Twin Disc Incorporated

Philip Rolla

Mark B Wilson

Marzio Porro

A trimmable rudder system for a marine vessel such as a planing power boat, the system including a pair of rudder assemblies, each of which includes a rudder blade movably coupled to the hull by way of a ball-and-socket joint. Each rudder assembly includes a rudder shaft that extends from the rudder blade through the ball-and-socket joint and can be rotated for rotating the rudder blade to steer the power boat. Each rudder shaft may be operably coupled to a pair of actuators configured to control trim and camber positions of the rudder blade so that the pair of rudder blades can collectively achieve a desired hull trim change, including listing control and planing control of the power boat. Steering position, trim position, and camber position of the rudder blades may be simultaneously changed.

Trimmable rudder

A modifier may be used to prevent formation of a rooster tail when surface drive propellers are used with marine vessels. The modifier may be retractable by attaching it to the transom of the marine vessel or fixed-mounted by attaching it to the drive housing. The modifier changes the direction of the rooster tail so it flows substantially parallel to the surface of the water and hull of the marine vessel.

Rooster tail suppression apparatus

A hybrid power device for a marine vehicle is provided that has two hybrid prime movers, an electric motor and a combustion engine, that distribute power, for example torque, to a single or dual propulsor, such as surface drives with propellers. The prime movers can apply power singly or in unison, but maintain substantially optimum propulsive efficiency in all cases. The power outputs of the prime movers are in communication with a power transmitting device such as a gear box that may combine the power outputs to drive a single propulsor, or may have a power-splitting embodiment driving dual propulsors. In addition, multiple hybrid power devices may be deployed in other embodiments.

Two-into-two or one hybrid power device for a marine vehicle

A marine surface propeller, and blade therefore, which is surface piercing and partially submerged, and includes a blade geometry that improves distribution of pressure and control to wetted and ventilated regions. Preferably, the feature has a positive step (ramp, cup, interceptor, indent or other geometric addition or intervention) between one fifth and four fifths chord length so as to create a high pressure peak or zone in what is now a low pressure zone on either the blade face or back or both and to create speed controllable wetted and ventilated regions.

Stepped surface propeller

A waterjet based propulsion system and method that utilizes more than one waterjet outlet port and controls the selective application of power to the waterjets with a splitter gearbox thereby improving the efficiency of the marine craft at low and high speeds.

Waterjet propulsion system and method for a marine vehicle

A power splitting gearbox is provided that allows a single prime mover to distribute power, for example torque, to multiple final drive assemblies, such as surface drives or other final drives. The power splitting gearbox can be provided downstream from a marine transmission and can be mounted directly to a transom of a marine vessel. The gearbox can have a back wall that accepts and supports mounting surfaces of the multiple final drive assemblies such that the gearbox bears the weight of the multiple final drive assemblies. The gearbox has two outputs that rotate in opposing directions so that a pair of final drive assemblies mounted to the gearbox will counter-rotate a pair of propellers for providing a propulsive force that moves the marine vessel.

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Bruzella, Switzerland

Philip Rolla