Valve apparatus for tilting outboard motor

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TILTING AND LOCKING THE OUTBOARD DRIVE ASSEMBLY AND HOUSING OF A POWER BOAT AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE BOAT TRANSOM, COMPRISING A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER CONNECTIBLE BETWEEN THE BOAT TRANSOM AND DRIVE ASSEMBLY, SAID CYLINDER HAVING A MOVABLE PISTON AND AN EXTENDIBLE PISTON ROD, SAID CYLINDER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND FLUID CHAMBERS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PISTON, THE PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FIRST CHAMBER TO EFFECT TILTING OF THE DRIVE ASSEMBLY UPWARDLY UPON APPLICATION OF HYDRAULIC FLUID PRESSURE IN THE SECOND CHAMBER, A SINGLE HYDRAULIC FLUID TRANSMISSION LINE, CONTROLLABLE MEANS SELECTIVELY APPLYING, RETAINING AND RELIEVING HYDRAULIC FLUID PRESSURE IN THE LINE, RESERVOIR MEANS SUPPLYING HYDRAULIC FLUID TO SAID CONTROLLABLE MEANS, A VALVE APPARATUS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LINE AND THE CYLINDER AND HAVING AN UNOBSTRUCTED FLUID TRANSMISSION PASSAGE COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE LINE AND THE SECOND FLUID CHAMBER FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID CONTROLLABLE MEANS IN CAUSING UPWARD TILTING OF SAID DRIVE ASSEMBLY AND LOCKING OF SAID DRIVE ASSEMBLY AGAINST A DOWNWARD TILTING, SAID VALVE APPARATUS ALSO HAVING A SECOND FLUID RESERVOIR THEREIN AND A FLOW CHANNEL CONNECTING THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND RESERVOIR WITH THE FIRST FLUID CHAMBER OF THE CYLINDER, SAID VALVE APPARATUS HAVING A CHECK VALVE IN SAID FLOW CHANNEL AND OBSTRUCTING FLOW FROM THE CYLINDER TO THE SECOND RESERVOIR WHEREBY TO NORMALLY LOCK THE DRIVE ASSEMBLY AGAINST UPWARD TILTING, AND SAID VALVE APPARTUS HAVING MEANS OPENING SAID CHECK VALVE IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID PASSAGE WHEREBY TO PERMIT FLUID TRANSMISSION FROM THE FIRST CHAMBER TO THE SECOND RESERVOIR WHEN HYDRAULIC FLUID PRESSURE IS APPLIED IN THE SECOND CHAMBER FOR TILTING SAID DRIVE ASSEMBLY UPWARDLY.