Marine jet drive with power trim control and auxiliary rudder steering

Claim 2

A marine jet propulsion drive apparatus including a drive jet means for creating a jet for effecting propulsion of a vessel, comprising a main steering control means coupled to the drive jet means for lateral deflection of said jet means for steering purposes, trim means coupled to the drive jet means for generally vertical deflection of said jet means, an auxiliary steering means movable to assist the main steering control means, and a coupling means interconnecting the auxiliary steering means to the main steering control means for related angular movement and including connecting means whereby the angular movement of the auxiliary steering means is different from the main steering means, said coupling means being adjustable to selectively change the angular movement of the auxiliary steering means for a given angular movement of the steering control means with the adjustment of the trim means.

Claim 3

The marine jet propulsion drive apparatus of claim 1 wherein the coupling means is set to relatively increase steering response at low speeds and to relatively decrease the steering response at high speed.

Claim 4

The marine jet propulsion drive apparatus of claim 1 having said coupling means being coupled to said trim means to automatically decrease the effectiveness of the auxiliary steering means with upward trim positioning of the drive jet.

Claim 5

The marine jet propulsion drive apparatus of claim 1 wherein said auxiliary steering means is a pivotally mounted rudder means having an axis offset from the main steering means to increase the angular displacement of the auxiliary steering means for a given angular movement of the main steering means.

Claim 6

The marine jet propulsion drive apparatus of claim 4 wherein said coupling means includes adjustable means to adjust the effective offset of the axis of auxiliary rudder means.

Claim 7

The marine jet propulsion drive apparatus of claim 4 wherein said coupling means is coupled to trim control means to correspondingly adjust the effective offset of the auxiliary rudder means.

Claim 8

A steering apparatus for a jet propulsion drive means including a water pump means having a jet nozzle means establishing a jet stream for propulsion of a vessel, steering means coupled to the nozzle means for guiding of said water jet stream laterally of the vessel for steering and having and auxiliary rudder means for assisting in the steering of the vessel, comprising a steering control including coupling means to the jet steering means and to the rudder means simultaneously angularly orienting of the jet steering means and the rudder means, mounting means for said jet steering means and said rudder means, and said coupling means and mounting means being constructed for amplified angular movement of the rudder means to increase the steering characteristics for a given angular movement of the jet steering means, said coupling and mounting means including adjustable connection means to selectively change the angular movement of the rudder means for a given angular movement of the steering control means, a trim control means for adjusting the trim position of the jet nozzle means, and said coupling means being coupled to the trim control means to vary the position of said coupling relative to the rudder means and the steering means with said trim position.

Claim 9

A steering apparatus for a jet propulsion drive means including a water pump means having a jet nozzle means establishing a jet stream for propulsion of a vessel, steering means coupled to the nozzle means for guiding of said water jet stream laterally of the vessel for steering and having and auxiliary rudder means for assisting in the steering of the vessel, comprising a steering control including coupling means to the jet steering means and to the rudder means simultaneously angularly orienting of the jet steering means and the rudder means, mounting means for said jet steering means and said rudder means, and said coupling means and mounting means being constructed for amplified angular movement of the rudder means to increase the steering characteristics for a given angular movement of the jet steering means, said coupling and mounting means including adjustable connection means to selectively change the angular movement of the rudder means for a given angular movement of the steering control means, a trim control means for adjusting the trim position of the jet nozzle means, and said coupling means being coupled to the trim control means to vary the position of said coupling relative to the rudder means and the steering means with said trim position.

Claim 10

The steering apparatus of claim 7 wherein said trim control means for adjusting the trim of the jet means simultaneously pivots the steering meanS about a horizontal lateral axis, said steering means having a vertical axis of rotation positioned relative to the position of the axis of the rudder means in response to said pivoting of the steering means about said horizontal lateral axis.

Claim 11

The steering apparatus of claim 7 where said trim control means for adjusting the trim of the jet nozzle means simultaneously pivots the steering means about a horizontal laterial axis, said steering means having a vertical axis of rotation positioned relative to the position of the axis of the rudder means in response to said pivoting of the steering means about said horizontal lateral axis.

Claim 12

The steering apparatus of claim 9 wherein said rudder means includes a pivot axis slightly angularly offset from a vertical axis, and sliding contact means between said jet steering means and rudder means moving arcuately with the steering movement of the jet steering means and the rudder means.

Claim 13

The steering apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mounting means has a relatively fixed vertical pivot support for the rudder means and a gimbal mounting means for the jet nozzle means and the jet steering means so as to permit pivoting in both directions laterally about a generally vertical pivot support for steering of the boat and a generally horizontal pivot support to tilt upwardly and downwardly about a horizontal axis for trim positioning of the jet.

Claim 14

The steering apparatus of claim 11 wherein said vertical pivot support is horizontally offset with further effective degree of offset being controlled by the trim positioning of the jet nozzle means.

Claim 15

The steering apparatus of claim 11 including a pair of coupling member secured to the jet steering means and extending downwardly to the opposite sides of the rudder means and including means slidably engaging the opposite sides of the rudder means and adjustably coupling of the jet steering means and the rudder means at differently spaced relation to the rudder axis in response to the variation of the trim positioning.

Claim 16

The steering apparatus of claim 13 wherein said rudder means being located centrally of said nozzle means, and a pair of laterally spaced, semi-cylindrical pad means secured to the underside of said nozzle means in opposed facing relation of the opposite sides of the rudder means and slidably bearing on said rudder for the various trim positions.

Claim 17

The steering apparatus of claim 13 wherein said sliding engagement is selected such that the rudder means moves through a greater steering angle than that of the steering means in a lower trim position to provide improved steering response and moves through progressively smaller steering angles in response to increasing trim means for

Claim 18

A marine jet drive apparatus adapted to be mounted to the aft end of a vessel and including a jet nozzle means for establishing a controllable drive jet of water and having a deflection means for deflecting of said jet laterally and an auxiliary rudder means for steering, the improvement in the mounting and coupling of the deflection means and the rudder means to a single input steering control, comprising a gimbal means mounting the deflection means to swing in both directions laterally about a vertical axis for steering of the boat and to tilt upwardly and downwardly about a horizontal axis for trim positioning of the deflection means and thereby the driven jet, said tilting and swinging axis being approximately normal to each other, a rudder pivotal mount with a pivot axis generally parallel to the pivot axis of the deflection means at a preselect trim position, said rudder extending outwardly beneath said nozzle means, a pair of coupling members secured to the deflection means and extending downwardly to the opposite sides of the rudder means and including coupling means slidably engaging the opposite sides of the rudder means to couple the deflection means to the rudder means at differently spaced relation to the rudder pivot axis in response to the variation of the steering axis with respect to the rudder axis as a result of trim movement of the deflection means, said varying coupling creating variation in the degree of angular rudder movement for a given angular movement of the nozzle means in accordance with the trim setting of the nozzle means.

Claim 19

A marine jet drive apparatus adapted to be mounted to the aft end of a vessel and including a jet nozzle means for establishing a controllable drive jet of water and having a deflection means for deflecting of said jet laterally and an auxiliary rudder means for steering, the improvement in the mounting and coupling of the deflection means and the rudder means to a single input steering control, comprising a gimbal means mounting the deflection means to swing in both directions laterally about a vertical axis for steering of the boat and to tilt upwardly and downwardly about a horizontal axis for trim positioning of the deflection means and thereby the driven jet, said tilting and swinging axis being approximately normal to each other, a rudder pivotal mount with a pivot axis generally parallel to the pivot axis of the deflection means at a preselect trim position, said rudder extending outwardly beneath said nozzle means, a pair of coupling members secured to the deflection means and extending downwardly to the opposite sides of the rudder means and including coupling means slidably engaging the opposite sides of the rudder means to couple the deflection means to the rudder means at differently spaced relation to the rudder pivot axis in response to the variation of the steering axis with respect to the rudder axis as a result of trim movement of the deflection means, said varying coupling creating variation in the degree of angular rudder movement for a given angular movement of the nozzle means in accordance with the trim setting of the nozzle means.

Claim 20

The jet drive apparatus of claim 16 wherein said pivot axis of the rudder pivotal mount is longitudinally spaced aft of the pivot axis of the deflection means.

Claim 21

The jet drive apparatus of claim 16 wherein said coupling means is selected such that the rudder means moves through a progressively greater steering angle than that of the deflection means for reduced trim positioning thereby providing improved steering response at a lower trim positioning.

Claim 22

The marine jet drive apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pivot axis of said rudder pivotal mount is tilted from the vertical with the jet apparatus mounted to a boat.

Claim 23

The marine jet drive apparatus of claim 16 wherein said pivot axis of the rudder is longitudinally spaced of the pivot axis of the jet with the preselected trim position at a neutral trim position.

Claim 24

The marine jet drive apparatus of claim 16 including a fixed pump nozzle and wherein said jet nozzle means includes a deflector nozzle extending outwardly thereof, said deflector nozzle having an enlarged end telescoped over the pump nozzle housing with opposed top and bottom pivot pins securing the deflector nozzle to a gimbal ring of said gimbal means, a rudder mounting wall integrally formed with the pump nozzle housing to locate the rudder pivotal mount in alignment with the gimbal ring pivot pins.

Claim 25

The marine jet drive apparatus of claim 16 including a fixed pump nozzle housing and wherein said deflection means includes a deflector nozzle extending outwardly thereof, said deflector nozzle having an enlarged end telescoped over the pump nozzle housing with opposed top and bottom pivot pins securing the deflector nozzle to a gimbal ring of said gimbal means, said pivotal mount being located immediately beneath the trim axis and angularly oriented with respect to the vertical plane therethrough, said deflector nozzle having reverse nozzle means secured to the outermost end of the bottom wall and having coupling arms curving downwardly and forwardly from said reverse nozzle means in laterally spaced aligned relation, said rudder means including a plate-like portion projecting between said coupling arms for imparting of pivotal nozzle movement to the rudder.

Claim 26

The marine jet drive apparatus of claim 22 including semi-cylindrical coupling pads secured to said arms in opposed facing relation and engaging said rudder plate-like portion at essentially opposed contact points to establish a low friction sliding coupling to the rudder means.

Claim 27

A controllable marine jet drive having a fixed pump housing unit for developing a drive jet operable to propel a vessel, comprising a jet deflection control means, a gimbal ring mounting means having first pivotal mounting means connected to the deflection control means for pivoting of the deflection control means about a first axis and having a pivot mounting means for pivotal mounting to the pump housing unit for pivoting of the deflection control means about a second axis, said first and second axis being arranged to define perpendicular axii including a generally vertical steering axis and generally horizontal trim axis, a steering control means connected to the gimbal ring mounting means to pivot about the steering axis, and a trim control means linkage including a first link, a first pivot connection including a pin and journal connected to the gimbal ring mounting means with a pivot axis parallel to the trim axis to pivot about the trim axis and a second reciprocating link pivotally connected to the first link vertically offset from the first pivot connection by a pin and journal connection means with a pivot axis parallel to the trim axis.

Claim 28

A controllable marine jet drive having a fixed pump housing unit for developing a drive jet operable to propel a vessel, comprising a jet deflection control means, a gimbal ring mounting means having first pivotal mounting means connected to the deflection control means for pivoting of the deflection control means about a first axis and having a pivot mounting means for pivotal mounting to the pump housing unit for pivoting of the deflection control means about a second axis, said first and second axis being arranged to define perpendicular axii including a generally vertical steering axis and generally horizontal trim axis, a steering control means connected to the gimbal ring mounting means to pivot about the steering axis, and a trim control means linkage including a first link, a first pivot connection including a pin and journal connected to the gimbal ring mounting means with a pivot axis parallel to the trim axis to pivot about the trim axis and a second reciprocating link pivotally connected to the first link vertically offset from the first pivot connection by a pin and journal connection means with a pivot axis parallel to the trim axis.

Claim 29

The controllable marine jet drive of claim 24 wherein said housing unit terminates in a jet nozzle, said deflection control means includes a tubular housing with an internal diameter generally corresponding to the jet nozzle and having a spherical enlargement portion concentrically aligned with the end of the jet nozzle and spaced radially outwardly therefrom, said first pivotal mounting means being connected between said enlargement portion and the gimbal ring mounting means to support said tubular housing.

Claim 30

The controllable marine jet drive of claim 25 including a partial sealing element secured to the jet nozzle and having a sealing lip in close spaced relation to said enlargement portion immediately adjacent the outermost end of the nozzle.

Claim 31

The controllable marine jet drive of claim 24 wherein said housing unit terminates in a jet nozzle, said deflection control means includes a tubular housing with an internal diameter generally corresponding to the jet nozzle and having a spherical enlargement portion concentrically aligned with the end of the jet nozzle and spaced radially outwardly therefrom, a partial sealing element secured to the nozzle and having a spherical sealing lip in close spaced relation to said enlargement portion immediately adjacent the outermost end of the nozzle, and said steering control means including a universal connection to the top of the enlargement portion to pivot the deflection means within the gimbal ring member.