Patents Assigned to Volvo Penta of the Americas
  • Patent number: 6786783
    Abstract: An engine installation jig and method for installing an engine in a marine vessel according to predetermined engine installation criteria. The jig comprises a longitudinal member, two lateral crossbar members and a fixture head. The jig also includes leveling devices for manipulating the position of the jig relative to the marine vessel and at least one leveling sensor for providing a visual indication of the planar orientation of the jig within the marine vessel. The jig is coupled to the marine vessel via the leveling devices and the fixture head. Once the jig has been aligned and installed, engine mount holes are drilled in either the stringers or the stringer brackets of the marine vessel, the engine set into the marine vessel so that the engine mounts align with the drilled engine mount holes, and the engine installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Volvo Penta of the Americas
    Inventors: Bruce Herbkersman, Bobby Heninger, Casey Lynn, Rick Richert
  • Patent number: 6785944
    Abstract: An engine installation jig and method for installing an engine in a marine vessel according to predetermined engine installation criteria. The jig comprises a longitudinal member, two lateral crossbar members and a fixture head. The jig also includes leveling devices for manipulating the position of the jig relative to the marine vessel and at least one leveling sensor for providing a visual indication of the planar orientation of the jig within the marine vessel. The jig is coupled to the marine vessel via the leveling devices and the fixture head. Once the jig has been aligned and installed, engine mount holes are drilled in either the stringers or the stringer brackets of the marine vessel, the engine set into the marine vessel so that the engine mounts align with the drilled engine mount holes, and the engine installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Volvo Penta of the Americas
    Inventors: Bruce Herbkersman, Bobby Heninger, Casey Lynn, Rick Richert
  • Patent number: 6077137
    Abstract: An anti ingestion device for use with an engine, preferably a marine engine. The device comprises an exhaust manifold or riser system for exhausting engine gases, wherein the exhaust manifold has a first end and a second end, and the first end is connected to a cylinder head. There is a one-way pressure relief valve having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the exhaust manifold and the second end is exposed to atmospheric pressure. An air inlet line is coupled to the second end of the one-way pressure relief valve, such that the air inlet line serves as a conduit for guiding atmospheric pressure to the one-way pressure relief valve, thereby providing atmospheric pressure for passage into the exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Volvo Penta of the Americas, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas E. Hahn
  • Patent number: 5961358
    Abstract: A reversible stern drive system incorporates a continuous drive member looped about a first and second intermediate shaft and a propeller shaft to transmit rotational power from the intermediate shafts to the propeller shaft in either a first or second propeller rotational direction. Rotational direction of the propeller shaft is determined by selective coupling of either a first driven member to the first intermediate shaft by a first clutch or a second driven member to the second intermediate shaft by a second clutch. In a second embodiment of the invention, two separate continuous drive members are employed to drive two concentrically mounted propeller shafts. The first continuous drive member is looped about one of two sprockets on the first and second intermediate shafts and the first propeller shaft such that when one of the sprockets is coupled by a first clutch to the first intermediate shaft, the first propeller shaft rotates in a first propeller rotational direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Volvo Penta of the Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Hardesty, Cedric Savineau, Christopher Savoie
  • Patent number: 5788545
    Abstract: Trim angle sensor transmission for a marine drive arranged between a drive input and a drive output. The transmission has a rotatable input member (22) being rotatable between the angular trim limits of a marine drive, and is connected to an input (31) of a rotational output sensor (30) for detecting an angle of rotation of the input member. The output sensor (30) has electrically rotational limits which are wider than the angular limits of trimming. The transmission has a planetary gear drive including an annulus (26), a sun wheel (29), at least one planet wheel (25) and a planet carrier (24). The annulus (26) is fixed, the input member (22) is connected to the planet carrier and the sun wheel is connected to the output sensor (30), in such a way that the planetary gear drive gives a multiplication of the trim input to the output sensor (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Volvo Penta of the Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Kjell Borgersen, Kent Lundgren