US3791334A

US3791334A - Boat reverse

Info

Publication number: US3791334A
Application number: US00329833A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Wetzel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-02-05
Filing date: 1973-02-05
Publication date: 1974-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-02-12

Abstract

A deflector is mounted for vertical reciprocation upon the transom of an inboard motor boat with fixed propeller. A vane within the deflector directs water to the port or starboard water course for steerage.

Description

United $161135 Patent 1 1 Wetzel Feb. 12, 1974 [5 BOAT REVERSE 3,063,403 11/1962 Aubrey 115/35 2.01 6 15 F ,.4 425 [76] Inventor: Richard E. Wetzel, 5301 University 51 523 3 32 g' j 3: R -1 Lubbock, 79413 3,422,788 1 1969 1161611.... 115 12 R [22] Filed: 5, 1973 3,114,239 12 1963 Aylor 114 151 [21] Appl' No: 329,833 Primary Examiner-George E. A. Halvosa Assistant ExaminerEdward R. Kazenske 52 US. 01 115/35, 114/163, 114/151 Attorney, Agent, or FirmWend9l1C0ffee [51] Int. Cl B63h 25/48 [58] Field of Search.. 114/151, 163; 115/11, 12, 34, [57] ABSTRACT A deflector is mounted for vertical reciprocation upon the transom of an inboard motor boat with fixed pro- [56] References Cited UNTED STATES PATENTS peller. A vane within the deflector directs water to the port or starboard water course for steerage. 3,465,705 9/1969 Castoldi ll5/l2 R 3,710,749 H1973 Duryea 114/163 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1,7 I, O L v 5g 5 i a W 1", Mam-44 ""Qf v PATENTEU FEB 1 21914 SHEET 2 BF 2 BOAT REVERSE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to marine propulsion and more particularly to steering a boat having a screw propeller.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

With jet propulsion for boats, reversing deflectors are known. Generally, these fall in two catagories.

KENEFICK, US. Pat. No. 3,052,093, and GO- EI-ILER, US. Pat. No. 3,064,420, disclose an external type which is physically raised and lowered and which rotate in their entirety for steerage forward or astern.

ALDROPP, US. Pat. No. 3,121,994, and PEDER- SEN et al, US. Pat. No. 3,102,389, disclose deflectors which are rigidly installed and wherein the deflection is accomplished by the manipulation of valves. The steerage, at least when moving astern, is controlled by the moving of valves or vanes within the deflector. PE- DERSEN et al, discloses that the reversing valves may be only partially operated so the boat may be propelled forward at a very slow speed or can be even held dead in the water with the motor running.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 1. New and Different Function I have discovered an advantageous way to perform both reverse and reverse steerage for a screw propellertype boat. I am particularly concerned with the type boat which has a propeller mounted to a fixed shaft so the steerage of the boat is normally accomplished only by rudders. Normally, in such craft to reverse the boat, it is necessary to provide a transmission between the motor and the propeller so the rotation of the propeller may be reversed. Also, since, generally, the boat is maneuvered or reversed in shallow water, it is often difficult to prevent damage to the propeller. Normally, a skeg is provided which does a reasonable job in protecting the propeller when moving in the forward direction. Also, when the boat ismoving forward, the'bow of the boat first reaches shoal water. However, when the boat is moving astern, the stern of the boat is at the shoal water which increases the danger of running the propeller aground, sometimes damaging the shaft as well as the propeller. When the boat is moving astern, with my invention, the propeller is enclosed by the deflector. With my invention, the deflector is moved into position by movement of the deflector, however, once in position, vanes within the deflector are used for steerage.

The deflector can be lowered only partially so the boat moves forward at a speed slower than it is normally possible to operate in a forward direction. Lowering the deflector slightly more results in the boat moving astem at very slow speed. With the steerage provided when using the deflector, very good control of the boat is obtained when moving slowly forward or astern.

2. OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION.

An object of this invention is to maneuver a boat, particularly astem or forward at slow speeds.

Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, durable, lightweight, simple, safe, efficient, versatile, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture, install, adjust, operate, and maintain.

Other objects are to achieve the above with a method that is versatile, rapid, efficient, and inexpensive, and does not require skilled people to install, adjust, operate, and maintain.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not to the same scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boat with my invention attached thereto, partially broken away and somewhat schematic in representation.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the deflector shown detached from the boat.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the deflector attached to the transom of the boat.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, there may be seen a boat having hull 10 with transom 12. Motor or engine 14 is mounted within the hull. The motor is connected to propeller shaft 16 which is journaled through the bottom of the hull and has propeller 18 connected to the shaft on the outside thereof. The boat in normal forward travel is steered by rudders 20. The propeller is protected in normal forward travel by skeg 22.

The description to this point is a common inboard motor boat as is common on the market.

My invention is to place reversing deflector 24 to the transom 12 so the boat may be reversed by lowering the deflector rather than by the reversal of the shaft 16. Rails 26 are attached to the transom 12 of the boat. Bars 28 are attached to the deflector 24 in parallel relationship in proximity to the rails 26. Rollers 30 mounted upon the bars 28 (and thus the'deflector 24) provide ease of movement of the deflector as it moves up and down.

The deflector 24 may be raised and lowered by any convenient mechanism. 1 have illustrated a crank and pitman arrangement. Crank 32 is pivoted through the transom 12 by crank shaft 34. The shaft 34 is operated by mechanism not shown, but well within the skill of ordinary seamen. Pitman 36 is pivoted at its top to the end of crank 32 and the bottom to the deflector 24. Therefore, rotation of the crank shaft 36 by the mechanism not shown will cause the deflector to raise and lower, thus, accomplishing the desired results.

The deflector 24 is constructed with two water courses therein. These are designed as starboard water course 38 and port water course 40. Each of the water courses terminate with nozzle 42 to efficiently discharge the water from the deflector at high velocity. The water courses are designed and curved to result in a smooth transition of water from the propeller through the water course and out the nozzle. (FIG. 4). The discharge of the water courses or the nozzles 40am at the same elevation as the intake 44 and when the'deflector is in the full lowered position, they will be at the same level as the propeller 18, which is below the bottom of the hull 10 of the boat.

The opening 44 has a lower portion 46 which is relieved so it clears the propeller 18 when being lowered but still forms hydromatic connection thereto. When the deflector is in the full lowered position, if the boat is backed against rocks or strikes bottom, the deflector 24 will fully protect the propeller 1%.

Director vane 48 is securely attached to vane shaft 50. The shaft 50 is located in line with the keel of the boat at the extreme back or after portion of the deflector 2 3. The director vane 48 is valve means for directing the water into either the starboard water course 38 or port water course 40. Nozzles 42 are directed forward. Water discharged from the nozzles will thrust the boat astern. The nozzles are angled to 30 abeam. As seen in FIG. 4 with the vane 48 in the position shown by dashed lines, the water is directed to the starboard water course. Thus, the water is discharged at about a angle to starboard and will thrust the stern of the boat to port. If the rudders are in the position as seen in FIG. 4 with the boat moving astern, they likewise will deflect the stern of the boat to port. Therefore, when the boat is moving in the rearward direction, the rudders and the director vane operate to maneuver the boat in the same direction. it is not necessary for the helmsman to learn new techniques in steering when operating the boat astern. When the deflector is fully raised, the boat is guided by the rudders as customary. When the deflector is only partially lowered so the boat is moving forward at reduced speed, the rudders and the deflectors will operate at opposite purposes. Therefore, when moving forward at very slow speeds, the helmsman may have to direct the helm in opposite direction from the operation he would normally make in the forward direction.

The vane shaft 50 is operated by control cable 52 which extends from control box 54, shown only in FIG. 1. The control box 54 is coupled, preferably mechanically, to the rudder controls so that the rudders 20 and director vanes are controlled by a single instrument. Inasmuch as boat manufacturers understand how to connect the two controls to a single operating mechanism, they have not been shown or described in detail, but only are shown as the control box 54.

Obviously the control cable 552 is flexible so it connects the control box 54 to the vane shaft 50 in either the retracted or the lowered position.

The embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary. I do not claim to have invented all the parts, elements or steps described. Various modifications can be made in the construction, material, arrangement, and operation, and still be within the scope of my invention. The limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims. The restrictive description and drawing of the specific example above do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be, but are to enable the reader to make and use the invention.

I claim as my invention;

g vertical tracks mounted on the transom of said boat,

h a reversing deflector,

j bars extending upward from said reversing deflector,

k rollers mounted on said bars and within said tracks,

whereby m said deflector is mounted for vertical movement parallel to said transom,

n said deflector having port and starboard water courses,

0 said port water course terminating in a nozzle on the port side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam,

p said starboard water course terminating in a nozzle on the starboard side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam,

q a director vane attached to i a vane shaft,

ii said vane shaft journaled within the deflector,

iii said vane shaft vertically oriented,

iv said vane on the vane shaft arranged and constructed so that in the center position water is directed from the propeller equally to the port water course and the starboard water course, but said vane when directed one way or the other directs the water to the port water course or the starboard water course,

r a cable connected to the vane shaft,

s means interconnecting the said cable and said rudder so that operation of the rudder also operates the vane shaft and, therefore, the vane,

t said deflector at least as low as the bottom of the propeller when the deflector is in the lowered position, whereby u said deflector protects the propeller from striking the bottom as the boat moves in reverse.

2. On a motor boat having a a hull with a transom,

b at least one rudder on the hull,

c a propeller shaft journaled through the hull,

d a propeller on the shaft outside and below the hull,

and

e an engine in the hull operationally connected to the propeller shaft,

f the improved structure comprising:

g a reversing deflector mounted upon the transom of the boat,

h means interconnecting the transom and deflector for raising and lowering the deflector,

i said deflector having port and starboard water courses,

j said port water course terminating in a nozzle on the port side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam,

it said starboard water course terminating in a nozzle on the starboard side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam, and

l directing means mounted directly to the deflector therein for deflecting water to either one or the other of said port or starboard water courses.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 with an additional limitation of m said directing means attached to said rudders so when the boat is moving in reverse, the rudders and the directing means steer the boat in the same direction.

verse. 6. The invention as defined in claim 5 with additional limitations of p tracks mounted upon the transom of said boat, q rollers mounted upon said deflector, r said rollers in said tracks, and thereby s mounting said deflector for movement parallel to said transom.

Claims

1. On a motor boat having a a hull with a transom, b at least one rudder on the hull, c a propeller shaft journaled through the hull, d a propeller on the shaft outside and below the hull, and e an engine in the hull operationally connected to the propeller shaft, f the improved structure comprising: g vertical tracks mounted on the transom of said boat, h a reversing deflector, j bars extending upward from said reversing deflector, k rollers mounted on said bars and within said tracks, whereby m said deflector is mounted for vertical movement parallel to said transom, n said deflector having port and starboard water courses, o said port water course terminating in a nozzle on the port side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam, p said starboard water course terminating in a nozzle on the starboard side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam, q a director vane attached to i a vane shaft, ii said vane shaft journaled within the deflector, iii said vane shaft vertically oriented, iv said vane on the vane shaft arranged and constructed so that in the center position water is directed from the propeller equally to the port water course and the starboard water course, but said vane when directed one way or the other directs the water to the port water course or the starboard water course, r a cable connected to the vane shaft, s means interconnecting the said cable and said rudder so that operation of the rudder also operates the vane shaft and, therefore, the vane, t said deflector at least as low as the bottom of the propeller when the deflector is in the lowered position, whereby u said deflector protects the propeller from Striking the bottom as the boat moves in reverse.

2. On a motor boat having a a hull with a transom, b at least one rudder on the hull, c a propeller shaft journaled through the hull, d a propeller on the shaft outside and below the hull, and e an engine in the hull operationally connected to the propeller shaft, f the improved structure comprising: g a reversing deflector mounted upon the transom of the boat, h means interconnecting the transom and deflector for raising and lowering the deflector, i said deflector having port and starboard water courses, j said port water course terminating in a nozzle on the port side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam, k said starboard water course terminating in a nozzle on the starboard side of the hull directed forward and angled abeam, and l directing means mounted directly to the deflector therein for deflecting water to either one or the other of said port or starboard water courses.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein n said port and starboard water courses are on approximately the same level as said propeller when the deflector is fully lowered.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein o said deflector is at least as low as the bottom of the propeller when said deflector is in the full lowered position, whereby the deflector protects the propeller from striking bottom as the boat moves in reverse.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 with additional limitations of p tracks mounted upon the transom of said boat, q rollers mounted upon said deflector, r said rollers in said tracks, and thereby s mounting said deflector for movement parallel to said transom.