# US 5,342,228 A · Marine drive anode > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,342,228 A - Document ID: US5342228A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/083,980 - Filed: 1993-06-28 - Granted: 1994-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 1992-05-27 - Assignees: Brunswick Corporation - Inventors: Phillip D. Magee; Edward C. Eick; Gary L. Meisenburg - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5342228A ## CPC - C23F 13/10: Electrodes characterised by the structure (C23F13/16 takes precedence) - B63B 59/04: Preventing hull fouling (anti-fouling paints C09D5/16) - B63H 20/32: Housings {(air intakes for outboard engines F02M35/167)} - B63H 20/22: allowing movement of the propulsion element about at least a horizontal axis without disconnection of the drive, e.g. using universal joints - C23F: NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE (working metal by laser beams B23K26/00; desurfacing by applying flames B23K7/00; working of metal by electro-erosion B23H; producing decorative effects by removing surface material, e.g. by engraving, by etching, B44C1/22; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F); INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25 - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) ## Abstract A marine drive is provided with a large volume anode, about 30 cubic inches, for galvanic protection. The anode (230) is a brick-like block member tapered along each of its height, width and length dimensions. The drive housing has an anode-mounting section (232) extending rearwardly therefrom and has a downwardly opening cavity (234) of substantially the same shape and volume as the anode, and receiving the anode in nested flush relation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A marine drive for propelling a boat comprising a housing having a lower torpedo portion with at least one propeller shaft driving at least one propeller, an anode mounted to said housing above said propeller, said anode having a volume greater than 20 cubic inches, said housing have an anode-mounting section extending rearwardly therefrom above said propeller, said anode-mounting section having a cavity opening downwardly toward said propeller and receiving said anode therein. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The invention according to claim 1 wherein anode volume is .gtoreq.30 cubic inches. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The invention according to claim 2 wherein said anode and said cavity have substantially the same volume, and wherein said anode substantially fills said cavity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The invention according to claim 1 wherein said anode is a block member having a height of about 1 inch, a fore-to-aft length of about 8 inches, and a width of about 4 inches. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The invention according to claim 4 wherein said cavity has a height of about 1 inch, a fore-to-aft length of about 8 inches, and a width of about 4 inches. ### Claim 6 A marine drive for propelling a boat comprising a housing having a lower torpedo portion with at least one propeller shaft driving at least one propeller, an anode mounted to said housing above said propeller, said anode being a tapered block member having at least one tapered dimension, said housing having an anode-mounting section extending rearwardly therefrom above said propeller, said anode-mounting section having a cavity opening downwardly toward said propeller and receiving said anode therein. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The invention according to claim 6 wherein said anode has a height tapering fore-to-aft such that the height at the front of the anode is greater than the height at the rear of the anode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The invention according to claim 6 wherein said anode has a right-to-left width tapering fore-to-aft such that the width at the front of the anode is greater than the width at the rear of the anode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The invention according to claim 6 wherein said anode has at least two tapered dimensions, said anode having a height tapering fore-to-aft such that the height at the front of the anode is greater than the height at the rear of the anode, said anode having a right-to-left width tapering fore-to-aft such that the width at the front of the anode is greater than the width at the rear of the anode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The invention according to claim 6 wherein said anode has a fore-to-aft length tapering upwardly such that the length at the bottom of the anode is greater than the length at the top of the anode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The invention according to claim 6 wherein each of the height, width and length of the anode is tapered, said anode having a height tapering fore-to-aft such that the height at the front of the anode is greater than the height at the rear of the anode, said anode having a right-to-left width tapering fore-to-aft such that the width at the front of the anode is greater than the width at the rear of the anode, said anode having a fore-to-aft length tapering upwardly such that the length at the bottom of the anode is greater than the length at the top of the anode. ### Claim 12 A marine drive for propelling a boat comprising a housing having a lower torpedo portion with at least one propeller shaft driving at least one propeller, an anode mounted to said housing above said propeller, said housing having an anode-mounting section extending rearwardly therefrom above said propeller, said anode-mounting section having a cavity opening downwardly toward said propeller, said anode being received in said cavity in substantially flush relation such that the underside of said anode is substantially flush with the underside of said anode-mounting section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The invention according to claim 12 wherein said anode and said cavity have substantially the same shape and substantially the same dimensions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The invention according to claim 12 wherein said cavity has a top horizontal wall engaged by the topside of said anode in abutting relation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The invention according to claim 14 wherein said top wall has a right-to-left width tapering fore-to-aft such that the width at the front is greater than the width at the rear, and wherein said anode is tapered to match the taper of said top wall. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The invention according to claim 12 wherein said cavity has vertical sidewalls having a height tapering fore-to-aft such that the height at the front is greater than the height at the rear, and wherein said anode is tapered to match the taper of said sidewalls. ### Claim 17 A marine drive for propelling a boat comprising a housing having a lower torpedo portion with at least one propeller shaft driving at least one propeller, an anode mounted to said housing above said propeller, said housing having an anode-mounting section extending rearwardly therefrom above said propeller, and a cover over said anode-mounting section, said anode being mounted to said housing by a pair of bolts, including a first bolt extending upwardly through said anode and said anode-mounting section and secured to said cover, and a second bolt extending upwardly through said anode and secured to said anode-mounting section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The invention according to claim 17 wherein said anode-mounting section has a cavity opening downwardly toward said propeller, said anode being received in said cavity in substantially flush relation such that the underside of said anode is substantially flush with the underside of said anode-mounting section, and wherein said anode has a pair of vertical bores therethrough receiving said bolts, each bore having an increased diameter at its lower end for receiving a bolt head in flush relation with the underside of said anode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The invention according to claim 17 wherein said anode-mounting section has a cavity opening downwardly toward said propeller, said cavity having a top wall with a pair of apertures therethrough, including a first aperture receiving said first bolt extending upwardly therethrough, and a second aperture receiving said second bolt extending upwardly therethrough, said first aperture having a larger diameter than said second aperture, said cover having a boss extending downwardly into said first aperture and receiving said first bolt in threaded relation.