present invention provides a new dimension in water sports. The freedom of complete control normally available in a power boat is achieved together with the athletic endeavor of water skiing or aquaplaning. A certain amount of physical dexterity is required for operation of the powered aquaplane of this invention, particularly with regard to the necessary for turning. Although the hull of the aquaplane may be formed as an unsinkable unit, it is yet important that the aquaplane structure be such that an operator is capable of the necessary balance and body weight shifting. The present invention does provide a structure to this end particularly by the provision of the handlebar arrangement with double-ended throttle control. It is also to be noted that the throttle control may be employed on other types of power boats although it is particularly desirable for the aquaplane of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a power driven aquaplane comprising a unitary hull structure substantially rigid from front to rear having an outboard motor mounted at the rear thereof with a starting cord and a central portion upon which an occupant can stand, and which is steerable solely by body motion of the occupant leaning from one side to the other in such standing position to shift his weight; and an upright support member forward of such central portion rigidly connected to said hull, a rotatably mounted throttle shaft supported by said upright member and extending across the aquaplane, an operating grip at each end of the throttle shaft which can be grasped by the occupant, and motor control connecting means between said motor and said throttle shaft whereby throttle control can be obtained from either side of the aquaplane by operating either of said grips with the occupant in standing position, and the motor can be started by the occupant pulling the motor starting cord with either hand with the other hand grasping a selected grip to maintain balance during starting.

2. The combination of claim 1 further defined by said upright member comprising demountable handlebars having a rotary mounted twist member at each end thereof coupled together through the handlebars, and a cable engaging a rotary mounted portion of said handlebars and extending to said motor for actuation by either twist member.

3. The combination of claim 1 further defined by said throttle control including resilient means engaging motor throttle control and urging same to an idle or shutoff condition.

4. In an aquaplane having a handlebar assembly extending laterally across and above the hull forward of the center thereof and adapted to mount a motor having a throttle bar at the rear of the hull, the improvement comprising throttle control means comprising a twist member mounted at each end of said handlebar assembly and coupled together by a torque bar extending laterally of said hull through the handlebar assembly and engaging said twist members to turn together, a cable connected to said twist members for movement therewith and extending to said motor throttle bar, attachment means for removable engagement with said throttle bar and connecting said cable thereto for throttle bar operation by said twist members, said attachment means including a spring mounted to urge said throttle bar to a position of minimum throttle setting, and a pulley wheel having said cable connected thereto and secured to one of said twist members whereby turning of either twist member draws the cable about the pulley wheel and release of the twist members causes the cable to unwind by spring action to return the twist members to original position.

5. A throttle control system for power driven water vehicle having a motor with a rotary throttle bar comprising a hollow handlebar having a sleeve mounted about each end for rotation thereabout, a torque bar extending through the handlebar into engagement with each sleeve for coupling the sleeves together, a drum secured to one sleeve, a cable having a first end connected to said drum for winding thereabout upon sleeve rotation in a first direction from a rest position and extending to said motor, attachment means connecting a second end of said cable to said throttle bar for turning same from a first position of minimum throttle upon cable winding on said sleeve drum, and resilient means engaging said throttle bar and urging same to said first position.

6. The throttle control system of claim further defined by said attachment means including a split pulley wheel having a serrated central opening and connecting bolts for clamping the wheel about throttle bars, said cable extending about said pulley wheel into connection therewith, and a bracket attachable to the motor housing and adapted to clamp a casing of the cable and to retain one end of said resilient means extending into engagement with said pulley wheel.

7. A remote throttle control system for an outboard marine engine having a throttle bar comprising a split pulley wheel including means for clamping same about said throttle bar, a bracket including means for clamping the bracket to a housing about said throttle bar, a flexible cable adapted for connection to remote throttle control means and extending partially about said pulley wheel for turning said throttle bar in a direction of increasing throttle setting, and resilient means connected between said pulley wheel and bracket urging said throttle bar to turn in a direction of decreasing throttle setting.

8. The control of claim 7 further defined by said cable including a central wire movable within and surrounded by a flexible casing, said bracket including clamping means for engaging said cable casing, and said means for clamping said pulley wheel to said throttle bar including serrations formed about at least a portion of the inner opening in said pulley wheel and curved serrated members disposable between the pulley wheel and throttle bar as required to fit the pulley wheel to throttle bars of different diameters.

9. The method of providing remote control of the throttle bar of an outboard motor which comprises providing a pulley wheel in at least two sectors, clamping said sectors about the throttle bar, connecting a control cable to said pulley for rotating the throttle bar in a first direction of increasing throttle setting, and connecting resilient means to said pulley wheel in opposition to said cable for urging the pulley wheel to rotate the throttle bar in a second direction of decreasing throttle setting.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said throttle bar may vary in diameter, comprising the additional step of providing frictional engaging means between the sectors of said pulley wheel and said bar for secure clamping of the pulley wheel to throttle bars in accordance with the diameters of the bars.

Claims

1. The combination of a power driven aquaplane comprising a unitary hull structure substantially rigid from front to rear having an outboard motor mounted at the rear thereof with a starting cord and a central portion upon which an occupant can stand, and which is steerable solely by body motion of the occupant leaning from one side to the other in such standing position to shift his weight; and an upright support member forward of such central portion rigidly connected to said hull, a rotatably mounted tHrottle shaft supported by said upright member and extending across the aquaplane, an operating grip at each end of the throttle shaft which can be grasped by the occupant, and motor control connecting means between said motor and said throttle shaft whereby throttle control can be obtained from either side of the aquaplane by operating either of said grips with the occupant in standing position, and the motor can be started by the occupant pulling the motor starting cord with either hand with the other hand grasping a selected grip to maintain balance during starting.

6. The throttle control system of claim 5 further defined by said attachment means including a split pulley wheel having a serrated central opening and connecting bolts for clamping the wheel about throttle bars, said cable extending about said pulley wheel into connection therewith, and a bracket attachable to the motor housing and adapted to clamp a casing of the cable and to retain one end of said resilient means extending into engagement with said pulley wheel.