Rooster Tail Suppression Apparatus
AssigneeTwin Disc, Incorporated
InventorsPhilip Rolla, Marzio Porro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modifier may be used to prevent formation of a rooster tail when surface drive propellers are used with marine vessels. The modifier may be retractable by attaching it to the transom of the marine vessel or fixed-mounted by attaching it to the drive housing. The modifier changes the direction of the rooster tail so it flows substantially parallel to the surface of the water and hull of the marine vessel.
Claims20
An apparatus that suppresses output water generated by a marine surface drive, the apparatus comprising:
- a modifier supported by at least one of a transom of a marine vessel and a drive housing;
- and
- wherein the modifier includes a modifier housing and a plurality of vanes rigidly fixed to the modifier housing, and wherein the modifier housing and the vanes are configured to collectively deflect the output water in a direction substantially parallel to a bottom surface of the marine vessel and thus minimize the generation of a rooster tail.
A method of suppressing a rooster tail generated by a surface drive propeller comprising the steps of:
- providing a modifier supported by at least one of a transom of a marine vessel and a drive housing, wherein the modifier includes a modifier housing and a plurality of vanes rigidly fixed to the modifier housing;
- and
- positioning the modifier so the modifier housing and the vanes collectively deflect water output from the surface drive in a direction substantially parallel to a bottom surface of the marine vessel.
A rooster tail suppressor for a surface drive propeller comprising:
- a modifier attached to the transom of a boat and including a modifier housing;
- a first plurality of parallel vanes vertically fixed to the modifier housing;
- and
- a second plurality of parallel vanes horizontally fixed to the modifier housing and
- wherein the first and second plurality of vanes form right angles to one another respectively, and are configured to deflect output water generated by the surface drive propeller in a direction approximately parallel to the surface of the water when the modifier is in a deployed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.