Abstract: A drivetrain for an amphibious vehicle for spacing a transmission apart from a motor to permit the relative positions of the motor and the transmission in the vehicle to be lowered. The drivetrain includes a separator shaft with first and second U-joints attached at its ends, an adaptor plate for coupling one of the U-joints to a motor flywheel, an adaptor hub, an adaptor shaft and a coupler. The drivetrain transfers rotational movement from the motor to the spaced-apart transmission.

Abstract: A waterlift silencer and method for reducing the acoustic energy of a fluid mixture of engine exhaust gas and a liquid coolant and limiting back pressure exerted by the silencer on an engine, particularly as applied to engines located below the waterline of a marine vessel. The silencer has two or more mixture-expelling conduits through which the fluid mixture is dynamically lifted above the silencer to a point above the waterline. The mixture-expelling conduits are sequentially operated in order to maintain exhaust gas volume flow rates high enough to partially atomize the liquid and thus allow it to be expelled upward, while maintaining a minimal back pressure on the engine throughout the full range of normal engine operating speeds. Two mixture-expelling tubes may be used.

Abstract: A dive buoy/dry box assembly comprising a hollow canister-like main float assembly having a hinged latchable air-tight sealing lid, a collapsible marker flat and mast removably attached to the lid, a collapsible staff and ballast weight removably attached to the bottom of the float assembly and a buoy line storage reel detachably mounted surrounding the float assembly in a horizontal plane, the marker flat, mast ballast weight and staff all storable in said float assembly when collapsed.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing vertical and horizontal adjustment of a helm seat in the cockpit of a boat. The apparatus can be mounted on a wall of the cockpit, without requiring any floor-based support, thereby providing better access to the floor area beneath the seat.

Abstract: Low drag underwater submerged displacement hulls which can be used as independent vessels or as underwater displacement hull portions of a vessel whose main hull is at sea level are disclosed which have improved lift to drag ratios. The disclosed vessels have outer surfaces whose shapes are defined in plan and elevation by generally parabolic curves.

Abstract: An outboard motor with an engine where the exposed ends of the crankshaft and camshaft project downward toward the bottom surface of the engine. An accommodation chamber is recessed within the bottom surface of the engine. A chain driven camshaft drive mechanism fits within this accommodation chamber. An oil pump, mounted below the accommodation chamber, is driven by the crankshaft. The bottom end of the crankshaft is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the engine and an oil seal housing. The oil seal housing fits within a recessed opening in a plate-like engine holder positioned below the engine. A plurality of positioning and fastening bosses are used to align and fix the oil seal housing to the engine. When the engine is removed from the outboard motor, its bottom surface is flat enabling the engine sit upright on a workbench.

Abstract: A vessel comprising a windmill mechanism having a variable pitch propeller, a generator rotatably driven by the windmill mechanism, a storage battery for storing current generated by the generator, a screw rotatably driven by the windmill mechanism, a motor to rotatably drive the screw by means of discharge of the storage battery, a control device for propeller pitch, a direction sensor for determining the natural wind direction with respect to the vessel, and a rotor direction control device to keep the propeller of the windmill in a direction of the natural wind as sensed by said direction sensor. Such a windmill vessel is able to cruise by either one of the wind force, the wind force and electric power, or electric power in response to the direction of the natural wind. The influence of the outlook wind (self cruise wind) by forward movement of the vessel is evaded, and the propeller of the windmill is always kept in the direction of the natural wind.

Abstract: A fin protector for a wind surfing board or similar item includes two sides secured together to form a pocket or receiving opening for the tip of a fin to be protected. Anti-scratch standoffs or spacers extend from the sides into the fin receiving opening to space the sides from the fin as the tip of the fin is inserted. The fin is inserted into the pocket far enough to flex the sides apart enough so that the sides, through the spaces, press against the fin and hold the protector on the fin. The standoffs or spacers may take the form of hooks of hook and loop fastening material with pieces of the hook material secured to the sides of the fin receiving opening so the hooks extend into the opening, or may take the form of ridges extending from the sides of the fin receiving opening into the opening.

Abstract: An improved wakeboard fin unit provides two fins extending from a base portion at an acute angle to each other. A ridge on the base portion runs between the two fins to divert water flow into the fins. The two-fin fin unit provides greater stability for the wakeboard during use and thereby enhances performance.

Abstract: An adjusting strap structure for one of a pair of swim fins includes an elongated adjusting strap having two sides each having two distal ends, two first snapping members each mounted on a respective one of the two distal ends of one of the two sides of the adjusting strap, and at least one second snapping member mounted on the one side of the adjusting strap and located between the two first snapping members for detachably engaging with the two first snapping members. Each of the two distal ends of the adjusting strap extends through a respective one of the two side walls of the foot pocket, and then each of the two first snapping members are detachably engaged with the at least one second snapping member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a molded boat hull with a novel structural stiffening system. The boat hull has a number of laterally positioned compartments molded into the inner shell with vertical partitions that are integrally welded to the outer shell and are interconnected to each other and to the transom. A keel plate and a transom support are molded into the transom, the inner wall, and a bridge along the longitudinal center line of the boat. A keel support beam is placed along the keel, connected to the keel plate, and adhered into a channel in the boat hull inner shell. A pair of stringer braces is assembled between the integral stringers to provide transverse stiffness of the boat hull.

Abstract: A small watercraft includes an improved fuel supply system that is configured and arranged to provide a compact engine design while promoting air cooling of at least a portion of the fuel supply system. In one mode, a fuel pump of the system is at least partially located within an air flow path between an outlet of an air duct and an inlet of the engine induction system. The air flow cools the fuel pump to reduce its operating temperature. As a result, the durability and performance of the fuel pump is improved despite the fuel pump lying in close proximity to the engine's exhaust system. Shock-absorbent mounts also couple at least a portion of the fuel supply system (e.g., the fuel pump and a fuel delivery rail) to the hull of the watercraft. These fuel system components consequently experience lessened impact when the watercraft skips over the body of water on which it is planing, and are thus less susceptible to breakage.

Abstract: Provided is an oil feeding structure of a personal watercraft capable of enhancing the appearance design of the personal watercraft and of readily letting air out of a tank during oil feeding, thereby smoothly feeding oil. A surface 15 inclined outward and downward is formed on both sides of the highest portion on a deck 2, that is, a portion between a housing portion B for a storage box 11 and a housing portion S for a steering mechanism. Oil feeding ports 9 and 10 are formed on the inclined surfaces, respectively. First and second oil feeding pipe members 17 and 18 are arranged downward in a substantially vertical direction from the oil feeding ports 9 and 10, and are connected to a fuel tank 7 and a lubricating oil tank 8 substantially rectilinearly, respectively.

Abstract: A waterjet-driven boat has a reversing bucket for controlling forward/reverse thrust and a rotatable nozzle for controlling sideward forces. A bucket position sensor is connected to the reversing bucket, and the bucket is controlled using the output of the position sensor to enable the bucket to be automatically moved to a neutral thrust position. Similarly, a nozzle position sensor is connected to the nozzle, and the nozzle is controlled using the output of the nozzle position sensor so that the nozzle may be automatically returned to a zero sideward force position. A joystick with two axes of motion may be used to control both the bucket and the nozzle. The joystick has built-in centering forces that automatically return it to a neutral position, causing both the bucket and nozzle to return to their neutral positions.

Abstract: System for mooring ships, in particular for operations in connection with oil and gas activity, whereby a ship is equipped with a mooring device at its bow portion. There is included an anchor device located at the seabed, as well as at least one anchoring line adapted to connect the anchor device to the mooring device on the ship. The anchor device is an essentially permanent anchor device, preferably in the form of a suction anchor, gravitation anchor or pile anchor. The anchor device is provided with a swivel device for the anchoring line. A buoyant body is attached to a middle portion of the anchoring line.

Abstract: The fastener for attaching a first component to a second component comprises an elongated opening formed in the first component with, the elongated opening having a plurality of similarly shaped portions. An insert is disposable into each one of the plurality of similarly shaped portions, which can be square in a preferred embodiment, and each of the plurality of the similarly shaped portions of the elongated opening is shaped to receive the insert therein. The insert is limited in movement by the elongated opening to a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the elongated opening. A hole is formed in the second component and a cylindrical member is disposable through the insert, through the hole, and through the elongated opening. A capture mechanism prevents the insert from moving out of the elongated opening in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the elongated opening.

Abstract: An amusement ride vehicle capable of generating a natural “wheelie” motion with minimal acceleration is provided. Air springs are used to balance the vehicle about a predetermined center of gravity after passenger loading. The amount of balancing required is minimized by using a link, such as a pivoting control arm, to connect the front wheels of the vehicle to the front end of the chassis, thus enabling the chassis to be automatically balanced independent of the weight of the front wheels, without the need for computer control. Upon acceleration of as little as 0.5 Gs in a forward direction, the front end of the chassis rises smoothly and naturally into a upward arc while the front wheels remain engaged with the trackway. The amount of upward movement is limited by the length of the control arms, and can be further limited using stops, such as jounce and rebound bumpers.

Abstract: An underwater apparatus for performing subsurface operations adapted to be operated from a remote location above the surface of a body of water is disclosed. The apparatus includes a linelatch system that is made up of a tether management system connected to a flying latch vehicle by a tether. The tether management system controls the amount of free tether between itself and the flying latch vehicle. The flying latch vehicle interfaces with various underwater structures. Also disclosed are methods of transferring power and/or data between two or more underwater devices using the linelatch system of the invention.

Abstract: An adaptable, multi-purpose boat includes a rigid hull and a buoyant sponson removably connected to the rigid hull. The rigid hull includes a plurality of rigid ribs that are each constructed from a pair of sidewall portions and a ‘V’ angled keel portion, and are connected to form sides, a keel, and a ‘V’ angled bottom interposed between the sides and the keel. The plurality of rigid ribs includes a plurality of hull connectors arranged in a predetermined organized pattern, such that a variety of external components may be removably fastened to the boat using at least one of the plurality of hull connectors. As a result, the boat is repeatedly reconfigurable to adapt to multiple post-fabrication purposes.

Abstract: A boat includes a plurality of longitudinal keels below the deck. The space between the keels is closed, at both ends, to form an enclosed downwardly open cavity. Jet propulsion engines are provided at the forward end of each cavity, well above the waterline, to pressurize the cavities with exhaust gases. A cavity enclosing stern plate includes an open tube, fitted with a variable control valve, passing therethrough, well above the waterline. The stern plate, and a cavity enclosing bow plate are set at a forwardly leaning angle, and a flexible trailing seal is fixedly attached to the bottom faces of the plates.