Marine pod drive system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849959-B1
Application number	US-201615286860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2016
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A drive train in a marine vessel includes a marine pod drive unit and an inboard engine operatively connected by a driveshaft. To protectively enclose the driveshaft, a guard sleeve having a tubular configuration is disposed around the driveshaft and extends between the marine pod drive unit and the inboard engine. The first sleeve end of the guard sleeve is coupled to a first coupling collar on the marine pod drive unit using a first annular packing and the second sleeve end is coupled to a second coupling collar on the inboard engine using a second annular packing. The first and second annular packings enable relative angular displacement between the guard sleeve and the marine pod drive unit or the inboard engine.

First claim

We claim:

1. A marine drive system for a marine vessel comprising:
an inboard engine having an output shaft disposed inside a hull of the marine vessel;
a marine pod drive unit extending through the hull of the marine vessel, the marine pod drive unit including an input shaft;
a driveshaft operatively connecting the output shaft and the input shaft;
a guard sleeve having a tubular configuration and protectively enclosing the driveshaft, the guard sleeve coupled to the marine pod drive unit at a first sleeve end through a first annular packing to isolate vibrations and enable angular displacement of the guard sleeve and the marine pod drive unit, the guard sleeve further coupled to the inboard engine at a second sleeve end through a second annular packing to isolate vibrations and enable angular displacement between the guard sleeve and the inboard engine.

2. The marine drive system of claim 1 , further comprising a first coupling collar mounted to the marine pod drive unit, wherein the first annular packing is disposed between the first sleeve end and the first coupling collar.

3. The marine drive system of claim 2 , wherein the first sleeve end includes a first annular groove and the first coupling collar includes a second annular groove with the first annular packing accommodated in the first annular groove and second annular groove.

4. The marine drive system of claim 3 , wherein the first annular packing is an o-ring comprised of elastic material.

5. The marine drive system of claim 4 , wherein the first annular packing constrains relative axial movement between the first sleeve end and the first coupling collar.

6. The marine drive system of claim 5 , wherein the first coupling collar is inserted into the first sleeve end.

7. The marine drive system of claim 2 , further comprising a second coupling collar mounted to the inboard engine, wherein the second annular packing is disposed between the second sleeve end and the second coupling collar.

8. The marine drive system of claim 7 , wherein the second sleeve end includes a third annular groove and the second annular packing is accommodated in the third annular groove.

9. The marine drive system of claim 8 , wherein the second annular packing is an o-ring comprised of elastic material.

10. The marine drive system of claim 9 , wherein the second annular packing allows relative axial motion between the second sleeve end and the second coupling collar.

11. The marine drive system of claim 7 , wherein the first coupling collar has a tubular configuration and is disposed radially about the input shaft and the second coupling collar has a tubular configuration and is disposed radially about the output shaft.

12. The marine drive system of claim 1 , wherein the guard sleeve includes a first semi-cylindrical half and a second semi-cylindrical half joined together.

13. A method of operatively connecting a marine pod drive unit and an inboard engine in a marine vessel comprising:
connecting a driveshaft between an input shaft of the marine pod drive unit and an output shaft of the inboard engine;
disposing a guard sleeve having a tubular configuration around the driveshaft;
coupling a first sleeve end of the guard sleeve to a first coupling collar mounted to the marine pod drive unit with a first annular packing disposed there between;
coupling a second sleeve end of the guard sleeve to a second coupling collar mounted on the inboard engine with a second annular packing disposed there between; and
accommodating the first annular packing in a first annular groove disposed in the first sleeve end and in a second annular groove disposed in the first coupling collar.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising accommodating the second annular packing in a third annular groove disposed in the second sleeve end.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of coupling the first sleeve end to the first coupling collar includes inserting the first coupling collar into the first sleeve end; and the step of coupling the second sleeve end to the second coupling collar includes inserting the second coupling collar into the second sleeve end.

16. A guard sleeve for protectively enclosing a driveshaft on a marine vessel, the guard sleeve comprising:
a tubular body extending between a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end, the tubular body having a sleeve diameter to accommodate a driveshaft;
the first sleeve end configured to receive a first coupling collar and having an first annular groove disposed there at, the first annular groove directed radially outward and partially accommodating a first annular packing disposed between the first sleeve end and a second annular groove in the first coupling collar; and
the second sleeve end configured to receive a second coupling collar and having a third annular groove disposed there at, the third annular groove directed radially outward and partially accommodating a second annular packing disposed between the second sleeve end and the second coupling collar.

17. The guard sleeve of claim 16 , wherein the guard sleeve includes a first semi-cylindrical half and a second semi-cylindrical half that are joined together.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Mcdonald Patrick
• Hutchison Andrew A
• Steinbrink Jonathan
• Lee Patrick
• Marzuq Hashim M

Classifications

• B63H23/06 Primary

  for transmitting drive from a single propulsion power unit · CPC title

• B63B2758/00

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B63H23/36

  Shaft tubes · CPC title

• B63H5/1252

  the ability to move being conferred by gearing in transmission between prime mover and propeller and the propulsion unit being other than in a "Z" configuration · CPC title

• B63H23/04

  the main transmitting element, e.g. shaft, being substantially vertical · CPC title