Outboard Marine Corporation

Robert P Otka

Richard P Kolb

James L Holt

A shift-assist circuit for reducing the clutch wear of a transmission on a marine propulsion system during the shift process by anticipating the probable shifting forces and providing an ignition-kill signal before the shift forces can build to an unacceptable level.

Electronic gear shift assist circuitry

Disclosed herein is a digital read-out meter circuit including a digital read-out meter and a frequency multiplier arrangement for providing signal pulses coupled to the input of the digital meter counters, said signal pulses having a frequency so that the parameter value to be displayed can be counted and read out directly by the meter. A presetable up/down counter provides an output representative of the rate of change of the parameter value to be displayed, and a logic circuit arrangement is operable, subject to the up/down counter output, for allowing application of different frequency data update pulses to the data update strobe terminal of the meter so that the meter automatically switches from a slow to a fast data update rate when the rate of change in the parameter exceeds a predetermined limit. Also disclosed herein is a tachometer which can be used with different engines, the tachometer including a digital read-out meter circuit wherein the frequency multiplier arrangement includes selective switching means for multiplying 'X' number of pulses per engine revolution by different numbers so that engine rpm of different engines can be counted and read out directly by the digital meter.

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Gurnee, IL, United States of America

Robert P Otka