IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,950,776
Granted Patent B2
US 9,950,776 · App. 14/121,821 · Granted Apr 24, 2018

Weed-trimmer outboard motor

Inventors: John Raymond Sacker (Ira, MI); Denis R. Dompierre (Applegate, MI)
Assignee: Aqua Marine Products, L.L.C.
B63H20/06B63H20/14B63H23/06B63H20/007B63H2020/323
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,950,776
App. No.
14/121,821
Granted
Apr 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Weed-trimmer outboard motor attachment has a lower shaft housing with a proximal coupling to correspondingly mate and engage a distal mid-shaft coupling of an upper part of a motorized weed-trimming device having a motor and a shaft that rotate a number of rotations per minute when operating; a distal termination thereto, which includes a propeller; and a rotation speed reduction unit to reduce a number of rotations of the propeller in relation to the number of rotations of the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device. The attachment can be assembled with the weed-trimming device to provide an outboard motor. A mount for mounting the weed-trimmer outboard motor to a boat can be provided as well.

Claims (33)

1. A weed-trimmer outboard motor attachment comprising a lower shaft housing with a proximal coupling to correspondingly mate and engage a distal mid-shaft coupling of an upper part of a motorized weed-trimming device having a motor and a shaft that rotate a number of rotations per minute when operating; a distal termination thereto, which includes a propeller; and a rotation speed reduction unit, configured such that a number of rotations of the propeller in relation to the number of rotations of the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device is reduced, wherein:

the propeller is for rotating in water beneath an air-to-water surface of the water when operating:

the rotation speed reduction unit provides a motor to propeller (motor:propeller) rotation reduction ratio about from 3:1 to 15:1, and has a housing and gears and shafts, which include an input gear mounted on an input gear shaft, a cluster gear mounted on a cluster gear shaft, and an output gear mounted on an output gear shaft; and

the weed-trimmer outboard motor attachment is configured to be able to be assembled to the distal mid-shaft coupling of the upper part of the motorized weed-trimming device to provide a weed-trimmer outboard motor useful for providing propulsion of a boat in the water and capable of being carried, held and controlled by hand.

2. The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the motor:propeller ratio is about from 4:1 to 7:1.

3. The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the motor:propeller ratio is 4.8:1 or thereabout.

4. The attachment of claim 1 , wherein the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device is gasoline-powered and air-cooled, and has an accelerator control.

5. The attachment of claim 2 , wherein the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device is gasoline-powered and air-cooled, and has an accelerator control.

6. The attachment of claim 3 , wherein the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device is gasoline-powered and air-cooled, and has an accelerator control.

7. In combination, the attachment of claim 1 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

8. In combination, the attachment of claim 2 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

9. In combination, the attachment of claim 3 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

10. In combination, the attachment of claim 4 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

11. In combination, the attachment of claim 5 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

12. In combination, the attachment of claim 6 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

13. In combination, the attachment of claim 1 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor, and a mount for mounting to the weed-trimmer outboard motor such that the weed-trimmer outboard motor contains the mount.

14. The combination of claim 13 , wherein the mount comprises a body having a throat to rest upon an upper surface of a transom of a boat to which the mount can be mounted, and fore and aft members depending from the throat; at least one transom-engaging fastener, which can engage the transom of the boat through one of the fore and aft members; a sleeve with an engaging flap that can be loosened and tightened, into which a shaft housing of the motorized weed-trimming device can be inserted; and at least one flap-securing fastener, which holds the shaft housing so that the outboard motor can be secured, yet rotatably swivel about the shaft housing.

15. In a screw attachment for a weed-trimmer, which comprises a lower shaft housing with a proximal coupling to correspondingly mate and engage a distal mid-shaft coupling of an upper part of a motorized weed-trimming device; and a distal termination with a propeller—such that when coupled, said attachment and the upper part of the motorized weed-trimmer can form a motorized weed-trimmer outboard motor for watercraft, and said attachment can be reversibly coupled to the upper part of the motorized weed-trimming device—wherein said attachment further includes a propeller core as part of a propeller-containing attachment, to which the propeller is attached, and within which is a transfer shaft having a transfer shaft receptacle for receiving and mating with a lower coupling to a flexible core wire in the lower shaft housing such that the transfer shaft and a distal portion of the flexible core wire with the lower coupling are mated in an in-line relationship; and a keel core for registering with the propeller core as well as receiving the lower shaft housing—the improvement which comprises a rotation speed reduction unit, configured such that a number of rotations of the propeller in relation to the number of rotations of the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device is reduced, wherein:

the propeller is for rotating in water beneath an air-to-water surface of the water when operating:

the rotation speed reduction unit provides a motor to propeller (motor:propeller) rotation reduction ratio about from 3:1 to 15:1, and has a housing and gears and shafts, which include an input gear mounted on input gear shaft, a cluster gear mounted on a cluster gear shaft, and an output gear mounted on an output gear shaft;

the motorized weed-trimming device has a gasoline-powered, air-cooled engine, with an accelerator control; and

the weed-trimmer outboard motor attachment is configured to be able to be assembled to the distal mid-shaft coupling of the upper part of the motorized weed-trimming device to provide a weed-trimmer outboard motor useful for providing propulsion of a boat in the water and capable of being carried, held and controlled by hand.

16. The screw attachment of claim 15 , wherein:

the engine of the motorized weed-trimming device has a gasoline-powered, is an 1800-RPM 1.0-HP engine; and

the motor:propeller rotation reduction ratio is about from 4:1 to 7:1.

17. In combination, the screw attachment of claim 15 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the motorized weed-trimmer outboard motor.

18. In combination, the screw attachment of claim 16 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the motorized weed-trimmer outboard motor.

19. A weed-trimmer outboard motor attachment comprising a lower shaft housing with a proximal coupling to correspondingly mate and engage a distal mid-shaft coupling of an upper part of a motorized weed-trimming device having a motor and a shaft that rotate a number of rotations per minute when operating; a distal termination thereto, which includes a propeller; and a rotation speed reduction unit, configured such that a number of rotations of the propeller in relation to the number of rotations of the motor of the motorized weed-trimming device is reduced, wherein:

the motorized weed-trimming device has a gasoline-powered, 1800-RPM 1.0-HP 2-cycle, air-cooled engine, with an accelerator control;

the propeller is for rotating in water beneath an air-to-water surface of the water when operating;

the rotation speed reduction unit has an output shaft with a 21-tooth gear, an input shaft with a 14-tooth gear, a cluster gear including a 10-tooth smaller gear and a 32-tooth larger gear, bushings mounted in a housing, which includes an output side block, an input-side block, and a center plate; and

the weed-trimmer outboard motor attachment has a curved lower shaft housing, and is configured to be able to be assembled to the distal mid-shaft coupling of the upper part of the motorized weed-trimming device to provide a weed-trimmer outboard motor useful for providing propulsion of a boat in the water and capable of being carried, held and controlled by hand.

20. In combination, the attachment of claim 19 , and assembled thereto the motorized weed-trimming device to provide the weed-trimmer outboard motor.

Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61995439 · Apr 9, 2014
Provisional Application 61961735 · Oct 22, 2013
Related Publication 20150111447A1 · Apr 23, 2015