Patent ID: 6467724
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: B63H,B64B,B64C,B64D

Abstract:
A drive unit for mounting to a vehicle at one end and driving at least one propeller (125) having individual propeller blades at a propeller hub (110) through a propeller shaft (121) with a tiltable propeller rotation plane (113) at the other end relative to the vehicle, the propeller hub (110) being rotatably mounted to a hub support (109), the drive unit comprising in combination:a drive output shaft (104) having an axis of rotation; a drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) having a drive housing and the drive output shaft (104) driven by a drive engine, the drive device for tilting the axis of rotation of the drive output shaft (104) relative to the vehicle; a propeller shaft (121) for driving the at least one propeller (125) to rotate in a propeller rotation plane (113); a first articulated connection (122) between a propeller shaft (121) and the drive output shaft (104) to enable uniform rotation of the propeller shaft (121) relative to the drive output shaft (104); a second articulated connection (112; 134â€², 135â€²) between the drive housing and the hub support (109), the first and second articulated connections providing all-round inclination of the propeller shaft (121) relative to the drive output shaft (104); and, means for cyclically variable individual adjustment of the the angle of incidence at the individual propeller blades of the at least one propeller (125) whereby the relative inclination of the propeller shaft (121) is individually adjustable relative to the output shaft (104) to vary the propeller rotation plane (113) relative to the output shaft (104) without transmission of a tilting moment of reaction from the at least one propeller (125) through the propeller shaft (121) to the vehicle.