Lower unit guard
OwnerKenneth A. Jacobsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guard attachable to the lower unit of an outboard motor preventing direct impact between submerged hazards and the elements of the lower unit. The guard includes two angle brackets, a rigid bar attached to the angle brackets at a top end, and a skeg pocket and fin attached to a lower portion of the bar. The guard descends from a position forward of, and substantially level with, the cavitation plate to a point below the skeg. The guard prevents damage to the entire lower unit, including the propeller, upon impact with a submerged obstacle.
Claims11
An improved guard for the lower unit of an outboard motor having a horizontally-extending cavitation plate and vertically-extending drive-shaft housing, having attachment only to the cavitation plate, comprising:
- a) an elongate rigid bar having a top end portion and a bottom end portion;
- b) a pair of brackets, each having a horizontally-extending flange pivotally attached to the top end portion of said bar with said flanges, extending rearwardly and horizontally therefrom, and means for attachment of said flanges to opposite sides of the horizontally-extending cavitation plate;
- to pivotally support said top end portion of said bar forwardly of said cavitation plate
- c) a skeg pocket having an open top attached a predetermined distance from the bottom end portion of said bar, said pocket being sized to receive the outboard motor skeg, said pocket having closure walls about said skeg, whereby said pocket and said bar cooperate to capture and hold said skeg without attachments when said pair of brackets are attached;
- and
- d) a fin portion attached to the lower ed of said skeg pocket and said bar, said fin extending horizontally, rearwardly, and laterally, therefrom, providing lateral projection to said propeller, said bar extending downwardly from said fin portion.
An improved guard for the lower unit of a conventional outboard motor which has the normal horizontally-extending cavitation plate, vertically-extending drive shaft housing, gear case housing, propeller, and skeg;
- the improved lower unit guard having attachment means only to the cavitation plate and comprising:
- a) an elongate rigid bar portion having a top end portion adapted for positioning forward of and substantially level with the cavitation plate, the rigid bar portion further adapted to extend downward and rearward, in front of and substantially parallel to the skeg, the rigid bar portion further adapted to continue to extend downward and rearward having a bottom end portion adapted for positioning below the skeg;
- b) a two-sided semicircular apex portion adapted for attachment to the top end portion, and having means for pivotal attachment to said outboard motor;
- c) a skeg pocket having an open top adapted for rearward attachment toward the lower end of the rigid bar portion, and further comprising side and rear walls to capture and contain the skeg without attachments when the apex portion is attached to the outboard motor;
- and
- a fin portion attached a predetermined distance from the lower end of the rigid bar, extending rearward, horizontally, and longitudinally therefrom, and further attached to the skeg pocket;
- said fin portion providing lateral protection to said propeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.