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Bravo drive propeller shaft bearing carrier

a technology of bearing carrier and propeller shaft, which is applied in the direction of marine propulsion, propulsive elements, vessel construction, etc., can solve the problems of propeller out of balance, unloading, loss of propeller, etc., and achieve the effect of reducing slippage and vibration

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-09-21
PAPKE ROLF M
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] As will be seen from the description that follows, the present invention sets out a new and improved propeller shaft and bearing carrier for a Bravo Drive. This will be appreciated to allow the vessel to use an offshore racing cleaver propeller of a type meant to run on the surface. Being of a design whose blades leave and enter the water more smoothly, the resultant slippage and vibration are reduced. Being more massive, a longer invention, to fit the shaft is used as well.

Problems solved by technology

However, with one blade of these propellers being out of the water at any instant of time, these propellers became unevenly loaded, with the impact in its striking the water then eventually damaging the shaft to breakage—with the resulting loss of the propeller.
My analysis showed that with these propellers being of a 30 inch pitch, running them in the water produced a slippage of between 14 and 16 percent; and it was this harmonic vibration which threw the propeller out of balance and eventually over time destroyed the entire drive.
But this suffered disadvantages of its own: a) first of all, in increasing the cost from the Bravo Drive of approximately $8,000.00 to one of $35,000.00 if a Mercury Marine #6 Drive were used instead; and b) secondly, such a substitute drive would require a significant increase in horsepower to reach the same vessel speeds.
However, even so, #6 Drives are not user friendly to many vessels, at least due in part to their mass and weight.

Method used

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  • Bravo drive propeller shaft bearing carrier
  • Bravo drive propeller shaft bearing carrier
  • Bravo drive propeller shaft bearing carrier

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Embodiment Construction

[0019] Referring to the Drawings, the propeller shaft 10 of FIG. 3b and of FIG. 5 will be understood to be longer and thicker than the prior art propeller shaft 11 of FIG. 3a so as to support the offshore racing cleaver propeller 12 of FIG. 2. Although such propeller is shown as having four blades 14, the improvement of the invention will be appreciated to extend still further where five and six blade cleaver propellers are employed. Such blades enter the water smoothly during its rotation in mellowing the motor down more slowly, and exhibit a slippage of some 4 percent. In one construction of the invention, a 16.5 diameter, 31 inch pitch four blade propeller was employed, while in a second construction, a 16.5 diameter, 35 inch pitch blade was utilized. With them installed, and with the propeller shaft 10 of FIGS. 3b and 5 being utilized with the bearing carrier of FIGS. 6a-6c, vessel speeds in excess of 160 mph have been reached without suffering any failure or damage. The use of ...

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Abstract

A propeller drive system for V-hull and catamaran racing vessels including an offshore racing cleaver propeller run on a long, thick propeller shaft coupled with a Bravo Unit Drive Motor at, and above, the water's surface through a tightly fitted bearing carrier.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0001] Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0002] NONE REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] NOT APPLICABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] 1. Field of the Invention [0005] This invention relates to sterndriven marine vessels, in general, and to an improved propeller drive system for V-hull and catamaran racing and / or pleasure vessels, in particular. [0006] 2. Description of the Related Art [0007] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the Bravo Drive form of propulsion developed for high performance marine vessels would be more attractive for use in the Offshore Racing Circuit were it not for the fact that while it may increase a vessel's speed, it also tends to fail quickly. My analyses and testings have shown that this premature failure results from a ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B63H20/14
CPCB63H1/14B63H23/34B63H2001/185
Inventor PAPKE, ROLF M.
Owner PAPKE ROLF M