Outboard Marine Corporation

Bombardier Motor Corporation of America

Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.

Genmar Holdings, Inc.

Ourboard Marine Corporation

Clarence E Blanchard

James S Nerstrom

Edward K Lam

Charles D Strang

Charles L Granie

Charles B Hall

Jeffrey P Higby

Duane E Rogers

Michael C Anselm

W Scott Craig

Robert Mooney

Martin J Mondek

Thomas D Wenstadt

Donald K Sullivan

Scott N Burmeister

Dean P Bergman

Brian McGuire

William L Richter, Jr

An axial-flow outboard water jet propulsion unit is designed so that it does not extend below the bottom of the boat hull, but rather is disposed directly behind the hull transom. This is achieved by arranging the impeller shaft generally perpendicular to a generally vertical drive shaft, and by installing the impeller in a flow-through duct which, although placed directly behind the transom, has an inlet for taking in water located directly below the impeller shaft. The duct does not extend to a depth lower than the lowest point of the hull bottom. The impeller shaft penetrates the duct wall, while the impeller itself is rotatable inside the duct. The impeller impels water rearward toward a convergent exit nozzle of the duct, sucking in water through the duct intake. The aft opening of the exit nozzle forms the duct discharge outlet.

Axial-flow outboard jet propulsion unit

A shift control method and assembly for a marine drive having a transmission with a clutch member movable between a neutral position and a drive position are provided. The assembly includes a first lever responsive to a remotely actuated link and a second lever is connected to drive the clutch member. The assembly further includes a clutch subassembly interconnected between the first and second levers. The clutch subassembly is configured to selectively pivot the second lever to effect movement of the clutch member, and to permit over-travel of the link connected to the first lever without pivoting the second lever upon engagement of the clutch member in the drive position. The clutch member may be returned to neutral without first having to recover any initial overstroke, that is, when it is desired to return the transmission to neutral, rotation of the first lever immediately rotates the second lever, such that the transmission returns to neutral before the first lever reaches neutral. The clutch subassembly then permits the first lever to complete its return to neutral without causing further rotation of the second lever.

Assembly and method for providing shift control for a marine drive

A modular pontoon boat including a modular deck and modular pontoons is described. The modular deck includes interlocking portions. Each modular pontoon includes interlocking sections having locks and keys. The modular pontoon boat enables the length of the boat to be selected at the time of assembly, rather than fabrication.

Modular pontoon boats

A modular boat hull including bow and stern sections and at least one center section. Preferably these modular sections are rotomolded thermoplastic parts. These modular hull sections can be quickly assembled by coupling a center section to the bow section and then coupling the stern section to the center section. To increase the length of the hull, additional hull center sections can be added as desired. The modular hull sections are coupled by locking arrangements and then secured by installing a support member which bridges the joints between the gunwale sections of adjacent hull sections. Each modular hull section has a lattice for supporting a deck. The deck can be a single piece installed inside the assembled hull. Alternatively, the deck may be modular.

Modular boat hull and method of assembly

A water jet apparatus for propelling a boat. The water jet apparatus has a mechanism for adjusting the size of the outlet of the exit nozzle. The size of the outlet is increased to provide initial thrust and decreased for high speed. A smaller opening is also desirable for low-speed maneuvering. A cone made of resilient material is mounted to the stator hub. A hydraulically driven piston causes the resilient cone to elongate. This changes the shape of the cone and the position of the cone in relation to the exit nozzle outlet. When the resilient cone is elongated, the area of the exit nozzle outlet is decreased.

Water jet propulsion unit with means for varying area of nozzle outlet

A water jet apparatus with counter-rotating impellers for propelling a boat. The impellers are coupled by an assembly comprising an impeller shaft secured to a first impeller and a gear train coupling the impeller shaft to a second impeller for counter-rotation. Preferably the gear train comprises one beveled gear secured to the impeller shaft, another beveled gear secured to the second impeller, and a beveled pinion meshed with the first and second beveled gears. The counter-rotating impellers can be driven by a drive shaft coupled to the first impeller for boats having an inboard motor or by a drive shaft coupled to the pinion for boats having an outboard motor.

Water jet propulsion unit with counter-rotating impellers

A boat or other water craft having an inboard engine, an outboard pump jet apparatus and a transom plate on which the pump jet apparatus is pivotably mounted. The boat hull bottom has a water tunnel formed therein, the transom plate has a tube portion in flow communication with the water tunnel, and the pump jet apparatus has an inlet which, in the operating position of the pump jet, is in flow communication with the tube portion of the transom plate. The pump jet apparatus is selectively pivotable between an operating position and a service position. In the service position the pump jet inlet is accessible to a boat occupant to clear debris from the pump jet inlet.

Water jet propulsion apparatus with inboard mounted power source

A water jet apparatus having a mechanism for providing additional lateral thrust when a boat is moving in reverse. A steering nozzle is pivotably mounted at and in flow communication with the outlet of a flow-through housing, and has a pair of opposing side thrust nozzles. The water flow exiting the steering nozzle is reversed by a reverse gate which covers the main outlet of the steering nozzle and by a reverse nozzle incorporated as part of the steering nozzle. The reversed flow exits the steering nozzle via the reverse nozzle, which directs the reversed flow forward and downward. When the steering nozzle is turned a predetermined angle to one side in reverse, the side thrust nozzle on the opposing side is swung into the path of water flow exiting the housing outlet. In this position, the side thrust nozzle directs a portion of the flow exiting the housing outlet in a direction approximately at a right angle relative to the centerline of the turned steering nozzle to provide additional lateral thrust directed toward the one side.

Water jet propulsion unit with means for providing lateral thrust

A tilt-trim subsystem and method for a boat propulsion system is provided. A stern bracket is mounted on a transom of the boat. A swivel bracket is pivotally supported relative to the stern bracket for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. The subsystem includes a tilt and trim assembly having at least one cam pivotally supported by the stern bracket. The cam is configured to impart a relatively slow rate of rotation to the swivel bracket, at least when there is driving contact between the cam and the swivel bracket within a predetermined angular range for trimming, as compared to a rate of rotation within a predetermined angular range for tilting.

Tilt-trim subsystem for marine propulsion systems

A simple and efficient reverse propulsion and control means for water jet powered boats which includes a sliding water valve for controlling exhaust thrusters mounted around the peripheral of the boat and which is coordinated with pivotal movement of the main thruster nozzle.

Reverse propulsion and control means for water jet powered boats

An air intake noise suppression device comprises a housing defining a passage having a relatively small height, preferably no greater than one-half inch, and a length defined by the expression ##EQU1## where H is the height of the passage and f is the desired noise frequency to be suppressed. The width of the passage is selected to be large enough to provide an adequate supply of intake air to the engine. With the passage essentially defining a relatively narrow slot, it is filled with acoustic boundary layers that accentuate noise significantly over a relatively wide frequency range.

Air intake silencer for a two-stroke engine

Disclosed herein is a one piece drive shaft housing comprising a casting including an outer surface having an upper end surface, a lower end surface, and an endless side surface extending between the upper and lower end surfaces, an internal cavity extending between the upper and lower end surfaces and adapted to receive a drive shaft and a clutch operated linkage, an internal exhaust gas passage extending between the upper and lower end surfaces and located in spaced relation to the cavity, an internal coolant supply passage extending between the upper and lower end surfaces, an internal idle exhaust passage including a series of expansion chambers and extending between the upper end surface and the endless side surface, and an internal coolant drainage passage extending between the upper and lower end surfaces in heat exchanging relation to the exhaust gas passage.

Outboard motor exhaust housing and lost foam pattern therefor

Disclosed herein is marine apparatus comprising a boat including a hull, an outboard motor including a propulsion unit having a rear side and mounted on the hull for pivotal movement relative thereto between a trimmed-in position, a tilted-up position, and a trimmed-out position between the trimmed-in position and the tilted-up position, a cover which extends above the propulsion unit and which is mounted on the hull for movement relative thereto about an axis located forwardly of the rear side of the propulsion unit and between a lower position wherein the cover affords movement of the propulsion unit between the trimmed-in position and the trimmed-out position, and an upper position wherein the cover affords movement of the propulsion unit to the tilted-up position, and engaging surfaces on the motor and on the cover for moving the cover from the lower position to the upper position in response to movement of the propulsion unit from the trimmed-out position to the tilted-up position.

Marine apparatus

A marine propulsion unit is disclosed which has an exteriorly accessible clean-out capability. The unit has an impeller housing located outside of the transom of a marine craft in which the unit is installed, which impeller housing has a separable portion that permits access to the main passage including the impeller when separated. The design also permits insertion of a hose connected fitting for backflushing the cooling system of the power head of the unit.

Growing community of inventors

Kenosha, WI, United States of America

Clarence E Blanchard