Self-Propelled Water Skimmer (Patent No: 818870)

Inventor: Dawson, Edward S.

Location: Edmonton

Comments: N/A

Description: The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A self-propelled water skimmer including a body with the general configuration of a surfboard, the body having a raised rear portion containing a prime mover compartment having a fixed floor, the body also having a water passage passing below the floor of the prime mover compartment from an inlet to an outlet, a prime mover located in said compartment and fixedly secured to said floor, the prime mover having a substantially vertical output shaft projecting downwardly through said floor into the water passage, and an impeller located in the water passage and mounted on the shaft for rotation by the prime mover about a substantially vertical axis to discharge a water jet from the passage outlet to propel the skimmer.

2. A water skimmer according to claim 1 wherein the body has a deck extending forwardly from the raised portion and the floor of the prime mover compartment is substantially level with the deck.

3. A water skimmer according to claim 1 wherein the prime mover is an internal combustion engine with a vertical crankshaft and a cylinder with a horizontal longitudinal axis.

4. A water skimmer according to claim 1, including a rudder mounted adjacent the outlet of the water passage for angular movement about a substantially vertical axis, and resilient means urging the rudder towards a position in which the skimmer is steered in a circular path, the strength of the resilient means being such that, when the prime mover is at idling speeds, the resilient means maintains the rudder in the circular path position and, when the prime mover is substantially above idling speed, the force exerted by the water jet on the rudder moves the rudder to a straight ahead position.

5. A water skimmer according to claim 1, including a squeezable handgrip connected to the prime mover by a Bowden cable assembly for remotely controlling the speed of the prime mover, said Bowden cable assembly having relatively movable inner and outer parts, said handgrip including a housing secured to the outer part and two pairs of links, one end of a first link in each pair being pivotally connected to the outer part, the other ends of said first links being pivotally connected to one end of the second link of the respective pair, the other ends of said second links being pivotally connected to the inner part of the Bowden cable assembly, and said first links diverging from the outer part to their pivotal connections with the second links and said second links converging from the last mentioned pivotal connections to the inner part, whereby squeezing of the handgrip causes relative movement of the links and consequent relative movement of the Bowden cable parts to increase the speed of the prime mover.

6. A water skimmer according to claim 1, including a rudder mounted adjacent the outlet of the water passage for angular movement about a substantially vertical axis, resilient means urging the rudder towards a position in which the skimmer is steered in a circular path, the strength of the resilient means being such that, when the prime mover is at idling speeds, the resilient means maintains the rudder in the circular path position and, when the prime mover is substantially above idling speed, the force exerted by the water jet on the rudder moves the rudder to the straight ahead position, a manually operable handgrip connected to the prime mover by a flexible cable assembly for remotely controlling the speed of the prime mover, and means for causing the prime mover to operate at idling speed in the absence of manual oper ati-on of the handgrip.