Propeller for a marine propulsion system
AssigneeAimbridge Pty Ltd.
InventorsHans-Gunther Rosenkranz, Dmitri Shmatkov, Mark Frederick Armstrong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A marine propulsion system comprising a push rod activated pins (170) which engage eccentric shaft (174) for unlocking a propeller base (190) so the base (190) can rotate around a transverse axis. The base (190) has an inclined surface (192) which engages with an inclined surface (159) defining an opening in the propeller's hub therefore locking the propeller blade (34) in position. The inclined surfaces (159, 192) are disengaged by rotation of the eccentric shaft (174) thus the propeller blades (34) can be rotated to adjust the pitch and then the inclined surfaces (159, 192) re-engage to locking the propeller blade (34) in the pitch adjusted position.
Claims30
A propeller for a marine propulsion system, comprising:
- a propeller hub having a plurality of openings, and a hub surface surrounding each opening;
- a propeller blade having a propeller base mounted in each of the openings, each base having a base surface for engaging the hub surface of the respective opening;
- a mechanical and non-hydraulic unlocking mechanism for disengaging the respective base surface of the base from the respective hub surface of the hub for enabling rotation of the base, and therefore the propeller blade relative to the hub about an axis transverse to a rotation axis of the hub, by a sliding movement of the hub surface with respect to the base surface;
- and
- a pitch adjusting mechanism for rotating each base to thereby adjust the pitch of the propeller blade.
A marine propulsion system to be driven by a motor, the system comprising:
- a propeller having a propeller hub and a plurality of propeller blades;
- a drive for rotating the propeller about a first axis;
- a pitch adjusting mechanism for adjusting the pitch of the propeller blades about respective axes transverse to the first axis;
- a blade supporting mechanism for supporting the blades in the hub to allow adjustment of the pitch of the blades about the transverse axes, the supporting mechanism comprising:
- an engaging element for movement by the adjusting mechanism to adjust the pitch of the blades;
- the engaging element having an arm for each of the blades;
- a flexible joint carried by the arm;
- a pin mounted in the joint;
- an eccentric in engagement with the pin;
- a propeller base connected to the eccentric, the propeller base having a base surface;
- a base surface on the hub for engagement with the base surface on the base so the base surface of the base engages the base surface of the hub to lock the propeller in a pitch adjusted position;
- and
- wherein when the adjusting mechanism moves the engaging element, the engagement between the flexible joint and the pin causes the joint and pin to first rotate the eccentric about an eccentric axis to disengage the base surface of the base and the hub base surface of the hub, and whereupon further movement of the adjusting mechanism, and therefore the element, rotates the eccentric and the base relative to the hub about the transverse axis to adjust the pitch of the propeller blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.