Steering mechanism for a boat having a planing hull

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018354599-A1
Application number	US-201816106881-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
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, the propeller having a diameter; a main rudder positioned aft of the propeller, the main rudder having a rotation axis about which the main rudder rotates; a port flanking rudder positioned on the port side of the centerline, the port flanking rudder having a rotation axis about which the port flanking rudder rotates; 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, the port flanking rudder post being positioned forward of the propeller and laterally within the diameter of the propeller; a starboard flanking rudder positioned on the starboard side of the centerline, the starboard flanking rudder having a rotation axis about which the starboard flanking rudder rotates; 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, the starboard flanking rudder post being positioned forward of the propeller and laterally within the diameter of the propeller.

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 , further comprising a drive shaft for rotating the propeller, the drive shaft being aligned with the centerline when viewed from above.

34 . The boat of claim 31 , the boat further comprising a main rudder post passing through the hull bottom, one end of the main rudder post connected to the main rudder and configured to rotate the main rudder about the rotation axis of the main rudder, the main rudder post being located aft of the propeller and laterally within the diameter of the propeller.

35 . The boat of claim 34 , wherein the main rudder post is positioned on the centerline when viewed from above.

36 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein the port flanking rudder post is positioned on the port side of the centerline and the starboard flanking rudder post is positioned on the starboard side of the centerline.

37 . The boat of claim 31 , wherein each of 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.

38 . The boat of claim 37 , wherein the port flanking rudder post and the starboard flanking rudder post are located the same distance forward of the propeller.

39 . 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.

40 . The boat of claim 39 , 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°.

41 . 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.

42 . The boat of claim 41 , 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°.

43 . The boat of claim 31 , further comprising:
a main rudder post passing through the hull bottom, one end of the main rudder post connected to the main rudder and configured to rotate the main rudder about the rotation axis of the main rudder; a main tiller arm connected to the other end of the main rudder post and configured to rotate with the main rudder post; a flanking rudder tiller arm connected to an end of one of the port flanking rudder post and the starboard flanking rudder post, the flanking rudder tiller arm configured to rotate with the one of the port flanking rudder post and the starboard flanking rudder post; and a linkage connecting the main tiller arm and the flanking rudder tiller arm, the linkage being connected to the main tiller arm at a first connection point and connected to the flanking rudder tiller arm at a second connection point, wherein the distance between the first connection point and the main rudder post is greater than the distance between the second connection point and the flanking rudder post.

44 . The boat of claim 31 , further comprising:
a port tiller arm connected to an end of the port flanking rudder post and configured to rotate with the port flanking rudder post, the port tiller arm being angled in a direction from the port flanking rudder post away from the centerline when viewed from above; a starboard tiller arm connected to an end of the starboard flanking rudder post and configured to rotate with the starboard flanking rudder post, the starboard tiller arm being angled in a direction from the starboard flanking rudder post away from the centerline when viewed from above; and a linkage connecting the port tiller arm and the starboard tiller arm.

45 . The boat of claim 44 , wherein the linkage is connected to the port tiller arm at a first connection point and is connected to the starboard tiller arm at a second connection point, and
wherein, the distance between the first connection point and the port flanking rudder post is the same as the distance between the second connection point and the starboard flanking rudder post.

46 . The boat of claim 44 , wherein the linkage is adjustable.

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, the propeller having a diameter; a main rudder positioned aft of the propeller, the main rudder having a rotation axis about which the main rudder rotates; a flanking rudder positioned forward of the propeller and offset from the centerline, the port rudder having a rotation axis about which the flanking rudder rotates; and a flanki

Assignees

• Mastercraft Boat Co Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B63H25/10

  with mechanical transmission · CPC title

• B63H25/30

  hydraulic · 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

• B63H2025/066

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

• B63B1/18

  of hydroplane type · CPC title