Aligned inboard engine suspension for inboard-outboard drives

Claim 1

IN AN INBOARD-OUTBOARD DRIVE FOR WATERCRAFT HAVING A TRANSOM: (A) AN OUTBOARD PROPULSION UNIT CARRIED BY SAID TRANSOM, (B) AN ENGINE DISPOSED INBOARD OF THE WATERCRAFT AND FORWARDLY OF THE SAID TRANSOM AND DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID PROPULSION UNIT BY A DRIVE SHAFT, (C) REAR SUPPORT MEANS SECURED TO THE TRANSOM AND SUPPORTING SAID ENGINE AT TWO POINTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SHAFT, (D) AND FRONT SUPPORT MEANS SECURED TO THE TRANSOM EXTENDING FORWARDLY TO THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE AND SUPPORTING THE LATTER AT AT LEAST ONE POINT THEREOF, SAID FRONT SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING: (1) A SUPPORT MEMBER OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION HAVING TRANSVERSELY SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL ARMS SECURED AT THEIR REAR ENDS TO THE TRANSOM AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY ADJACENT THE FLOOR OF THE WATERCRAFT AND GENERALLY IN PARALLELISM THEREWITH, (2) SAID ARMS MERGING INTO A TRANSVERSE FORWARD END PORTION, (3) STIRRUP OF GENERAL U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION HAVING TRANSVERSELY SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL ARMS SECURED AT THEIR REAR ENDS TO THE TRANSOM ABOVE SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND EXTENDING DIAGONALLY DOWNWARDLY IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, (4) SAID STIRRUP ARMS MERGING INTO A TRANSVERSE BAR WITH THE STIRRUP POSITIONED SO THAT SAID SUPPORT MEMBER IS CRADLED WITHIN SAID STIRRUP, (5) MEANS SECURING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO SAID STIRRUP, (6) AND A RESILIENT ENGINE MOUNT SECURED TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE TRANSVERSE FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND PROVIDING A FRONT ENGINE SUPPORT.