US2588650A - Marine engine control - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1952 Filed Feb. 24. 1949 J. F. MORSE MARINE ENGINE CONTROL 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

l Jbzz FMors'c Pfff? @bmw March 11,v 1952 1 Fl MORSE 2,588,650

MARINE ENGINE CONTROL Filed Feb. 24. 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTOR. i"."

. fo/Em FII/onse 3 BY 74 '77 36 35 60 @bmw March 11, 1952 J. F. MORSE MARINE ENGINE coNTRoL.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 24. 1949 IN V EN TOR. .John F/Wons'e BY Patented Mar. 11, 1952 `r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,588,650

MARINE ENGINE CONTROL .ohn F. Morse, Hudson, Ohio Application February 24, 1949,- seriai No. 78,029

11 claims. (Cl. 19e-098) The present invention relates to the improve;- ment of control mechanisms especially designed for marine engines, although it is not necessarily limited to this particular case and may be employed whenever conditions and requirements are similar to those encountered in the operation andtcontrol of marine engines. i

The purpose of the invention is to devise and perfect a control mechanism by which the pilot may, with the manipulation of a single lever', operate the clutch and gear shifting devices on the engine and the throttle by which the speed of 'the .engine is controlled. The device is so constructed and arranged lthat these operations may be. carried out-without danger of stalling or Jblast'ing the engine in going from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. This property is particularly desirable in maneuvering the craft in emergencies where it may be necessary to reverse the engine suddenly to avoid collision. Itis-also anobject of the invention to provide a mechanism' of this type which will protect both the engine and the clutch by timing the operation ofthe clutch and the throttle automatically.

The device shown and described herein is particularly adapted for use with marine engine installations which employ hydraulic shifting devices and is in the natureof an improvement of the device shown in my prior application Serial No. 15,546, led March 18, 1948. I By the use of the improved control mechanism shown and described herein, the operation .of marine engines-is simplified-and accidents which arise either from inexperience or from 'sudden action are prevented. I Incorporating the control device fin 'a single lever permits the pilot to maneuver the boat while still maintaining control of the power plant. The invention further provides for regulation of the engine at the speeds requisite for the most efcient operation of the boat. The mechanism has been greatly simpliiiedover prior devices for like purposes..

The -best known and preferred embodiment of the invention 'is shown-and described, but this is' not to be understood as limiting or confining the' practice of -the invention to devices which are like in every respect tothe one shown herein 'because modifications and improvements may be made `which do not depart fromthe invention Aas set forth in the appended claims.

In lthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation looking at the rear of the device, the parts at this time being .in neutral. Fig. 2 is .a view taken at'right angles vto Fig. 1, the control box or unit being shown .in Vsection on the llineZ-'a ofF-ig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view looking at the ygearing Which operates the control levers for vthe clutch and throttle, the viewl being taken on the line 3-l-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing the position of the operating gears when the throttle is fully opened.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the throttle lever at fully open position ahead.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing themanner in which the throttle lever operates to control the speed of the engine in neutral.

Fig. 7 is a view looking at the front of the device.

Fig. 8 is aside view thereof.

Fig. 9 is a developed View of the rack or plate which provides the stops for the several positions of the throttle lever.

The mechanism yshown herein is simple and compact, `being housed ina main casing or housing IIJ which is supported in convenient position for the :pilot on :the bulkhead or a control pedestal (not shown) by means such as the screws 2I .set at points around the perimeter of the housing. At the rear Yof the vhousing is a U-shaped bracket I2, the arms of which are received lin .vertical bores I3 formed in bosses I5 on-the rear of the housing and held therein by set screws I4.

The front of the housing is .closed by a face plate 2i! which .is secured `in place by bolts 22 threaded into the housing. The housing and Aface plate are approximately oval in form,A and the housing is formed on its side adjacent the 4face :plate with Aalarge circular vrecess 25 above and communicating with which is a smaller circular recess 26. and below and likewise communicating therewithv is a :second smaller circular recess 2I In these lthree recesses arelocated, respectively, the master or vmain operating gear 28, the gear 29 for operating the throttle and the gear .30 for .operating the clutch and gear shifting mechanisms (not shown). The clutch and gear shifting mechanism is usually hydraulically operated by any of the well known types of servo motors now .in common use for the purpose.

.Referring :particularly to Figs. 3 and 4,- it wi -l be seen that --each of the said operating gears is an. interrupted or mutilated gea-r and each is provided. with `smooth .mating peripheral por'- tions which serve to hold the gears 29 and 3l) .in their idle positions. Thus the master gear 28 has two arcuate sets of teeth aand b lon either side of .a smooth segment -,c',. and smooth segments d and el `onether side of Ha .shorter '000th :portion 1 located opposite the segment ,cf The toothed `portions a and vb are .designed to. on-

piate 2'0. g y `shaft is mounted the throttle lever or operaterate the gear 29 and the toothed portion .f to operate the gear 30.

p The gear 29 is toothed over the maior portion of its periphery, as indicated at g so as to be engaged and driven by the gear segments a or b, depending upon whether the engine is in forward or reverse. The gap in the toothed periphery of the gear 29 is supplied with a smooth, concave arc segment h adapted to ride upon the portion c of the gear 28' when the engine is in neutral, and during the range from idling forward to idling in reverse.

The gear is provided with a short toothed segment i to mesh with the, segmenti on the main gear 28. On either side of the segment i, the gear 3U is provided with smooth, concave surfaces 7' adapted to ride on the surface d or e of the gear 28, depending upon whether the engine is in forward or reverse.

When the engine is in neutral as shown in Fig. 3, the gears 28 and 30 are meshed, but the gear 29 is immovable because of the engagement of the surfaces c and h. If the gear 28 is rotated clockwise as shown in Fig...4, which is ahead as the drawings show, the rst operation is to rotate the gear 30 to the positionshown in Fig. 4 which, by the mechanism to be described, operates the clutch and puts the engine in forward. The operation takes up onlyV a portion of the movement of the gear 28, and thereafter the gear 30 is held in position as shown in Fig. 4.

At the moment that the gear 30 is thrown to its position on either side of neutral, the segments a or b, as the case may be, engage the teeth on the gear 29 and the gear is now rotated to open the throttle. The arcuate movement of the gear 28 is positively arrested in either direction by the contact of the forward which is pivotally connected at its outer end to a rod 5I) which is connected to the cable 5I that extends to the clutch control and operating device. Conveniently the assembly of the rod 50 and the cable 5I may be connected to a rocking clip 52 located on a .plate I1 xed to the bracket I2.

The sleeve 42referredA to above lextends to the rear of the housing, and on the end of this sleeve is clamped a lever arm, indicated as a whole by the numeral 55, which is connected to av rod 56, the lower end of which is, in turn, connected to a cable 58 leading to the engine throttle. The assembly of the rod 56 and cable 58 may be connected to a rocking clip 59 located on a plate I6 on the bracket I2.

tooth of segment a or b with the smooth face of the gear 30.

In going from full forward to reverse, the mas- 'ter gear 28 first rotates the gear 29 to close the throttle and while the gear 29 is held in closed position of the throttle, the continued movement of the master gear now picks up the gear 30 by engagement of the toothed segments ,f and i. If the pilot wishes to go into reverse immediately, he continues the movement of the throttle lever -and the gear 30 is shifted into reverse.' and the throttle is opened immediately thereafter. v y

It will be seen'that the pilot may thus throw his engine from forward to -reverse, or reverse to forward, by 'a single movement of the throttle lever and the engine lwillbeeslowed down before( the clutch is disengaged and accelerated after the clutch is reengaged. The gears give a regular lprogression in the opening and 'closingmovements and not an uneven progression as is obtained by the regular Genera Atype gear- The, master gear 28 nis xed' tcY an operating shaft 35 mounted in roller bearings 36 and. 31 set in recesses in the housing AIII and in the face On the projecting outer end of this which reference has been made. shank 4I ing arm 40 to The gear 25 is provided with a long which is secured to a sleeve 42 which is rontatable in bearings 44 mounted in recesses in the housingV I0 and the face plate 20. "The gear 3B is secured to a shaft 45 mounted in bearings 46 in the housing and the face plate. 'The rear kof this shaft projects through the housing and 'about the shaft -is clamped thevlever arm 48 It will` thus be 'seen that, when the throttle lever is in vertical position, the engine is in neutral and the throttle closed to its idle run- -ning position, but that when the lever is rocked to the right or left in a plane parallel to the housing, the clutch is engaged in forward or reverse and the throttle is opened to the extent to which the lever 48 may be moved. It is necessary to provide means for accelerating the engine while it -is in neutral, such as in` starting and warming up the engine. For this purpose the mechanism is designed as will now be described. y

The throttle lever 40 is not rigid with the shaft 35 of the master gear, but is pivoted thereto by the pin 60 so that the lever may be rocked in a plane transverse to the plane of the housing. It is through this movement of the lever while in neutral position that the engine may be accelerated while in neutral, and it is also through this movement that the lever is manipulated in conjunction with the stop plate or control quadrant to be described.

As shown in Fig. l, the outer end of the shaft 35 is flattened to receive the pin 60 andthe lower end of the lever is forked to pass over this portion of the shaft. The shaft is also provided with a forwardly extending ledge 6I and a hood 62 on the lever surrounds this extension. A light spring B3 between the ledge 6I and the hood 62 tends to hold the lever in vertical position.

On the inner face of the lever 40 is a U-shaped bearing plate 65, `the corners of which are rounded and the fiat surface of which is held in light yielding contact with the outer end of a pin 66 when the lever is in vertical or neutral position.

This pin 6B is slidably mounted in the sleeve 42 which forms the axis of the gear 39. The inner or rear end of the pin is reduced and in the space thus provided in the sleeve is located the coil spring 58, the rear end of which retained by closing in the rear end'of the sleeve. The pin 65 projects beyond the'main body of the lever arm 55 where it is threaded into and held by a cotter pin or the like in a cross pin 69 in the upper forked end of a supplemental lever arm 1U. v

The lever arm 55 is made in two parallel sections 552- and 55b which are clamped at their upper ends about the projecting end of the sleeve 42 by a bolt 12. The lower endsof the sections 55a and 55" are received and clamped over -a shaft 14 on which the supplemental lever 10 is pivotally mounted. In the lower end of lever 10 is a' threaded pin 15 the outer end ofwhichyis provided with a ball-shaped head 16 overwhich is received a socket piece 11 secured to the upper end of the rod 56.

It will be seen that as thelever 4Il-ls moved assenso fore and aft to rotate themaster gear 28, the redit raised 'and lowered to actuate the throttle by the bodily movement of thelever assembly 55. However, when 'the lever 40 is moved sidewise while in neutral position, the pin 66 will --be moved infth'e sleeve 42 and this will rock the .portion the plate is broken out to provide -a guide 'q2 into which the pin B6 projects so as to permit the movement of the lever to accelerate the engine during neutral.

To the right ci? the center, as viewed in Fig. 9,

the plate is provided with abrupt stop 84 which "will arrest the movement of -the lever at what may be designated the forward idle speed which, most engines, v'should be about 600 R. P. VThis is 'after the gear 30 `has moved to its full extent and the engine is 'still at the same speed as'in neutral. The pilot will move the lever to this point in operating the clutch before any acceleration of 'the motor takes place. He may then-move the lever 40 sid'ewise over the-stop 84 and by further arcuate movement. regulate the speed of the engine in cruising.

On the reverse side of the quadrant a shallow stop 86 is provided which `corresponds to the fpoint '84, being the 'idle a's'tern at about 600 R. l?. at which point the throttle is inthe same Tse'ttin'g' 'as neutral. Due to the forces exerted v'u'fhen 'the engine may be 'suddenly thrown into reverse to 'avoid a collision or the like, the engine may'e'as'ily be stalled if itis'not running at higher vthan idle speed. For this rea'son the stop 86 is `-vshallow so that the lever, due to the rounded -edge on plate U5, will readily ride over it and move to a 'second 'stop 81 which :may be designated as high idle astern of about 900 R. P. M. This 'is a suiiicient speed to prevent the engine from stalling when it is called upon to suddenly reverse the direction of propeller vmovement from rapid forward motion and is a valuable feature as it eliminates ystalling of the engine when an emergency stop or reversal of the boat is called for. The stop 81 is provided for by the plate 89 on the quadrant. In the form of the invention shown in the drawings the plate 89 is adjustable along the quadrant. Higher speeds in reverse may be had by shifting the lever over the stop 81 as in forward.

It will be seen that a very simple, compact and easily operated device has been perfected by which the operation of power craft may be controlled. The device is as near foolproof as it seems possible to design. No especial skill or practice is necessary to master its operation and it will not only save the clutch, but will prevent accidents because the device responds automatically to the instinctive actions of a power boat operator confronted with a sudden emergency.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for operating the clutch and throttle of an engine comprising a set of interrupted gears, comprising a driving gear and two driven gears rotated thereby, one of said driven gears being adapted to be operatively connected to the throttle and the other driven gear being adapted to be operatively connected to the clutch, said second named gear being actuated by the "6 Vdriving gear during the interval .that the .first named gear is idle. a pivoted lever movable in "two planes and connected to the driving gear Vto rotate it during .movement in one plane, and opera'- tive connections to the throttle actuated by the movement of thelever in the other plane.

i2. In a mechanism for operating the clutch and throttle of an engine comprising "a master"gear having its periphery formed 'with two toothed segments separated b'y 'a smooth segment and. a third 'toothed segment opposite the said smooth segment, a Vsecond gear having a smooth segment and a toothed segment engageable with either of the lsaid two toothed segments as the mas-ter gear is rotated in opposite directions and a third gear having a toothed :segment engageabl'e with 'the third toothed segment on the master gear, con-,- nections from the second gear for "the throttle and from the third gear for the clutch', independent throttle operating means bypassing the master gear, yand a single manual control operative Vselectively to rotate 4the master lgear -or 'to `actu'ate the independent throttle operating means. j

3. A 'mechanism as set forth `in 'claim -2in which the Vmanual control is va 'lever pivoted on the shaft of the master gear. i

4. In a control device for ya marine engine as vset forth, a driving gear and a driven gear meshing therewith through spacedarc's on'opposite'sides of ja neutral arc, a @crank arm carriedb'y the driven gear, a pivoted lever on the lcrank arm, 'a throttle operating means carried by the said lever, and mea-ns to Amove =the said lever on 'its pivot' on the crank arm to 'move the `throttle op'- erating means While the'crank arm and the dr-iving gear are stationary. v

5. In a kcontrol device for 'a marine engine 'as setforth. a driving gear and `adriven gear meshiing therewith through -spaced arcs on -Ioppos'it'e sides of a yneutral arc,ja crank 'arm carried by vthe driven gear, a pivoted lever on vthe crank arm, 'a 4throttle operating means carried by the sa'idlever, a manually operated control arm vpivoted to 'the shaft of the driving. gear, rand a pin .passing through Vthe shaft o f kthe driven gear `and corrnected at one end to the said pivoted"lever`, tlie other end of said Vpin being in register With'the control arm when vthe driven gear is out o'f mesh with the driving gear.

6. In a control device for a marine engine as set forth, a driving gear and a driven gear meshing therewith through spaced arcs on opposite sides of a neutral arc, a crank arm carried by the driven gear, a pivoted lever on the crank arm, a throttle operating means carried by the said lever, a manually operated control arm for rotating the driving gear, and means actuated by the movement of the control arm while the gears u are stationary to rock the pivoted lever independently of the crank arm.

7. In a control device for a marine engine asl set forth, a driving gear and a driven gear meshing therewith through spaced arcs on opposite sides of a neutral arc, a crank arm carried by the driven gear, a pivoted lever on the crank arm, a

throttle operating means carried by the said lever,vv

and a control means movable in two planes and operative to rotate the driving gear While movable in one plane and to rock the pivoted lever independently of the crank arm while it is moved in the other plane.

8. In a mechanism as described in claim 4 having clutch operating means operated by the move- -thereby first to operate the clutch, and place the engine 4either in forward or reverse and then to openthe throttle, a sector over which the lever `moves during the rocking movement of the shaft, fsaidlever being located at a midway point on the -sector when the engine is idling, stops located on either side of the midway point to arrest the lever and the rock shaft after the clutch has been eni gaged, and theoperating lever being movable on the pivot to clear the stops and permit further movement of the rock shaft beyond the stops to open the throttle further, and means for operating the throttle independently of the rocking .movement of the rock shaft, said last named means being located at the midway point on the sectory and in the path of the lever and operated thereby as the lever moves on its pivot.

10. Acontrol device for operating the clutch and the throttle of a marine engine, said device comprising a rock shaft, mechanism connected to the rock shaft and operable thereby rst to operate the clutch to place the engine either in forward or reverse and then to open said throttle, an operating lever pivotally mounted on the rock fshaft, a sector over which the lever moves duringthe rocking movement of the shaft, said lever being located at a midway point on the sector when the engine is idling, a stop in the path of the lever as it moves to operate the clutch to place the engine in reverse, said stop being so located as to arrest the movement of the lever when the throttle has opened sufciently to impart speed to the engine above idling speed, said .lever clearing the stop when it is rocked about the pivot Von the rock shaft to permit further open# ing of the throttle, and means for operating the Vthrottle independently of the rocking movement of' th'erock shaft, said last named means being located at the midway point on the sector and when the lever is rocked about its pivot.

115A control device for operating the clutch in the path of the lever and operated thereby and the'throttle of a marine engine, said device comprising a rock shaft, mechanism connected to the rock shaft and operable thereby first to operate the clutch to place the engine either in forward or reverse and then to open said throttle, an operating arm movably mounted on the rock shaft, a sector over which the operating arm moves during the rocking movement of the shaft, said arm being located at a midway point on the sector When the engine is idling, a stop in the path of the arm as it moves away from said midway point to operate the clutch and place the engine in reverse, said stop being so located as to arrest the movement of the operating arm after the rock shaft has operated the clutch and after the throttle has opened suflciently to cause the engine to operate above idling speed. the movement of said operating arm on the rock shaft clearing the stop to permit movement of the operating arm beyond the stop, and means for operating the throttle independently of the rocking movement of the rock shaft, said last' named means being located at the midway point on the sector and actuated by the movement of the operating arm on the rock shaft.

JOHN F. MORSE. l

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th iile of this patent: y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 539,154 Thomas May 14, 1895 1,089,615 Wyman Mar. 10, 1914 1,527,247 Boillon Feb. 24, 1925 2,015,553 Exner Sept. 24, 1935 2,219,601 Quartullo Oct. 29. 1940 2,254,144 Higgins Aug. 26, 1941 2,330,388 Scott-Paine Sept. 28, 1943 2,368,877 Purvin Feb. 6, 1945 2,454,485 Snell Nov. 23, 1948 2,460,599 Rowe Feb. 1, 1949 2,480,521 Thompson Aug. 30, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,514 Great Britain 1893

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