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US 4,051,801 AGranted
Drive position signalling apparatus
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsWilliam L. Woodfill, Edward F. Ginnow
Life of this patent
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AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsWilliam L. Woodfill, Edward F. Ginnow
Estimating the term…
A marine jet drive unit includes a nozzle which is mounted in a gimbal ring for pivoting about a horizontal axis for trimming of the drive jet. An electric motor drives a gear train including a rotating actuator shaft having an Acme nut actuator connected by a rigid linkage to the gimbal ring for trim positioning of the nozzle. A potentiometer is mounted within the gear housing with an input shaft parallel to the actuator shaft. The outer ends of both shafts are exposed in laterally spaced, aligned relation. A large driven disc element is secured to the potentiometer shaft and has a radium slightly less than the spacing between the two shafts. A pair of small, disc elements are mounted on the actuator shaft with a small flat spring establishing a spring force urging the small, disc elements into clamping engagement with the periphery of the large disc. The gear and actuator shaft are driven through less than one complete revolution by the motor for the complete angular trim orientation of the nozzle. During the initial installation, automatic alignment of the shafts is produced by moving the nozzle to its limit positions. The potentiometer moves to an appropriate limit position during at least one of the trim positions, with slippage between the large and small clamping disc elements permitting the nozzle to move to its limit position and thereby produce proper alignment at the maximum trim position.
A sensing apparatus for sensing the angular positioning of a pivotally mounted marine drive unit including a power poistioning means, said power positioning means having a position related means having a precise degree of movement between first and second limits in positioning of the marine propulsion means between two opposite limit positions, comprising an electrical transducer means having a mechanical input means and movable between two opposite limit positions, means for mounting said transducer means with the mechanical input means located in parallel spaced relation to said position related means, a clutch means having a first clutch element secured to said mechanical input means and a second clutch element secured to said position related means, said first and second clutch elements extending from said mechanical input means and from said position related means and including constantly overlapping portions resiliently and frictionally engaging each other to position the transducing means in accordance with the power positioning means and permitting relative slipping motion of the elements with the mechanical input means in one of said opposite limit positions as the position related means moves to said first or second limit positions.
A sensing apparatus for sensing the angular positioning of a pivotally mounted marine drive unit having a remotely controlled power positioning means, said power positioning means having a reversible rotating member having a precise degree of rotation in positioning of the marine propulsion means between two opposite positions, comprising an electrical transducing means having a rotating mechanical input member movable between first and second limits, means for mounting said transducer means to said power positioning means and having the rotating input member located in parallel spaced relation to said reversible rotating member, a clutch means having a first rotating plate element secured to the input member and a second rotating plate rotationally secured to the reversible rotating member, said plates having an overlapping portion and at least one of said elements being forced axially into resilient frictional engagement with the other of said elements to establish corresponding positioning of the transducing means and permitting relative slipping motion of the elements with the rotating input member in said first or second limit.
In a jet trim apparatus including a trim positioning power motor means having a rotating actuator member, for positioning a jet drive steering nozzle means, a transducer means fixedly mounted adjacent the motor means and including a rotating input member mounted in aligned laterally spaced relation to said actuator member and movable between first and second limits, a slipping clutch means having a first clutch plate element secured to said input member and a second clutch plate element rotationally secured to the actuator member, said clutch plate elements projecting outwardly into overlapping side peripheral engagement of the side faces of said plate elements, and means resiliently urging the clutch elements to frictionally clamp the first clutch element to engage the second clutch element and permitting relative slipping motion of the element with the rotating input member in said first or second limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.