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US 4,171,675 AGranted
Centrifugal pump and paddle boat propulsion system
OwnerMerall L. Thompsoninventor
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OwnerMerall L. Thompsoninventor
Estimating the term…
A radially vaned rotor is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis extending athwartships of a boat. A housing encircles the major portion of the rotor and has an axial inlet and a downwardly directed peripheral outlet. The tips of the rotor vanes project through the housing peripheral outlet below the surface of the water surrounding the boat. When the boat is traveling at low speed, the rotor functions as the impeller of a centrifugal pump drawing water into the housing through the axial inlet and discharging the water through the peripheral outlet to propel the boat. The outlet can be shifted circumferentially fore and aft to alter the direction of water discharged therethrough. At high speed, planing of the boat elevates the housing so that only air is drawn through its axial inlet and discharged through its peripheral outlet, the majority of boat-propelling force being produced by the paddle wheel action of the rotor vane tips.
Propulsion mechanism for a boat comprising a rotor mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis extending generally athwartships of the boat, said rotor having several centrifugal pump impeller vanes extending generally radially of said rotor, and a housing for said rotor closely encircling the major portion of the circumference of said rotor, said housing having an inlet located adjacent to the center of said rotor through which inlet water may be drawn into said housing generally axially and centrally of said rotor, the lower portion of said housing having a peripheral outlet through which water may be discharged from said housing by centrifugal pump action to propel the boat, said rotor being rotatable relative to said housing, the outer end portions of said rotor vanes being successively projectable downward through said housing peripheral outlet below water surrounding the boat by rotation of said rotor for operating as a paddle wheel to propel the boat.
Propulsion mechanism for a boat comprising a vaned rotor mounted for rotation relative to the boat, a housing including a circumferential portion closely encircling the major portion of the rotor circumference, said housing having an inlet through which water may be drawn into said housing generally axially of said rotor and a peripheral outlet through which water may be discharged from said housing to propel the boat, a scoop having a discharge end connected to the housing inlet, and means for swinging said scoop to selectively conduct water or air into said housing through its inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.