Steering mechanism for a boat having a planing hull

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017355433-A1
Application number	US-201715477862-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A boat includes a planing hull, a propeller, a main rudder, and a pair of flanking rudders. The planing hull has port and starboard sides, a transom, a hull bottom, and a centerline running down the middle of the boat, halfway between the port and starboard sides. The propeller is positioned forward of the transom and beneath the hull bottom. The main rudder is positioned aft of the propeller. The main rudder has a rotation axis about which the main rudder rotates. The flanking rudders are positioned forward of the propeller. One of the flanking rudders is positioned on the port side of the centerline, and the other flanking rudder is positioned on the starboard side of the centerline.

First claim

1 .- 30 . (canceled)

31 . A boat comprising:
a planing hull including a port and starboard sides, a transom, a hull bottom, and a centerline running down the middle of the boat, halfway between the port and starboard sides; a propeller positioned forward of the transom and beneath the hull bottom; and a pair of flanking rudders positioned forward of the propeller, one of the flanking rudders being positioned on the port side of the centerline, and the other flanking rudder being positioned on the starboard side of the centerline, each flanking rudder having a rotation axis about which that flanking rudder rotates.

32 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein the planing hull includes at least one of lifting strakes, a hard chine, and a deadrise from 0° to 30°.

33 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein, when the propeller is rotated in a direction to move the boat in reverse, the propeller accelerates a stream of water as a reverse race, and the flanking rudders are positioned to intersect the reverse race when the flanking rudders are rotated from a neutral position.

34 . The boat of claim 31 , further comprising:
a port flanking rudder post passing through the hull bottom, one end of the port flanking rudder post connected to the port flanking rudder and configured to rotate the port flanking rudder about the rotation axis of the port flanking rudder; and a starboard flanking rudder post passing through the hull bottom, one end of the starboard flanking rudder post connected to the starboard flanking rudder and configured to rotate the starboard flanking rudder about the rotation axis of the starboard flanking rudder.

35 . The boat of claim 34 , wherein the propeller has a diameter, and the port flanking rudder post and the starboard flanking rudder post are positioned forward of the propeller a distance that is less than or equal to three times the propeller diameter.

36 . The boat of claim 35 , wherein the port flanking rudder post and the starboard flanking rudder post are located the same distance forward of the propeller.

37 . The boat of claim 34 , wherein, when the propeller is rotated in a direction to move the boat in reverse, the propeller accelerates a stream of water as a reverse race, and each of the port and starboard flanking rudder posts is positioned within outer edges of the reverse race when viewed from above.

38 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein each of the flanking rudders further has a neutral position and a forward edge that is angled toward the centerline as viewed from above when the flanking rudder is in the neutral position.

39 . The boat of claim 38 , wherein, when viewed from above, the forward edge of the port flanking rudder is angled toward the centerline at a toed-in angle relative to a line that extends parallel to the centerline and intersects the rotation axis of the port flanking rudder, the toed-in angle of the port flanking rudder being from 0° to 10°, and
wherein, when viewed from above, the forward edge of the starboard flanking rudder angled is toward the centerline at a toed-in angle relative to a line that extends parallel to the centerline and intersects the rotation axis of the starboard flanking rudder, the toed-in angle of the starboard flanking rudder being from 0° to 10°.

40 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein each of the flanking rudders further has a neutral position and a forward edge that is angled away from the centerline as viewed from above when the flanking rudder is in the neutral position.

41 . The boat of claim 40 , wherein, when viewed from above, the forward edge of the port flanking rudder is angled away from the centerline at a toed-out angle relative to a line that extends parallel to the centerline and intersects the rotation axis of the port flanking rudder, the toed-in angle of the port flanking rudder being from 0° to 10°, and
wherein, when viewed from above, the forward edge of the starboard flanking rudder angled is away from the centerline at a toed-out angle relative to a line that extends parallel to the centerline and intersects the rotation axis of the starboard flanking rudder, the toed-in angle of the starboard flanking rudder being from 0° to 10°.

42 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein each flanking rudder has an aft edge, and
wherein, when the aft edge of each flanking rudder is rotated, the port flanking rudder is configured to rotate at a rotation rate that is different than a rotation rate at which the starboard flanking rudder is configured to rotate.

43 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein each flanking rudder has an aft edge, and
wherein, when the aft edge of each flanking rudder is rotated to port, the aft edge of the starboard flanking rudder is configured to rotate farther than the aft edge of the port flanking rudder is configured to rotate, and wherein, when the aft edge of each flanking rudder is rotated to starboard, the aft edge of the port flanking rudder is configured to rotate farther than the aft edge of the starboard flanking rudder is configured to rotate.

44 . The boat of claim 43 , further comprising a main rudder positioned aft of the propeller.

45 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein each flanking rudder has an aft edge, and
wherein, when the aft edge of each flanking rudder is rotated to port, the aft edge of the port flanking rudder is configured to rotate farther than the aft edge of the starboard flanking rudder is configured to rotate, and wherein, when the aft edge of each flanking rudder is rotated to starboard, the aft edge of the starboard flanking rudder is configured to rotate farther than the aft edge of the port flanking rudder is configured to rotate.

46 . The boat of claim 45 , further comprising a main rudder positioned aft of the propeller.

47 . A boat comprising:
a planing hull including a port and starboard sides, a transom, a hull bottom, and a centerline running down the middle of the boat, halfway between the port and starboard sides; a propeller positioned forward of the transom and beneath the hull bottom; and a flanking rudder positioned forward of the propeller and offset from the centerline.

48 . The boat of claim 47 , wherein the flanking rudder is positioned on the port side of the centerline.

49 . The boat of claim 47 , wherein the flanking rudder is positioned on the starboard side of the centerline.

Assignees

• Mastercraft Boat Co Llc

Inventors

• Myers Michael D
• Uggeri Michael J
• Ekern David F
• Huyge Matthew J

Classifications

• B63H25/30

  hydraulic · CPC title

• B63H25/10

  with mechanical transmission · CPC title

• B63H2025/063

  Arrangements of rudders forward of the propeller position, e.g. of backing rudders; Arrangements of rudders on the forebody of the hull; Steering gear therefor · CPC title

• B63H25/06 Primary

  Steering by rudders (by rudders carrying propellers B63H25/42) · CPC title

• B63H2025/066

  Arrangements of two or more rudders; Steering gear therefor · CPC title