Paired motor system for small boat propulsion and steerage
OwnerLeo R. Riebeninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Paired spaced electrically driven motors provide a steerable propelling system for small boats. Each motor drives a propeller carried in an elongate channel, communicating from each lateral side of a boat beneath the water line to one boat end, to move water through such channels for boat propulsion. The electrical motors are of variable speed, reversible, and separately controlled by a joystick type control device to provide differential control of motor speed to allow steerage. The propelling system provides a low speed, maneuverable propulsion system for fishing use, as an auxiliary power system for boats having a separate principal powering system, and to aid maneuverability alone or in conjunction with the principal powering system.
Claims9
A steerable propulsion system for boats comprising, in combination:
- two similar propulsion components carried in laterally spaced relationship by a boat, each propulsion component having
- an elongate cylindrical body defining an internal channel having a first open end communicating with water supporting the carrying boat and a second closed end, said channel carrying inwardly adjacent the second end an electrically powered motor having a propeller shaft extending toward the first end to carry a propeller for rotation within the internal channel to move water through the internal channel responsive to propeller motion, and
- a peripherally defined transition element structurally carried by the cylindrical body spacedly inward of the second end to extend outwardly therefrom, said transition element defining an internal channel communicating from an external orifice, distal from the elongated cylindrical body and communicating with water supporting the carrying boat, to the internal channel defined in the cylindrical body;
- a powering component supplying electric energy to each electric motor, said powering component having power storage means including a rechargeable storage battery;
- and
- a control component including control means movable in a first direction to regulate the total current passing to both propulsion motors and the direction of rotation of both motors and movable in a second direction to regulate the relative power passing to each motor to determine speed of propulsion of a serviced boat and allow steerage thereof.
An auxiliary steerable powering system, for a small boat having upstanding sides, a stern and a primary powering system including a driven electric generator, comprising, in combination:
- two similar elongate laterally spaced propulsion components each having a tubular body, with first and second ends and defining a medial channel for containment of water flow therethrough, each said tubular body structurally carrying a radially outwardly extending, peripherally defined transition element spacedly inwardly adjacent the first end, said transition element having an orifice and carried in a forward orifice defined on a first lateral side of a boat hull to be serviced, in a position spacedly forwardly of the stern and below the water line, and the second rearward end of said tubular body being carried in an orifice defined in a boat stern, spacedly inwardly of a lateral boat side and below the water line, both said propulsion components defining spaced symmetrically arrayed channels for water flow from the forward boat orifice to the rearward boat orifices, each said tubular body carrying an electric motor in the channel defined in its first end portion, said electric motor having a propeller shaft extending toward the second end to carry a propeller for rotation in the channel defined in each tubular body spacedly inwardly from its second end;
- a powering component including electric power storage means for powering each said electric motor, said power storage means including a rechargeable storage battery;
- and
- a control component including a joystick control having a control rod movable in a first linear direction to regulate the relative amount of power passing to each electric motor to determine relative motor speeds to allow steerage and movable in a second linear direction to regulate polarity and total electric power passing to both motors to determine speed and the forward and rearward directions of propulsion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.