Abstract: An internal combustion engine assembly comprising an internal combustion engine including an exhaust port, an exhaust conduit communicating with the exhaust port and having an inner surface, the conduit including first and second conduit portions having respective ends, the first and second conduit portions being connected end-to-end, a catalyst which is located within the conduit and which includes catalytic material and a sleeve surrounding the catalytic material, the sleeve having a length and an outer surface spaced from the inner surface of the conduit along substantially the entire length of the sleeve, the sleeve having thereon a rigid, radially outwardly extending flange captured between the ends of the conduit portions, and a flexible gasket between the flange and the end of one of the conduit portions.

Abstract: Marine apparatus comprising a boat hull including opposed walls extending generally in the fore and aft direction, and a mounting bracket connected to the walls for supporting a propulsion unit for pivotal movement relative to the boat about a generally horizontal axis.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an outboard motor comprising a drive shaft housing including an inner wall partially defining a pumping chamber, an air inlet port communicating between the pumping chamber and the atmosphere, and an air outlet port communicating with the pumping chamber, a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the drive shaft housing, an engine mounted on the drive shaft housing, a drive shaft drivingly connecting the engine to the propeller shaft, a closure member which is supported by the drive shaft housing, which partially defines the pumping chamber, and which rotatably supports the drive shaft, an exhaust passageway communicating with the engine, a catalytic converter located in the exhaust passageway and communicating with the outlet port, and an impeller located in the pumping chamber, mounted on the drive shaft for rotation therewith, and operative to supply air to the catalytic converter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an air silencer mounting arrangement comprising a carburetor having an air induction passage including an air inlet portion, an air silencer having a wall extending transversely in adjacently spaced relation to the induction passage and including an outlet port in co-axial relation with the air induction passage, a sleeve having an inner end portion received in the inlet portion of the carburetor in telescopic engagement therewith, and an outer end portion, and a ring shaped elastomeric member sealingly engaging the outer end portion of the sleeve and the wall of the air silencer to sealingly and removably connect the air silencer to the carburetor.

Abstract: An apparatus for gluing together first and second pieces of a foam pattern to be used in a lost foam casting process, the apparatus comprising a frame, a glue tank adapted to contain glue, a glue platen supported by the frame for vertical movement relative thereto, the glue platen being movable relative to the frame between a lower position submerged in the glue and an upper position raised above the glue, a center platen located above the glue platen to hold the first pattern piece, the center platen being supported by the frame for pivotal movement relative thereto about a generally horizontal axis, and a top platen for holding the second pattern piece located above the center platen, the top platen being supported by the frame for vertical movement relative thereto between upper and lower positions. While in one pivotable position, the foam piece held by the center platen faces downward and, in the other position, it faces upward.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an outboard motor comprising a propulsion unit including a lower unit having port and starboard sides and comprising a drive shaft housing having an upper end, a power head including an engine fixedly attached to said upper end of said drive shaft housing, and an engine cover assembly comprising a starboard lower cover member extending downwardly to said lower end of said drive shaft housing and including an inwardly open recess, a port lower cover member extending downwardly to said lower end of said drive shaft housing and including an inwardly open recess, and means connecting together said port and starboard cover members independently of said lower unit and in surrounding covering relation to said drive shaft housing, and means resiliently supporting said lower cover members on said lower unit and including rubber mounts respectively extending from said port and starboard sides of said lower unit and into said inwardly open recesses of said lower cover members.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a four-stroke engine comprising a block having an intermediate portion defining a cylindrical bore having an axis, a head end, and a crankcase end, a head end portion extending from the head end of the intermediate portion in integral one-piece relation thereto and including a planar valve seat surface extending at an acute angle to the axis of the cylindrical bore and having a valve seat with a center and a perimeter defined by a radius extending from the center, and a crankcase end portion extending from the crankcase end of the intermediate portion in integral one-piece relation thereto and including a partially cylindrical portion coaxially aligned with the cylindrical bore, and a recessed portion extending from the partially cylindrical portion and having a peripheral wall spaced at a distance greater than the radius from a line extending perpendicularly to the valve seat surface and from said valve seat center.

Abstract: A cam shaft assembly comprising an elongated shaft including an axis, an end, and an axial bore extending from the end of the shaft and having an end portion adjacent the end of the shaft, a cam located on the shaft and including a cam surface having an eccentric lobe surface and a partially cylindrical surface extending at a uniform radius from the axis, a slot extending axially in the shaft and radially between the axial bore and the cylindrical surface and including a first part in the cam and a second part spaced axially from the first part, an actuating shaft extending in the axial bore, a pin extending radially from the actuating shaft and into the slot for a radial distance greater than the radius of the cylindrical surface, a spring biasing the pin toward the first part of the slot, and a piston subject to fluid pressure, located in the end portion of the axial bore, and engagable with the actuating shaft to axially displace the actuating shaft against the action of the spring so as to locate the pin

Abstract: A combustion chamber for an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a cylinder head body having at least one generally dome-shaped combustion chamber defined by a lower surface of the body and having an intake side and an exhaust side, and a spark plug bore disposed in the combustion chamber so that when a spark plug is engaged in the bore, the dome-shaped portion is provided with an upper surface configured to shelter the electrode from direct impingement of a fresh charge introduced into the combustion chamber through the intake side.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cylinder head assembly comprising a cylinder head including a planar surface adapted for engagement with a cylinder block and having therein a combustion chamber recess, a coolant jacket located adjacent to the combustion chamber, and a coolant passage extending in the cylinder head remotely to the recess, a pressure responsive valve communicating with said coolant jacket and with a source of coolant and operative to supply coolant to the coolant jacket when the coolant is above a predetermined pressure, and a temperature response valve communicating with the coolant passage and with a supply of coolant and operative to supply coolant to the coolant passage when the coolant is above a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A tiller arm and steering bracket assembly where the tiller arm is pivotally coupled to the steering bracket such that it can be selectively positioned in either a generally horizontal position or a generally vertical position. The tiller arm includes an underside having interference ribs that contact the steering bracket when the tiller arm is placed in the horizontal position. The interference ribs each have a retaining ledge that supports the tiller arm on the head portion of the steering bracket in an upright position substantially perpendicular to the steering bracket when it is placed in the vertical position. The steering bracket has integral crest formations which contact the retaining ledges to provide additional support to the tiller arm when it is placed in the vertical position. A bore formed through the steering bracket accepts a retaining pin that contacts the tiller arm at a point which prevents the tiller arm from unintentionally returning to the horizontal position.

Abstract: A cylinder head gasket for use in a marine engine adapted to be cooled by the water in which the engine is running, the engine having a non-ferrous alloy cylinder head and a non-ferrous alloy engine block, both the block and cylinder head preferably being made of aluminum alloy. The gasket includes a metallic sheet forming a core, the core having upper and lower surfaces, layers of facing material securely disposed upon those upper and lower surfaces, and wherein the electrolytic solution potential of the metallic sheet is approximately equal to the respective electrolytic solution potentials of the engine block and the cylinder head.

Abstract: A lower motor cover attachment for an outboard motor includes a first lower motor cover half having an outer surface, an inner surface and an overboard water indicator opening, a second lower motor cover half having an outer surface and an inner surface, attachment formations located on respective inner surfaces of the first and second lower motor cover halves for use in releasably attaching the motor cover halves to the motor, and at least one fastener for engaging corresponding attachment formations and fastening the attachment formations of the first and second halves to the motor, wherein the overboard water indicator opening is disposed on the first lower motor cover so as to be substantially coaxial with at least one of the attachment formations, such that a tool inserted through the opening may engage the fastener in at least one of the attachment formations.

Abstract: A recreational boat comprising first and second sheets of aluminum having respective first and second longitudinal edges, the first sheet having a first bend extending along a majority of the length of the first sheet between the first and second longitudinal edges of the first sheet, the second sheet having a second bend extending along a majority of the length of the second sheet between the first and second longitudinal edges of the second sheet, the first sheet and the second sheet affixed along the respective first longitudinal edges to form a centerline of the boat, a plurality of transverse ribs affixed to the first and the second sheets, first and second inboard vertical walls, and first and second narrow side decks each having an outer edge portion and an inner edge portion, the first narrow deck outer edge portion affixed to the second longitudinal edge of the first sheet and the first narrow deck inner edge portion affixed to the top of the first vertical wall, the second narrow deck outer edge por

Abstract: A flushing system for an outboard marine motor includes an engine provided with at least one cylinder surrounded at least partially by a cooling jacket, an access port disposed on the engine and being in fluid communication with the cooling jacket, a flushing assembly being detachably engageable in the access port for permitting inflow of a flushing fluid into the cooling jacket, and a valve member disposed on the flushing assembly for selectively controlling the inflow of flushing fluid into the cooling jacket at the discretion of an operator.

Abstract: A recreational boat comprising an aft cockpit, a cabin in front of the cockpit, the cabin having a top surface, side walk ways on the port and starboard sides of the cabin, the walk ways having upper surfaces below the top surface of the cabin, and a forward cockpit having a portion in front of the cabin, the forward cockpit having a floor with an upper surface, the forward cockpit floor upper surface being below the upper surfaces of the walk ways.

Abstract: The invention provides a marine propulsion device comprising a powerhead including an internal combustion engine having an output shaft and an exhaust port, a propeller shaft adapted to hold a propeller, a selective coupler of the engine output shaft and the propeller shaft, an exhaust passage communicating with the engine exhaust port and comprising a first exhaust outlet and a second exhaust outlet, and a valve that is associated with the selective coupler to open and close the second exhaust outlet.

Abstract: An improved engine ignition system for a marine engine or the like, which provides reliable start-up capability. The system provides two timing characteristics for discharging a capacitive discharge ignition, one of which is advanced relative to the other. The advanced timing is invoked at startup and is switched to regular timing in response to the engine temperature reaching a predetermined temperature from a temperature switch and also as a result of a circuit having a thermistor near the engine. The thermistor circuit may operate if the temperature switch does not, due to debris or the like preventing proper operation of a thermostat.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a two stroke internal combustion engine comprising first, second, third, and fourth cylinders which fire in a predetermined sequence and which include respective first, second, third, and fourth exhaust ports which open and close in response to piston movement, and an exhaust gas discharge system communicating with the exhaust ports, including a duct portion, and being operable, in response to opening of one of the exhaust ports, to afford passage of exhaust gas from the one exhaust port to the exhaust gas discharge system so as to provide an outgoing positive acoustical pressure wave which travels in the duct portion and which arrives at the exhaust port of the previously fired cylinder prior to closure of the exhaust port of the previously fired cylinder and to provide a returning negative acoustical pressure wave which travels in the duct portion after substantial completion of the travel of the outgoing positive acoustical pressure wave in the duct portion and which arrives at the one