US2751875A - Control device for outboard motors - Google Patents

Description

.gmane 26, 'W56 2,751,875

H. P. HENRY CONTROL DEVICE FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fi led Deo. 4, 1951 19 24 HOWQRTH F HENRY 4 .i fifi/7W WWW/WW@ q Y June 26, 1956 H. P. HENRY 2,75L875 CONTROL DEVICE F'OR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed DGO. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SPRING LOQD VERT. PLRTE POSITION HlZ INVENTOFE Hovvmew P Hamm United States Patente() CONTROL DEVICE FOR OUTBOARD VMOTRS Howarth PaHenry, Euglishtown, NJ.

Application December 4, 195'1,1Serial-No'.259,7'53

Claims. .(Cl. 11S- 18) The present `invention relates to novel and useful improvements in devices for controlling -the directin V(forward or reverse) in which a boat-is propelled by a motor-and it relates, moreparticularlyfto a control device -for attachment to an outboard motor.

Au object lof the present invention is vto provide a simple and inexpensive control' device which is particu- 'larly 4adapted for attachment to an outboard motor to control the direction (forward or reverse) in which a boat will be driven by the motor. A control device embodying -the present invention does not involve the use of gears or any alteration of the working parts of the motor and its operation is ventirely automatic.

`Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent and best understood from the following description and the 'accompanying vdrawings in which:

Fig. lis-a side view of a control device embodying the present invention -as attached -to an outboard motorg Fig. 2 is a rear view 'of the controll device shown in Fig. I;

Fig. 3 is a section View talien along the line 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section View ktaken-along the line 4-'4 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a section -view taken along thelin'e 5-5 of Fig. 3';

Fig. -6 is 'a section vview taken along the line 6=6 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 7 .and 8 are side view s of the control device shown in Fig. 1 ywith the Vparts in different operating positions thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a graph schematically'illustrating-theoperating characteristics of a control device such as"illustrated in Pig. 1.

Referring to vthe drawings in detail, the lower portion of a conventional outboard motor is illustrated and ythis portion includes Ya drive shaft housing 10 Ywhich has a propeller 11 located at its lower endv beneath an anticavitation Vand exhaust plate 12.

A bracket' 1'3 hasportionslocated o n opposite sides of the shaft housing 10 Yand is detachably clamped ythereto bymeans of a'nut and -bolt 14. The bracket `13 hastwo oppositely disposed arms 15-which extend'rearwardly of the shaft housing 10 to va point Aabove the-propeller I1. The arms 15 have ,aligned openingstherein' through which a shaft 16 extends and is thus supported .by .the arms. A control plate 17 is supported on the shaft 16 and isrnovable about-the` shaft from avertlcal position to a horizontal lposition with stops limiting its movement to an arc of about v120 degrees. The 1Z0-degree -movementzof the yplatejsprovicled toallow for-.anliangular fpositionof they shaft housings-.10 when' the m'o'tor' in- Stalledonatbdat s Y, Whenvtlle Qontrol plate 17 is in {vertical-position, it extends downwardly around the anti-cavitation and exhaust plate 12 o'fetlre` motor and the lower portion of `theplate @is ,located immediately 'in-back o'f pro-n in opposition-to the'springs and inV this position, the at 2,751,875 Patented June 26, 1956 peller 11 in fairly close proximity thereto andIis of suflivcient -sizeto oppose the eiective area of thevpropellers action. The'portion of the control plate 17 opposite-to -the propeller 11 is curved in a vertical plane and '-has `a vgenerallyY concave surface with the plate partially Ven- -closing the propeller at the sides thereof. The bottom end of the plate is dat, yas indicated at 18, to provide-a surface on which the plate can plane when it is in fits horizontal position as shown in Fig. 8.

They control plate 17 is normally held in its vertical position --byV a pair of coil springs 19 and 19. TheA- coil springs 19 and 19' are connected to the-plate `17 `byeyebolt's- 20 and Vto ears 21 extending from the bracket 13. Concentrically arranged Within the coil springs 19 and 19', respectively, there are supplementalV coil springs '22 and 23. APlungers 24 are slidably fitted within the supplemental springs 22 and 23 and are connected to tthe eye-bolts 20 on the plate 17. The ends of the plungers 24 have headed'portions 25 which engage with the ends of the supplemental springs 22 and 23 and thus, bring .the supplemental springs into action in addition to the main springs 19 and 19 as the plate 17 swings from its vertical or down position to its horizontal or up position. `For purposes described hereinafter, the supplemental springs 22 and V23 are of dierent lengths and thus, come into action at different points in thev movement of `the control plate.

The-'ears 212 on thebracket-l to which the coil springs ac'tin'gnon the plate are connected are so located with -respectl-to-the shaft 16 on-w'hich the plate is supported that tl-.le momentA arm of the forces of the springs acting on` the-plate decreases as the plate -17 swings upwardly. 'Iu'stl prior :to thel plate reaching its horizontal position, Athe springs 19 .and19 strike stops 26 on the bracket 13 and are `bent slightly out of their normal line of action as indicated in Fig. 8. In this position, the moment arm of the vforce exerted by the springs on the plate is very `'small `so thata very slight downward pull is exerted on the plate'. Thus, the plate' 17 will -be heldin its horizontal `position with relatively small forces acting on it trailing-edge -18 at the bottom of the plate will in eiect provide-a planingY surface 'forthe plate sov that there will be-,avery small dragon the boat.

VThe operation of the attachment described above will 'be described-with' particular reference toil-lig. 19. When thel motor" i's started, the springs 19 and 1.9 holdfthe plate' 17" down or vin vertical position and the action of thewater'b'eing forced against the plate 17 by the upropeller causes ythe lboat to move backward o'r in reverse. vTheprincipleof this operation .has beenk'riown and'u'ti- 'lized'i'n the'Kitchen rudder. As the speed ofthe-'pro- -peller is increased, the plate automatically raises and when the'plate reaches an angle of from 20 to A25 degrees, the '-boat -w`il1-remain stationary -or be in neutral. rlhe Irst-or shorter supplemental springs 23 comes into action .at this position of the'plate 17- and has' the e'iect of holdingr-theV plate in this position over a range-fof propeller :speeds- .as l,represented =by -the portion Vof the curve lof Fig. '9indicated at A.

"When :thef -prop'eller speed isA increased suliiciently `'to iraise' thefplate stillffurlther, the boat willstart-mdving Aforward and-Whentthefplate17'hasreached an angle of .approximately @t0 degrees, the ysecond supplementalspring 2't-.comes` intoaction and serves Vto maintainthe plategat :this :position regardless .of .slight vchanges in propeller fspeedszrepreuted bythe portionlof 4the curvelofzFig. 9 .indicated atB. Thus, ,at .the A1.O-degree ,position of fthe :.plate,@forwardmovementoffthe:boat at aflow speedsuit- .able'forzt'rolling maintaind over Aafrange .of Vpropeller speeds; When-the `speed of :thepropellersisrzincreased zfurther, 'the-plate-y 17 .then raises' quickly to tits :horizontal position, but due to the changing moment arm of the springs, the forces acting on the plate 17 decrease to a minimum when the plate is horizontal and the boat is .moving at fullspeed ahead. e 'Y Y VA s Vwill bey seen from the foregoing, the supplemental springs 22 and 23 each come into action at diierent times and they maintain the Vplate in its neutral and trolling positions over a range of motor speeds so that the Vmanipulation of the motor speed is not critical. Also, it

willY be seen that the operation of the present control device is entirely automatic depending entirely on the speed at which the motor drives the propeller.

1It will V,be understood that the angular position of the 3plate Yat which the boat stands still or moves forward at vtrolling speedmayvary somewhat depending on the size Aof the plate and the action of the particular propeller which it opposes. f However, such positions may be readily ascertained for a given set of conditions and the action of the supplemental springs may be provided for accordingly. l It will also be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing ,from the scope of the invention as dened by the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in which a boat is propelled by a motor-driven pro-V said downwardly extending position to akgenerallyV horizontal position, the portion of the plate opposing the propeller having a curved surface partially enclosing the propeller, spring means for automatically controlling piv-f otal movement of the plate, said spring means including a tension spring having onerend thereof connected to the plate at a point located beneath the pivot point and having its other end connected to the support at a point spaced from the pivot point of the plate, said spring normally acting to hold the plate in itsV downwardly eX- tending position, said locations of said points of connection providing a shortened line of action of the spring as the plate moves from its downwardly extending position towards its horizontal position and fulcrum means positioned in the path of travel ofthe spring, said fulcrum l means engaging with the spring at a point intermediate Y its ends when the spring reaches the dead center position in movement of the plate toward its horizontal position.

2. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in which a boat is propelled by a motor-driven propeller, the Vcombination as dened in claim 1 which includes a supplemental spring having one-Lend connected Y to the support adjacent said point of connection of the lirst-mentioned tension spring therewithand means connected to the plate adjacent the point of Yconnection ofA the first-mentioned tension spring and said plate, said Y means being slidably movable into engagement with said supplemental spring upon a predetermined angular movement of the plate from its downwardly extending position towards its horizontal position and thereby enhanc-v ing the resistance of the rst-mentioned tension spring.

3. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in ,which a boat is propelled by'a motor-driven propeller of the type wherein a control plate'is pivotally mountedon a support at a point above a propeller and Vhas a downwardly extending portion located behind the xpropeller, said plate being pivotally movable through an f arc of at least 90 degrees from a downwardly extending position to a horizontal position, characterized by the combination with said control plate of spring means for j automatically controlling pivotal movement of the control plate, said spring means including a pair of tension springs connected between the plate and the support, each of said springs having one end thereof connected to the plate at a point beneath the pivot point of the plate and the other end thereof connected to the support at a point spaced from the pivot point of the plate, the connection points of the springs to the plate and the support being so located that the perpendicular distance from the pivot point of the plate to the line of action of the'spring decreases as the plate moves from its downwardly extending position to a horizontal position and the springs occupy a substantially dead center position with respect to the pivot point of the plate when the plate is in its horizontal position, and fulcrum means positioned in the path of travel of the spring, said fulcrum means engaging with the springs at a point intermediate their ends when the springs reach said dead center position.

4. In a device for automatically controlling the direction` in which a boat is propelled-by a motor-driven propeller of the type wherein a control plate is pivotally mounted on a support at a point above a propeller and has a downwardly extending portion located behind the propeller, said `plate being pivotally movable through an arc of at least 90 degrees from a downwardly extending position to a horizontal position, characterized by the combination with said control plate of spring means for automatically controlling pivotal movement of the control plate, said spring means including a pair of tension Vsprings connected between the plate and the support, each of said springs having one end thereof connected to the plate at a point beneath the pivot point of the plate and the other end thereof connected to the support at a point 'spaced from the pivot point of the plate, the connection points of the springs to the plate and the support `being so located that the perpendicular distance from the pivot point of the plate to the line of action of A the springs decreases as the plate moves from its downwardly extending position to a horizontal position and ftheV springs occupy a substantiallyY dead center position with respect to the pivot point of the plate when the plate is in its horizontal position, fulcrum means located in the path of travel of the springs, said fulcrum means engaging with the springs intermediate their ends when the springs reach said dead center position, a pair of i supplementallsprings, one of said supplemental springs being associated with each of said tension springs and Y having one end thereof connected to the support at the point adjacent the connection of the associated tension spring thereto, and means connected to the plate for engaging with Vsaid supplemental springs upon angular movement of the plate from its downwardly extending position toward its horizontal position, said engaging means including members connected Vto theY plate adjacent the connections of the tension springs thereto, said members being slidably movable into engagement with the supplemental springs.

5. In a device for automatically controlling the direction in which a boat is propelled by a motor-driven propeller, the combination as `deflned'in claim 4 wherein the supplemental springs are located within the iirstmentioned tension springs and the members engaging Y withthe supplemental springs engage with the respectiveyspringsat different angular positions of the control plate.

i References Cited in thetile of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Y z 1,863,944 Semmes June 21, 1932 V2,050,336 Karasinski Aug. .11, 1936 2,548,121 K Reid Apr. 10, '1951' L 2,601,396 Henry June 24, 1952 ,Y FOREIGN PATENTSv 81,551 l Austria Oct. 25, 1920

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