Outboard engine assembly and internal combustion engine therefore

An outboard engine assembly for use on a boat, comprising:

• an engine mechanism including in an upper region thereof an engine having a substantially vertical crankshaft and a vertical array of substantially horizontal cylinders, said crankshaft having a plurality of axially spaced crankshaft counterbalances, and a vertical shaft disposed below said engine and operatively coupled to said crankshaft for rotating a propeller shaft in response to rotation of the crankshaft;
• and
• an attachment for mounting said engine mechanism on the stern of the boat, said attachment comprising a stern bracket adapted to be fixed to the stern of the boat, a swivel case supported on said stern bracket for vertical angular movement, a substantially vertical swivel shaft supported on said swivel case for horizontal angular movement, and a pair of upper and lower supports mounted on said swivel shaft and supporting said engine mechanism;
• said crankshaft being positioned rearwardly of said vertical shaft.

An outboard engine assembly for use on a boat, comprising:

• an engine mechanism including in an upper region thereof an engine having a substantially vertical crankshaft;
• and
• an attachment having a pair of upper and lower supports for mounting said engine mechanism on the stern of the boat;
• said engine having joint members coupled to said upper support, and a balancer mechanism disposed upwardly of said joint members;
• said balancer mechanism comprising a support shaft extending parallel to said crankshaft, a driven gear mounted on said support shaft, and a weight mounted on said support shaft, said crankshaft including a counterbalance having a drive gear held in mesh with said driven gear.

An outboard engine assembly for use on a boat, comprising:

• an engine mechanism including in an upper region thereof an engine having a substantially vertical crankshaft and a vertical array of substantially horizontal cylinders, and a vertical shaft disposed below said engine and operatively coupled to said crankshaft for rotating a propeller shaft in response to rotation of the crankshaft;
• and
• an attachment for mounting said engine mechanism on the stern of the boat, said attachment comprising a stern bracket adapted to be fixed to the stern of the boat, a swivel case supported on said stern bracket for vertical angular movement, a substantially vertical swivel shaft supported on said swivel case for horizontal angular movement, and a pair of upper and lower supports mounted on said swivel shaft and supporting said engine mechanism;
• said crankshaft being positioned rearwardly of said vertical shaft;
• said engine further having joint members coupled to said upper support, and a balancer mechanism disposed upwardly of said joint members;
• said balancer mechanism comprising a support shaft extending parallel to said crankshaft, a driven gear mounted on said support shaft, and a weight mounted on said support shaft, said crankshaft including a counterbalance having a drive gear held in mesh with said driven gear.

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a vertical crankshaft;
• a vertical array of horizontal cylinders including respective combustion chambers;
• a plurality of pistons slidably disposed in said cylinders, respectively, and operatively coupled to said vertical crankshaft;
• fuel supply means mounted on an engine side wall for supplying fuel into said combustion chambers;
• a starter motor mounted on an opposite engine side wall for rotating said crankshaft;
• and
• a balancer mechanism operatively coupled to said crankshaft and mounted on an engine wall other than said engine side walls remotely from said combustion chambers, said balancer mechanism comprising a support shaft extending parallel to said crankshaft, a driven gear mounted on said support shaft, and a weight mounted on said support shaft, said crankshaft including a counterbalance having a drive gear held in mesh with said driven gear.

An outboard engine assembly for use on a boat, comprising:

• an engine mechanism including in an upper region thereof an engine having a substantially vertical crankshaft, an even number of at least four substantially horizontal cylinders arranged in a vertical array and having respective combustion chambers, a plurality of intake passages communicating with said combustion chambers, respectively, and opening at an engine side wall, and fuel supply means mounted on said engine side wall for supplying fuel into said intake passages;
• and
• an attachment for mounting said engine mechanism on the stern of the boat;
• said fuel supply means comprising a vertical array of carburetors each associated with adjacent two of said cylinders, and a vertical array of intake manifolds each connecting one of said carburetors to adjacent two of said cylinders, each of said carburetors comprising a pair of first and second intake barrels disposed alongside of and parallel to one of the adjacent two cylinders, each of said intake manifolds comprising a pair of first and second intake passageways, said first intake passageway connecting said first intake barrel to one of said intake passages corresponding to the adjacent two cylinders, said second intake passageway connecting said second intake barrel to the other of said intake passages corresponding to the adjacent two cylinders, said attachment comprising a pair of upper and lower supports supporting said engine mechanism, said engine having joint members coupled to said upper support, said carburetors being positioned upwardly of said upper support.