Shallow water trim adjustment for outboard propulsion units

Claim 2

In an outboard propulsion unit for watercraft having a first bracket supported by the watercraft and a second bracket supporting a drive unit, said second bracket being pivotally supported from said first bracket upon a horizontal tilt axis to provide for tilt movement of the drive unit in a generally vertical plane, a device for trimming the drive unit at a greater than normal tilt angle for shallow water operation comprising: a. abutment means carried by one of said brackets; b. a trim adjustment member carried by the other of said brackets; c. first spring means for biasing said trim adjustment member into a position for engagement with said abutment means when said drive unit is tilted to an angle slightly greater than tHe shallow water operating angle; d. second spring means for biasing said trim adjustment member into a stowed out-of-the-way position, said second spring means being adapted to overcome said first spring means; and e. means for rendering said second spring means ineffective.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said abutment means are carried by the first bracket and the trim adjustment member is carried by the second bracket.

Claim 4

In an outboard propulsion unit for watercraft having a first bracket supported by the watercraft, a second bracket supporting a drive unit, said second bracket being pivotally supported from said first bracket upon a horizontal tilt axis to provide for tilt movement of the drive unit a generally vertical plane, abutment means on one of said brackets and engageable by the other of said brackets to establish the normal operating trim of the drive member at a given tilt angle, latch means on the other bracket to latch with the abutment means and secure the brackets together, spring means for biasing said latch means into a position for latching with said abutment means, and means for overcoming said first spring means thereby rendering said latch means ineffective, a device for trimming the drive unit at a greater tilt angle than said given tilt angle comprising: a. a trim adjustment member on said other bracket, said member being held in a stowed out-of-the-way position when said latch means is in said position for latching; and b. spring means for biasing said member into a position for engagement with the abutment means when said first spring means is overcome.

Claim 5

In an outboard propulsion unit for watercraft having a first bracket supported by the watercraft, a second bracket supporting a drive unit, said second bracket being pivotally supported from said first bracket upon a horizontal tilt axis to provide for tilt movement of the drive unit a generally vertical plane, abutment means on one of said brackets and engageable by the other of said brackets to establish the normal operating trim of the drive member at a given tilt angle, latch means on the other bracket to latch with the abutment means and secure the brackets together, spring means for biasing said latch means into a position for latching with said abutment means, and means for overcoming said first spring means thereby rendering said latch means ineffective, a device for trimming the drive unit at a greater tilt angle than said given tilt angle comprising: a. a trim adjustment member on said other bracket, said member being held in a stowed out-of-the-way position when said latch means is in said position for latching; and b. spring means for biasing said member into a position for engagement with the abutment means when said first spring means is overcome.

Claim 6

The device of claim 5 wherein said abutment means are carried by the first bracket and the trim adjustment member is carried by the second bracket.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5 wherein movement of the latch means is confined to an arcuate path about a given axis and the trim adjustment member is pivotally supported on said given axis.

Claim 8

In an outboard propulsion unit for watercraft, a first support member carried by the transom of the watercraft, an intermediate support member pivotally mounted on the first support member about a first axis, and a drive member pivotally mounted on the intermediate support member about a second axis generally normal to the first axis, one of said axes being generally vertical to provide for steering movement of the drive member in a generally horizontal plane and the other of said axes being transverse horizontal to provide for tilt movement of the drive member in a generally vertical plane: a. abutment means of one of said members connected at the tilt axis and engageable by the other of said members connected at the tilt axis to establish a first operating trim position for the drive member at a given rake angle; b. a trim adjustment member carried by the abutment means engaging member and being movable between an out-of-the-way stowed position and a position of engagement with said abutment means, said trim adjustment member in the position of engagement with said abutment means providing for a second operating trim position for the drive member at a rake angle greater than said given rake angle; and c. means for moving said trim adjustment member into the position for engagement with said abutment means when said drive unit is tilted to some position beyond said second operating trim position.

Claim 9

In an outboard propulsion unit for watercraft, a first support member carried by the transom of the watercraft, an intermediate support member pivotally mounted on the first support member about a first axis, and a drive member pivotally mounted on the intermediate support member about a second axis generally normal to the first axis, one of said axes being generally vertical to provide for steering movement of the drive member in a generally horizontal plane and the other of said axes being transverse horizontal to provide for tilt movement of the drive member in a generally vertical plane: a. abutment means of one of said members connected at the tilt axis and engageable by the other of said members connected at the tilt axis to establish a first operating trim position for the drive member at a given rake angle; b. a trim adjustment member carried by the abutment means engaging member and being movable between an out-of-the-way stowed position and a position of engagement with said abutment means, said trim adjustment member in the position of engagement with said abutment means providing for a second operating trim position for the drive member at a rake angle greater than said given rake angle; and c. means for moving said trim adjustment member into the position for engagement with said abutment means when said drive unit is tilted to some position beyond said second operating trim position.

Claim 10

The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein the means for moving said trim adjustment member into the position for engagement with said abutments means comprises spring means for biasing said trim adjustment member correspondingly, and means for rendering the spring means ineffective.