Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING A
MARINE PROPULSION DEVICE
INVENTOR
Clarence E. Blanchard
RELATED APPLICATION
This application relates to my earlier Canadian
application Serial No. 225,643, filed April 28, 1975 and
entitled "SAILBOAT ADAPTED MARINE PROPULSION DEVICE", and
is related to my Canadian application Serial No. 262,118,
filed September 27, 1976 and entitled "SEAL AND ISOLATION
MOUNTING SYSTEM".
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the mounting
of marine propulsion devices in boat hulls.
More particularly, the invention relates to the
mounting of marine propulsion devices which extend through
the bottom of a hull of a boat, such as a sailboat.
Attention is directed to United States Patent
No. 3,190,254 issued June 22, 1965.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a boat hull including a
bottom surface having therein an aperture, a mounting collar
adapted to support a marine propulsion device and having a
portion which extends through the aperture and which includes
an upper end, and a flange extending generally horizontally
outwardly from the upper end of the portion, means sealing
the boat hull bottom to the portion of the collar, and means
extending between the boat hull bottom and the flange
of the collar for securing the collar to the bottom surface.
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In one embodiment, the boat hull further
include a mounting bracket having a first
portion fixed to the flange and a second portion,
an endless mount of resilient material including
an outer surface having therein a recess receiving
the second portion of the mounting bracket, which
mount also include upper and lower surfaces spaced
respectively above a n d below the recess, and a
marine propulsion device including an adaptor
including a lower end having a downwardly facing
surface engaging the upper surface of the mount,
and a lower unit including a lower portion
extending through the aperture and rotatively
supporting an element adapted for propelling
the hull through the water and an upper portion
fixed to the lower end of the adaptor and including
an upwardly facing surface engaging the lower
surface of the mount.
The invention also provides a boat
hull including a bottom having thickness and
having therein an aperture with a length through
the bottom substantially equal to the thick-
ness, a mounting collar adapted to support a
marine propulsion device and having a sleeve
portion which has a length substantially greater
than the thickness of the boat hull bottom,
which extends through the aperture, and which
includes an upper end having a flange extending
generally horizontally outwardly from the sleeve
portion and in spaced relation above the boat
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hull bottom, means sealing the boat hull bottom
to the sleeve portion of the collar, and means
extending between the boat hull bottom and
the flange of the collar for securing the
collar to the boat hull bottom and comprising
a circular series of angularly spaced, verti-
cally extending members.
The invention also provides a method
of providing a support for a marine propulsion
device extending through the bottom of a
boat hull, which method comprises the steps
of forming an aperture in the bottom of the
boat hull, inserting in the aperture a collar
which is adapted to support the marine propul-
sion device and which has a lower tubular
portion extending through the aperture and an
upper flange portion extending outwardly from
the tubular portion, rigidly fixing the flange
portion to the boat hull, and sealing the
lower portion of the collar to the boat hull
to prevent entry of water into the boat hull
between the boat hull bottom and the lower
portion of the collar.
In one embodiment, the method further
include the steps of fixing a mounting ring
on the flange portion with an annular resi-
lient mounting member located on the ring
inwardly of the flange portion, resting an
adaptor of a marine propulsion device on the
resilient annular member, and fixedly assembling
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a lower unit of the marine propulsion device
to the adaptor with the mounting member being
captured between the adaptor and the lower
unit to thereby support and vibrationally
S isolate the adaptor and lower unit from the
ring and to prevent entry of water into the
boat hull between the ring and the assembly
of the adaptor and lower unit.
The invention also provides a method
of installing a marine propulsion device
including an adaptor and a lower unit into a
boat hull, which method comprises the steps
of forming a support in the boat hull around
an opening in the bottom of the boat hull,
fixing a mounting plate on the support with
an annular resilient mounting member located
on the plate inwardly of the support, resting
the adaptor of the marine propulsion device
on the resilient annular member, and fixedly
assemblying the lower unit of the marine propul-
sion device to the adaptor with the annular
mounting member being captured between the
adaptor and the lower unit to thereby support
and vibrationally isolate the adaptor and
lower unit from the plate and to prevent entry
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of water into the boat hull between the plate
and the assembly of the adaptor and lower
unit.
The invention also provides a
method for providing a support for a marine
propulsion device located in a boat hull and
extending through the boat hull bottom, which
method comprises the steps of providing a boat
hull having water-tight integrity, forming in
the boat hull bottom an aperture, inserting
in the aperture a collar which is adapted
for supporting the maring propulsion device and
which includes a lower tubular portion extending
through the aperture and an upper flange portion
extending outwardly from the tubular portion
in spaced relation above the boat hull bottom,
rigidly fixing the flange portion to the boat
hull, and sealing the lower portion of the collar
to the boat hull to restore water-tight inte-
grity between the collar and the boat hull.
The invention also provides a method
of providing a support for a marine propulsion
device located in a boat hull and extending
through the boat hull bottom, which method
comprises the steps of providing a boat hull
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having water-tight integrity, forming in the
boat hull bottom an aperture, inserting in the
aperture a collar including a lower tubular
portion extending through the aperture and
having an upper flange portion extending
outwardly from the tubular portion in spaced
relation abGve the boat hull bottom, rigidly
fixing the flange portion to the boat hull,
mounting a marine propulsion device on the
collar with a portion thereof extending through
the collar tubular portion to below the boat
hull, and sealing the collar to the boat hull
and the marine propulsion device to the collar
to provide water-tight integrity between the
boat hull and the collar and between the collar
and the propulsion device and thereby restore
water~tight integrity to the boat hull.
Other features and advantages of
the embodiments of the invention will become
known by reference to the following drawings,
general description and appended claims.
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THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a
boat hull forming a part of a marine propulsion installation
including various of the features of the invention.
Figure 2 is enlarged, partially broken away, and
fragmentary perspective view of the marine propulsion instal-
lation shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partially broken away and cross
sectional perspective view of one of the components of the
installation shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Before explaining the embodiments of the invention
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not
limited in its application to the details of construction and
the arrangement of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention
is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and
carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the
purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Shown in the drawings is a marine propulsion
device 11 installed in the hull 13 of a boat, such
as a sailboat. The marine propulsion device 11 generally
comprises a propulsion unit 15 including a power head 17
of any conventional construction, together with a
lower unit 19 which extends through an aperture in the
boat hull bottom 21 and rotatably supports an element
or propeller 23 adapted to propel the boat through the
water, and an adaptor 25 which is fixed to and between
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the lower unit 19 and the power head 17, In addition,
there is provided, in the boat hull 13, a support or
pedestal 27 which is integrated into the boat hull 13
and which surrounds the aperture in the bottom 21 of
the boat hull 13. In turn, the support 27 fixedly
supports a mounting plate or bracket 31 which cooperates
with an annular mounting ring 33 which engages the
propulsion unit 17 to support and to vibrationally
isolate the propulsion unit 15 from the boat hull 13,
and to provide a seal preventing entry of water into
the boat hull 13.
The support or pedestal 27 can be formed
either as a part of the boat hull 13 during initial
fabrication thereof or can be constructed in an existing
boat hull. While the foregoing disclosure is directed
to installation of the support in an existing boat hull,
it is obvious that the disclosure can be readily employed
to provide the support 27 when the boat hull 13 is
initially fabricated,
When incorporating the support or pedestal
27 in the boat hull 13 which can, for example, be
fabricated of fiberglass, the bottom 21 of the boat
hull is first apertured in any suitable way to ultimately
permit passage therethrough of the lower end of the
propulsion unit 17, Thereafter, a mounting collar 41
having a lower portion 43 is inserted through the aperture.
The lower portion 43 of the collar 41 is generally
tubular in shape and can be cylindrical or oval
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or generally rectangular in shape. The mounting collar 41
also includes an upper mounting flange 45 which extends
outwardly from the upper end of the tubular lower portion
43 above the boat bottom 21, The flange 45 is then
temporarily supported so as to be located generally hor-
izontally when the hull 13 is stationary in the water,
When thus in position, rigidifying, reinforcing, or
support members 47 are formed to fit between the flange
45 of the collar 41 and the inside surface of the bottom
21 of the boat hull 13 so as to fixedly support the
flange 45 from the boat hull 13. Preferably, the collar
41 is fabricated of fiberglass or other similar plastic,
If desired, the flange can be reinforced by a washer of
wood or other suitable material (not shown)~
Any suitable number of rigidifying members 47
can be located in circumferentially spaced relation around
the tubular lower portion 43 of the collar 41. The
rigidifying members 41 can be formed of plywood or of
any other suitable material.
The assembly of the boat hull 13, mounting
collar 41 and rigidifying or supporting members 47 is
then integrated into a single unity, preferably by
being bonded together by fiberglass applied to the
flange 45 of the collar 41, and the members 47 and to
the boat hull 13. While the pedestal or support 27
can be constructed in a cylindrical shape it is preferred
to form the support 27 with a series of circumferentially
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spaced recesses or cavities 49 which are located between
the members 47 and which are adapted to receive bolts
or associated nuts for assembling the mounting bracket 31
to the top of the support 27.
In order to prevent entry of water into the
boat hull 13 between the boat bottom 21 and the lower
portion 43 of the collar 41, and also to assist in
strengthening the support 27, fiberglass or other suitable
material 48 is bonded to and between the margin of the
aperture in the boat bottom 21 and the lower end of
the collar 41.
The bottom end of the tubular lower portion 43
of the collar 41 can be cut off to conform to the shape
of the boat hull bottom 21. Preferably, however, and in
order to provide for smooth flow of water past the lower
unit 19 in the area adjacent to the bottom 21 of the boat
hull 13, the bottom end of the collar 21 is formed to
include an inturned flange 51 which, in the completed
installation, extends inwardly of and slightly below a
flange part 53 on the lower unit 19. In addition,
fiberglass or other suitable material 48 can be built-up
between the hull 13 and the bottom end of the tubular
lower portion 43 of the collar 41 to provide a more or
less continuously smooth surface between the bottom end
of the collar 41 and the bottom 21 of the boat hull 13.
The tubular lower portion 43 of the collar 41 is provided
with sufficient vertical height so as to permit installation
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in boat hulls having stern portions extending at various
angles.
The mounting plate or bracket 31 is preferably
fabricated of metal and includes a radially outer ring
portion 57 which rests on the top of the support 27.
A plurality of spaced bolt and nut connections 61
extend through the outer ring portion 57 and through the
flange 45 to fixedly connect the bracket 31 to the support
27. As already indicated, the lower ends of the nut and
bolt connections 61 extend into the recessed areas
or cavities 49 between the reinforcing members 47. Any
suitable means can be employed to assure watertight
connection between the mounting bracket 31 and the boat
hull 13.
The mounting bracket 31 also includes an inner
portion 63 preferably having a generally continuously
extending enlarged bead 65. The inner and outer portions
63 and 57, respectively, of the mounting bracket 31
can be coplanar or can be offset and, in the illustrated
construction, the inner ring portion 63 is offset below
the outer portion 57 of the bracket 31.
The annular mounting ring 33 is fabricated of
rubber or other suitable material providing vibration
isolation and water sealing capabilities. More specifi-
cally, the annular mounting ring 33 includes an outer
peripheral recess 71 enlarged at the radially inner end
thereof so as to receive the inner portion 63 of the bracket 31
and the enlarged bead 65 in tight engagement and thereby to
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provide a watertight seal. The annular mounting ring 33
also includes upper and lower surfaces 73 and 75 located
respectively above and below the peripheral recess 71 and
an inner slightly concave surface 77. While the disclosed
annular mounting ring 33 is generally of endless con-
struction, the ring 33 can be of split construction.
The upper end of the lower unit 19 is formed~
with an upwardly facing surface 81 which, when the
installation is complete, engages the lower surface 75
of the annular mounting ring 33. In the illustrated
construction, the upwardly facing surface 81 is upwardly
and outwardly concave in shape.
The lower end of the adapter 25 as already
indicated, is fixed to the upper end of the lower unit 19
by suitable means such as a plurality nut and bolt
connections 83 and includes a downwardly facing surface 85
which, when the installation is complete, engages the
upper surface 73 of the mounting ring 33. When fully
assembled, the annular mounting ring 33 is somewhat
squeezed between the upwardly and downwardly facing
surfaces 81 and 85 to insure a watertight seal between
the propulsion unit 15 and the mounting ring 33 and
between the mounting ring 33 and the inner portion 63
of the mounting bracket 33. However, such squeezing
does not substantially adversely impair the ability of
the mounting ring 33 to vibrationally isolate the pro-
pulsion unit 15 while at the same time supporting the
propulsion unit 15 from the mounting bracket 31.
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Extending through the adaptor 25 into the
lower unit 19 is a drive shaft 91 which is driven by the
power head 17 and which is connected through suitable
gearing 93 within the lower unit 19 to a propeller shaft
95 carrying the propelling element or propeller 23.
Means are provided for preventing relative
rotation between the propulsion unit 15 and the mounting
bracket 31. Thus, means are provided on the mounting ring
33 and on at least one of the upper end of the lower unit
19 and the lower end of the adaptor 25 for preventing relative
rotation between the propulsion unit 15 and the mounting
ring 33. In the illustrated construction, the annular
mounting ring 33 includes a plurality of angularly spaced
lugs or projections 97 which are received into mating
recesses 99 in the upper and lower surfaces 81 and 85
respectively of the lower unit 19 and adaptor 25. If
desired, the surfaces 81 and 85 could be provided with
lugs and the mounting ring could be provided with recesses.
In addition, suitable means, such as interfitting lugs 82
and cavities 84 are provided on the mounting ring 33
and on the mounting bracket 31 to prevent relative
rotation therebetween. Thus, the lower unit 19 is
fixed relative to the boat hull 13, and a separate
rudder (not shown) is employed to provide steering control.
During installation of the propulsion unit 15
in the boat hull 13, the mounting bracket 31 is bolted or
otherwise suitably attached to the surface 27 either
before or after the annular mounting ring 33 is manipulated
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to engage the bead 65 and inner portion 63 thereof in
the recess 71 of the annular mounting ring 33. There-
after, the adapter 25 is rested on the mounting ring
33 and the lower unit 19 is temporarily suppoTted below
the mounting ring 33 to permit assembly therebetween by
the nut and bolt connections 83 so as to capture the
mount between the upper and lower surfaces 81 and 85 of
the lower unit 19 and the adapter 25 respectively.
Employment of the mounting ring 33 with the inner con-
cave surface 77 reduces any possibility of entrapping
a part of the annular resilient mounting ring 33 between
the mating surfaces of the adaptor 25 and the lower unit
19 when tightening the nut and bolt connections 83.
If desired the annular mounting ring 33 can
include an inwardly extending gasket or sealing paTt
~not shown) adapted to extend between the mating sur-
faces of the adaptor 25 and lower unit 19.
After the adaptor 25 and lower unit 19 are
assembled as just explained, the power head 17 is then
connected to the adaptor 25 by any suitable means such
as a plurality of nut and bolt connections 98.
Apart from the downwardly facing surface 85
on the adaptor 25 and the upwardly facing surface 81
on the lower unit 19, any suitable construction can be
employed, as for instance, the construction disclosed in
my earlier Canadian application Serial No. 225,643 filed
April 28, 1975. There is thus provided both a desirable
support for a marine propulsion installation and a
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complete marine propulsion installation through the
bottom of a boat hull, together with methods for
providing both the support and the overall installation.
Various of the features of the invention
are set forth in the following claims.
