Bombardier Motor Corporation of America

Outboard Marine Corporation

Brp US Inc.

Other

Michael W Freitag

Gerald F Bland

Paul E Westhoff

Martin J Mondek

James R Jones

Richard M McChesney

Simon Pfiffner

Arthur R Ferguson

Mark C Noble

Donald K Sullivan

Roger Raetzman

Kennedy K McElroy, Jr

John Feuerstein

Jeffery P Higby

A gear case assembly for a marine propulsion system has a gear case having a first end adapted to connect the gear case to a remainder of the marine propulsion system, and a second end disposed opposite the first end. A driveshaft is disposed at least in part in the gear case. A propeller shaft, operatively connected to an end of the driveshaft, is disposed at an angle thereto. The end of the driveshaft and at least a portion of the propeller shaft are disposed in a transmission chamber defined in the gear case. An expansion port is defined in the gear case. A container, defining an expansion chamber, is disposed outside the gear case. The expansion port fluidly communicates the transmission chamber with the expansion chamber. An outboard engine is also disclosed.

Marine propulsion system gear case assembly

The gear case assembly has a gear case, a driveshaft and a propeller shaft mounted at an angle to the driveshaft, each at least partly disposed within the gear case, a transmission having forward and reverse gears and a shift rod, and an electric transmission actuator assembly having an actuation axis and an actuator end engaging the shift rod. The transmission is operatively connected the propeller shaft and the driveshaft selectively drives the propeller shaft via the transmission. An actuator chamber houses at least part of the actuator assembly. There is a gap between the actuator assembly and an actuator chamber wall in a direction perpendicular to the actuation axis. The gap is sized and shaped to permit a translation of the actuator assembly away from the shift rod for disengagement from the shift rod. A gear case, a marine outboard engine and a method of assembly is also disclosed.

Gear case assembly for a marine outboard engine and method of assembly thereof

A water jet propulsion system has a flow-through housing with an impeller section, a convergent section having a discharge aperture, and a cup-shaped extension. An impeller is rotatable within the impeller section of the housing. A steering nozzle is pivotably mounted inside the cup-shaped extension for pivoting about an axis. The steering nozzle has an inlet opening with a width greater than its height, a laterally convergent section extending rearward from the inlet opening, and an outlet opening. Preferably the outlet opening of the steering nozzle is generally circular. The steering nozzle has a second section having a passage which is generally cylindrical or slightly convergent. The second section ends at the outlet opening. A support post extends radially outward from the steering nozzle, and a steering arm extends laterally and forward from the support post. A portion of the steering arm extends outside of and overhangs a portion of the cup-shaped extension. The steering nozzle, support post and steering arm are formed as one cast piece.

Low-profile steering nozzle for water jet propulsion system

A mechanism for cleaning out an inlet grate of a water jet propulsion system. The mechanism includes an actuator and a wiper. The actuator penetrates and is supported by a through-hull housing installed in an opening in the hull. The actuator is linearly displaceable relative to the through-hull housing by manipulation of a handle or other operator input device or system. An inlet grate comprising a plurality of cantilever tines is pivotably mounted to and supported by the through-hull housing. A weed wiper is connected to the end of the actuator remote from the end that is actuated by the boat operator. When the actuator is displaced downward, the weed wiper moves downward along a linear path. At the point in the wiper displacement where the wiper bar engages the tines of the inlet grate, the downwardly displacing weed wiper causes the grate to pivot downward. During this action, the wiper slides across the grate and pushes any weeds or other debris entangled on the grate toward the ends of the tines. Because weeds usually wrap and ball around the inlet grate tines, the weeds will slide off easily when pushed or dragged by the sweeping wiper bar.

Water jet propulsion unit having linear weed grate clean-out system

A water jet apparatus having a single drive shaft rotatably supported by a pair of bearings installed in an inlet housing. The impeller is securely mounted on a splined end of the drive shaft which extends out of the inlet housing in the aft direction. The drive shaft is not supported by the stator housing, thereby eliminating the need to install bearing inside the stator housing during assembly. Oil seals are arranged between the drive shaft and an inlet housing projection which extends into a cavity formed in the front end of the impeller.

Bearing arrangement for drive shaft of water jet apparatus

A water jet apparatus mounted to a horizontal hull section and having a shift and steering control assembly which penetrates a hole in that hull section. The shift and steering control assembly has a modular lever and shaft subassembly which is installed in the inlet housing, before the inlet housing is installed in the hull. The modular lever and shaft assembly includes a shift and steering control housing mounted to the inlet housing and having respective bores for housing shift and steering shafts. Upper shift and steering levers are coupled to the upper ends of the shift and steering shafts respectively, while lower shift and steering levers are coupled to the lower ends of the shift and steering shafts respectively. Respective control cables are attached to the upper levers inside the hull; respective control rods for operating a steering nozzle and a reverse gate are attached to the lower levers outside the hull.

Shift and steering control system for water jet apparatus

An arrangement for mounting a water jet apparatus to a hull of a marine craft. The hull has generallly horizontal and vertical sections and sidewalls which define a cavity in which an inlet housing of the water jet apparatus is installed. The inlet housing has a top section which abuts an exterior surface of the horizontal hull section and a front section which abuts an exterior surface of the vertical hull section. A top mounting plate abuts an interior surface of the horizontal hull section, while a front plate abuts an interior surface of the vertical hull section. One set of fasteners hold the top mounting plate, the horizontal hull section and the top section of the inlet housing together. Another set of fasteners hold the front plate, the vertical hull section and the front section of the inlet housing together.

Arrangement for mounting propulsion unit to boat hull

A marine craft has with an inlet ramp, which increases in height as the inlet ramp extends rearward, and a cavity which communicates at its front with the rear of the inlet ramp. The cavity is open at its bottom and its rear. The marine craft is propelled by a jet pump apparatus having an inlet housing which is installed in the aforementioned hull cavity. The inlet housing defines an inlet volume in flow communication with the inlet ramp and a water tunnel in flow communication with the inlet volume. The inlet volume has a height which increases as it extends rearward. The inlet ramp and the inlet housing each have a lower U-shaped boundary, which boundaries are connected to form a generally rectangular inlet for water being sucked in by the water jet.

Inlet structure for water jet apparatus mounted to boat hull

A marine propulsion device comprising a gear housing adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat, a drive shaft rotatably supported by the gear housing and adapted to be drivingly connected to a propeller, a clutch mechanism supported within the gear housing and operably connected to the drive shaft, an actuating member movably supported by the gear housing and including a portion extending exteriorly of the gear housing, and a mechanism mounted on the gear housing for forming a substantially water-tight chamber containing the portion of the actuating member.

Marine propulsion device seal arrangement

A stern drive unit comprising a metal upper gear housing which is adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat for pivotal movement relative thereto about a generally vertical steering axis and about a generally horizontal pivot axis, a generally vertical drive shaft rotatably supported by the upper gear housing and adapted to be driven by an engine, a lower gear housing fixed to the upper gear housing for common movement therewith, a propeller shaft which is rotatably supported by the lower gear housing, which is driven by the vertical drive shaft and which is adapted to have mounted thereon a propeller, and plastic covers covering more than a majority of the upper gear housing.

Marine propulsion device cover arrangement

Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gearcase, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in the gear case and adapted to support a propeller, a clutch shaft rotatably mounted in the gearcase in co-axial relation to the propeller shaft, a splined female end portion on one of the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft and a splined male end portion on the other of the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft and engaged with the splined female end portion, and a resilient spring clip cooperating with the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft for releasably retaining the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft in predetermined axial relation to each other.

Marine propulsion device with two piece propeller shaft assembly

Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gearcase, a driveshaft having an end extending into the gearcase, a pinion mounted on the end of the driveshaft, a propeller shaft bearing housing located within the gearcase having a forward end adjacent the pinion, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in the propeller shaft bearing housing and having a rear end portion and a portion forwardly of the rear end portion, a propeller mounted on the rear end of the propeller shaft, a bevel gear adjacent the forward end of the propeller shaft bearing housing and engaging the pinion, the bevel gear including an annular forwardly facing thrust transferring surface, and an annular thrust transferring element mounted on the propeller shaft bearing housing and engageable with the annular forwardly facing thrust transferring surface so as to transfer thrust forwardly from the bevel gear through the thrust transferring element and to the propeller shaft bearing housing.

Growing community of inventors

Kenosha, WI, United States of America

Michael W Freitag