Inboard-outboard drive mechanism for boats

Claim 2

Drive mechanism for a boat comprising a. a housing for outboard mounting on the stern of a boat, b. an idler shaft having an opening extending therethrough, said shaft extending axially transversely of the boat and mounted at its ends in said housing, c. a vertical rotatable drive shaft extending through said opening in the idler shaft, d. a clutch gear on the upper end of the vertical drive shaft, said drive shaft and gear being supported by the idler shaft, e. an engine, f. gearing including a train of gears loosely mounted on said idler shaft operatively connecting said engine with said clutch gear on said drive shaft for rotating said shaft, and g. a propeller unit driven by said vertical shaft.

Claim 3

Drive mechanism defined by claim 1, in which the gearing includes a power accumulating gear rotatable about the vertical shaft by power transmitted through said engine operated gears, and means actuating the clutch gear into and out of engagement with said power accumulating gear.

Claim 4

Drive mechanism defined by claim 2, in which the means actuating the clutch gear comprises a pivotally mounted shifting fork engaging the clutch gear, an operating lever, and means pivotally connecting the lever and shifting fork for transmitting lifting and lowering movement to the fork and clutch gear.

Claim 5

Drive mechanism defined by claim 3, in which the means actuating the clutch gear includes a rotatable clutch plate, clutch actuating rollers in tapered slots, and a clutch contacting plate forced by the rollers into contact with the shifting fork.

Claim 6

Drive mechanism defined by claim 2, in which the gears loosely mounted on the idler shaft connecting the engine with the clutch gear comprise a pinion rotated by said engine, a power transfer gear driven by said pinion, a one way rolling clutch assembly engaged by said transfer gear, and a second transfer gear rotated by said clutch assembly for rotating said power accumulating gear.

Claim 7

Drive mechanism defined by claim 5, in which the one way rolling clutch assembly comprises rollers movable to motion transmitting positions between the first and second transfer gears when the engine is operating and automatically movable to non-transmitting positions when the engine is idle.

Claim 8

Drive mechanism defined by claim 1, in which the propeller unit includes a lower housing rotatable about the axis of the vertical shaft, and which includes a steering wheel controlled, power actuated gearing supported by the idler shaft and operatively connected with said lower housing to impart steering rotation to said lower housing and propeller unit.

Claim 9

Drive mechanism defined by claim 7, in which the idler shaft is hollow, and the power actuated gearing includes a shaft and pinion in the hollow idler shaft, a transfer gear, and a steering gear in mesh with the transfer gear, said steering gear being held on the lower housing by a splined collar.

Claim 10

Drive mechanism defined by claim 1, in which the idler shaft is provided with an extrusion perpendicular to the axis of the shaft surrounding said opening in the shaft, and in which the drive shaft and clutch gear thereon are supported by the extrusion of the idler shaft.

Claim 11

In combinatioN with a boat, drive mechanism comprising a. a main housing mounted outboard on the stern of a boat, b. an idler shaft having an opening extending therethrough midway between the shaft ends, said shaft extending axially transversely of the boat and mounted at its ends in opposite ends of the housing, c. a vertical drive shaft extending through the opening in the idler shaft, d. a single lower housing and a propeller unit in the lower housing located in alignment with the keel of the boat, said lower housing being rotatably mounted on the main housing, and said vertical drive shaft extending into the lower housing and operatively connected to the propeller unit, e. an engine mounted in said boat, f. a gear on the drive shaft, and g. gearing loosely supported on said idler shaft operatively connecting the engine with said gear on the vrtical drive shaft.

Claim 12

In combinatioN with a boat, drive mechanism comprising a. a main housing mounted outboard on the stern of a boat, b. an idler shaft having an opening extending therethrough midway between the shaft ends, said shaft extending axially transversely of the boat and mounted at its ends in opposite ends of the housing, c. a vertical drive shaft extending through the opening in the idler shaft, d. a single lower housing and a propeller unit in the lower housing located in alignment with the keel of the boat, said lower housing being rotatably mounted on the main housing, and said vertical drive shaft extending into the lower housing and operatively connected to the propeller unit, e. an engine mounted in said boat, f. a gear on the drive shaft, and g. gearing loosely supported on said idler shaft operatively connecting the engine with said gear on the vrtical drive shaft.

Claim 13

The mechanism defined by claim 10, which includes a steering wheel rotatably mounted in the boat, a flexible shaft connected to the wheel and extending into the main housing, a steering gear mounted in the lower housing, and gearing connected to the flexible shaft and operatively connected to the steering gear for rotating the lower housing, said gearing conncted to the flexible shaft and said steering gear comprising a shaft and pinion located in the idler shaft.

Claim 14

Drive mechanism for a boat comprising a. a stationary housing for outboard mounting on the stern of a boat, b. a centrally located housing rotatable about a horizontal axis relatively to the stationary housing, c. an idler shaft extending through said rotatable housing axially transversely of the boat and mounted at opposite ends in said stationary housing, said idler shaft having an opening extending therethrough axially perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, d. a vertical drive shaft extending through said opening in the idler shaft, e. an engine, f. gearing operatively connecting said engine to the vertical drive shaft, and g. a propeller unit rotatably mounted on the lower end of the rotatable housing and driven by said vertical shaft.

Claim 15

Drive mechanism for a boat comprising a. a stationary housing for outboard mounting on the stern of a boat, b. a centrally located housing rotatable about a horizontal axis relatively to the stationary housing, c. an idler shaft extending through said rotatable housing axially transversely of the boat and mounted at opposite ends in said stationary housing, said idler shaft having an opening extending therethrough axially perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, d. a vertical drive shaft extending through said opening in the idler shaft, e. an engine, f. gearing operatively connecting said engine to the vertical drive shaft, and g. a propeller unit rotatably mounted on the lower end of the rotatable housing and driven by said vertical shaft.

Claim 16

Drive mechanism defined by claim 12, in which the gearing operatively connecting said engine to the vertical drive shaft includes a train of gears loosely mounted on said idler shaft, an engine driven shaft provided with a fixed gear meshing with a gear of said train of gears, and a power accumulating gear on the vertical drive shaft.

Claim 17

Drive mechanism defined by claim 13 which includes a clutch gear splined on the vertical drive shaft movable into and out of engagement with the power accumulating gear.

Claim 18

Drive mechanism defined by claim 12, in which the idler shaft is provided with an extrusion surrounding said opening in the shaft, and said vertical drive shaft is supported by said extrusion.

Claim 19

Drive mechanism defined by claim 13, in which the idler shaft is provided with an extrusion surrounding said opening in the shaft, and said vertical drive shaft and power accumulating gear are supported by said extrusion.

Claim 20

Drive mechanism defined by claim 12, which includes steering means comprising a rotated shaft and pinion located in the idler shaft, a transfer gear in mesh with the pinion and a steering gear operatively connected to the lower housing to rotate the lower housing for directional control of the boat.

Claim 21

In combination with a boat, drive mechanism comprising a. a main housing consisting of stationary end members and a centrally located member rotatable relatively to the stationary members mounted outboard on the transom of the boat, b. an idler shaft extending transversely of the boat having its ends mounted in said stationary members of the housing and having an opening extending through the center of the shaft in said rotatable member of the housing, c. a vertical drive shaft extending through the opening in the idler shaft, d. a single lower housing and a propeller unit in the lOwer housing located in alignment with the keel of the boat, said lower housing being rotatably mounted on the rotatable member of the main housing, and said vertical drive shaft being operatively connected to the propeller unit, e. a pair of engines mounted in said boat, f. a shaft driven by each engine extending through the boat transom longitudinally of the boat, and g. trains of gears loosely mounted on the idler shaft at opposite sides of the vertical drive shaft, each train of gears being operatively connected to one of the engine shafts and to said vertical drive shaft.

Claim 22

In combination with a boat, drive mechanism comprising a. a main housing consisting of stationary end members and a centrally located member rotatable relatively to the stationary members mounted outboard on the transom of the boat, b. an idler shaft extending transversely of the boat having its ends mounted in said stationary members of the housing and having an opening extending through the center of the shaft in said rotatable member of the housing, c. a vertical drive shaft extending through the opening in the idler shaft, d. a single lower housing and a propeller unit in the lOwer housing located in alignment with the keel of the boat, said lower housing being rotatably mounted on the rotatable member of the main housing, and said vertical drive shaft being operatively connected to the propeller unit, e. a pair of engines mounted in said boat, f. a shaft driven by each engine extending through the boat transom longitudinally of the boat, and g. trains of gears loosely mounted on the idler shaft at opposite sides of the vertical drive shaft, each train of gears being operatively connected to one of the engine shafts and to said vertical drive shaft.

Claim 23

The drive mechanism defined by claim 18 which includes steering means inboard of the boat, and a steering means controlled shaft and pinion located in the idler shaft and operatively connected to the propeller unit.

Claim 24

Inboard-outboard drive mechanism for a boat which has a keel and a transom, said drive mechanism comprising a. a main housing mounted outboard on the transom of the boat, said housing having stationary end members and a centrally located member rotatable about a horizontal axis relatively to said stationary end members, b. a hollow idler shaft extending transversely of the boat through said centrally located housing member, with the idler shaft ends mounted in said stationary housing members, said idler shaft having an opening extending transversely through its center, c. an extrusion in the form of a collar extending from the idler shaft around the opening of the shaft, d. a vertical drive shaft extending through the opening in the idler shaft and through the extrusion, e. a lower housing and a propeller unit in said lower housing located in alignment with the keel of the boat, said lower housing being rotatably mounted in the rotatable housing member to rotate about the axis of the vertical drive shaft, said vertical shaft being operatively connected to the propeller unit, f. a power accumulating gear splined on the upper end of the vertical drive shaft, g. a dog clutch splined on the vertical drive shaft and means for moving said dog clutch into driving engagement with the power accumulating gear for driving the vertical shaft and propeller unit, h. an engine mounted in the boat having a horizontal drive shaft extending through the boat transom, i. a train of gears and clutch assembly loosely mounted on the idler shaft operatively connecting said engine shaft and power accumulating gear, and j. steering wheel controlled power actuated gearing supported by the idler shaft and operatively connected with said lower housing, said power actuated gearing including a shaft and pinion located in the hollow idler shaft, a transfer gear, and a steering gear in mesh with the transfer gear.

Claim 25

Inboard-outboard drive mechanism for a boat which has a keel and a transom, said drive mechanism comprising a. a main housing mounted outboard on the transom of the boat, said housing having stationary end members and a centrally located member rotatable about a horizontal axis relatively to said stationary end members, b. a hollow idler shaft extending transversely of the boat through said centrally located housing member, with the idler shaft ends mounted in said stationary housing members, said idler shaft having an opening extending transversely through its center, c. an extrusion in the form of a collar extending from the idler shaft around the opening of the shaft, d. a vertical drive shaft extending through the opening in the idler shaft and through the extrusion, e. a lower housing and a propeller unit in said lower housing located in alignment with the keel of the boat, said lower housing being rotatably mounted in the rotatable housing member to rotate about the axis of the vertical drive shaft, said vertical shaft being operatively connected to the propeller unit, f. a power accumulating gear splined on the upper end of the vertical drive shaft, g. a dog clutch splined on the vertical drive shaft and means for moving said dog clutch into driving engagement with the power accumulating gear for driving the vertical shaft and propeller unit, h. an engine mounted in the boat having a horizontal drive shaft extending through the boat transom, i. a train of gears and clutch assembly loosely mounted on the idler shaft operatively connecting said engine shaft and power accumulating gear, and j. steering wheel controlled power actuated gearing supported by the idler shaft and operatively connected with said lower housing, said power actuated gearing including a shaft and pinion located in the hollow idler shaft, a transfer gear, and a steering gear in mesh with the transfer gear.