Outboard motor support

Claim 2

An outboard drive assembly for a vessel comprising a nacelle mounting a propeller and propeller shaft, and means supporting the nacelle outboard of the vessel with the propeller submerged and with the shaft substantially horizontal, said means supporting the nacelle for compound rectilinear and arcuate movement from a substantially vertical, downwardly extending position in which the propeller is submerged to an elevated, substantially inverted perpendicular position standing upwardly from the vessel; characterized in that said means is operative to initiate movement from the one position to the other which is predominantly rectilinear for a distance corresponding substantially to the radius of the propeller and thereafter is predominantly arcuate until the propeller reaches said upstanding inverted position.

Claim 3

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the nacelle supports a drive motor, a drive shaft connected at one end to the motor, and gearing connecting the drive shaft and propeller shaft.

Claim 4

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the nacelle is free to move along said substantially vertical and arcuate paths in response to a thrust applied thereto in a rearward direction below the water line.

Claim 5

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 1, comprising power-operable means for effecting movement of the nacelle along said substantially vertical and arcuate paths.

Claim 6

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the vertical distance the nacelle travels is at least sufficient to raise the center of rotation of the propeller to a level above the bottom of the vessel which corresponds to the radius of the propeller.

Claim 7

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein said means supports the nacelle for movement along a substantially flat arc subtending an angle of approximately 15 to 18* from approximately 10* below the horizontal to 5 to 8* above the horizontal on a radius which is of substantially infinite length so that the nacelle travels substantially vertically through said initial movement and thereafter along an acute arc subtending an angle of approximately 75* from approximately 5 to 8* above the horizontal to substantially 80* above the horizontal on a radius which is relatively short, to said inverted, substantially perpendicular position standing up from the vessel.

Claim 8

An outboard drive assembly for a vessel comprising a nacelle mounting a propeller and shaft, and means supporting the nacelle outboard of the vessel with the propeller submerged and with its shaft substantially horizontal, said means supporting the nacelle comprising long and short links pivotally connected at their rear ends to the nacelle in vertically spaced relation to each other and at their forward eNds to the vessel in vertically and horizontally offset relation to each other; characterized in that in the normally operative position of the nacelle, in which the propeller is submerged and the shaft is substantially horizontal, the links are substantially parallel so that the initial upward movement of the nacelle takes place along an arc of infinite radius and hence is substantially vertical and thereafter the nacelle travels upwardly along an arc, the radius of which varies from the length corresponding to that of the longer link to a radius corresponding to that of the shorter link, to said inverted position standing upwardly from the vessel.

Claim 9

An outboard drive assembly for a vessel comprising a nacelle mounting a propeller and shaft, and means supporting the nacelle outboard of the vessel with the propeller submerged and with its shaft substantially horizontal, said means supporting the nacelle comprising long and short links pivotally connected at their rear ends to the nacelle in vertically spaced relation to each other and at their forward eNds to the vessel in vertically and horizontally offset relation to each other; characterized in that in the normally operative position of the nacelle, in which the propeller is submerged and the shaft is substantially horizontal, the links are substantially parallel so that the initial upward movement of the nacelle takes place along an arc of infinite radius and hence is substantially vertical and thereafter the nacelle travels upwardly along an arc, the radius of which varies from the length corresponding to that of the longer link to a radius corresponding to that of the shorter link, to said inverted position standing upwardly from the vessel.

Claim 10

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 7, comprising pairs of links supporting said nacelle.

Claim 11

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 7, wherein the initial position of the longer link is substantially 10* below the horizontal, and wherein at this position the links are parallel.

Claim 12

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 7, wherein the nacelle travels along said arc of infinite radius through a substantially perpendicular distance at least equal to the radius of the propeller.

Claim 13

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 7, wherein the nacelle travels along said arc of substantially infinite radius through a substantially perpendicular distance sufficient to raise the axis of rotation of the propeller above the bottom of the vessel a distance corresponding at least to the radius of the propeller.

Claim 14

An outboard drive assembly for a vessel comprising a console adapted to be fastened to the vessel, spaced parallel arms extending therefrom outboard of the vessel, a nacelle mounting a propeller and shaft, and means supporting the nacelle between the arms with the propeller submerged in the water and with its shaft substantially horizontal, said means comprising long and short links, vertically spaced trunnions on the nacelle to which the rear ends of the links are pivotally connected, vertically and transversely offset shaft mounted between the arms to which the forward ends of the links are pivotally connected, means on the nacelle and arms abutting when the nacelle is so disposed that the propeller shaft is horizontal, said means preventing forward angular movement of the nacelle from said vertical position, said links in said position being parallel and said nacelle being free to move initially, substantially vertically along a flat arc, the radius of which is substantially infinitely long, a perpendicular distance corresponding substantially to the radius of the propeller and thereafter along a short arc, the radius of which diminishes from a length corresponding to the length of the longer link to the length of the shorter link to raise the nacelle and propeller to an inverted, substantially perpendicular position standing upwardly from the vessel.

Claim 15

An outboard drive assembly for a vessel comprising a console adapted to be fastened to the vessel, spaced parallel arms extending therefrom outboard of the vessel, a nacelle mounting a propeller and shaft, and means supporting the nacelle between the arms with the propeller submerged in the water and with its shaft substantially horizontal, said means comprising long and short links, vertically spaced trunnions on the nacelle to which the rear ends of the links are pivotally connected, vertically and transversely offset shaft mounted between the arms to which the forward ends of the links are pivotally connected, means on the nacelle and arms abutting when the nacelle is so disposed that the propeller shaft is horizontal, said means preventing forward angular movement of the nacelle from said vertical position, said links in said position being parallel and said nacelle being free to move initially, substantially vertically along a flat arc, the radius of which is substantially infinitely long, a perpendicular distance corresponding substantially to the radius of the propeller and thereafter along a short arc, the radius of which diminishes from a length corresponding to the length of the longer link to the length of the shorter link to raise the nacelle and propeller to an inverted, substantially perpendicular position standing upwardly from the vessel.

Claim 16

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 12, wherein the shaft to which the forward end of the longer link is connected is rotatable and there is power-operable means connected thereto for effecting rotation thereof.

Claim 17

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 12, comprising a gear on the shaft to which the forward end of the longer link is connected, a rack meshing with said gear and power-operable means for effecting reciprocation of the rack.

Claim 18

An outboard drive assembly according to claim 12, comprising a fluid-operable motor operably connected to the shaft to which the forward end of the longer link is connected to effect oscillatory rotation thereof, and a compressor on the console for supplying fluid pressure to the fluid-operable motor.