US3071102A

US3071102A - Tiller for jet boat

Info

Publication number: US3071102A
Application number: US48291A
Authority: US
Inventors: John L Buehler
Original assignee: BUCHLER CORP
Current assignee: BUCHLER CORP
Priority date: 1960-08-08
Filing date: 1960-08-08
Publication date: 1963-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-01

Description

Jan. 1, 1963 J. L. BUEHLER TILLER FOR JET BOAT Filed Aug. 8. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- Fig. 5..

INVENTOR. JOHN L. BUEHLER BY WWW 9M 211M ATTORNEYS Jan. 1; 196-3 J. L. BUEHLER 3,071,102

TILLER FOR JET BOAT Filed Aug. 8. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Y 23 W 2 26 t i I I5 28 a I Fig. O INVENTOR.

JOHN L. BUEHLER BY Xwmq M4 5% 211M ATT'0RNEYS v United States Patent Ofiiice Fatented Jan. l, 19%3 3,ti7 L162 Tl'LLER FOR JET BOAT John L. Buehler, Indianapolis, Ind, assiguor to The Buchler Corporation, a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 3, 196%), Ser. No. 48,291 2 tfllaims. 31. 115l2) The present invention relates to jet propelled watercraft and more particularly to means for steering and controlling the direction and speed of such craft.

At least one form of water jet-propelled boat involves an engine arranged to drive a turbine which is located within a conduit through the boat. Water is drawn into the conduit through an intake opening at the bottom of the boat, is pumped through the conduit by the turbine and is exhausted in a stream from the rear of the boat, the stream leaving the boat above the water within which the boat is floating or is supported. The propulsion principle depends directly on a basic law of physics which provides that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, as water is ejected astern, the boat moves forward.

A most effective way of steering and otherwise controlling the direction of movement of such jet-propelled watercraft is the deflecting of the jet of water as it leaves the rear of the craft. Thus, the jet may be deflected through various angles in a horizontal plane to turn or steer the boat and may be reversed and directed beneath the boat to cause rearward movement of the boat. Such jet boats are also usually provided with variable speed engines arranged to drive turbines which pump water to form the jet. Thus, a further means of controlling the jet boat and more particularly the speed thereof involves means such as a throttle control for changing the speed of the variable speed engine.

In the smaller type of boat such as is used by one or two fishermen and of a size comparable to a rowboat, it is desirable that these control means be easily operated and require little attention so as to leave the fishermanoperator as free as possible to fish. Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide improved jet boat control means, said means being easily operated and requiring little attention.

A further object of the present invention is to provide jet boat control means capable of operation by one hand to allow free use of the other hand for fishing.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a jet boat incorporating the control means of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the rearward portion of the boat taken along the longitudinal axis thereof and showing in detail certain portions of the control of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the most reaward portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a jet boat ill having a hull ll, the hull being provided with an intake opening 12 communicating between the bottom of the boat and a turbine 13. The turbine 13 has a passage therethrough communicating between the intake opening 12. and a passage 15 through a tailpipe 16 secured to the rear of the boat. The turbine 13 is driven by a conventional marine engine 14 through a shaft 14A and functions to pump water from the intake 12 to and out of the rear of the boat. The water is formed into a jet by the converging surface 17 of an annular member 18 fixed within the passage 15, the jet leaving the boat at a point above the water line.

Fixed to the tailpipe 16 is a housing 2! one function of which is to contain a depending gate or slide 21 which is movable within a vertically extending opening 22 to various positions. There is provided means (described in detail below) for raising and lowering a shaft 23 which is reciprocally received within a suitable bore in the upper end of the housing 26. The gate or slide 21 is swivel mounted to the shaft 23 by a ball and socket connection 25. Thus, the gate 21, when: in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, hangs freely within the housing 2 It should be noted that the upward end of the housing is sealed or completely closed off except for the bore receiving the shaft 23 and that there are no openings to allow the passage of water from the upward portion of the housing 20.

The housing 2%} is provided with a cylindrical bore 26 of the same size or slightly larger than the exit end of the opening through annular member 13, said cylindrical bore 26 registering with the opening through the annu lar member 18. When the gate 21 is positioned as in FIG. 2 above the opening 26, the turbine 13 may pump a stream of water through the annular member 18, through the vertically extending opening 22 and the cylindrical opening 26 in the housing to be exhausted from the rear of the boat. The housing 20 also functions to provide a pivotal mounting for a pair of deflector plates 27 which are used for deflecting the stream of water to steer the boat.

The plates 27 are each pivotal about a vertical axis provided by suitable shafts extending through projections 28 extending from the housing 2.3, the plates 27 being positioned on opposite sides of the stream of water. In order to turn the boat in one direction, one of the plates 27 is pivoted into the jet stream by means of a steering quadrant 29 pivotally mounted on the housing 2t} by means of a shaft 29A positioned directly between the pivotal mountings of the deflector plates, the quadrant 2% having a pair of depending elements 2%3 located. outside of the deflector plates and arranged to pivot one or the other of the plates inwardly when the quadrant 2% is pivoted. The quadrant may be pivoted through the shaft 29A by means of steering mechanism described below.

A tiller, indicated generally by the numeral 35, is pivoted about a horizontal axis upon a tiller support 36 which has 21 depending cylindrical portion 3'? received within a cylindrical bearing as fixed to the rear or transom 41 of the jet boat. A cylindrical element 42 is reciprocably received and pivotal within a vertically extending aperture within the cylindrical portion 37 of the tiller support. The tiller support is provided with an upwardly projecting yoke 44*, each arm of which has pivoted thereon a link 53. Each of the links 53 has at its opposite ends a pair of slots 45 and i5 which extend longitudinally of the link and receive pins 47 and 4h fixed to the cylindrical element 42 and the tiller 35, re-

spectively. It can be appreciated that when the tiller 35 is raised from the solid line position of PEG. 2 to the dotted line position, the cylindrical element 52. will be moved downwardly and when the tiller is moved oppositely, the cylindrical element will be moved upwardly. The lowermost position of the tiller is the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the tiller rests upon the tiller support 36.

Secured to the lower end of the cylindrical element 42 by means of threaded element St; and not Si is a downwardly projecting yoke 52, the two arms of which receive a pin 53 which passes through a slot 55 in a link 56. The link 56 is pivoted at one end :37 upon the transom 41 and is provided at its other end with a longitudinally extending slot as which receives a pin 6i mounted within the two arms of a yoke 62 secured to the upward end or" the shaft 23. It can be appreciated that the gate or slide 21 may be raised or lowered to various positions by raising or lowering the tiller 35. For example, when the tiller 35 is resting upon the tiller support 36 in the solid line position illustrated in HS. 2, the slide 21 will be in the illustrated solid line position and when the tiller is raised to the dotted line position illustrated in H6. 2, the slide will also be in the dotted line position illus trated in FIG. 2.

The housing Ed has formed thereon a downwardly and forwardly curved deflector 65. When the gate is moved downwardly to the dotted line position, it completely blocks the flow of the stream of water from the annular member 18 through the bore 26. Because of the fact that the upward portion of the housing 2% is completely sealed or closed off, this water pumped from the turbine must pass downwardly through an opening as in the lower end of the housing, this opening facing in a direction generally forwardly of the boat. The boat has a fiat element 67 secured to the lower end of its transom 41 and flush with the bottom 7r"; of the boat and the edge of the opening 55, the flat element preferably being at an angle of seven degrees to the horizontal. However, even an angle as great as that shown and possibly a greater angle is operable. Because of the downwardly and forwardly curving surface 71 of the deflector '65, the water from the turbine moves downwardly and is exhausted in a generally parallel direction to the hat element 67 and passes beneath the boat causing the boat to move rearwardly according to the above mentioned basic law of physics.

it should be noted that the gate is movable to various intermediate positions, one of which will cause the thrust from the turbine to be divided in such a manner as to maintain the boat in a stationary position. When the gate is in such a position, a certain percentage of the water from the turbine passes through the lower portion of the cylindrical aperture 26. The remaining portion of the water from the turbine passes downwardly and is deflected by the member 5 to produce a thrust acting to move the boat rearwardly and equalizing the forward thrust produced by the water passing through the aperture 26. It can be appreciated that the gate 21 may be lowered from this intermediate position to permit a slow rearward movement of the boat and it may be raised from this intermediate position to provide a slow forward movement of the boat.

Fixed to the lower end of the tiller support 36 by means of screws 75 is a radially extending lever 76 which functions as a retainer for tiller support 36 and has fixed to its extending end a depending arm 77. An adjustable link 8% is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the depending arm 77 and to a lever 81 fixed to the shaft 29A. it can be appreciated that the tiller 35 may be pivoted about a vertical axis extending through the cylindrical element 42 in order to move either one or the other of the deflectors 27 into the jet stream for steering the boat. it should be noted that the yoke 52 is pivotally mounted upon the threaded element so that as the cylindrical element 42 pivots with the tiller 35 and the tiller support l 36 when the tiller is used to steer the boat, the yoke 52 will not pivot but instead will retain the position illustrated in H6. 2 permitting operation of the tiller to raise and lower the gate 21.

Mounted upon the distal end of the tiller i a throttle control $55 which may comprise a knob arranged to permit pulling of the knob away from the tiller body or pushing of the knob toward the tiller body to vary the fuel supply to the conventional marine engine 14. Fine adjustment of the throttle is provided by rotation of the knob 35. The throttle control has not been shown in detail inasmuch as it is a commercially available Vernier hand throttle type 346-906-18 manufactured by Arens Controls Co. of Chicago, Illinois. The throttle cable 86 of the control 35 extends from the control through the tiller to a point adjacent the proximal end of the tiller from which point it extends to and is operatively connected to the engine 14.

From the above description, it can be appreciated that the present invention provides an improved jet boat control means which permits the control of the speed, direc tion and steering of the jet boat by one hand. All that is necessary to turn the boat is t! ivot the tiller horizontally and about the axis of the cylindrical element 42. All that is necessary to speed up or slow down the boat is to push, pull or rotate the throttle control 85 on the end of the tiller. (One convenient method of operating the device involves the arm of the operator resting upon the tiller with the hand surrounding the throttle control 85.) Finally, all that is necessary to raise or lower the gate 21 for reversing or stopping the boat is the raising or lowering of the tiller 35. All of the above controlling operations may be accomplished simultaneously or at different times by the use of one hand and arm according to the desire of the operator.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawing and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A control for a watercraft comprising means for moving water in a jet rearwardly of said craft, a blocking element mounted on said craft and selectively movable through a vertical path into said jet to deflect it forwardly of said craft, a deflector pivotally mounted on the craft about a vertical axis, said deflector being positioned to deflect the unblocked jet at various angles in a horizontal plane, a tiller support mounted centrally on said craft at the rearward portion thereof for pivoting about a vertical axis, said tiller support having an axially extending cylindrical aperture, a cylindrical element pivotally received and vertically reciprocal in said aperture, a tiller mounted on said tiller support rearwardly of said cylindrical element for pivoting about a horizontal axis and extending inwardly of said watercraft whereby said tiller may be easily operated by an occupant of said craft, a link pivoted centrally to said tiller support and pivoted at one end of the link to said cylindrical element and at the other end of said link to said tiller whereby vertical movement of said tiller causes vertical movement of said cylindrical element, linking means connecting said cylindrical element and said blocking element whereby vertical movement of said cylindrical element causes vertical movement of said blocking element, and linking means connecting said deflector and said tiller support and so proportioned and arranged that pivoting of said tiller support causes pivoting of said deflector.

2. A control as defined in claim 1 in which said water moving means includes a variable speed engine the speed of which may be varied to vary the amount of water in said jet, and a knob mounted at the distal end f said 5 tiller, operably connected to said engine and movable to 2,396,309 vary the speed of said engine and the amount of water 2,526,946 in said jet. 2,826,931 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 30O7305 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,344,518 Rees June 22, 1920 14,631 2,381,217 Harman Aug. 7, 1945 902,229

6 Wodal Mar. 12, 1946 Hawkins Oct. 24, 1950 Michler Mar. 18, 1958 Hamilton Nov. 7, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1905 Germany Oct. 18, 1954

Claims

1. A CONTROL FOR A WATERCRAFT COMPRISING MEANS FOR MOVING WATER IN A JET REARWARDLY OF SAID CRAFT, A BLOCKING ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID CRAFT AND SELECTIVELY MOVABLE THROUGH A VERTICAL PATH INTO SAID JET TO DEFLECT IT FORWARDLY OF SAID CRAFT, A DEFLECTOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE CRAFT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID DEFLECTOR BEING POSITIONED TO DEFLECT THE UNBLOCKED JET AT VARIOUS ANGLES IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, A TILLER SUPPORT MOUNTED CENTRALLY ON SAID CRAFT AT THE REARWARD PORTION THEREOF FOR PIVOTING ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID TILLER SUPPORT HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING CYLINDRICAL APERTURE, A CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT PIVOTALLY RECEIVED AND VERTICALLY RECIPROCAL IN SAID APERTURE, A TILLER MOUNTED ON SAID TILLER SUPPORT REARWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT FOR PIVOTING ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID WATERCRAFT WHEREBY SAID TILLER MAY BE EASILY OPERATED BY AN OCCUPANT OF SAID CRAFT, A LINK PIVOTED CENTRALLY TO SAID TILLER SUPPORT AND PIVOTED AT ONE END OF THE LINK TO SAID CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT AND AT THE OTHER END OF SAID LINK TO SAID TILLER WHEREBY VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TILLER CAUSES VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT, LINKING MEANS CONNECTING SAID CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT AND SAID BLOCKING ELEMENT WHEREBY VER-