US2808802A - Propulsion means for boats - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 8, 1957 I J. R. GRAHAM ,8

PROPULSION MEANS FOR BOATS Filed Feb. 16, 1954 INVENTOR. Jame-J /r? Graham BY f United States Patent PROPULSION MEANS FOR BOATS James R. Graham, Appleton City, Mo.

Application February 16, 1954, Serial No. 410,502

2 Claims. (Cl. 115-29) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in propulsion means for boats, and has for its principal object the provision of a manually operable propelling means for small boats which is quiet in operation and therefore adapted for use in propelling boats in quiet fishing waters, and which requires very little operating space as compared to oars and is therefore adapted for use in very close quarters.

This object is accomplished by the use of a pair of blades pivoted on a common, generally vertical axis and suitably supported on a boat to be disposed in the water adjacent the boat, and to be oscillated generally horizontally in the line of movement of the boat, and having means limiting the pivotal movement of the blades whereby as said blades are moved in the same direction as the boat they fold into positions substantially parallel to the direction of movement to move through the water with minimum resistance, and whereby as said blades are moved oppositely to the direction of boat travel, they pivot outwardly to present broad surfaces to the water, thereby impelling the boat forwardly.

Another object is the provision of the propulsion apparatus of the class described which is adapted for use in steering the boat.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of structure, dependability and efiiciency of operation, and adjust ability to vary the manual effort required for operation.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the rearward portion of a boat showing a propelling mechanism embodying the present invention in one position in solid lines, and at other positions in its operative movement in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the mechanism in solid lines in position for straight-ahead movement of the boat, and in dotted lines in positions for altering the course thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, foreshortened, fragmentary sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2, with the blades folded together.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3, showing the blades pivoted together in solid lines, and pivoted apart in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line VV of Fig. 3.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies to a boat having a stern board or panel 4. The propelling mechanism is mounted on said stern board by means of a bracket 6 having substantially the form of a C-clamp. The inner arm of said clamp is provided with a pair of clamp screws 8, and rests against the inner surface of board 4. The outer arm 10 rests against the outer surface of board 4, and is provided adjacent its upper edge with a pair of horizontally spaced apart ears 12 between which extends a bolt 14. An arm 16 is pivotally mounted at its forward end on said bolt, and extends rearwardly or W3 from the boat. Said arm is provided at its forward end with a downwardly angled extension 18 which normally rests against clamp arm 10 .to support arm 16 in a substantially horizontal position, as shown.

At its outer end, arm 16 is provided with an orifice 20, the walls of which are spherically curved to support a ball member 22 for universal pivotal movement therein. The arm is split diametrically of said orifice to permit insertion of the ball, the sections of said arm being secured together by. screws 24. The ball has a cylindrical bore 26 formed diametrically therethrough, and a rod 28 extends slidably throughsaid bore, said rod being rendered universally pivotal by the movement of ball 22, and being axially rotatable either by turning within bore 26, or by turning the ball in its socket. The rod is normally supported against downward movement by a stop collar 30 secured on the rod by set screw 32, just above ball 22. V v

Above'collar 30, the rod is bent to form a generally horizontal handle portion 34 extending forwardly over the boat and providedatits forward endwith a hand grip 36. w The propelling blades 38 and 40 are carried at the lower end of rod 28, beneath the surface of the water in which the boat is disposed. Each of said blades is formed of flat stock and is generally rectangular in shape, being provided along one edge thereof with a pair of spaced apart tubular bearing members, the bearings of blade 38 being designated by the numeral 42, and the bearings of blade 40 being designated by the numeral 44. These bearing members are mounted for free oscillation on the lower end portion 46 of rod 28, which is reduced in diameter. They are pivotally movable from the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4, in which they lie substantially together and extend rearwardly from rod 28, to the position shown in dotted lines, wherein they are pivoted apart and extend transversely in opposite directions. The pivotal movement of the blades is limited by a pair of stop collars 48 fixed on the reduced portion 46 of rod 23 by set screws 50, said collars being disposed between the bearing portions 42 and 44 of the blades and serving to hold the blades against longitudinal movement on rod 46. Each collar is provided with three outwardly extending lugs, lug 52 extending rearwardly in the vertical plane of the handle 34, and lugs 54 and 56 extending transversely to lug 52, and in substantially opposite directlons,

In operation, the boatman simply grasps hand grip 36 and moves it oscillatably up and down, as indicated by the dotted line positions in Fig. 1, whereby the lower end of rod 28, and the blades carried thereby, are caused to oscillate forwardly and rearwardly in the water. As the blades move forwardly, the pressure of the water against the outer surfaces thereof pivots them together as shown in solid lines in Fig. 4. Lugs 52 prevent either blade from moving past this position to the other side of the vertical plane of movement of rod 28. In this position the blades move through the water with very little resistance, andcxert only a negligible rearward force on the boat. As the blades move rearwardly in the water, water enters between the blades and pivots them apart to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Each blade is provided at its outer or free edge with an outwardly curved lip 58 to insure that the water will enter between the blades. In this position, the blades have a broad surface transverse to their direction of travel, and may be pushed rearwardly through the water only by exerting substantial force thereon. The opposite reactive force is exerted on the boat through arm 16, and propels the boat forwardly. By turning the handle 34 horizontally, as for example to either of the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2,'or to any intermediate posi 3 tion, and then oscillating said handle vertically as described, the vertical plane of movement of the blades is varied relative to the longitudinal midline of the boat. In this manner the boat may be steered as well as propelled. The depth to which the blades are submerged in the water may be adjusted by loosening set screw 32 of eollar 30, andsliding rod 28 vertically. This adjustment is also useful in adjusting the device for use on boats having varying amounts of freeboard. Also, since the adjustment varies the leverage available to the boatman, it serves to adjust the manual force required to operate the'device 'to the preference of individual users. When desired, arm 16 may be pivoted upwardly and forwardly 011 bolt 14 "to elevate the blades out of the. water. I While I have shown and described aspecifi c embodimerit of 'my invention, it is apparent that many minor "chaiiges'of eonstruetiea and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims. For example, it is'appareh't that .by reversin the direction of handle 34, the device could be adapted to" be mounted at 'thepr'ow of the boat, rather than the stern, and that by suitable similar modifications the blades could be made to operate at any position beneath or adjacent the boat.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: p

1. Aboat propulsion device comprising a mounting nie'mher adapted to be liked to'a boat and including an 'arm projecting generally horizontally from the boat, said arm having a spherically 'cu'rved' socket formed therein adjacent its outer ehd, a ball member mounted in said socket for universal pivotal movement, said ball memher having a diametrical opening formed therethrough, a rod disposed for axial sliding movement in said opening, the lower end of said rod depending from said ball into the water adjacent the boat and the upper end of said rod being provided with an angular extension projecting generally horizontally over the boat to form a handle for manually oscillating said rod in a vertical plane, a pair of generally planar blades each pivotally attached along one edge to the lower end portion of said rod, said blades being pivotally movable from one position in which they overlie each other substantially in the vertical plane of said handle to another position in which they extend transversely in opposite directions from said plane, and stops carried by said rod and operable to limit the pivotal movement of said blades positively.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm is pivoted to said mounting member for movement in a vertical plane, and stop means limiting the downward movement of said arm to a substantially horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 196,564 Curtis Oct. 30, 1877 259,957 White June 20, 1882 2,507,469 Hanson May 9, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 239,964 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1925

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