Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
I
VERTICAL-INPUT OUTBOARD-MOTOR FORWARD-REVERSE
ANGLED-DRIVE LOWER UNIT
Technical Field
[0001] This invention provides a vertical-input outboard-motor
angled-drive lower unit
apparatus and method for improved operations.
Background
[0002] Conventional outboard motors have performance
deficiencies when operating
in shallow, muddy, marshy water or water choked with vegetation or obstacles.
The propellers
are mounted perpendicular to the water surface and therefore must be submerged
at least the
full length of their diameters. The gearboxes are located immediately in front
of the propellers
and therefore must be submerged, placing a bulk of material under water where
it generates
drag. Cooling is achieved by taking water in through a port and circulating
it, which can lead
to corrosion and damage when used in salty or polluted water, and to blockage
of the intake
port and overheating when used in muddy or vegetation- or obstruction-filled
water. When
being operated in reverse, a significant portion of reverse thrust is directed
toward the water
surface where it meets the negligible resistance of air pressure and is wasted
while churning up
the water surface, or is directed toward the transom of the boat where that
portion of the thrust
is counteracted. The conventional outboard motors are subject to fouling and
damage from
obstructions, including thick vegetation and floating objects.
[0003] Typical shallow-water outboard motors are known, having
an output shaft and
propeller extending downward into the water at an angle. These shallow-water
outboard
motors have cumbersome gearboxes located entirely above the water line, where
they are
subject to overheating. The gearboxes are attached to the outboard-motor
engine at the back
of the engine and can only be driven by engines having a horizontal rotational
output,
excluding engines having a vertical rotational output. The gearing and
connections of these
shallow-water outboard motors make shifting between forward and reverse
awkward and
cumbersome and place the propeller at a long distance from the steering pivot
point, making
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steering operations awkward and cumbersome. These typical shallow-water
outboard motors,
when operated in reverse, exhibit the same defects as the conventional
outboard motor, with a
significant portion of reverse thrust being wasted against the air and the
transom, with
churning at the surface, and are subject to fouling and damage from
obstructions.
[0004] What is needed is an outboard-motor lower unit which
utilizes engine power
provided as vertically oriented rotation, which provides output at an angle to
the water surface,
which provides water cooling without blockage or internal corrosion, which
provides easy and
efficient shifting from forward to reverse, which provides a smaller distance
from the steering
pivot point to the propeller, which shields against damage or fouling by
objects in the water,
and which redirects otherwise wasted thrust, especially in reverse, into
useful thrust without
churning the water surface.
Summary
[0005] This invention provides a vertical-input outboard-motor
angled-drive lower unit
apparatus and method for improved operations especially in shallow, muddy,
marshy water or
water choked with vegetation or obstacles. Vertically applied single-direction
rotational
power from an outboard motor engine is transferred to operator-controlled
forward and reverse
rotational power applied at an acute angle to the horizontal water surface.
The apparatus is
cooled by an external flow of water without being taken into any port which
might become
blocked. A thrust redirection plate reflects otherwise wasted propeller
thrust, especially when
operating in reverse, for more efficient operation and reduced churning of the
water surface.
An angled skeg and the angled orientation of the output shaft and housing
deflect obstructions.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0006] Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein
like parts are designated
by like numerals, and wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side view of the vertical-input outboard-
motor angled-drive lower
unit of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vertical-input outboard-
motor angled-drive lower
unit of the invention;
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[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of the vertical-
input outboard-motor angled-
drive lower unit of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a side cutaway view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective cutaway view of the vertical-
input outboard-motor
angled-drive lower unit of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a prior-art conventional
outboard motor in use;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a prior-art typical
shallow-water outboard motor
in use;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention in use;
[0017] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a prior-art conventional
outboard motor in use;
[0018] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a prior-art conventional
outboard motor in use;
[0020] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a prior-art conventional
outboard motor in use;
[0022] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a prior-art typical
shallow-water outboard motor
in use;
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[0023] FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a prior-art conventional
outboard motor in use;
[0025] FIG. 19 is a schematic view of a prior-art typical
shallow-water outboard motor
in use;
[0026] FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention; and
[0027] FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive
lower unit of the invention in use.
Detailed Description
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the vertical-input outboard-
motor forward-reverse
angled-drive lower unit 10 provides the lower unit for an outboard boat motor
especially
suited for operation in shallow, muddy, marshy, or vegetation- or obstacle-
choked waters.
[0029] The vertical-input outboard-motor angled-drive lower
unit 10 uses rotational
force supplied by the outboard-motor engine to a vertical input shaft 31 and
transfers either the
force or the reversed rotational direction of the force to the propeller mount
39, which is
angled away from the vertical orientation of the vertical input shaft 31. A
propeller mounted
on the propeller mount 39 is at an acute angle to the surface and presumably
to the bottom of
the water. The preferred angle is 30 degrees from horizontal. At this angle, a
propeller will
only require a vertical clearance of half its diameter, for example, a 10-inch
diameter propeller
will only require a 5-inch depth of water. A thrust redirection plate 61 is
provided, above the
mounted propeller and at a less-acute angle to the surface of the water. When
the propeller is
thrusting to the rearward and downward, pushing the boat forward, the thrust
redirection plate
reflects the peripheral part of that force away from breaking the surface of
the water and being
wasted. When the propeller is thrusting to the forward and upward, pulling the
boat rearward,
the thrust redirection plate reflects the main part of that force, which is
initially directed
toward the surface of the water and the transom of the boat, into a downward-
angled, more
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efficient thrust. An angled skeg 62 is provided to shield the vertical-input
outboard-motor
angled-drive lower unit 10 and the mounted propeller.
[0030] The vertical-input outboard-motor angled-drive lower
unit 10 provides
housings 20 enclosing geared shafts 30 and bearings 40. Most of the parts of
the housings 20
sit at least partially below the water line during use, which serves to keep
the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive lower unit 10 cool during use. This cooling
provides an
advantage over the prior art, where some components are located above the
water line and are
essentially not cooled, or are cooled by water being taken into ports, which
is a less-desirable
solution when operating in salty or otherwise corrosive or polluted water or
in muddy,
vegetation-choked, or otherwise obstruction-filled water, where a water-intake
port might
become blocked and result in overheating. An angled main housing 21, forward
housing 22,
input shaft housing 23 output shaft housing 24 and rear housing 25 are
provided.
[0031] The vertical-input outboard-motor angled-drive lower
unit 10 provides a
direction-shifting unit 50 which provides improvements over the prior art. A
shift actuator rod
51 provides operator control for shifting between forward and reverse gears.
Other
components of the direction-shifting unit 50 are housed within the rear
housing 25 and are
consequently at least partially below the water line and are cooled.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the vertical-input outboard-
motor angled-drive lower
unit 10 provides the housings 20 as identified above, and provides geared
shafts 30 and
corresponding bearings 40 to transfer vertically oriented single-direction
forward-only
rotational force from the outboard-motor engine to angle-oriented forward or
reverse rotational
force to a mounted propeller. A vertical input shaft 31 with input shaft
bearing 41 enclosed
within the input shaft housing 23 takes power in the form of single-direction
rotational force
from the engine of the outboard motor. An input gear 32 with input gear
bearing 42 at the
lower end of the vertical input shaft 31 rotates with the shaft and is
configured to transfer the
force at a right angle to a correspondingly configured gear. A bevel gear is
appropriate for this
purpose, with other gearing being possible.
[0033] An intermediate shaft 33 with intermediate shaft
bearings 43 is provided,
enclosed primarily within the angled main housing 21, located below and at a
right angle to
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the vertical input shaft 31, therefore running horizontally, and running from
a forward end to a
rearward end in relation to the direction of travel of the outboard motor in
use. Around the
intermediate shaft 33 in a freely rotating manner are mounted a forward gear
34 with forward
gear bearing 44 and a reverse gear 35 with reverse gear bearing 45. The
forward gear 34 and
the reverse gear 35 are each mounted facing inward toward the middle of the
intermediate
shaft 33 and therefore each facing the other. Both the forward gear 34 and the
reverse gear 35
make contact with the input gear 32 and continually rotate with the input gear
32. In use, the
forward gear 34 rotates in a direction yielding a propeller rotation producing
a forward thrust,
and the reverse gear 35 rotates in the opposite direction yielding a propeller
rotation producing
a reverse thrust.
[0034] The intermediate shaft can be rotated either in a
forward direction by the
forward gear 34 or in a reverse direction by the reverse gear 35. The
direction-shifting unit 50
controls which gear is engaged with the intermediate shaft 33, under the
control of an operator
using the shift actuator rod 51, which moves a shifting wedge 52 enclosed
within the rear
housing 25. A shifting clutch dog 54 mounted upon the intermediate shaft 33
between the
forward gear 34 and the reverse gear 35 engages with either the forward gear
34 or the reverse
gear 35 and transfers the rotation of the engaged gear to the intermediate
shaft 33. A clutch
dog actuator pin 53 is mounted at the rearward end of the intermediate shaft
33. The clutch
dog actuator pin 53 makes contact with the shifting wedge 52 and changes
position
corresponding to the portion of the shifting wedge 52 being contacted. The
change of position
of the clutch dog actuator pin 53 is transferred to a change of position of
the shifting clutch
dog 54 such that the shifting clutch dog 54 changes between engaging either
the forward gear
34 or the reverse gear 35, thereby shifting the rotational direction of the
intermediate shaft 33.
[0035] A driving bevel gear 36 with driving bevel gear bearing
46 is mounted at the
forward end of the intermediate shaft 33. This driving bevel gear 36 rotates
with the
intermediate shaft, either in a forward or reverse direction according to the
operation of the
direction-shifting unit 50.
[0036] An output shaft 38 with output shaft bearings 48 is
provided below, in line
with, and at an acute angle to the intermediate shaft 33. As stated above, the
preferred angle is
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30 degrees from horizontal, which is 120 degrees from the vertical line of the
vertical input
shaft 31.
[0037] A driven bevel gear 37 with driven bevel gear bearings
47 is mounted at the
forward upward end of the output shaft 38. Together, the driving bevel gear 36
and the driven
bevel gear 37 transfer the rotational force of the intermediate shaft 33 to
the output shaft 38, at
an acute angle. The rotational force transferred can be either a forward-
thrust producing force
or a reverse-thrust producing force.
[0038] The rotational force applied to the output shaft 38 is
transferred through the
propeller mount 39 to a mounted propeller, producing the corresponding forward
or reverse
thrust.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 8-10, the distance from the steering
pivot point to the
propeller of an outboard motor using the vertical-input outboard-motor angled-
drive lower unit
is close to that of a conventional outboard motor and is significantly shorter
than that of a
typical shallow-water outboard motor. The shorter distance yields easier and
better operation.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, when it is desirable or
necessary to raise the
motor such as through the use of a lacicplate," an outboard motor using the
vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive lower unit 10 will have the bulk of its gearbox
housing above the
water, reducing drag as compared to a convention outboard motor having its
entire gearbox
under water.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, an outboard motor using
the vertical-input
outboard-motor angled-drive lower unit 10 will negotiate floating obstructions
more easily
than a conventional outboard motor where the angled skeg 62, and the angled
orientation of
the lower portions generally, shield a mounted propeller from damage or
fouling by deflecting
obstructions.
[0042] Referring to FIGS. 15-17, an outboard motor using the
vertical-input outboard-
motor angled-drive lower unit 10 will operate more efficiently in forward gear
than a
conventional outboard motor because the thrust redirection plate 61 prevents
thrust from being
directed upward against the negligible air pressure, and therefore wasted, and
the downward-
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angled orientation of the thrust can operate against the bottom, in shallow
water, and against
the increased pressure of deeper water otherwise.
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 18-21, whereas the reverse thrust of
a conventional outboard
motor and a typical shallow-water outboard motor is partially directed against
the air, where it
is wasted, or against the transom, where it is counteracted, the reverse
thrust of an outboard
motor using the vertical-input outboard-motor angled-drive lower unit 10 is
reflected by the
thrust redirection plate 61 to channel the otherwise-wasted thrust into useful
thrust. The thrust
redirection plate 61 also prevents churning of the water surface when
operating in reverse.
[0044] Many other changes and modifications can be made in the
system and method
of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof.
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