Variable pitch propeller for small boats

Claim 1

IN OUTBOARD DRIVE MEANS FOR AN ENGINE DRIVEN BOAT, THE COMBINATION OF A HOUSING, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PROPELLER SHAFT HAVING BEARINGS IN SAID HOUSING WHEREBY IT IS SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, SAID PROPELLER SHAFT EXTENDING REARWARDLY BEYOND SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH, SAID BORE BEING ENLARGED BEGINNING AT ITS FORWARD END, AN ELONGATED ROD MOVABLE RECIPROCALLY IN SAID BORE, SAID ROD EXTENDING REARWARDLY BEYOND THE ADJACENT END OF SAID PROPELLER SHAFT AND HAVING AN ENLARGED FORWARD END PORTION RECEIVED IN THE ENLARGED FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID BORE, A COMPRESSION SPRING SURROUNDING SAID ROD RECEIVED IN THE ENLARGED FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID BORE ACTING ON SAID ROD TO BIAS IT FORWARDLY, A PROPELLER ASSEMBLY ON SAID PROPELLER SHAFT, REARWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING, INCLUDING A CENTRAL HUB CONNECTED TO SAID PROPELLER SHAFT AND A PLURALITY OF PROPELLER BLADES EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CENTRAL HUB, EACH OF SAID BLADES HAVING MEANS WHEREBY IT IS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CENTRAL HUB FOR ROTATIVE ADJUSTMENT ABOUT A RADIAL AXIS, AND HAVING AN INTEGRAL PROJECTING ELEMENT POSITIONED ECCENTRICALLY OF SAID AXIS AND SPACED LATERALLY THEREFROM OPERABLE TO TURN THE BLADE ABOUT SAID AXIS, A BLADE ADJUSTING MEMBER HAVING MEANS WHEREBY IT IS LOOSELY CONNECTED TO SAID ROD FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, REARWARDLY OF SAID CENTRAL HUB, SAID BLADE ADJUSTING MEMBER HAVING MEANS FOR ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTEGRAL PROJECTING ELEMENTS OF SAID BLADES WHEREBY SAID BLADES ARE EACH ADJUSTABLE ROTATIVELY ABOUT A RADIAL AXIS IN RESPONSE TO RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD, A FORWARD EXTENSION OF SAID HOUSING HAVING A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER THEREIN ALIGNED WITH SAID PROPELLER SHAFT, A PISTON IN SAID HYDRAULIC CYLINDER HAVING A PISTON ROD IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENLARGED FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID ROD AND ROTATABLE RELATIVE THERETO, A POWER CYLINDER HAVING A SUPPORTING BRACKET AND HAVING FLUID CONDUIT MEANS WHEREBY ONE OF ITS ENDS IS IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH THE END OF SAID HYDRAULIC CYLINDER OPPOSITE SAID PROPELLER SHAFT, A PISTON IN SAID POWER CYLINDER HAVING A PISTON ROD EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE END THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID ONE OF ITS ENDS, A HAND LEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET AND FULCRUMED NEAR ONE OF ITS ENDS AT A POINT WHICH IS ALIGNED AXIALLY WITH SAID LAST MENTIONED PISTON ROD, A CAM SURFACE ON SAID LEVER ADJACENT ITS CONNECTED END, AND A CAM FOLLOWER ON SAID LAST MENTIONED PISTON ROD, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT SAID BLADES ARE ADJUSTABLE ROTATIVELY ABOUT A RADIAL AXIS, TO THEREBY VARY THEIR PITCH, IN RESPONSE TO PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER.