US3593686A

US3593686A - System for laterally maneuvering a watercraft hull

Info

Publication number: US3593686A
Application number: US853887A
Authority: US
Inventors: Euvon G Cooper; Thomas D Perry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-08-28
Filing date: 1969-08-28
Publication date: 1971-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-20

Abstract

A reversely operated pump is medially located between the sides of a hull in open-ended duct means located below the waterline through which water flows in either direction. Closely adjacent the orifices of said duct means is a jet nozzle to emit a reaction jet of water substantially horizontally outward of the hull. The nozzles are mounted to move upon the occurrence of waterflow relative thereto. At such time one nozzle is in an operative position and restricts outward flow of water through its respective duct orifice while the other is in a nonrestricting position.

Description

United States mm [72] Inventors Euvon (j. Cooper 1460 McLean Road, Mount Vernon. \v'isish 98273;

Thomas D. Perry, M25 ountry Club Drive, Burlington, Wash. @8233 [2|] Appl. No. 853,887

[22] Filed Aug. 28, 1969 [45] Patented July 20, 197i [54] SYSTEM FOR LATERALLY MANEUVERING A WATERCRAFT HULL 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 114/151, 239/265. 1 9 [51] Int. Cl 563i] 25/46 [50] Field of Search 114/151; 239/265.19

[Sol References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,251 ,l85 5/1966 Aschauer ll4/l5l X 3.424,l2l 1/1969 Thomasetal. 114/15] FOREIGN PATENTS 427,754 11/1947 Italy 1l4/l5l Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell A!t0rney-F0rd E, Smith STRACT: A reversely operated pump is medially located between the sides of a hull in open-ended duct means located below the waterline through which water flows in either direction. Closely adjacent the orifices of said duct means is a jet nozzle to emit a reaction jet of water substantially horizontally outward of the hull. The nozzles are mounted to move upon the occurrence of waterflow relative thereto. At such time one nozzle is in an operative position and restricts outward flow of water through its respective duct orifice while the other is in a nonrestricting position.

WEI-v PATENIEU JUL 20 an D PEFPV AffdF/Vfy SYSTEM FOR LATERALLY MANIEIJVERIINIG A WATERCRAFT HULL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This apparatus is primarily designed for maneuvering a watercraft hull and the like. It will be apparent that the invention will have numerous applications. In a boat hull, an openended fluid duct is provided to extend between opposite sides of the hull. Closely adjacent each end and orifice of such duct means is ajet nozzle. Each of said nozzles is mounted to move between operative and inoperative positions depending upon the direction of flow outward or inward relative either of the nozzles. In the hull a reversely operable pump is located in the duct means between the orifices. The pump is powered by reversible means. When the pump is operated in either direction water is drawn inward from one side of the hull and is expelled outward from the other side. The indrawn water enters the duct system without material restriction. However, the pressurized flow of water passing through the duct system encounters a restricted orifice at the discharge end of the duct system, and ajetstream or reaction jet of water is produced in close proximity to the duct system orifice. This jetstream of water discharged into the body of water in which the hull is floating produces a reaction movement in the form of lateral thrust force on the hull. This is particularly useful in steering or maneuvering the hull on various occasions of which docking or drawing away from a dock are typical occasions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view ofa hull equipped with this invention, portions being broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the pump and drive apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of an orifice assembly.

DESCRIPTION In the accompanying drawing is shown, for illustrative purposes a form of the invention as it might be applied to a small boat of the runabout or the outboard type. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is applicable to numerous types and sizes of hulls through the employment of this invention making, as required or desired, alterations in size, means and proportions. The scope of this invention is defined and set forth in the subjoined claims.

Referring specifically to the drawing, hull I is illustratively provided with a pair of outboard motors at the rear for its normal propulsion over the water. Such motors are steerable and thus, particularly when the hull is moving forward, direct the course of the hull as the operator requires. Of course, the hull may also be equipped with a rudder or rudders and the propulsion means be entirely mounted inboard.

Pump 14 is mounted in hull approximately medially between the sides of the hull on a suitable base B. Motor 16 on base BB is located adjacent pump 14 and provides power for the operation of the pump in either direction. Desirably motor 16 is a reversely operable electric motor and may be of the 12- or 24-volt type. Battery 18, conductor lead 20,22, motor 16 and a reversible switch 24 are inserted as schematically shown in FIG. 1.

On shaft 50 of pump 14 is a sheave 52. Motor shaft 54 has sheave 56 in line with sheave 52 and belt 58 encircles the two sheaves for power transmission purposes. Belt 58 is likewise of the toothed variety in order to insure a substantially positive drive medium but nevertheless to impart a certain amount of resilience in the driving means. In FIG. I the pump 14 and motor 16 are shown alternatively as direct connected in a coaxial manner.

Pump 14 is shown as having a rotary internal impeller 17 of the vane type wherein the vanes are preferably rubber of Neoprene in the most desirable form. Such a pump accommodates foreign matter which may be drawn into or passed through the pump as it operates in less than clear water. In the superposed arrangement shown in FIG. 3, pump I4 is mounted on base ii, and the motor to is mounted on a second rigid base BB. At each side of the vessel there is an opening receiving a through-hull fitting 26 terminating Iluid duct means involved in the system. Fitting, 26 is designed to accommodate the normally nonvertical sides of the hull and at the same time provide a substantially horizontal passage with respect to the hull and to the water in which the hull is floating. The sloping side II of bull It), as shown in FIG. 2, receives the fitting 26 which has an inward extending thimble shown in greater detail in FIG. 4 that is externally planted. The flanged outer end of fitting 26 is inclined relative the axis of the fitting to bear smoothly against the outer side of wall II. A mating block or sleeve 28 internal of the vessel has a flange or end to bear against the inner surface of side Ii. Internally threaded nut 29 is threadedly engaged on the sleeve of fitting 26 and is tightened sufficiently to obtain a tight seal and bearing between fitting 26 and mating block 28 around the orifice in which this apparatus is installed.

Internal of fitting 26 is housing 30, threadedly coupled thereto as shown in FIGS. 2 and Between each of the housings Bill and either the right or the left inlet-outlet 29 of pump housing I I is a fluid conduit 32. While in some installations conduit 32 may be rigidly disposed between the pump 14 and the

housings

30,30, some installations are most conveniently made by using flexible conduit as shown in FIG. 2. Such a flexible conduit is normally secured at its ends by clamps 31.

Inside each housing M) is a plate 34 pivoted at 36 on its upper edge and adapted to swing down against a seat 38 just inside of the outboard passage from housing 30. Depending upon the flow of water either inward to a housing or outward thereof, the plate is either swung upward and out of the flow path of moving water, as shown in the right of FIG. 2, or down into bearing relation on the seat 38 as in the left of FIG. 2. The action is somewhat that of a check valve. Plate 34 carries a tu' bular nozzle member 39 having an internal passage that extends from the inner surface of plate 34 to the outer end of nozzle 39. By means of these nozzles 39 the outward flow of water through a housing 30 is restricted to a dimensional cross section substantially less than the passage capacity of either the through-hull fitting 26 or of the housing 30 and the conduit associated therewith.

When a plate M is swung upward as is occasioned by the inward flow of water through an adjacent fitting 26, there is substantially greater capacity for water to enter the system than at the opposite side of the hull can be discharged. The result is that a back pressure is built up by reason of the restricted discharge orifice and while there is less volume of water being discharged, that which is being discharged is in the form of a substantially high-pressured reaction jetstream. Since this discharge reaction jet passes directly into the body of water in which the hull is immersed, reaction forces will be applied against the hull and the same will tend to move away from the direction of the discharging jetstream. This function is very useful in maneuvering the hull It) in the water.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 2 water is shown as being drawn through the inlet on the right or starboard side of the hull. Conversely water is being discharged on the left or the port side. Under such circumstances an operator of such a hull would find that the port-side discharge will give him a lateral thrust or change of direction to the right or starboard side. A reversing of the direction of flow from that shown in FIG. 2 gives an opposite effect. It will be apparent that effects of the type described are obtained by operating motor 16 in one of the other of its directions of rotations.

The housings 30 connected with the through-hull fittings 26-2fi include removable plugs d0 so that foreign matter drawn into the system may be easily removed in order to insure a free flow of water.

This system is particularly useful wlhen a boat is under no substantial forward draft, except possible momentum. Let us assume a situation where a boat operator is approaching the end of a cruise and is about to dock his vessel. He cuts his engine and thus substantially reduces the forward drive of the vessel. At the same time tends to lose his ability to navigate because such vessel, whether or not an outboard runabout, is normally steered by using a propeller or rudders usually not very efficient at low speeds. At such a point in approaching a dock it is often desirable to nudge" the bow of the hull to the port or to the starboard in order that it can be threaded into a slip or close alongside of a dock. This is accomplished by the system described by the operator throwing a switch 24 either to the left or the right, as his judgment dictates. The motor 16 will be activated and the pumping action in pump 14 will be initiated. Let us assume that, with respect to FIG. 1, he has moved the switch 24 to the port side, whereupon the motor 16 will operate pump 14 in such a way that water is drawn in on the port side and a jet reaction stream of water is discharged on the starboard side. The result will be the application of reaction force to the hull of the vessel and it will move laterally or transversely of its normal forward course. Conversely, the operation may be reversed, as it will be clearly understood.

In FIG. 1, the reaction to the lateral thrust maneuvering system of this invention is primarily shown installed in the bow of a hull 10. In dotted lines, at the rear of the hull, a similar system 60 may also be installed to facilitate either almost reverse turning or complete lateral movement of the hull by careful manipulation and maneuvering of switches controlling the doubly installed thrust systems.

What we claim is:

l. A system for laterally maneuvering a watercraft hull, comprising;

open-ended fluid duct means extending between opposite sides of a hull and having, closely adjacent each end, ajet nozzle to emit a reaction jet of water substantially horizontally outward of said hull;

a reversely operable pump medially located in said duct means to induce water flow in either direction therethrough;

power means for said pump;

each of said nozzles being mounted to move to inoperable position upon the occurrence in said duct means of inward flow of water relative either of said nozzles.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the mount permitting movement of each of said nozzles comprises pivotable means.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said pivotable means comprises a plate hinged to swing between blocking and nonblocking relation in a duct and a nozzle member extends outward lrom said plate.

4v The combination of claim 3 in which the nozzle member comprises a tube having a passage cross section between about one-eighth and one-half the cross section of the related duct means.

Claims

1. A system for laterally maneuvering a watercraft hull, comprising; open-ended fluid duct means extending between opposite sides of a hull and having, closely adjacent each end, a jet nozzle to emit a reaction jet of water substantially horizontally outward of said hull; a reversely operable pump medially located in said duct means to induce water flow in either direction therethrough; power means for said pump; each of said nozzles being mounted to move to inoperable position upon the occurrence in said duct means of inward flow of water relative either of said nozzles.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said pivotable means comprises a plate hinged to swing between blocking and nonblocking relation in a duct and a nozzle member extends outward from said plate.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the nozzle member comprises a tube having a passage cross section between about one-eighth and one-half the cross section of the related duct means.