Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 1 3 ~ ~5~ ~
1 The present invention relates to a trolling
attachment and in particular a trolling flap for use with
high powered outboard motors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Until recently, fishermen having a high powered
outboard motor have required a second smaller motor for
trolling purposes. The reason for this requirement is
that the high horse power motor cannot be operated in a
manner to produce the extremely slow speeds necessary for
trolling.
However, there are now products available known
as trolling flaps for use with high powered motors and
allowing -their use with trolling. These trolling flaps
are movable between a raised and a lowered position and
when in the lowered position are located immediately
~ behind and provide a back pressure to the motor
2U propeller. Therefore, the propeller, although still
rotating at a relatively high speed as required with a
high powered motor, does not propel the boat through the
water proportionate to this.rotational speed because of`
the back pressure provided by the trolling flap.
Presently available trolling flaps are generally
either hydraulically or spring operated. The spring
operated variety is extremely dangerous as a result of the
high pressures on the flap from the spring which if
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1 inadvertently released could prove to be fatal to anyone
standing in the ~rea of the flap.
The hydraulically opera-ted type of flap, although
not experiencing the danger problem noted above, does
suFfer from its own drawbacks. More specifically, if one
forgets to raise the flap before running the motor to full
power, then either the flap or the motor will be damaged.
If the flap gives way, then all of the hydraulic fluid in
the system is lost. This is not only difficult to repair
but additionally results in the spilling of the hydraulic
fluid creating an environmental pollutant.
SUMMARY ûF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides a trolling
attachment for use with an outboard motor and in
particular, a high powered outboard motor. The trolling
attachment comprises a motor mount and a flap movable from
a down position providing back pressure for the outboard
motor to an up position allowing free operation of the
motor. The trolling attachment also includes a pneumatic
operating system for the flap. This pneumatic opera-ting
system comprises a reversing motion flap control, an air
supply, first and second air lines to the flap control and
valve means for on/off feed of the air supply to the air
lines. The first air line when fed with air powers the
flap control to lower the flap with the second air line
providing an exhaust for air trapped in -the flap control
and the second air line when fed air from the air supply
powering the flap control to raise the flap with the first
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1 air line then providing an exhaust for air trapped in the
flap control.
The pneumatically operated flap of the present
invention is not subject to the danger associated with a
spring loaded flap nor because there is no hydraulic fluid
involved does it suffer from the drawbacks described above
with respect to a hydraulically operated system. If the
air lines to the flap do pop, there is no spillage of
liquid and the system can be easily cleared and re-set up
in matter of minutes. Furthermcre, when working with a
pneumatically operated system, the lines can actually be
arranged to pop at a predetermined pressure substantially
eliminating the possibility of damaging the engine in the
event that the flap is not first raised before running the
engine to a high r.p.m.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above as well as other advantages and
features of the present invention will be described in
greater detail according to the preferred embodiments of
the present invention in which:
Figure 1 shows a conventional trolling vessel.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view o~ the motor shown
partially in phantom with trolling attachment according to
a preferred embodiment of the present invention fitted to
the motor.
Figure ~ is a view similar to Figure 2 showing
the flap moved ~rom an up to a down position.
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1 Figure 4 is a vi2w showing the operation of the
trolling flap relative to the propeller on the motor.
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the
trolling attachment in its entirety including operating
components for the flap.
Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the
solenoid valve used in the trolling attachment of Figure 5.
Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views through the
solenoid valve o~ Figure 5 in different operating
positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:
Figure 1 shows a boat B set up for trolling and
using a motor M having a propeller P. Extending out of
the back of the boat is a fishing line FL. When the boat
is running this fishing line will troll out behind the
back of the boat. However, it is important that the boat
be maintained at a slow steady speed which without some
type of a trolling flap iS extremely hard on and may not
in fact be achieveable by the high powered motor M.
Figure 2 shows the motor M fitted with components
o~ a trolling attachment generally indicated at 1 of
Figure 5 according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention. This trolling attachment comprises a
yoke-like motor mount 3 with a flap 9 pivotally secured to
the motor mount 3. Extending out to the back of the motor
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SJ-7331-88 - 5 - 5587A/0068A
1 mount is a further supporting bracket 5 with a reciprocal
piston 7 being pivotally mounted between bracket 5 and
flap 9.
All of the components described immediately above
are located out behind the motor. In addition, the system
includes a portable compressor 11 and a battery 12 for
operating the compressor with both of these components
being located within the boat. Extending between
compressor 11 and piston 7 which controls the up/down
positioning of flap 9 are first and second air lines 13
and 15.
Reference is now had to Figure 6 which shows a
solenoid valve 17 mounted directly to the compressor seen
in Figure 5. This solenoid valve includes a valve member
19 provided with upper and lower through channels 21 and
23 respectively. The valve housing is provided with a
first set of through passages 25a and 25b and a second set
of through passages 27a and 27b. Also provided in the
body of the valve itself is a U-shaped channel 29 having
an inlet 31 directly from the compressor 11.
As will be seen in Figure of the drawings when
flap 9 is in the down position it provides resistance to
the flow created from the propeller, i.e. a back pressure
to the propeller operation, and therefore allows the
propeller to be run at its minimum required r.p.m. which
would normally move the boat too quickly for e~ficient
trolling r.p.m., but which with the back pressure provided
by the plate deflects the flow from the propeller reducing
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SJ-7331-~8 ~ 6 - 5587A/0068A
1 the motors efficiency and keeping the boat a desired
trolling speed.
Most motors have a conventional configuration as
shown in Figures 1 through 3 of the drawings. Motor mount
3 having a yoke-like configuration secures directly to the
motor as seen in Figures 2 and ~. Again, this motor mount
is designed to fit most motors.
The trolling flap itself is moved to the down
position by providing a supply of air from compressor 11
through line 13 to retract the piston control 7 pulling on
the top end of the flap and pivoting it downwardly.
Although not shown in the drawings but to be appreciated
piston 7 has a generally standard construction with an
interior plunger. Any air that it is trapped behind that
plunger while the piston is being retracted is exhausted
through line 15 allowing movement of the piston.
To move the flap to the up position, the piston
is powered by a supply of air fed along line 15 which
extends the piston as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings to
push on the top edge of the flap and pivot it upwardly.
In this case, any air trapped behind the internal plunger
during its extension is exhausted through line 13.
Therefore, each of the air lines has both a power supply
and an exhaust mode according to whether the piston ~s
raised or lowered.
As will be best ln comparing Figures 2 and 3,
piston 7 is not only pivotally mounted to the flap itself,
but also to supporting bracket 5 which allows for
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SJ-7331-88 - 7 ~ 5587A/0068A
1 the movement of the angle of the piston during the raising
and lowering of the flap.
The exact details of solenoid 17 which provides
the on/off switching for the feed of the compressor to air
lines 13 and 15 is described having reference to Figures 6
throùgh 8 of the drawings. More particularly, when the
valve body 19 is in the up position as seen in Figure 7,
the air fed from the compressor through inlet ~1 passes
through the upoer end of the U-shaped channel 29 through
opening 25a in the valve body and through air line 15 to
extend piston 7 and pivot flap 9 upwardly. At the same
time, passage 23 in the valve body aligns with passages
27a and 27b in the valve housing allowing the trapped air
in the piston to be exhausted along line 13 directly out
through the s~lenoid valve.
In order to lower the flap, the solenoid valve is
moved to the Figure 8 position in which the lower end of
channel 29 in the valve body aligns with passage 27a in
the valve housing feeding air ~rom the compressor along
line 13 to retract piston 7. The air trapped in the
piston which would otherwise resist its retraction is
forced outwardly along line 15 through passage 21 in the
valve body aligned with passages 25a and 25b in the valve
housing for exhausting of the trapped air.
As a preferred feature of the present invention
each of the air lines may be secured either to the
solenoid valve or to the control piston by line connectors
which are designed to give way at a predetermined
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1 pressure. With this arrangement, if the operator of the
boat revs up the motor without first lifting the flap then
the lines and in particular line 13 pressuring the flap to
stay downwardly will simply pop open allowing the flap to
easily swing upwardly oùt of the way from the propeller
flow. However, it is a very simple operation consisting
of nothing more than blowing all water out of the line and
popping it back into position to reset the overall system.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
invention have been described in detail, it will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations
may be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention or the scope of the appended claims.
