Airboat trim apparatus and method
AssigneeMarine Turbine Technologies, LLC
InventorTed Lee McIntyre, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A trim system for an airboat having a hull and a deck comprises an engine support carriage elevated from the deck and having a first end pivotably mounted to the deck via a rigid frame, and at least one remotely operated hydraulic ram with each including a first end braced upon the deck or an intervening structure and a second end coupled to a free moving second end of the engine support carriage opposite the first end. In a method of adjusting trim on an airboat, during operation of an engine mounted to the engine support carriage, a thrust line of the engine is selectively changed by remotely causing the at least one linearly actuated lift to selectively extend and retract.
Claims27
An adjustable trim system for an airboat that includes a hull having a deck and having a forward end and an aft end defining forward and aft directions respectively, the system comprising:
- a frame mounted to the deck;
- an engine support carriage including a forward end and an aft end;
- at least one pivot connecting the frame and the engine support carriage at an aft end of the engine support carriage;
- at least one lift supporting a forward end of the engine support carriage;
- and
- a remote control responsive to operator input to change a thrust line of an engine mounted to engine support carriage by selectively causing the at least one lift to extend and retract.
A trim system for an airboat having a hull and a deck, comprising:
- an engine support carriage elevated from the deck and having a first end pivotably mounted to the deck via a rigid frame;
- and
- at least one remotely operated ram wherein each remotely operated ram includes a first end braced upon the deck or an intervening structure and a second end coupled to a free moving second end of the engine support carriage opposite the first end.
A method of adjusting trim on an airboat that includes a hull having a deck and having a forward end and an aft end defining forward and aft directions respectively, the method comprising operations of:
- providing a frame mounted to the deck, an engine support carriage including a forward end and an aft end, at least one pivot connecting the frame and the engine support carriage at an aft end of the engine support carriage, and at least one lift supporting a forward end of the engine support carriage;
- and
- during operation of an engine mounted to the engine support carriage, selectively changing a thrust line of the engine by remotely causing the at least one lift to selectively extend and retract.
A method of operating a trim system for an airboat having a hull and a deck, comprising operations of:
- providing an engine support carriage elevated from the deck and having a first end pivotably mounted to the deck via a rigid frame, and providing at least one remotely operated ram where each said remotely operated ram includes a first end braced upon the deck or intervening structure and a second end coupled to a free moving second end of the engine support carriage opposite the first end;
- and
- during operation of an engine mounted to the engine support carriage, changing a thrust line of the engine by remotely varying a length of the at least one ram.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.