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US3859951A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Marine drive transom seal apparatus

Assignee: Brunswick Corp
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Filing: 1972-12-21
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Granted: 1975-01-14
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Expires: 1992-12-21
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Abstract

Abstract A jet propulsion unit for a boat includes a generally rectangular pump housing section extended through a transom opening. A seal unit includes an O-ring seal compressed between a pair of brackets secured to the transom about the opening. The bottom wall and the side walls of the unit and the opening are formed as a flat planar member. The upper wall of the housing is formed with an upwardly curved surface from an aft portion of the propulsion unit toward the inner portion of the propulsion unit to create successively changing cross-sectional area taken on a vertical plane through the unit and thereby maintain an essentially constant sealing requirement with the unit in the opening. The bottom surface thus defines a reference with the upper surface configured to accommodate transom angles between zero to 20* while maintaining effective engagement of the single encircling seal member with the sealing surface of the housing. The seal unit thus encounters an essentially constant spacing between the housing and the seal bracket for all transom angles and a single unit may be used on all transoms. The rectangular construction of the housing locates the side walls spaced outwardly of a pump bowl wall and defines a discharge channel within which an exhaust pipe is located. This avoids the necessity of transom openings normally provided for the exhaust pipes as well as the requirement of a number of different fittings to accomplish the connection of the exhaust pipes through the transom. The exhaust is discharged into the water to also reduce the exhaust noise.

Inventors

  • 👤 William L Woodfill

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 09:03
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63H; B63H11/00; B63H11/02; B63H11/04

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 257 words
A sealing and mounting apparatus for a transom mounted jet propulsion unit wherein the propulsion unit may be mounted within any one of a plurality of boats having selected different angled transoms comprising in combination, a jet pump housing means having an internal boat mounting means for mounting of the housing within a boat with the housing means projecting outwardly through a transom opening and terminating rearwardly of the transom, said housing means having pump mounting means and further including an outer wall means encircling said pump mounting means, said outer wall means including a top wall and a bottom wall joined by opposite side walls, a first of said top and bottom walls being a flat wall and the second of said top and bottom walls being a vertically varying dimensional wall defining a transverse sealing cross-sectional configuration which is substantially constant in cross-section relative to said opening when in alignment with the largest-angle transom mount position and when in alignment with the minimum-angle transom mount position and with the vertical axial cross-section of the housing varying in a non-circular configuration and with a single diminishing cross-section from the location of the zero axis transom mounting, a resilient encircling sealing means disposed between the housing and the opening in said transom, and compressing means adapted to be attached to the transom and compressingly engaging said resilient encircling sealing means and compressing the same against the outer wall means, said varying dimensional housing wall permitting the adaptation of the single mounting means to the different angled transom.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 257 words
A sealing and mounting apparatus for a transom mounted jet propulsion unit wherein the propulsion unit may be mounted within any one of a plurality of boats having selected different angled transoms comprising in combination, a jet pump housing means having an internal boat mounting means for mounting of the housing within a boat with the housing means projecting outwardly through a transom opening and terminating rearwardly of the transom, said housing means having pump mounting means and further including an outer wall means encircling said pump mounting means, said outer wall means including a top wall and a bottom wall joined by opposite side walls, a first of said top and bottom walls being a flat wall and the second of said top and bottom walls being a vertically varying dimensional wall defining a transverse sealing cross-sectional configuration which is substantially constant in cross-section relative to said opening when in alignment with the largest-angle transom mount position and when in alignment with the minimum-angle transom mount position and with the vertical axial cross-section of the housing varying in a non-circular configuration and with a single diminishing cross-section from the location of the zero axis transom mounting, a resilient encircling sealing means disposed between the housing and the opening in said transom, and compressing means adapted to be attached to the transom and compressingly engaging said resilient encircling sealing means and compressing the same against the outer wall means, said varying dimensional housing wall permitting the adaptation of the single mounting means to the different angled transom.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 36 words
The sealing and mounting means of claim 1 wherein said compressing means includes a pair of ring members adapted to be attached to the exterior wall of the transom with said resilient encircling means disposed therebetween.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sealing means is generally an endless member corresponding generally to the configuration of the housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said side walls are planar walls to form a generally rectangular outer housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 4 wherein said sealing means is generally a rectangular endless member corresponding generally to the rectangular configuration of the housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 5 wherein said endless member has an unstressed cylindrical cross-section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 96 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 4 wherein said housing projecting rearwardly of the transom includes an Inner impeller housing of a general cylindrical configuration and defining a channel between the impeller housing and the outer side wall and the bottom wall, and an exhaust passageway means formed in said channel and extending inwardly of the housing section through the transom opening and terminating in communication with an opening in the bottom wall of the outer housing, the inner end of said passageway means having an input adapted for connection to an engine exhaust system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 117 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said outer wall means is generally rectangular within and to the opposite sides of said transom opening and including planar vertical side walls and a planar bottom wall interconnected to each other by generally small radius corners and adapted to be located in a generally rectangular transom opening, the upper wall of said housing means being integrally formed with said planar side walls, said top wall forming said varying dimensional wall and extending vertically upwardly and axially inwardly through said transom opening, said top wall being a cylindrical surface with respect to the bottom wall whereby an essentially constant top sealing gap is obtained for various transom angles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 90 words
The sealing and mounting apparatus of claim 8 having an inner impeller housing of a generally cylindrical configuration mounted within outer wall means and defining a channel between the impeller housing and the vertical side walls and the bottom wall, and an exhaust passageway means formed in said channel and extending inwardly of the outer wall means through the transom opening and terminating in communication with an opening in the bottom wall, the inner end of said passageway means having an input adapter for connection to an engine exhaust system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 132 words
In a marine propulsion apparatus mounted within a transom of a boat comprising, in combination, a boat having a transom, an opening extending longitudinally through said transom, a jet housing means extending through said opening and being spaced from said transom opening and terminating rearwardly of said transom, said housing having a generally rectangular configuration within and to the opposite sides of said transom opening and including planar vertical side walls and a planar bottom wall interconnected to each other by generally small radius corners, said transom opening being a generally rectangular opening slightly larger than the housing means, and the upper wall of said housing means being integrally formed with said planar side walls, said top wall having an arcuate portion extending vertically upwardly and axially inwardly through said transom opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 132 words
In a marine propulsion apparatus mounted within a transom of a boat comprising, in combination, a boat having a transom, an opening extending longitudinally through said transom, a jet housing means extending through said opening and being spaced from said transom opening and terminating rearwardly of said transom, said housing having a generally rectangular configuration within and to the opposite sides of said transom opening and including planar vertical side walls and a planar bottom wall interconnected to each other by generally small radius corners, said transom opening being a generally rectangular opening slightly larger than the housing means, and the upper wall of said housing means being integrally formed with said planar side walls, said top wall having an arcuate portion extending vertically upwardly and axially inwardly through said transom opening.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 33 words
The marine propulsion apparatus of claim 10 wherein said arcuate portion is a curved surface having a common center and whereby an essentially constant top sealing gap is obtained for various transom angles.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 118 words
A marine jet propulsion apparatus having a jet pump housing means projecting rearwardly through a transom opening, comprising an outer housing projecting through said opening, an inner impeller housing of a generally cylindrical configuration mounted with said outer housing and defining a channel between the impeller housing and the outer housing, and an exhaust passageway means formed in said channel and extending inwardly of the housings through the transom opening and terminating at the opposite end in communication with an opening in the bottom wall of said outer housing for discharge of exhaust gases downwardly toward the body of water, the inner end of said passageway means having an input adapter for connection to an engine exhaust system.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 118 words
A marine jet propulsion apparatus having a jet pump housing means projecting rearwardly through a transom opening, comprising an outer housing projecting through said opening, an inner impeller housing of a generally cylindrical configuration mounted with said outer housing and defining a channel between the impeller housing and the outer housing, and an exhaust passageway means formed in said channel and extending inwardly of the housings through the transom opening and terminating at the opposite end in communication with an opening in the bottom wall of said outer housing for discharge of exhaust gases downwardly toward the body of water, the inner end of said passageway means having an input adapter for connection to an engine exhaust system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 73 words
The marine jet propulsion apparatus of claim 12 wherein said outer housing means is generally a rectangular housing having three generally planar walls interconnected to define three sides of the housing and a top arcuate wall, said impeller located centrally of said jet pump housing means and defining a pair of said channels, one to each side of said impeller housing, and an exhaust passageway means being formed in each of said channels.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 141 words
A marine jet propulsion apparatus having an inboard drive engine, comprising a drive unit including an outer housing projecting rearwardly through a transom opening and having an inner jet forming housing for propulsion of a boat on a body of water, said jet forming housing having an inner bottom wall spaced upwardly from a bottom wall of the outer housing, an exhaust passageway means extending through the transom between the bottom wall of the jet forming housing and the bottom wall of the outer housing and extending downwardly through said bottom wall of said outer housing, and said exhaust passageway means terminating at the outer end in a downwardly directed discharge opening for discharge of exhaust gases downwardly into the body of water, the inner end of said passageway means having an input adapter for connection to the engine exhaust system.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 141 words
A marine jet propulsion apparatus having an inboard drive engine, comprising a drive unit including an outer housing projecting rearwardly through a transom opening and having an inner jet forming housing for propulsion of a boat on a body of water, said jet forming housing having an inner bottom wall spaced upwardly from a bottom wall of the outer housing, an exhaust passageway means extending through the transom between the bottom wall of the jet forming housing and the bottom wall of the outer housing and extending downwardly through said bottom wall of said outer housing, and said exhaust passageway means terminating at the outer end in a downwardly directed discharge opening for discharge of exhaust gases downwardly into the body of water, the inner end of said passageway means having an input adapter for connection to the engine exhaust system.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2977923A Cited
US3070956A Cited
US3089454A Cited
US3134357A Cited
US3181495A Cited
US3204598A Cited
US3426724A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-01-13 1978-07-15 1979-01-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-01-13 1982-07-15 1983-01-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-01-13 1986-07-15 1987-01-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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