Marine drive

Claim 2

A marine outdrive unit having; (a) an upper housing fixed inboard relative to a boat transom, (b) a lower housing disposed in depending relationship and pivotally movable relative to said upper housing and said boat transom, (c) a hydraulic means mounted with said upper housing including a movable piston means, (d) said movable piston means including pivot means attached to said lower housing at it inner end, (e) a power train means extending through said upper and lower housings for rotationally driving a propeller for said marine outdrive unit, (f) said power train means including at least a pair of universal joint means, one of said universal joint means disposed in an outward portion of said upper housing and one of said universal joint means disposed in the upper portion of said lower housing, (g) a link means forming a portion of said power train means, positioned between said pair of universal joint means and pivotally attached to each, (h) said link means and said piston means providing for the sole support for said lower housing in said depending relationship with said upper housing and (i) said link means and said movable piston means furnishing solely for the pivoting of said lower housing relative to said upper housing and boat transom.

Claim 3

A marine outdrive unit having; (a) an upper housing fixed inboard relative to a boat transom, (b) a lower housing disposed outboard of said boat transom, (c) a cylinder and piston means mounted with said upper housing, (d) said pivot piston means pivotally attached to said lower housing for vertical pivoting of said lower housing, (e) a power train means disposed below said cylinder and piston means and extending through said upper housing, said transom and said lower housing for rotationally driving a propeller mounted at the rearward end of said lower housing, (f) said power train means including at least a pair of universal joint means, one disposed in said upper housing and one disposed in said lower housing, (g) a double trunnion means extending between said universal joint means and rotationally mounted to each for vertical pivoting, (h) said cylinder and piston means being pivotally mounted on said upper housing for substantially horizontal pivoting on an axis, (i) said axis, extended, intersecting the center of said double trunnion means, (j) whereby said lower housing is pivotally attached relative to said boat transom for trim, kickup and steering.

Claim 4

A marine outdrive unit having; (a) an upper housing fixed inboard relative to a boat transom, (b) a lower housing disposed outboard of said boat transom, (c) a cylinder and piston means mounted with said upper housing, (d) said pivot piston means pivotally attached to said lower housing for vertical pivoting of said lower housing, (e) a power train means disposed below said cylinder and piston means and extending through said upper housing, said transom and said lower housing for rotationally driving a propeller mounted at the rearward end of said lower housing, (f) said power train means including at least a pair of universal joint means, one disposed in said upper housing and one disposed in said lower housing, (g) a double trunnion means extending between said universal joint means and rotationally mounted to each for vertical pivoting, (h) said cylinder and piston means being pivotally mounted on said upper housing for substantially horizontal pivoting on an axis, (i) said axis, extended, intersecting the center of said double trunnion means, (j) whereby said lower housing is pivotally attached relative to said boat transom for trim, kickup and steering.

Claim 5

The combination set out in claim 2 wherein said power train means includes; (a) a second pair of universal joint means, one of said universal joint means of said second pair being disposed at the inner end of said upper housing and one of said universal joint means of said second pair being disposed below said first pair of universal joint means in said lower housing, (b) said second pair of universal joint means providing for a uniform flow of power through the remainder of said power train means.

Claim 6

The combination set out in claim 3 wherein; (a) said lower housing has split upper and lower halves, (b) said upper half of said lower housing mounting two of said universal joint means, (c) said lower half of said lower housing mounting an angularly depending shaft means having a gear means fixed to its lower end, (d) said gear means meshing with another gear means mounted on a horizontal extending shaft, (e) said horizontal extending shaft mounting said propeller at it s outer end.

Claim 7

The combination set out in claim 2 wherein said pivot means providing for substantially horizontal pivoting of said cylinder and piston means is provided by (a) lug means attached to said cylinder means and having pivot pin means fixedly attached thereto and (b) lug means attached to said uPper housing and having a bore within which said pivot pin means is disposed.

Claim 8

The combination set out in claim 5 wherein; (a) said upper housing includes a portion extending through said transom, (b) a flange means is boltingly attached to said portion outwardly of said transom, (c) wedging means are disposed between said flange means and said transom and, (d) sealing means are compressingly held between said portion and said transom by said flange means and said wedging means.

Claim 9

The combination set out in claim 6 wherein a bootlike sealing element is disposed between said lower housing and said flange means to sealingly enclose the space between said lower housing and said flange means.

Claim 10

The combination set out in claim 2 wherein said axis is angularly disposed relative to the vertical.

Claim 11

The combination of a marine outdrive unit and boat transom having; (a) an upper and lower housing, (b) said upper housing being disposed inboard and fixed relative to a boat transom, (c) said lower housing being disposed outboard of said transom, (d) a hydraulic piston means telescopically received in a hydraulic cylinder means extending through said transom and including means for fixing it to said upper housing and means for pivoting it to said lower housing to provide a pivot center of rotation, (e) a power train means extending through said upper housing, said transom and said lower housing, (f) said power train means including first universal joint means mounted in said upper housing for providing a first center of rotation and second universal joint means mounted in said lower housing providing for a second center of rotation, (g) a connecting means pivotally attached to said first and second universal joint means for rotation around said first and second centers of rotation, (h) said second center of rotation being spacedly displaced a distance from said pivot center of rotation for said means for pivoting said hydraulic piston means to said lower housing and (i) said first center of rotation spacedly displaced a distance from a point on said hydraulic piston means at its entrance into said hydraulic cylinder means, (j) whereby a four-bar linkage is provided for pivotally mounting said lower housing relative to said upper housing consisting of (1) a pivotal link provided by said connecting means pivoted between said first and second centers, (2) a movable and pivotal link formed by said hydraulic piston means, (3) a fixed link provided by said distance between said second center of rotation and the pivot center of rotation of said means for pivoting said hydraulic piston means to said lower housing and (4) a fixed link furnished by said distance between said first center of rotation and said point on said hydraulic piston means.

Claim 12

The combination of a marine outdrive unit and boat transom having; (a) an upper and lower housing, (b) said upper housing being disposed inboard and fixed relative to a boat transom, (c) said lower housing being disposed outboard of said transom, (d) a hydraulic piston means telescopically received in a hydraulic cylinder means extending through said transom and including means for fixing it to said upper housing and means for pivoting it to said lower housing to provide a pivot center of rotation, (e) a power train means extending through said upper housing, said transom and said lower housing, (f) said power train means including first universal joint means mounted in said upper housing for providing a first center of rotation and second universal joint means mounted in said lower housing providing for a second center of rotation, (g) a connecting means pivotally attached to said first and second universal joint means for rotation around said first and second centers of rotation, (h) said second center of rotation being spacedly displaced a distance from said pivot center of rotation for said means for pivoting said hydraulic piston means to said lower housing and (i) said first center of rotation spacedly displaced a distance from a point on said hydraulic piston means at its entrance into said hydraulic cylinder means, (j) whereby a four-bar linkage is provided for pivotally mounting said lower housing relative to said upper housing consisting of (1) a pivotal link provided by said connecting means pivoted between said first and second centers, (2) a movable and pivotal link formed by said hydraulic piston means, (3) a fixed link provided by said distance between said second center of rotation and the pivot center of rotation of said means for pivoting said hydraulic piston means to said lower housing and (4) a fixed link furnished by said distance between said first center of rotation and said point on said hydraulic piston means.

Claim 13

A marine outdrive unit having; (a) a means fixed inboard relative to a boat transom, (b) a housing means disposed in depending relationship and pivotally movable relative to said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom, (c) a hydraulic means mounted with said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom including a movable piston means, (d) said movable piston means including pivot means attached to said housing at its inner end, (e) a power rain mean extending through said housing and said transom for rotationally driving a propeller for said marine outdrive unit, (f) said power train means including at least a pair of universal joint means, one of said universal joint means disposed adjacent an outward portion of said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom and one of said universal joint means disposed in the upper portion of said housing means, (g) a connecting means forming a portion of said power train means, positioned between said pair of universal joint means and pivotally attached to each, (h) said connecting means and said movable piston means providing for sole support for said housing means in said depending relationship relative to said means fixed inboard relative to saId boat transom and (i) said link means and said movable piston means solely furnishing the pivoting of said housing means relative to said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom.

Claim 14

A marine outdrive unit having; (a) a means fixed inboard relative to a boat transom, (b) a housing means disposed in depending relationship and pivotally movable relative to said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom, (c) a hydraulic means mounted with said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom including a movable piston means, (d) said movable piston means including pivot means attached to said housing at its inner end, (e) a power rain mean extending through said housing and said transom for rotationally driving a propeller for said marine outdrive unit, (f) said power train means including at least a pair of universal joint means, one of said universal joint means disposed adjacent an outward portion of said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom and one of said universal joint means disposed in the upper portion of said housing means, (g) a connecting means forming a portion of said power train means, positioned between said pair of universal joint means and pivotally attached to each, (h) said connecting means and said movable piston means providing for sole support for said housing means in said depending relationship relative to said means fixed inboard relative to saId boat transom and (i) said link means and said movable piston means solely furnishing the pivoting of said housing means relative to said means fixed inboard relative to said boat transom.