Patent ID: 6699087
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: B63B,B63H,F01P

Abstract:
A sea chest that can be flush-mounted through use of a collar within a recessed opening in the hull of a marine vessel below its waterline to provide a large volume of water substantially without drag or cavitation for cooling the inboard engines of the marine vessel, said sea chest comprising:a chest with a substantially hollow interior, a bottom surface with a perimeter, and an opposing top surface; a keyhole-shaped opening through said bottom surface, said keyhole-shaped opening having a wider end and being configured with outside edges designed to cause eddys to form and seawater to flow into said hollow interior at the center portion of said outside edges; a plurality of recessed apertures through said bottom surface adjacent to said perimeter; inlet opening means through said top surface that leads to the inlet side of the marine engines requiring cooling; an orifice through said top surface; activation means adapted for repeatedly sending purging bursts of fluid from said orifice and through said hollow interior; and fastening means adapted for secure flush-mounted connection of said bottom surface of said chest to a marine hull via use of a recessed opening in the marine hull and also to a collar positioned against the inside of the hull having fastener openings therethrough that correspond in positioning to said recessed openings through said bottom surface, so that said chest becomes fixed relative to the collar and the marine hull in a position that allows said chest to draw a high flow of sea water for marine engine cooling and other purposes, and whereby said orifice is also connected for periodically introducing strong bursts into said hollow interior to clean it of clogs and debris that would otherwise accumulate and reduce the free flow of seawater into said inlet opening means.