Mounting assembly for small outboard motors

Claim 2

An outboard motor comprising a propulsion unit including an upper unit, a lower unit carrying a propeller, and means connecting said upper and lower units including an elongated member, a support member fixedly connected to said elongated member at a location intermediate said upper and lower units, a bracket adapted to be mounted on a boat hull, first sleeve means slidably mounted on said elongated member between said support member and said lower unit for relative movement between said elongated member and said first sleeve means, said first sleeve means engaging said support member when said propulsion unit is in an operating position, second sleeve means mounted on said elongated member between said support member and said upper unit for relative movement between said elongated member and said second sleeve means, and first and second link means respectively pivotally connected to said first and second sleeve means and pivotally connected to said bracket for pivotal movement of said link means relative to said bracket to afford movement of said propulsion unit between an operating position and a storage position.

Claim 3

An outboard motor according to claim 1 including latch means for releasably and selectively holding said first link means in positions corresponding to the operating and storage positions.

Claim 4

An outboard motor according to claim 2 wherein said latch means comprises a pin on said first link means, a latch means on said mounting bracket and including a pair of spaced latching elements having a hook portion, said latching elements being located such that said pin is latchably engaged by the hook portion of one of said latching elements when said first link means is in the operating position and said pin is latchably engaged by the hook portion of the other of said latching elements when said first link means is in the storage position.

Claim 5

An outboard motor according to claim 3 wherein said latch member is movably mounted relative to said bracket and said latch means further includes means biasing said latch member in the direction to retain engagement of said latch elements with said pin and means connected to said latch member for releasing said latch member against the action of said biasing means.

Claim 6

An outboard motor according to claim 1 including means for limiting the pivotal movement of said first link means relative to said bracket in the direction towards the operating position to thereby establish the angular position of said elongated member relative to the vertical when said propulsion unit is in the operating position.

Claim 7

An outboard motor according to claim 5 wherein said limiting means comprises a stop member mounted for vertical movement relative to said bracket and located to act as a seat for said first link means when said first link means is in the operating position, and means for adjusting the vertical position of said stop member relative to said bracket.

Claim 8

An outboard motor according to claim 1 including means for limiting the pivotal movement of said first link means relative to said mounting bracket in the direction toward the storage position to thereby assist in locating said elongated member in the horizontal position when said propulsion unit is in the storage position.

Claim 9

An outboard motor according to claim 1 including stop means on said elongated member for limiting axial movement of said first and second sleeve means toward said lower unit and said upper unit, respectively.

Claim 10

An outboard motor according to claim 1 including means for selectively adjusting the axial position of said support member on said elongated member and thereby varying the depth at which said lower unit is submerged in the water when said propulsion unit is in the operating position.

Claim 11

An outboard motor according to claim 9 wherein said support member is a clamp slidably mounted on said tubular member and said adjustment means comprises means for selectively tightening said clamp into gripping engagement with said elongated member.

Claim 12

An outboard motor comprising a propulsion unit including an upper unit, a lower unit carrying a propeller, and means connecting said upper and lower units including an elongated member, a support member fixedly connected to said elongated member at a location intermediate said upper and lower units, a bracket adapted to be mounted on a boat hull, first sleeve means slidably mounted on said elongated member between said support member and said lower unit for relative movement between said elongated member and said first sleeve means, said first sleeve means engaging said support member when said propulsion unit is in an operating position, second sleeve means mounted on said elongated member between said support member and said upper unit for relative movement between said elongated member and said first sleeve means, first and second link means respectively pivotally connected to said first and second sleeve means and pivotally connected to said bracket for pivotal movement of said link means relative to said bracket to afford movement of said propulsion unit between the operating position and a storage position, latch means for releasably and selectively holding said first link means in positions corresponding to the operating and storage positions, means for limiting the pivotal movement of said first link means relative to said bracket in the direction toward the operating position to thereby establish the angular position of said elongated member relative to the vertical when said propulsion unit is in the operating position, and means for limiting pivotal movement of said first link means relative to said bracket in the direction toward the storage position to thereby assist in locating said elongated member in a horizontal position when said propulsion unit is in the storage position.

Claim 13

An outboard motor comprising a propulsion unit including an upper unit, a lower unit carrying a propeller, and means connecting said upper and lower units including an elongated member, a support member fixedly connected to said elongated member at a location intermediate said upper and lower units, a bracket adapted to be mounted on a boat hull, first sleeve means slidably mounted on said elongated member between said support member and said lower unit for relative movement between said elongated member and said first sleeve means, said first sleeve means engaging said support member when said propulsion unit is in an operating position, second sleeve means mounted on said elongated member between said support member and said upper unit for relative movement between said elongated member and said first sleeve means, first and second link means respectively pivotally connected to said first and second sleeve means and pivotally connected to said bracket for pivotal movement of said link means relative to said bracket to afford movement of said propulsion unit between the operating position and a storage position, latch means for releasably and selectively holding said first link means in positions corresponding to the operating and storage positions, means for limiting the pivotal movement of said first link means relative to said bracket in the direction toward the operating position to thereby establish the angular position of said elongated member relative to the vertical when said propulsion unit is in the operating position, and means for limiting pivotal movement of said first link means relative to said bracket in the direction toward the storage position to thereby assist in locating said elongated member in a horizontal position when said propulsion unit is in the storage position.

Claim 14

An outboard motor according to claim 11 wherein said latch means comprises a pin on said first link means, a latch member mounted for movement relative to said bracket and including a pair of spaced latching elements, said latching elements each having a hook portion being located such that said pin is latchably engaged by the hook portion of one of said latching elements when said first link means is in the operating position and said pin is latchably engaged by the hook portion of the other of said latching elements when said first link means is in the storage position, means biasing said latch member in the direction to return engagement of said latch elements with said pin, and means for releasing said latch member against the action of said biasing means.

Claim 15

An outboard motor according to claim 12 including a stop member mounted for vertical movement relative to said bracket and located to act as a seat for said first link means when said first link means is in the operating position, and means for adjusting the vertical position of said stop member relative to said bracket.