Stern drive hydraulic trim control system including a tilt position indicator

Claim 2

A stern drive unit comprising an engine, a stern drive leg fixed to the rear of said engine and including a part which is tiltable vertically and swingable horizontally independently of said engine, elastomeric mounting means connected to said stern drive unit rearwardly of the front of said engine and adapted for connection to a boat hull for vibrationally isolating and supporting said stern drive unit from the boat hull and for providing a pivotal axis relative to which said stern drive unit is tiltable relative to the boat hull, and means located forwardly of said elastomeric mounting means for tilting said stern drive unit about said elastomeric mounting means and for vibrationally isolating and supporting said stern drive unit from the boat hull, said isolating, supporting and tilting means comprising a mount including an elastomeric part, a bracket fixed to said elastomeric part and adapted to be fixed to the boat hull, an arm fixed to said elastomeric part remotely from said bracket, and a jacking mechanism connected between said engine and said arm for tilting said stern drive unit relative to the boat hull.

Claim 3

A stern drive unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said jacking mechanism comprises a hydraulic cylinder piston means including a piston fixed to one of said arm and said engine, and a hydraulic cylinder which receives said piston and which is fixed to the other of said engine and said arm, and means for selectively supplying hydraulic fluid to said cylinder to relatively displace said cylinder and said piston.

Claim 4

A stern drive unit in accordance with claim 2 wherein said piston is fixed to said arm and said cylinder is fixed to said engine.

Claim 5

A stern drive unit in accordance with claim 3 and further including means for indicating the tilt position of said stern drive unit relative to the boat and including a variable resistor fixed to said cylinder and a slide member guided for movement in engagement with said resistor and fixed to said arm, whereby said slide member moves relative to said resistor in response to relative movement between said cylinder and said piston so as thereby to vary the resistance of said resistor.

Claim 6

A stern drive unit comprising an engine, a stern drive leg fixed to the rear of said engine and including a part which is tiltable vertically and swingable horizontally independently of said engine, elastomeric mounting means connected to said stern drive unit on each side thereof and rearwardly of the front of said engine and adapted for connection to a boat hull for vibrationally isolating and supporting said stern drive unit from the boat hull and for providing a pivotal axis relative to which said stern drive unit is tiltable relative to the boat hull, and means located forwardly of said elastomeric mounting means for tilting said stern drive unit about said elastomeric mounting means and for vibrationally isolating and supporting said stern drive unit from the boat hull, said isolating, supporting and tilting means comprising means for selectively supplying hydraulic fluid, a tie bar extending transversely beneath said engine, and, on each side of said engine, a mount including an elastomeric part fixed to said tie bar, a bracket fixed to said elastomeric part remotelY from said tie bar and adapted to be fixed to the boat hull, a hydraulic cylinder fixed to said engine and connected to said hydraulic fluid supply means, and a piston received in said cylinder and fixed to said tie bar.

Claim 7

A stern drive unit comprising an engine, a stern drive leg fixed to the rear of said engine and including a part which is tiltable vertically and swingable horizontally independently of said engine, elastomeric mounting means connected to said stern drive unit on each side thereof and rearwardly of the front of said engine and adapted for connection to a boat hull for vibrationally isolating and supporting said stern drive unit from the boat hull and for providing a pivotal axis relative to which said stern drive unit is tiltable relative to the boat hull, and means located forwardly of said elastomeric mounting means for tilting said stern drive unit about said elastomeric mounting means and for vibrationally isolating and supporting said stern drive unit from the boat hull, said isolating, supporting and tilting means comprising means for selectively supplying hydraulic fluid, a tie bar extending transversely beneath said engine, and, on each side of said engine, a mount including an elastomeric part fixed to said tie bar, a bracket fixed to said elastomeric part remotelY from said tie bar and adapted to be fixed to the boat hull, a hydraulic cylinder fixed to said engine and connected to said hydraulic fluid supply means, and a piston received in said cylinder and fixed to said tie bar.

Claim 8

A stern drive unit in accordance with claim 5 and further including means for indicating the tilt position of said stern drive unit relative to the boat and including a variable resistor fixed to one of said cylinders and a slide member guided for movement in engagement with said resistor and fixed to said tie bar, whereby said slide member moves relative to said resistor in response to tilting movement of said stern drive unit so as thereby to vary the resistance of said resistor.

Claim 9

A stern drive unit in accordance with claim 5 wherein said engine includes a V-shaped block with the apex thereof pointed downwardly, wherein said elastomeric mounting means each includes an elastomeric part, and wherein said elastomeric parts are approximately located in a common generally horizontal plane.