Device for propelling boats

Claim 1

A propelling device for a propeller-driven boat having a hull with a stern transom and provided with a longitudinally-extending channel at the aft portion of the hull, said channel being open at the rear extremity thereof at said stern transom and along its entire length for flow of water therethrough, a propeller disposed in entirety in said channel adjacent said stern transom for rotation coaxially in said channel at a level above the keel of the boat, a pair of parallel vertical axles supported in spaced relation rearwardly of the stern transom, a pair of deflector fins carried by said axles for rotation about vertical axes passing through said axles, said fins being mounted rearwardly of the propeller, control rods connected to the fins, a connecting rod joining said control rods and being operative therewith to keep said fins parallel to one another while permitting conjoint parallel movement thereof under the action of a steering force applied to said connecting rod, and a curved deflector plate supported for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis disposed rearwardly of said stern transom between said vertical axles and said stern transom, said deflector plate being pivotable between a position in which the deflector plate is raised to an inoperative position in which it does not deflect the mass of water propelled rearwardly by the propeller and an operative position in which the mass of water propelled rearwardly by the propeller is caused to reverse direction.