Balanced steerable power transmission

Claim 2

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: a fixed housing; a rotatable drive member within the fixed housing; a steerable housing around a portion of the fixed housing and mounted for pivoting about an axis extending along the fixed housing; an output shaft fixed in location on the steerable housing and rotatable relative thereto; a pair of similar drive trains between the drive member and the output shaft, each drive train having: an input portion coupled to the drive member and fixed in location by the fixed housing, an output portion in equal driving engagement with the output shaft irrespective of the pivotal location of the output shaft around the pivot axis of the steerable housing, including a ring gear between the fixed housing and the steerable housing, and means for mounting each respective ring gear for rotation about the pivot axis of the steerable housing, said ring gears of the respective drive trains being coupled to the drive member for rotation in mutually opposite sense, and coupling means between the drive member and the output shaft for advancement of rotation of the output portion of the drive train relative to rotation of the respective input portion.

Claim 3

A balanced steerable power transmission as defined in claim 1 wherein the coupling means in each drive train comprises: a planetary ring gear having an outer gear face in engagement with the respective ring gear; a balancing spider coaxial with the planetary ring gear; a transfer shaft coaxial with the balancing spider and free to rotate relative thereto; a plurality of planetary pinions in driven engagement with a gear face inside the planetary ring gear and in driving engagement with the transfer shaft, each of said planetary pinions being mounted on the balancing spider for rotation about an axis parallel to the balancing spider axis, the plurality of the planetary pinions being circumferentially spaced apart on the balancing spider; and a drive gear on each drive shaft in engagement with the output drive gear; and wherein the balancing spiders of the respective drive trains are in driving engagement for rotation in mutually opposite sense.

Claim 4

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: a fixed housing; a steerable housing surrounding a portion of the fixed housing; means for pivoting the steerable housing about an axis extending along the fixed housing; a drive member coaxial with the steerable housing; means for mounting the drive member for rotation relative to the fixed housing and the steerable housing; a first ring gear coaxial with the drive member; a second ring gear coaxial with the drive member; means for mounting the first ring gear and second ring gear respectively for rotation relative to the fixed housing and the outer housing; means for connecting the drive member to the first and second ring gears respectively for driving them in mutually opposite directions of rotation; an output shaft extending through the steerable housing; a driven gear connected to the output shaft and having an axis transverse to the drive member axis; and means interconnecting the output shaft with both the first and second ring gears for rotation of the output shaft in response thereto without substanTial torque on the steerable housing irrespective of pivotal position of the output shaft relative to the fixed housing.

Claim 5

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: a fixed housing; a steerable housing surrounding a portion of the fixed housing; means for pivoting the steerable housing about an axis extending along the fixed housing; a drive member coaxial with the steerable housing; means for mounting the drive member for rotation relative to the fixed housing and the steerable housing; a first ring gear coaxial with the drive member; a second ring gear coaxial with the drive member; means for mounting the first ring gear and second ring gear respectively for rotation relative to the fixed housing and the outer housing; means for connecting the drive member to the first and second ring gears respectively for driving them in mutually opposite directions of rotation; an output shaft extending through the steerable housing; a driven gear connected to the output shaft and having an axis transverse to the drive member axis; and means interconnecting the output shaft with both the first and second ring gears for rotation of the output shaft in response thereto without substanTial torque on the steerable housing irrespective of pivotal position of the output shaft relative to the fixed housing.

Claim 6

A balanced steerable power transmission as defined in claim 3 further comprising: a pair of planetary ring gears, each having an outer gear face in engagement with one of the first or second ring gears; a balancing spider coaxial with each of the planetary ring gears, said balancing spiders being in driving engagement with each other for rotation in mutually opposite sense; a transfer shaft coaxial with each of the balancing spiders and free to rotate relative thereto; a plurality of planetary gears mounted on each of the balancing spiders, said planetary gears each being spaced radially apart from the center of the respective balancing spider and free to rotate about an axis parallel to the balancing spider axis, said planetary gears being in driven engagement with a gear face inside the respective planetary ring gear and in driving engagement with the respective transfer shaft; and an output transfer gear on each transfer shaft in engagement with the output driven gear.

Claim 7

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: an output shaft; an output gear fixed on the output shaft; a first planetary ring gear; a second planetary ring gear; balanced means for driving the first and second planetary ring gears in the same sense of rotation and; a drive train between each planetary ring gear and the output gear, each of said drive trains comprising; a plurality of planetary pinion gears in engagement with the respective planetary ring gear; a spider interconnecting the respective plurality of pinion gears for maintaining constant angular interrelation therebetween; an input transfer gear in engagement with the respective plurality of pinion gears; an output transfer gear connected to the input transfer gear and in engagement with the output gear, the output transfer gears of the two drive trains being in engagement with opposite portions of the output gear and rotatable in the same sense; and means for interconnecting the spiders of the respective drive trains for limiting rotation of one of the spiders to an opposite sense from the other.

Claim 8

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: an output shaft; an output gear fixed on the output shaft; a first planetary ring gear; a second planetary ring gear; balanced means for driving the first and second planetary ring gears in the same sense of rotation and; a drive train between each planetary ring gear and the output gear, each of said drive trains comprising; a plurality of planetary pinion gears in engagement with the respective planetary ring gear; a spider interconnecting the respective plurality of pinion gears for maintaining constant angular interrelation therebetween; an input transfer gear in engagement with the respective plurality of pinion gears; an output transfer gear connected to the input transfer gear and in engagement with the output gear, the output transfer gears of the two drive trains being in engagement with opposite portions of the output gear and rotatable in the same sense; and means for interconnecting the spiders of the respective drive trains for limiting rotation of one of the spiders to an opposite sense from the other.

Claim 9

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: an output shaft; an output gear fixed on the output shaft; a first planetary ring gear; a second planetary ring gear; balanced means for driving the first and second planetary ring gears in the same sense of rotation comprising: a first drive ring gear in engagement with the first planetary ring gear, a second drive ring gear in engagement with the second planetary ring gear, and means for driving the first and second drive ring gears at the same angular velocity and in opposite sense; and a drive train between each planetary ring gear and the output gear, each of said drive trains comprising: a plurality of planetary pinion gears in engagement with the respective planetary ring gear, a spider interconnecting the respective plurality of pinion gears for maintaining constant angular interrelation therebetween, an input transfer gear in engagement with the respective plurality of pinion gears, an output transfer gear connected to the input transfer gear and in engagement with the output gear, the output transfer gears of the two drive trains being in engagement with opposite portions of the output gear and rotatable in the same sense, and means for interconnecting the spiders of the respective drive trains for limiting rotation thereof to mutually opposite sense.

Claim 10

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: an output shaft; an output gear fixed on the output shaft; a first planetary ring gear; a second planetary ring gear; balanced means for driving the first and second planetary ring gears in the same sense of rotation comprising: a first drive ring gear in engagement with the first planetary ring gear, a second drive ring gear in engagement with the second planetary ring gear, and means for driving the first and second drive ring gears at the same angular velocity and in opposite sense; and a drive train between each planetary ring gear and the output gear, each of said drive trains comprising: a plurality of planetary pinion gears in engagement with the respective planetary ring gear, a spider interconnecting the respective plurality of pinion gears for maintaining constant angular interrelation therebetween, an input transfer gear in engagement with the respective plurality of pinion gears, an output transfer gear connected to the input transfer gear and in engagement with the output gear, the output transfer gears of the two drive trains being in engagement with opposite portions of the output gear and rotatable in the same sense, and means for interconnecting the spiders of the respective drive trains for limiting rotation thereof to mutually opposite sense.

Claim 11

A balanced steerable power transmission as defined in claim 6 wherein the means for interconnecting the two spiders comprises a gear face around each spider and wherein said gear faces are in interengagement.

Claim 12

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: an outer housing pivotable about a longitudinal axis; a drive shaft rotatable about the longitudinal axis; an output shaft pivotable with the outer housing and rotatable about an axis normal to the longitudinal axis; an output gear fixed on the output shaft; a pair of similar drive trains between the drive shaft and the output gear, each of the drive trains comprising: a planetary ring gear; a plurality of planetary pinion gears in engagement with the respective planetary ring gear; an input transfer gear concentric with the respective planetary ring gear and in engagement with the respective plurality of pinion gears; an output transfer gear connected to the input transfer gear and in engagement with the output gear; a spider interconnecting the respective plurality of pinion gears for maintaining constant angular interrelation therebetween; means for interconnecting the two spiders for limiting rotation thereof to the same sense; a first drive ring gear in engagement with the first planetary ring gear; a second drive ring gear in engagement with the second planetary ring gear; and means for connecting the first and second drive ring gears in rotational engagement with the drive shaft for driving them in mutually opposite sense of rotation; and wherein the axes of rotation of the planetary ring gears, pinion gears, input transfer gears, output transfer gears, and spiders are parallel to the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

Claim 13

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: an outer housing pivotable about a longitudinal axis; a drive shaft rotatable about the longitudinal axis; an output shaft pivotable with the outer housing and rotatable about an axis normal to the longitudinal axis; an output gear fixed on the output shaft; a pair of similar drive trains between the drive shaft and the output gear, each of the drive trains comprising: a planetary ring gear; a plurality of planetary pinion gears in engagement with the respective planetary ring gear; an input transfer gear concentric with the respective planetary ring gear and in engagement with the respective plurality of pinion gears; an output transfer gear connected to the input transfer gear and in engagement with the output gear; a spider interconnecting the respective plurality of pinion gears for maintaining constant angular interrelation therebetween; means for interconnecting the two spiders for limiting rotation thereof to the same sense; a first drive ring gear in engagement with the first planetary ring gear; a second drive ring gear in engagement with the second planetary ring gear; and means for connecting the first and second drive ring gears in rotational engagement with the drive shaft for driving them in mutually opposite sense of rotation; and wherein the axes of rotation of the planetary ring gears, pinion gears, input transfer gears, output transfer gears, and spiders are parallel to the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

Claim 14

A balanced steerable power transmission as defined in claim 8 further comprising a fixed housing; and wherein the means for driving each drive ring gear comprises: a bevel gear mounted on the drive shaft; a first input bevel gear in engagement with the bevel gear; a second bevel transfer gear connected to the input bevel gear; and a bevel gear face on the drive ring gear in engagement with the transfer gear.

Claim 15

A boat comprising: a hull; a motor mounted in the hull; a steerable power transmission connected to the motor and including a pivotable portion extending below the hull; a drive propeller on the pivotable portion of the transmission; an output gear connected to the propeller; a pair of transfer gears engaging the output gear on opposite sides thereof; a pair of drive ring gears within the pivotable portion; means for mounting the drive ring gears for rotation about an axis transverse to the rotation axis of the output gear; common means for rotating the drive ring gears in mutually opposite sense in response to operation of the motor; means between each drive ring gear and one respective transfer gear for driving the transfer gears in the same sense of rotation including a planetary drive; means for coupling the planetary drive for accommodating differential motion of one planetary drive relative to the other planetary drive for permitting either of the transfer gears to rotate relatively faster than the other transfer gear; and means for pivoting the pivotable portion and the axis of the propeller about the axis of the drive ring gear.

Claim 16

A boat comprising: a hull; a motor mounted in the hull; a steerable power transmission connected to the motor and including a pivotable portion extending below the hull; a drive propeller on the pivotable portion of the transmission; an output gear connected to the propeller; a pair of transfer gears engaging the output gear on opposite sides thereof; a pair of drive ring gears within the pivotable portion; means for mounting the drive ring gears for rotation about an axis transverse to the rotation axis of the output gear; common means for rotating the drive ring gears in mutually opposite sense in response to operation of the motor; means between each drive ring gear and one respective transfer gear for driving the transfer gears in the same sense of rotation including a planetary drive; means for coupling the planetary drive for accommodating differential motion of one planetary drive relative to the other planetary drive for permitting either of the transfer gears to rotate relatively faster than the other transfer gear; and means for pivoting the pivotable portion and the axis of the propeller about the axis of the drive ring gear.

Claim 17

A boat as defined in claim 10 wherein the planetary drive comprises: a planetary ring gear in engagement with the respective drive ring gear; a plurality of planetary pinions within the planetary ring gear and in driven engagement therewith; and an input transfer gear in driven engagement with the planetary pinion gears and coupled to one of the transfer gears; and wherein the means for coupling comprise a spider connected to the respective planetary pinion gears and rotatable coaxial with the planetary ring gear, the respective spiders being in driving engagement for rotation only in mutually opposite sense.

Claim 18

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: a first housing; a rotatable drive member within the first housing; a second housing around a portion of the first housing; means for pivoting one of the housings relative to the other housing about a pivot axis extending along one of the housings; a drive shaft fixed in location on one of the housings and rotatable relative thereto; a pair of similar drive trains between the drive member and the drive shaft, each drive train having: a first portion coupled to the drive member and fixed in location relative to the first housing, a second portion in equal driving engagement with the drive shaft irrespective of the pivotal location of the drive shaft around the pivot axis, including a ring gear between the first housing and the second housing, and means for mounting each respective ring gear for rotation about the pivot axis of the second housing, said ring gears of the respective drive trains being coupled to the drive member for rotation in mutually opposite sense, and coupling means between the drive member and the drive shaft for advancement of rotation of the second portion of the drive train relative to rotation of the respective first portion.

Claim 19

A balanced steerable power transmission comprising: a first housing; a rotatable drive member within the first housing; a second housing around a portion of the first housing; means for pivoting one of the housings relative to the other housing about a pivot axis extending along one of the housings; a drive shaft fixed in location on one of the housings and rotatable relative thereto; a pair of similar drive trains between the drive member and the drive shaft, each drive train having: a first portion coupled to the drive member and fixed in location relative to the first housing, a second portion in equal driving engagement with the drive shaft irrespective of the pivotal location of the drive shaft around the pivot axis, including a ring gear between the first housing and the second housing, and means for mounting each respective ring gear for rotation about the pivot axis of the second housing, said ring gears of the respective drive trains being coupled to the drive member for rotation in mutually opposite sense, and coupling means between the drive member and the drive shaft for advancement of rotation of the second portion of the drive train relative to rotation of the respective first portion.

Claim 20

A balanced steerable power transmission as defined in claim 12 wherein the first housing is fixed in position and the means for pivoting comprises means for pivoting the second housing relative to the first housing.

Claim 21

A balanced steerable power transmission as defined in claim 13 further comprising means for applying driving rotation to the drive member for rotating the drive shaft.

Claim 22

A boat comprising: a hull; a motor mounted in the hull; a steerable power transmission connected to the motor and including a pivotable portion extending below the hull; a drive propeller on the pivotable portion of the transmission; a rotatable input member connected to the motor; a rotatable output member connected to the propeller, said output member being pivotable with the pivotable portion of the transmission; a balanced drive train between the input member and the output member comprising: a first ring gear; a second ring gear coaxial with the first ring gear; means for mounting the first ring gear and second ring gear respectively for rotation relative to the hull and the pivotable porton of the transmission; first gear means for interconnecting the input member and the ring gears in driving engagement; second gear means for interconnecting the output member and the ring gears in driving engagement; first gear means for interconnecting the input member and the first ring gear in driving engagement; second gear means for interconnecting the input member and the second ring gear in driving engagement, said first and second gear means being similar for driving the first and second second rings gears in mutually opposite directions of rotation; third gear means for interconnecting the output member and the first ring gear in driving engagement; fourth gear means for interconnecting the output member and the second ring gear in driving engagement, said third and fourth gear means being similar for driving the output member in response to mutually opposite directions of rotation of the first and second ring gears; and one pair of said similar gear means including a pair of similar coupling means in each gear means of the pair, respectively, for advancement of rotation of one gear means of the pair relative to the other gear means of the pair.

Claim 23

A boat comprising: a hull; a motor mounted in the hull; a steerable power transmission connected to the motor and including a pivotable portion extending below the hull; a drive propeller on the pivotable portion of the transmission; a rotatable input member connected to the motor; a rotatable output member connected to the propeller, said output member being pivotable with the pivotable portion of the transmission; a balanced drive train between the input member and the output member comprising: a first ring gear; a second ring gear coaxial with the first ring gear; means for mounting the first ring gear and second ring gear respectively for rotation relative to the hull and the pivotable porton of the transmission; first gear means for interconnecting the input member and the ring gears in driving engagement; second gear means for interconnecting the output member and the ring gears in driving engagement; first gear means for interconnecting the input member and the first ring gear in driving engagement; second gear means for interconnecting the input member and the second ring gear in driving engagement, said first and second gear means being similar for driving the first and second second rings gears in mutually opposite directions of rotation; third gear means for interconnecting the output member and the first ring gear in driving engagement; fourth gear means for interconnecting the output member and the second ring gear in driving engagement, said third and fourth gear means being similar for driving the output member in response to mutually opposite directions of rotation of the first and second ring gears; and one pair of said similar gear means including a pair of similar coupling means in each gear means of the pair, respectively, for advancement of rotation of one gear means of the pair relative to the other gear means of the pair.