U.S. patent number 3,881,443 [Application Number 05/448,628] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-06 for outboard propulsion trolling assembly.
Invention is credited to John K. Hamp.
United States Patent |
3,881,443 |
Hamp |
May 6, 1975 |
Outboard propulsion trolling assembly
Abstract
Boat propulsion apparatus including a main outboard motor
mounted on a transom for driving and steering the boat at cruising
speeds and including an electric outboard motor for driving the
boat at trolling speeds which motor is connected with the main
outboard motor for steering in unison with the latter, the trolling
outboard being mounted so that its submersible motor unit is
vertically reciprocable between an idle "up" position and a
submerged "down" position and includes a power driven device with
limit switches to place it selectively in one position or the
other, the trolling outboard being remotely controllable from a
control head box as to the speed and direction of its submersible
drive motor and as to the "up/down" position of its motor unit, and
both outboards being interlocked by way of the limit switches so
that the main outboard can not be run with the trolling motor down
in drive position and so that the trolling motor can not be run
with its submersible motor unit in "up" position.
Inventors: |
Hamp; John K. (Hot Springs,
AR) |
Family
ID: |
23781034 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/448,628 |
Filed: |
March 6, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
440/1; 440/6;
440/84; 248/640; 440/79 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63H
20/106 (20130101); B63H 20/007 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B63H
20/00 (20060101); B63h 021/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;115/17,18,41,35,34R
;248/4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Blix; Trygve M.
Assistant Examiner: Basinger; Sherman D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dowell & Dowell
Claims
I claim:
1. An improved propulsion means for mounting on the transom of a
boat, comprising:
a. a main outboard motor pivotally mounted on said transom and
operative for driving and steering the boat at cruising speeds;
b. an electric outboard motor for driving the boat at trolling
speeds;
c. means connecting the outboard motor to the main outboard motor
so that the former steers in unison with the latter;
d. a mounting assembly for supporting the electric outboard motor
including a shaft extending upwardly from the electric motor, a
fixed supporting frame receiving said shaft above the motor and
supporting it in vertically reciprocable relationship to the frame,
and means for raising and lowering the shaft so that the electric
motor will selectively occupy an up position with the motor out of
the water and a down position with the motor in the water; and
e. limit switches on the frame and including an up limit switch
connected to disable the electric motor and a down limit switch
connected to disable the main outboard motor.
2. In propulsion means as set forth in claim 1, said means for
raising and lowering the electric outboard motor comprising an
electric winch mounted in said frame and coupled to raise and lower
the shaft and outboard motor, a reversible winch control switch
circuitry, and circuitry connecting the reversible switch and the
limit switches such that the up switch disables the control switch
circuitry from raising the shaft beyond the up position and the
down switch disables the control circuitry from lowering the shaft
beyond the down position.
3. In propulsion means as set forth in claim 1, wherein said boat
includes a source of power, a control head box coupled through
flexible cables to said source and to said electric outboard motor,
and said control head box including said reversible winch control
switch circuitry, electric outboard motor speed control means and
electric outboard motor reversing switch means.
4. In propulsion means as set forth in claim 1, said connecting
means comprising mounting bracket means connected at one end to
said supporting frame and connected at the other end to said main
outboard motor to support the frame in fixed relation to the main
outboard motor, said shaft being non-circular in cross-section and
said supporting frame supporting it non-rotationally.
5. In propulsion means as set forth in claim 1, said supporting
frame being fixed to said transom adjacent to the main outboard
motor and including means for rotationally supporting said shaft, a
steering arm extending outwardly from said shaft; and linkage means
connecting said arm with said main outboard motor so that when the
latter is turned about its pivotal mounting for steering, said
shaft will rotate in unison with it.
6. In propulsion means as set forth in claim 1, said up and down
limit switches being supported on said frame and said shaft
carrying switch actuating abutments clamped on the shaft above and
below said switches and adjustable along the length of the
shaft.
7. An electric outboard trolling motor assembly comprising:
a. a submersible electric motor and propeller unit;
b. a supporting shaft extending upwardly from the submersible
unit;
c. a supporting frame;
d. bearing means in the frame with the shaft passing through it and
vertically reciprocable therein to position the submersible unit
selectively in an idle up position or in a down position with the
unit submerged;
e. electric winch means in the frame and coupled to raise and lower
the unit into said positions; and
f. up and down limit switches carried by said frame and operatively
located with respect to switch actuating abutments adjustably
clamped on said shaft, the limit switches disabling the winch means
to prevent further raising of the unit when an abutment means
actuates the up limit switch and to prevent further lowering of the
unit when an abutment means actuates the down limit switch.
8. The electric outboard trolling motor assembly as set forth in
claim 7, wherein the trolling motor in said unit is connected with
the up limit switch such that when the latter is actuated by an
abutment in the up position of the unit the trolling motor is
disabled.
9. The electric outboard trolling motor assembly as set forth in
claim 7, wherein said supporting shaft has flat longitudinal
surfaces and wherein said bearing means in the frame has roller
bearings disposed to engage said flat surfaces and support the
shaft reciprocably and non-rotationally.
10. The electric outboard trolling motor assembly as set forth in
claim 7, including a source of power, a control head box coupled
through flexible cables with said source and to said submersible
motor and to said electric winch means, and said control head box
including winch reversing switch circuitry, submersible motor speed
control means, and submersible motor reversing switch means.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to structure for an improved boat propulsion
system including a main outboard motor and a trolling outboard
motor mounted for steering in unison and interlocked electrically
so that they can not be accidentally damaged by improper operation,
and the trolling motor being remotely controllable so that the
operator need not change this portion within the boat when he
changes from main propulsion to trolling, and vice-versa.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
It is well known that a gasoline engine outboard, although
furnishing ideal propulsion for a boat at cruising speeds, is
unsatisfactory as a trolling motor not only because of the noise,
vibration and exhaust fumes, but also because it usually can not be
run slowly enough to reach trolling speeds. This problem has been
overcome by the use of small electric trolling outboards, most of
which include a submersible motor and propeller unit on an upright
supporting shaft which is rotatably mounted in a bracket clamped to
the boat, the submersible unit being movable between a "down" and
an "up" position either by tilting as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,578,277 and 3,698,672, or by vertical sliding as shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 2,716,960, or a combination of both as shown in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 3,119,365 and 3,245,640, and 3,604,674. U.S. Pat. No.
2,972,328 shows a gasoline outboard motor which can be raised or
lowered by tilting between operating and idle positions using its
own starter motor to move it between limits.
However, most of these patented solutions have certain drawbacks in
that they require a fisherman to leave his fishing position in the
boat in order to place the trolling motor in and out of service and
control its speed and direction of drive. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,744,418;
2,895,445; 3,139,853 and 3,567,164 show plural different outboards
on the same boat and coupled for unitary steering, but they show no
means for remote control, for instance, at the steering location of
the larger main propulsion motor. Another serious drawback relates
to the ease with which the little trolling outboard can be damaged,
especially where it is used alternatively with a gasoline powered
main propulsion motor. If the trolling motor is in "down" position
when the main propulsion motor is driving the boat, the latter may
be easily damaged physically by the prop-wash from the main
propulsion outboard, or may be damaged by striking an object or
grounding at high speed. Conversely, if the trolling motor is in
up-position it may be damaged if it is accidentally turned on and
left on while out of the water, since submersible motors rely upon
immersion for cooling and will burn up if run out of water. Since
the electric motor is virtually silent the fact that it is running
while in the up position generally goes unnoticed until too
late.
THE INVENTION
This invention improves the structure of the electric trolling
outboard motor and interconnects it with the main propulsion
outboard motor so that either motor can be selected for use from a
remote location in the boat, and interconnection is such that when
one outboard has been selected for use the outboards are protected
from damaging each other by accidental improper operation of the
controls. Most of the gasoline powered outboard engines of any size
are now equipped with electric starting and the motors are usually
controlled from a wheel station located forward in the boat so that
the weight of the operator helps to balance the weight of the
outboard motor. The present invention seeks to provide a small
electric trolling motor of improved structure coupled with the main
propulsion outboard motor so that the two of them steer in unison,
and the small trolling motor being also controllable from a forward
position in the boat, probably at the same wheel station from which
the operator controls the main propulsion motor. However, the small
electric trolling motor is too fragile to be allowed to remain in
the water when the boat is being driven by the main propulsion
motor, and in addition is subject to being burnt out if it is
raised out of the water, bu accidentally left running, due to loss
of cooling by immersion of the electric motor in the water as
required according to factory instructions. At the present time,
most electric trolling motors are raised from the water by tilting
about their mounting brackets, but before thay can be tilted out of
the water, the operator must leave the wheel station and go back to
the small motor to release the catch which prevents tilting
thereof, as is necessary so that the motor can be run in reverse
without tilting itself out of the water.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an outboard
trolling motor mounting in which the motor is not tilted, but
instead is raised and lowered into and out of immersed operating
position. The submersible electric motor and propeller unit which
is at the lower end of the supporting shaft which in turn is
carried by the outboard mounting bracket, when made reciprocable
vertically in the bracket, permits a mode of raising and lowering
of the lower submersible unit such that no latch is necessary in
the down position, since the motor drive in any direction is
perpendicular to the shaft on which the motor is suspended. Since
the anti-tilting latch can thus be eliminated, it is unnecessary
for the operator to approach the trolling motor at all in order to
raise or lower it.
It is another object of this invention to provide a motor which is
vertically reciprocated into or out of operating position using
remotely controllable means for raising and lowering the motor.
While there are a number a different ways to accomplish this
purpose, including positive rack and pinion drives, hydraulic
means, etc., the present invention is illustrated by an embodiment
in which a stainless steel cable attached to the submersible unit
raises and lowers the same against the force of gravity by pulling
the cable over a pulley in the outboard mounting bracket. The cable
can be directed to the wheel station through a series of pulleys
and eyelets within the boat if desired to provide manual operation,
but the present invention prefers a small electric winch in the
outboard mounting bracket and including a small motor driving a
drum on which the cable can be wound or unwound.
It is another object of this invention to provide an interlock
switch system including limit switches by which the electric winch
which raises and lowers the submersible head is stopped in one of
two definite positions with the motor either raised out of the
water, or else with the motor in down position in which it drives
the boat.
It is another object of the invention to provide additional
switches in the two limit-switch positions whereby the drive motor
in the submersible unit is disabled and prevented from accidental
operation when the submersible unit is in the up position, and
whereby the main propulsion motor is disabled and prevented from
operation when the submersible unit of the trolling outboard is in
down position.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a system
in which the trolling motor is coupled with the main propulsion
outboard for steering in unison therewith, whereby the operator can
steer both of them from the wheel station, and whereby the main
propulsion outboard motor provides supplemental steering when it is
turned off and the boat is being driven by the trolling outboard
motor. It is a corollary object of the invention to provide means
for interconnecting the motors which will not bind the steering
regardless of whether the trolling motor is in up or down
position.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a system in
which the operator can quickly and easily switch back and forth
between the two different types of motor so that he can fish
efficiently without having to run back and forth in the boat to
make frequent changes as are currently necessary to change from one
type of prolusion to the other. This capability adds not only to
the pleasure and efficiency of the system, but is also a factor of
substantial importance from the point of view of the safety of the
operator himself, particularly in a small boat, and particularly
where he is also handling fishing equipment at the same time.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
during the following discussion of the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a prospective view of the aft end of a small boat
equipped with a gasoline powered outboard propulsion motor to which
an electric trolling motor according to the present invention has
been attached;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the outboard trolling motor shown in
FIG. 1, and showing the housing partially broken away;
FIG. 3 is an electrical wiring diagram showing a circuit according
to the present invention including suitable limit switches,
interlock switches, and electric trolling motor controls;
FIG. 4 is a prospective view of the aft end of a boat equipped with
a modified type of electric trolling motor mounted to the transom
of the boat instead of to the gasoline powered outboard motor;
and
FIG. 5 is an enlarged prospective view of the modified trolling
motor shown in FIG. 4.
Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 4 show a boat B with a
main propulsion outboard motor 10 mounted on its transom T by
conventional mounting brackets and in a manner well known in the
boating art. In FIG. 1, the motor 10 is steered by a steering arm
12 which extends forwardly therefrom and is a part of the motor,
but in FIG. 4, the steering arm 12 is connected to a cable C which
is wound around the hub of a steering gear G at a wheel station
located forward in the boat. At the remote station S in FIG. 4
there is also a control quadrant including a forward-reverse
control F and an engine throttle control K of conventional design.
At the control station S there is also an ignition and starter
switch I, and these controls G, F, K, and I are all used to control
the main propulsion outboard motor 10 is a manner well known per se
in the art. In FIG. 1 the motor 10 is controlled by conventional
controls mounted on the front of its cover, and not shown in the
present drawings.
Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, these figures show a first
embodiment of the invention in which the trolling outboard which is
shown in detail in FIG. 2 and is generally referred to by the
reference character 20 is mounted on the lower unit of the outboard
motor itself. The trolling outboard includes a frame 22 which also
serves as a protective housing, and this frame has mounting
brackets 24 and 26 secured to it and extending diagonally
downwardly to the lower unit 14 of the main propulsion outboard,
where the brackets 24 and 26 are secured to a strap 28 which
encircles the lower unit 14. The upper end of the frame 22 is
secured to the upper part of the outboard motor by another strap 29
which extends below the cover 16 of the main propulsion outboard
and is attached to one of the engine bolts located therewithin.
The housing 22 supports a bearing assembly 30 which can be seen
best in FIG. 2, the purpose of this assembly being to support the
main shaft 40 of the trolling outboard in vertically reciprocable
relationship to the housing 22 and to the main propulsion outboard
10. The bearing assembly 30 is a rectangular elongated structure 32
having 8 roller bearings located inside of it, four at the top and
four at the bottom, and these eight bearings guiding and supporting
the shaft 40 so as to provide virtually frictionless reciprocation
thereof through the bearing assembly 30. Each of the roller
bearings comprises a bolt 34 extending through an elongated slot 36
in the structure 32 and each bolt supporting a rotatable needle
bearing member 38 as can best be seen near the top of the structure
in FIG. 2. As mentioned above, there are eight such bearings, the
other seven being shown in phantom line.
The vertical shaft 40 extends down through the bearing assembly and
supports a lower submersible unit 42 which includes the housing 44
of the trolling drive motor, a propeller 46, and an eyelet 48. The
motor and propeller units 44 and 46 are common purchased items. The
wiring for the motor in the housing 44 extends upwardly through the
hollow shaft 40 and emerges as a cable 49 which extends to a
control head box which will be described hereinafter. The shaft has
two adjustable abutments on it, including a lower abutment 50
secured on the shaft in adjustable position by a collar 52 and
including an upper abutment 54 which is also adjustable vertically
on the shaft 40 and maintained in adjusted position thereon by the
collar 56. Abutments 50 and 54 lie opposite two switch supporting
plates 51 and 55 which support limit switches to be described
presently in connection with FIG. 3. The lower submersible unit 42
and the shaft 40 are raised and lowered while being guided by the
bearing assembly 30 using a winch 60 comprising a small electric
motor 61 reversibly driving a cable winding drum 62. The cable 64
extends around a pulley 66 secured in a bracket 68 on the side of
the bearing assembly 30, so that the motor 61 driven in one
direction raises the lower submersible unit 42, and driven in the
other direction lowers the submersible unit 42 into its operating
position in the water. The limit switches supported on the plates
51 and 55 are used to disable the motor 61 when the unit has
reached an adjusted up position, or an adjusted down position which
ever way the motor happens to be running at the moment.
The control head box 70 which can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4
includes an up-down switch 72 used to control the direction of
drive of the motor 61, a switch 74 used to control the trolling
propulsion motor in the housing 44, this switch turning the motor
off in its centered position, turning the motor on for high speed
in its lower position, and connecting the motor for variable
control in its up position, this variable control being provided by
the rheostat 76. A forward-reverse switch 78 controls the direction
in which the motor in the housing 44 runs, and a light switch 79 is
provided in case a 32-point sternlight is included on the upper end
of the motor supporting shaft as shown, for example, in FIG. 5 as
will be presently discussed. For present purposes, it is assumed
that the battery A shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a storage battery
which may be the boat's battery and which is probably used also for
starting the main propulsion outboard 10 and furnishing its
ignition.
Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the shaft 40 is
hollow and that it supports the submersible unit 42 at its lower
end as shown in FIG. 2, with the wiring for the motor within the
submersible unit 42 brought out of the side of the shaft 40 in a
manner well known in electric outboard trolling rigs.
FIG. 3 shows the details of the upper limit switch 80 and the lower
limit switch 90, each of which in the present illustrative
embodiment comprises a normally closed double-pole single throw
microswitch. Battery power is normally furnished to the poles of
the double-pole double-throw "up/down" switch 72 from the battery A
by way of the wires 101 and 102 so that the winch motor 61 will
drive the cable drum 62 in one or the other direction depending on
which way the switch 72 is thrown. However, the upper limit switch
82 breaks the flow of current to the motor 61 when the abutment 54
opens the switch 82, meaning that the motor is fully down, and
therefore the motor 61 is stopped although leaving the other
directional throw of the switch 72 still connected because the
switch 92 is closed. Therefore, when it is desired to raise the
motor if the switch 72 is thrown to the up position, the winch
motor 61 will operate in a direction to wind the cable 64 on the
drum 62 until the abutment 51 strikes the switch 90 and opens the
contacts 92, thereby stopping the winch motor 61 in the full up
position. The rotation of the propulsion motor within the
submersible unit 42 is controlled as to direction by the switch 78
which is a double-pole double-throw reversing switch arrangement of
conventional design which also receives power from the wires 101
and 102, although the wire 101 can be interrupted by the motor
control switch 74 when it is in its center position, thereby
stopping the trolling propulsion motor. If the switch 74 is in the
down position, and the rheostat 76 introduces an adjustable amount
of resistance in series with the trolling propulsion motor so that
its speed is variable, using the rheostat 76, but in the up
position of the switch 74 the rheostat is eliminated and the
trolling propulsion motor in the housing 42 runs at full speed in
either the forward or the reverse direction as determined by the
switch 78. The motor wire 103 is connected at all times to the
reversing switch, but the motor wire 104 passes through a safety
switch 94 which is normally closed, and then to the reversing
switch 78. The switch 94 is always closed except when the motor is
in the full up position, at which time the abutment 51 opens both
circuits in the switch 90 and thereby prevents operation of the
electric trolling motor when the motor is not immersed in the
water.
As stated above, it is highly undesirable that the gasoline powered
main propulsion motor should be allowed to run when the little
trolling motor is in the down position, and therefore, the switch
84 is provided as part of the down limit switch 80. The switch 84
is connected to the main propulsion engine, in a manner not shown,
and is connected either in series with its ignition system or else
in series with its starter system whereby the main propulsion motor
can not be operated if the switch 84 is open. This switch is opened
when the abutment 54 is in the fully down position in which the
trolling outboard is immersed, the switch 84 is allowed to close as
soon as the trolling motor is raised out of the water, thereby
again enabling operation of the main propulsion motor.
As an added safety item, a lamp L of the marine 32-point variety
can be mounted on the upper end of the trolling motor support
shaft, and connected by the wires 102 and 106 to the battery A
through a switch 79 also mounted on the control head box 70 as can
be seen, for instance, in FIG. 2.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the invention in which
the electric trolling outboard is mounted on the transom T of the
boat instead of mounting it on the main propulsion outboard as
shown in FIG. 1. For this purpose, a divided outboard mounting
bracket is provided which also comprises the frame 110 of the
trolling outboard, and includes an articulated bracket member 112
which is screwed to the transom of the boat. A bolt and wing nut
114 is used to clamp the frame and bracket 110 and 112 together,
and their overlaps preferably include striations suitable to
increase the frictional grip. By loosening the wing nut 114 the
motor may be tilted to a position in which its shaft 116 is
vertical. The shaft 116 supports a submersible lower unit 118 which
also includes a housing 120 having a motor therein which drives a
propeller 122, and includes an eyelet 124. Shaft 116 extends
through a bearing 126 which is welded to the frame 110 and which
supports the shaft 116 against tilting, while at the same time
permitting the shaft to be either reciprocated in the bearing 126
or rotated therein for steering.
The circular motor suspending shaft 116 can be raised or lowered in
the bearing 126 by reeling the cable 128 in or out using the
electric winch which comprises a cable winding drum 130 driven by a
small electric motor 131. The cable 128 passes over a pulley 132
secured to the frame 110, whereby when the motor 131 is operated to
rotate the drum 130, cable 128 is wound in or out and raises or
lowers the submersible lower unit 118 whose weight is suspended on
the cable 128 and the eyelet 124.
The shaft 116 carries upper and lower abutments 134 and 135 which
are also adjustably secured on the shaft 116 by the friction
collars 136 and 137. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the limit
switches 80 and 90 are given the same reference numerals as they
have in FIGS. 2 and 3 since the switches are the same and perform
the same functions. These switches are mounted on plates 140 and
141 which extend outwardly from the bearing 126.
The electric trolling motor is steered by a conventional arm 142
which is secured to the shaft 116 at a collar 143 and the outer end
of the arm 142 is connected by a linkage 144 to the steering arm 12
of the outboard 10, both of the connecting joints 145 and 146 being
universal joints, whereby the raising and the lowering of the shaft
116 will not bind the steering of the main motor when the steering
cables C pulls its arms back and forth to various positions. The
abutments 134 and 135 operate the limit switches 80 and 90 in the
same manner as has previously been explained in connection with
FIG. 3, which incidentally applies to the embodiment shown in FIGS.
4 and 5 as well as to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The
main propulsion outboard is prevented from running whenever the
abutment 135 opens the two pole switch 80 because the trolling
motor unit 118 is immersed, and the abutment 134 also operates to
open the switch 90 with regard to both of its poles whenever the
trolling motor is in the fully raised position, thereby preventing
operation of its motor out of water. In either of the embodiments
shown in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 4, the motor raising and lowering cable
64 in FIG. 1 and 128 in FIG. 4 can be extended and guided by
pulleys to go directly to the wheel station rather than to the
winch in the outboard mounting bracket to provide a less expensive
model which is still relatively convenient to control manually from
a remote position in the boat.
This invention is not to be limited to the exact forms shown in the
drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within scope of
the following claims.
* * * * *