Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e. – impellers) – Articulated – resiliently mounted or self-shifting impeller... – Nonmetallic resilient mounting
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-12
2002-11-12
Look, Edward K. (Department: 3745)
Fluid reaction surfaces (i.e., impellers)
Articulated, resiliently mounted or self-shifting impeller...
Nonmetallic resilient mounting
C416S09300R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478543
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a torque transmitting device for a marine propulsion system and, more particularly, to a device for allowing relatively significant twist to occur between the propeller shaft and the propeller hub at relatively low torque transfer magnitudes up to a preselected magnitude of twist, after which the torque transmitted as a function of relative twist (i.e. inch-pound per degree) increases significantly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of mechanisms are known to those skilled in the art for the purpose of attaching a propeller to a propeller shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,679 which issued to Velte et al on Apr. 13, 1993, describes a marine propeller with a breakaway hub. The marine propeller has an insert cavity with pentagonal cross section extending coaxially with the axis of rotation of the propeller, along with at least a portion of the length of the propeller. A resilient insert corresponding to the insert cavity is positioned in the insert cavity. The insert is sized for slip fit with the cavity and is adapted for connection with a propeller driveshaft. Preferably, the insert has a cylindrical aperture with a series of grooves disposed circumferentially thereabout extending coaxially through the inset and the insert is connected with the propeller shaft through a shaft sleeve. The shaft sleeve corresponds to the aperture in the insert, has a cylindrical outer surface with a series of teeth disposed circumferentially thereabout, and has a mounting aperture extending coaxially through the shaft sleeve. The shaft is sized for hand force slip fit engagement with the insert. The mounting aperture is adapted for mounting the marine propeller on the propeller shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,061, which issued to Henrich on Jul. 24, 1973, describes a propeller construction in which a propeller includes a bushing part adapted to be mounted on a propeller shaft for common rotary movement of the bushing part with the propeller shaft. A resilient member is bonded to the outer periphery of the bushing and has an outer non-circular configuration including a series of alternate areas of greater and lesser radial distance form the axis of said bushing and a propeller blade part has a hub including a bore with an inner configuration including a series of alternate areas of greater and lesser radial distance from the axis of the propeller and detachably receiving the resilient member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,348, which issued to Karls et al on Sep. 14, 1993, discloses a propeller drive sleeve. A shock absorbing drive sleeve is provided by a molded plastic member directly mounting the propeller hub to the propeller shaft. The sleeve has a rearward inner diameter portion engaging the propeller shaft in splined relation, and a forward inner diameter portion spaced radially outwardly of and disengaged from the propeller shaft. The drive sleeve has a rearward outer diameter portion, and a forward outer diameter portion engaging the propeller hub. The drive sleeve and the propeller hub are tapered relative to each other such that a forward outer diameter portion of the drive sleeve snugly engages the propeller hub, and a rearward outer diameter portion is spaced slightly radially inwardly of the hub by a small gap and may partially rotate relative to the propeller hub in response to rotation of the propeller shaft drivingly engaging the rearward inner diameter portion. When the propeller strikes an object, the shock is absorbed by torsional twisting of the drive sleeve wherein the rearward inner diameter portion and the rearward outer diameter portion continue to rotate to a further rotated position than the forward outer diameter portion, whereafter the splined teeth of the rearward inner diameter portion shear.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,151, which issued to Uehara on Oct. 20, 1987, describes a propeller damping arrangement for a marine propulsion device. A number of embodiments of coupling arrangements for coupling a propeller to a driving shaft that permit a higher degree of resilience in a circumferential direction than in an axial direction are disclosed. As a result, the coupling may be designed so as to offer high degree of vibration damping while affording good resistance to axial driving thrust. In addition, each embodiment is designed so as to provide more resilience in the reverse drive condition than in the forward drive condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,057, which issued to Frazzell et al on Feb. 10, 1987, discloses a shock absorbing propeller. A marine propeller mounting arrangement includes a sleeve member for mounting on a propeller shaft, a propeller having an inner hub which fits over the sleeve member and a cushion member fitting between the sleeve member and the propeller inner hub. The sleeve member includes radially extending projections registering the channels in the hub to positively drive the propeller, even in the event of failure of the cushion member. The propeller has an outer hub surrounding the inner hub to define an exhaust gas passageway through the propeller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,855, which issued to Costabile et al on Jan. 28, 1986, describes a shock absorbing clutch assembly for a marine propeller. The propeller hub as an axial hole therein having a wavy, non-cylindrical surface consisting of a plurality of alternating peaks and valleys. A closely fitting resilient insert slips into the axial hub hole of the propeller hub and has an outer surface with peaks that extend into the respective valleys of the axial hub hole. The resilient insert has a cylindrical axial hole therein with a plurality of longitudinal keyways disposed in the surface of that hole. The keyways receive respective keys rigidly attached to the outer spline of a spline driver adapter sleeve, the inner surface of which has keyways that receive the splines of a driveshaft of a marine motor. The resilient insert transfers torque from the driving shaft to the hub without slippage of the torque is less than a predetermined amount, and absorbs shock if the propeller strikes a rock or the like by allowing the peaks of the hub hole to compress the peaks of the resilient insert. The resilient insert allows slipping of the hub relative to the driving shaft if the torque on the driveshaft exceeds a predetermined amount of torque.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,416, which issued to Karls et al on Jun. 21, 1994, discloses a torsionally twisting propeller drive sleeve. In a marine drive, a drive sleeve between the propeller shaft and the propeller hub absorbs shock after the propeller strikes an object by torsionally twisting between a forward end keyed to the propeller hub and a rearward end keyed to the propeller shaft. The drive sleeve is composed of a plastic material providing torsional twisting angular rotation at a first spring rate less than 100 lb. ft. per degree from 0° to 5° rotation, a second higher spring rate beyond 5° rotation, and supporting over 1,000 lb. ft. torque before failure.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the preferred embodiment.
As can be seen in the descriptions of the prior art, as shown above, many different types of resilient inserts have been developed to connect a propeller hub to a propeller shaft and to achieve various desired advantages. One problem that is common in many different types of marine propulsion systems is the noise generally referred to as “prop rattle”. This rattle actually occurs in the drive train and can be caused by the provision of a varying magnitude of torque at the propeller shaft. Since the propeller shaft and driveshaft of a marine propulsion device typically receive torque from an internal combustion engine, the sequential firing (i.e. igniting of the fuel/air mixture) within the combustion chambers of the engine creates individual pulses of downward force on the associated pistons. These individual downward forces transmit torque to the crankshaft of the engine as distinct pulses. These distinct pu
Davis Richard A.
Harry Donald F.
Karls Michael A.
Kiesling Douglas A.
Poirier Randall J.
Brunswick Corporation
Kershteyn Igor
Lanyi William D.
Look Edward K.
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