Jet boat with improved hull design and engine placement

• US 6,168,481 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golden Mardikian, LLC
• Original Assignee: Golden Mardikian, LLC
• Inventors: Mardikian, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A.
• Application Number:
  US09/137,899
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 440/46, 440/39, 440/38, 114/56, 114/62, 114/61.32, 114/151
• US Class Current: 440/39
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/042 the underpart of which being partly provided with channels or the like, e.g. catamaran shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/125 comprising more than two hulls B63B1/107 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/18 of hydroplane type
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2001/201 divided by longitudinal chines
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/08 of rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 11/10 having means for deflecting jet or influencing cross-section thereof

Abstract

A jet powered boat may be provided with a water monitor for fire fighting purposes. The conduit for the monitor is connected to an opening through the bottom of the hull to draw water vertically from beneath the hull. Two motors are provided in the boat. One motor is configured to propel water through the monitor conduit to the water monitor. The other motor is configured to propel water through a propulsion jet at the rear of the boat. In one embodiment, a second propulsion jet is provided at the rear of the boat, connected to the conduit for the water monitor. A baffle at the intersection of the second propulsion jet and the monitor conduit may be operated to selectively direct water to either the monitor or the propulsion jet. In this embodiment, the two motors may be placed symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal centerline of the boat. In another embodiment, in which one motor exclusively supplies water to the water monitor (without the second propulsion jet), the two motors may be placed fore and aft along the centerline of the boat. The hull of the jet powered boat is shaped with progressively shallower segments of the hull bottom spaced farther from the hull centerline to provide the directional stability of a “V” shape near the centerline, with a relatively flat shape near the sides of the hull for lateral stability. Debris screens may selectively be placed in the water intake openings through the hull to block pump-damaging debris.

Claims

1. In a jet powered boat comprising a hull, a fluid jet conduit having an intake along the bottom of the hull, and a jet outlet at the rear of the hull, a drive motor for propelling water from the intake through the conduit to the jet outlet, and an operator control station within the hull, wherein the operator control station contains controls for the drive motor and the jet outlet, the improvement comprising:

an outlet water monitor mounted on the top of the hull, wherein the water monitor is movable to direct a stream of water in one of a plurality of directions;

a hull opening through the bottom of the hull;

a water conduit connecting the hull opening to the outlet monitor; and

a pump engine connected to the conduit for drawing water substantially vertically through the hull opening and the conduit to the outlet monitor, wherein;

the hull has a length and a beam;

along the rearmost two-thirds of the length of the hull, the hull is formed with a plurality of longitudinal segments; and

each of the longitudinal segments, except the second longitudinal segment from the longitudinal centerline, is angled laterally with respect to horizontal at a smaller angle than the adjacent longitudinal segment nearer to the longitudinal centerline.

2. A jet powered boat comprising:

a hull;

a first propulsion water conduit having a first propulsion intake through the bottom of the hull and a first propulsion outlet at the rear of the hull;

a first motor connected to the first propulsion water conduit for directing water through the first propulsion conduit from the first propulsion intake to the first propulsion outlet;

a water monitor attached to the upper side of the hull;

a monitor intake opening through the bottom of the hull, wherein the monitor intake opening is along the longitudinal centerline of the hull;

a monitor water conduit connecting the monitor intake to the water monitor;

a second motor connected to the monitor water conduit for directing water through the monitor water conduit from the monitor intake opening to the water monitor;

a second propulsion water conduit intersecting the monitor water conduit at a point between the second motor and the water monitor, wherein the second propulsion water conduit has a second propulsion outlet at the rear of the hull;

a movable baffle in the monitor water conduit at the point at which the monitor water conduit and the second propulsion water conduit intersect, wherein;

the baffle is movable between a monitor position and a propulsion position;

when the baffle is in the monitor position, the baffle directs water through the monitor conduit, but substantially restricts the flow of water through the second propulsion conduit; and

when the baffle is in the propulsion position, the baffle directs water from the monitor water conduit into the second propulsion conduit;

a second propulsion intake through the bottom of the hull, wherein the second propulsion intake is connected to the monitor water conduit; and

a flow controller to selectively control whether water enters the monitor water conduit through the monitor intake opening or through the second propulsion intake, wherein the flow controller comprises;

a first cover to selectively close the monitor intake opening; and

a second cover to selectively close the second propulsion intake.

3. The jet boat of claim 2, additionally comprising a first screen that may be selectively positioned in the first propulsion intake, and a second screen that may be selectively positioned in the second propulsion intake.

4. A jet powered boat comprising:

a hull;

a propulsion water conduit having a propulsion intake through the bottom of the hull and a propulsion outlet at the rear of the hull;

a first motor connected to the propulsion water conduit for directing water through the propulsion conduit from the propulsion intake to the propulsion outlet;

a water monitor attached to the upper side of the hull;

a monitor intake opening through the bottom of the hull;

a monitor water conduit connecting the monitor intake to the water monitor;

a second motor connected to the monitor water conduit for directing water through the monitor water conduit from the monitor intake opening to the water monitor, wherein;

the hull has a length and a beam;

along the rearmost two-thirds of the length of the hull, the hull is formed with a plurality of longitudinal segments; and

each of the longitudinal segments, except the second longitudinal segment from the longitudinal centerline, is angled laterally with respect to horizontal at a smaller angle than the adjacent longitudinal segment nearer to the longitudinal centerline.

5. The jet powered boat of claim 4, wherein the rearmost portion of the hull has formed in it four segments, each of which is mirrored on both sides of the hull centerline, wherein:

the segment nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-20 degrees off horizontal and comprises 12-18 percent of the hull beam;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-40 degrees off horizontal and comprises 10-18 percent of the hull beam;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 5-30 degrees off horizontal and comprises 12-20 percent of the hull beam; and

the segment nearest the side of the hull is angled −

5-20 degrees off horizontal and comprises 25-35 percent of the hull beam.

6. A boat hull having a length and a beam, wherein along the rearmost two-thirds of the length of the hull, the hull is formed with a plurality of longitudinal segments, wherein the outer-most longitudinal segment is angled laterally with respect to horizontal at a smaller angle than at least one longitudinal segment nearer the longitudinal centerline of the hull, and wherein the outer-most longitudinal segment on each side of the longitudinal centerline of the hull is vertically higher than all of the other longitudinal segments on that side of the longitudinal centerline.

20. The boat hull of claim 6, whetein each longitudinal segment is vertically higher than the longitudinal segment next nearer to the longitudinal centerline of the hull.

7. A boat hull having a length and a beam, wherein along the rearmost two-thirds of the length of the hull, the hull is formed with a plurality of longitudinal segments, wherein the outer-most longitudinal segment is angled laterally with respect to horizontal at a smaller angle than at least one longitudinal segment nearer the longitudinal centerline of the hull, wherein each of the longitudinal segments, except the second longitudinal segment from the longitudinal centerline, is angled laterally with respect to horizontal at a smaller angle than the adjacent longitudinal segment nearer to the longitudinal centerline.

8. The hull of claim 7, wherein each of the longitudinal segments is mirrored on both sides of the centerline of the hull, and both mirrored components of each segment together constitute at least 10 percent of the beam of the hull.

9. The hull of claim 8, wherein the longitudinal segment immediately adjacent the hull centerline is substantially horizontal.

10. The hull of claim 9, having formed in it four segments, each of which is mirrored on both sides of the hull centerline, wherein:

the segment nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-20 degrees off horizontal;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-40 degrees off horizontal;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 5-30 degrees off horizontal;

the segment nearest the side of the hull is angled −

5-20 degrees off horizontal.

11. The hull of claim 7, having formed in it four segments, each of which is mirrored on both sides of the hull centerline, wherein:

the segment nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-20 degrees off horizontal and comprises 12-18 percent of the hull beam;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-40 degrees off horizontal and comprises 10-18 percent of the hull beam;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 5-30 degrees off horizontal and comprises 12-20 percent of the hull beam;

the segment nearest the side of the hull is angled −

5-20 degrees off horizontal and comprises 25-35 percent of the hull beam.

12. The hull of claim 7, having formed in it four segments, each of which is mirrored on both sides of the hull centerline, wherein:

the segment nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-20 degrees off horizontal and comprises 15 percent of the hull beam;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 0-40 degrees off horizontal and comprises 13 percent of the hull beam;

the segment next nearest the hull centerline is angled 5-30 degrees off horizontal and comprises 16 percent of the hull beam;

the segment nearest the side of the hull is angled −

5-20 degrees off horizontal and comprises 29 percent of the hull beam.

13. The hull of claim 8, wherein:

the segment nearest the side of the hull is angled −

5-20 degrees off horizontal;

the segment next nearest the side of the hull is angled 5-30 degrees off horizontal;

the segment next nearest the side of the hull is angled 0-40 degrees off horizontal.

14. The hull of claim 13, additionally comprising an additional longitudinal hull segment, wherein the additional hull segment is adjacent the hull centerline, and is angled 0-20 degrees off horizontal.

15. A jet powered boat comprising:

a hull;

a propulsion water conduit having a propulsion intake through the bottom of the hull, and a propulsion outlet at the rear of the hull;

a first screen positioned in the propulsion intake, the first screen having first screen openings through it;

a motor connected to the propulsion water conduit for directing water through the propulsion conduit from the propulsion intake to the propulsion outlet;

a second screen having second screen openings through it, wherein the second screen openings are smaller than the first screen openings, and the second screen may be selectively placed in the propulsion intake.

16. A jet powered boat comprising:

a hull;

a propulsion water conduit having a propulsion intake through the bottom of the hull, and a propulsion outlet at the rear of the hull;

a motor connected to the propulsion water conduit for directing water through the propulsion conduit from the propulsion intake to the propulsion outlet;

a screen that may be selectively placed in the propulsion intake; and

a pair of channels formed in the hull, adjacent the propulsion intake, wherein the edges of the screen slidably engage the channels.

17. The jet powered boat of claim 16, wherein the screen comprises a metal sheet having perforations through it.

18. A debris screen for a water intake of a jet powered boat, the debris screen comprising:

a screen comprising a section of substantially rigid material having openings through it;

a guide connected to the screen to guide the screen between a first position in which the screen is positioned in the water intake, and a second position in which the screen is removed from the water intake, wherein the guide comprises a pair of substantially parallel tracks for receiving the edges of the screen.

19. The debris screen of claim 18, wherein the tracks are mounted on the hull of the jet powered boat.