Patent ID: 7040028
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: G01B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for use in conjunction with a laser beam emitted from a laser gun during alignment of a marine engine in a water vessel with a propeller shaft line established for a propeller shaft of the vessel, comprising: a housing having a central portion and a flange portion extending laterally from said central portion; said central portion having a flat mounting surface which is spaced parallel to another mounting surface of said central portion and being adapted for temporary connection to an output flange of the engine with said mounting surface thereagainst during engine alignment; a cube-shaped laser beam splitter connected to said central portion and having spaced, flat, parallel input and mounting faces and opposing spaced parallel output faces orthogonal to said input and mounting face; a beam splitter target connected to said central portion in closely spaced relation and centrally with respect to said input face, said beam splitter target having a central aperture sized in width to allow passage of the laser beam therethrough into said laser beam splitter; said laser beam splitter receiving the laser beam at said input face after passing through said central aperture and splitting the laser beam into two opposingly extending output beams each of which is emitted orthogonally from each corresponding said output face; said flange portion including two opposing laser beam exit apertures oriented 180° apart with respect to said central aperture and orthogonally oriented with respect to said output faces whereby, when a laser beam from said laser gun oriented colinearly with the shaft line passes through said laser beam target aperture to strike said input face and the output flange of the marine engine is oriented coaxially with respect to the shaft line, each of said output beams will project through the corresponding said exit aperture to provide visual indicia of proper engine alignment.