Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Brunswick Corporation

Timothy P Walgren

Satish Shantilal Shah

Dean A Norem

Steven A Heitz

Ricky D Reimers

Raymond N Weyl

Alex Rak

Michael R Blewett

Kerry J Treinen

Weishun William Ni

Charles L DeGeorge

Charles E Long

Tyler J Nackers

Christian L Griffiths

David W Borgetti

Michael Moorman

Paul E Honkanen

An outboard motor is for propelling a marine vessel in water and can be trimmed about a trim axis into and between a raised position in which the outboard motor is fully trimmed up out of the water and a lowered position in which the outboard motor is fully trimmed down into the water. The outboard motor has a hydraulic steering actuator for steering the outboard motor about steering axis and a reservoir mounted on the outboard motor and containing hydraulic fluid for the hydraulic steering actuator. A vent opening vents the reservoir to atmosphere and is located on top of the reservoir and closer to the back of the outboard motor than the front of the outboard motor so that the vent opening does not become covered by the hydraulic fluid when the outboard motor is trimmed into and out of the raised and lowered positions.

Hydraulic fluid reservoirs for steering actuators on outboard motors

A method of deaerating a mixture of fluid and air according to an example of the present disclosure includes the steps of communicating a mixture of a fluid and air into an open area of a reservoir directly against a wall of the reservoir to separate at least some of the fluid from at least some of the air. The reservoir is disposed about an axis of a rotatable shaft, and the reservoir has a curved radially outer wall and a curved radially inner wall joined by curved end walls that face circumferentially relative to the axis. The mixture is communicated against a first one of the curved end walls. The fluid is held within the reservoir after the separating.

Deaerating assembly

A gearbox system includes a gearbox having integrated therein a pump system, a plurality of fluid passages and a clutch control system. The pump system is in fluid communication with the clutch control system via the fluid passages to flow at least one pressurized stream. A first pressurized stream controls a first pressure-responsive device included in the clutch control system. The gearbox system further includes a hydro-mechanical control unit (HMCU) in fluid communication with the gearbox to receive a second pressurized stream and to generate at least one actuator control stream. The actuator control stream controls an actuator integrated in the gearbox.

Integrated gearbox lube and control system

A method of lubricating a coupling shaft of a gear pump includes communicating lubricant from a first gear stage along a first splined end section of the coupling shaft and through a first slot in a first radial shoulder of the coupling shaft, and also communicating lubricant from a second gear stage along a second splined end section of the coupling shaft and through a second slot in a second radial shoulder of the coupling shaft. The first radial shoulder is axially spaced from the second radial shoulder by an axial distance SA along an axis of rotation of the coupling shaft. The first and second slots each define a lowermost radial dimension SR from the axis of rotation, with a ratio SR/SA of 0.25-0.77.

Method for lubricating a coupling shaft for gear pump

An example method of deaerating a mixture of fluid and air includes communicating a mixture of fluid and air directly against a wall of a reservoir to separate the fluid from the air. The method reuses the fluid held within the reservoir after the separating.

A bearing includes a bridge land geometry having a finger cut that defines a width ISW, a center of the width ISW displaced from a shaft axis a radial distance ISR, a ratio of ISW/ISR between 0.074-0.293, to reduce cavitation and pressure ripple.

Bearing face geometry for gear pump

A shaft assembly includes a shaft with a first radial shoulder and a second radial shoulder. The first radial shoulder and the second radial shoulder each include at least one slot. An axial separation between the first radial shoulder and the second radial shoulder defines an axial distance SA along an axis of rotation. The at least one slot defines a lowermost radial dimension SR from the axis of rotation. A ratio of SR/SA is 0.25-0.77.

Coupling shaft for gear pump

In one example embodiment, a fluid transfer coupling arrangement includes a hollow shaft that is arranged in a housing and rotatable about an axis. The hollow shaft is provided by a wall having radially spaced interior and exterior surfaces. A first passage extends through the wall and is configured to communicate fluid between the interior and exterior surfaces. A fluid coupling is located mid-shaft, sealed about the exterior surface, and aligns to the first passage. The fluid coupling provides a second passage that is in fluid communication with the first passage. The fluid coupling includes a locating feature configured to permit radial movement of the fluid coupling relative to the housing and allowing the fluid coupling to track subtle shaft movements.

Overshaft fluid transfer coupling and mounting arrangement

An assembly includes an output shaft, an input shaft with an internal reservoir, and a clutch. The clutch is adapted to selectively engage and couple the input shaft to the output shaft. The clutch has a pressure chamber that communicates with the reservoir of the input shaft. The reservoir has a sufficient volume to provide the pressure chamber with a fluid pressure adequate to maintain engagement of the clutch during an interruption of a fluid supply to the input shaft and clutch.

Clutch with pressure sustaining system

A shaft assembly includes a gear with a gear bore having a splined bore section adjacent to an oil dam. A shaft includes a first splined end section and a second splined end section, the first splined end section engageable with the splined inner diameter, the shaft having a bore with a bore diameter greater than a diameter of the oil dam, a first set of radial apertures axially inboard of the first splined end section in communication with the shaft inner bore and a second set of radial apertures axially inboard of the second splined end section in communication with the shaft inner bore that altogether provide lubrication of the splined end sections.

Input shaft lubrication for gear pump

An input shaft assembly is movable along an axis to absorb external impact loads. A biasing member exerts an axial load in a direction counter to potential impact loads. A stop is provided to control the application of biasing loads to control application of such axial load.

Shaft assembly including a contained shaft spring load

A shaft assembly includes a shaft with a first radial shoulder and a second radial shoulder. A retainer plate is located at least partially between the first radial shoulder and the second radial shoulder to avoid damage when an impact load is applied to the shaft. A spring assembly biases the shaft out of contact with the retainer plate during operation.

Input shaft assembly for gear pump

A shaft assembly includes a shaft with a first radial shoulder and a second radial shoulder along a shaft axis. A seal retaining sleeve is defined around the shaft axis to position a shaft seal. A retainer plate at least partially between the first radial shoulder and the second radial shoulder is adjacent to the seal retaining sleeve to position and provide access to the seal retaining sleeve and shaft seal.

Seal retaining sleeve for gear pump

A coupling shaft assembly includes a coupling shaft with a first radial shoulder and a second radial shoulder, the first radial shoulder and the second radial shoulder each include at least one slot to provide a lubricant flow path.

A filter assembly for filtering particulate contaminants from a fluid comprises: a generally cylindrical filter unit with one end closed and the other end open; a filter head comprising a generally cylindrical sleeve extending generally horizontally an open end for receiving the open end of the filter unit with that has a vent port aligned with a vertical axis through an upper portion of the sleeve and a drain port aligned with the vertical axis extending through a lower portion of the sleeve; and a coupling for securing the open end of the filter unit to the filter head to seal the sleeve vent and drain ports; wherein loosening the coupling allows the filter unit to slide away from the filter head sufficiently to establish fluid communication between the sleeve vent and drain ports.

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Byron, IL, United States of America

Timothy P Walgren