Brunswick Corporation

Blue Sky Marine, LLC

Kohler Company

American Standard Inc.

Yanmar Co., Ltd.

Burnswick Corporation

George Edward Phillips

Wayne M Jaszewski

John M Griffiths

Richard A Davis

Gregory L Fugar

Claus Bruestle

David John Gruenwald

Douglas J Yoder

Bryan Danner

Robert E Nutt

Keith W Gessner

Douglas G Bickelhaupt

Tom Yerby

Scott Crutchfield

Robert Scott Beach

Kevin R Anderson

Charles H Eichinger

George D Idzikowski

Benjamin C Wald

Eric B Hudson

Hisanori Mori

Richard G Parkison

Derric K Drake

Hideo Misao

John W Behara

Jeffrey P Ruhnke

Brian D Simpson

David J Gruenwald

Joshua K English

William Prasse

Philiip D Magee

Bryan L Danner

A hull mounted, steerable marine drive system having trim actuation is both steerable through 360 degrees and is trimmable. The marine drive system includes a watertight enclosure assembly for sealing the hull, which is adapted for keeping much of the marine drive system from being exposed to water. The enclosure includes a gasket flange plate, a retention plate and a folded gasket. The gasket flange plate closely follows the contour of the hull and enhances the hydrodynamic and wake performance of the present marine drive system. Further, marine drive system includes a forward-neutral-reverse (FNR) transmission assembly, a drive unit assembly having a trimmable upper unit and a steerable lower unit, a steering actuator assembly, a trim actuator assembly, and, preferably, trim foils for providing enhanced negative and positive trim and for providing enhanced positive and negative lift.

Hull mounted, steerable marine drive with trim actuation

Vessel propulsion unit

Some embodiments relate to a catalytic assembly for an engine. The catalytic assembly includes a cooling housing that receives a coolant (e.g., seawater). A catalyst housing is disposed within the cooling housing such that the coolant flows between the catalyst housing and the cooling housing. A catalyst substrate is positioned within the catalyst housing such that exhaust gases from the engine flows through the catalyst substrate. The catalyst substrate serves to covert harmful emissions found in the exhaust gases to less harmful emissions. The catalyst housing includes a first fitting and cooling housing includes a second fitting that mates with the first fitting to prevent rotation of the catalyst housing relative to the cooling housing.

Power management system that includes a wet exhaust system

A hull mounted, steerable marine drive system having trim actuation is both steerable through 360 degrees and is trimmable in a range of from approximately +3 degrees to approximately &#x2212;15 degrees. The marine drive system includes a watertight enclosure assembly for sealing the hull, which is adapted for keeping much of the marine drive system from being exposed to water. The enclosure includes a gasket flange plate, a retention plate and a folded gasket. The gasket flange plate closely follows the contour of the hull and enhances the hydrodynamic and wake performance of the present marine drive system. Further, marine drive system includes a forward-neutral-reverse (FNR) transmission assembly, a drive unit assembly having a trimmable upper unit and a steerable lower unit, a steering actuator assembly, a trim actuator assembly, and, preferably, trim foils for enhancing lift to assist in getting the boat up on plane.

An engine structure is provided with a bedplate and an oil pan. The bedplate is configured to have an integrally formed balance shaft bearing support. A bearing cap is either a separate component or a component that is formed as an integral part of the oil pan. The bearing cap and the balance shaft bearing support structures are attachable to each other to capture the bearing portions of the balance shafts therebetween.

Counterweight shaft construction which reduces aeration when submerged or partially submerged below the surface of a liquid

A marine transmission provides a cylindrical spool valve that is disposed within the gear case of the transmission and has a movable portion that is axially movable in a vertical direction to select forward, neutral, and reverse gear positions of the transmission. A piston assembly provides a primary piston and two auxiliary pistons which cooperate with each other to provide appropriate hydraulic forces which move a dog clutch into engagement with forward or reverse gears or toward a location in non-engagement with neither the forward nor reverse gears. The spool valve is generally cylindrical and disposed within a narrow column portion of the gear case of a marine propulsion system.

Hydraulically actuated marine transmission

A shock absorber for a marine propulsion device is configured to provide an adapter, coupler and resilient device which can be assembled into a unit, or module, that can be inserted into a propeller. The resilient device includes two helical springs that urge the coupler into a central position with respect to the adapter and resist relative axial motion between the adapter and coupler. The shock absorber is intended to absorb the forces which occur during a shift from neutral to forward gear of the marine propulsion device.

Propeller torque transmitting device

A casing is provided to be disposed around at least a portion of a counterweight of a balance shaft in order to define a circumferential surface surrounding the counterweight which has a generally constant radius relative to the axis of rotation. The function of the casing is to reduce or eliminate aeration of oil in which the balance shaft is disposed.

Counterweight shaft construction which reduces lubricant aeration

An actuator for a marine transmission uses four cavities of preselected size in order to provide four potential forces resulting from pressurized hydraulic fluid within those cavities. The effective areas of surfaces acted upon by the hydraulic pressure are selected in order to provide increased force to move the actuator toward a neutral position from either a forward or reverse gear position. Also, the relative magnitudes of these effective areas are also selected to provide a quicker movement into gear than out of gear, given a similar differential magnitude of pressures within the cavities.

Marine transmission actuation system

A container, or pod, is provided for a pontoon boat in which an engine is disposed within the container and the container is supported below the deck surface of the pontoon boat. The container is shaped to prevent its passing completely downwardly through an opening in the deck surface when it is assembled from a position above the deck. A marine propulsion device is connected to the engine which is located within the pod, or container, and extends from the container when the container and the marine propulsion device are supported below the deck of the pontoon boat.

Pontoon boat with pod container assembled from above deck surface

A marine propulsion system is configured to be preassembled prior to the attachment of a marine engine to the marine vessel. In other words, the marine engine is attached to a transom plate, a gimbal ring, and a bell housing prior to insertion of the engine into the marine vessel. The subassembly is then moved rearwardly to cause the bell housing, gimbal ring, and portion of the transom, bracket to pass through a preformed opening in the transom. Subsequently, a transom ring is attached to the transom bracket to affix the subassembly to the transom. Then a marine drive unit is attached to the bell housing.

Method and apparatus for assembling a marine propulsion system in a marine vessel

A lubrication system for an in-line engine which has a piston symmetry plane that is tilted relative to a vertical plane is provided with an oil pan and windage tray that facilitates the transfer of oil from a rotating crankshaft to the oil pan without excessive aeration. In addition, it facilitates the removal of entrained air from liquid oil as it passes from the crankshaft to a pool of oil collected in an oil pan. A windage tray is provided with a louver structure and a louver opening structure that assists this passage of oil droplets without undue aeration being caused.

Lubrication system for a marine propulsion system with a tilted in-line engine

An actuator of a marine propulsion transmission is attached to a movable clutch member through the use of a coupler which comprises a generally spherical member formed as a portion of the actuator and a chuck device formed as part of the clutch member. The generally spherical member, or alternatively shaped component, is received by the chuck device and retained therein. The components are configured to allow relative rotation between the actuator and the clutch member while causing them to move axially in synchrony with each other.

Actuator device for a marine propulsion transmission

A support system for a marine engine provides a plurality of mounts that have primary axes that are aligned in parallel relation with a piston symmetry plane of the engine. These primary axes of the mounts are also aligned with the central axes of the cylinders of the engine. This arrangement improves the damping function of the mounts and more effectively isolates engine vibrations from the marine vessel.

Mounting system for a marine engine

A shift assist mechanism is provided with a position identification device that incorporates one or more probes in association with one or more depressions that identify alignment between various positions on the piston and cylinder of the shift assist mechanism. Electrical conductivity or non-conductivity of three electrical conductors identifies the relative axial positions of these components. In addition, the electrical conductors of the system allow the detection of water within the lubricating oil of the transmission.

Growing community of inventors

Oshkosh, WI, United States of America

George Edward Phillips