Abnormal condition displaying system of an engine cooling system for outboard motor

Two embodiments of water cooled outboard motors having a discharge spray that will provide an indication that coolant is flowing through the cooling jacket of the engine. The outboard motors may be swung through 180.degree. for reverse operation and in the reversed position, the discharge spray is positioned in proximity to the transom of the watercraft. Devices are provided for disabling the discharge spray at operator selection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an abnormal condition displaying system of an 
engine cooling system for an outboard motor and more particularly to an 
improved display of this type. 
Many types of outboard motors are provided with liquid cooled internal 
combustion engines. Due to the relative simplicity of an outboard motor, 
the engine does not have any significant number of gauges or indicators 
and hence, it is very rare that an outboard motor may have an engine 
temperature indicator gauge. As a result, the operator may not know if the 
water intake for the outboard motor becomes clogged and coolant is not 
delivered to the engine for its cooling or is delivered in a restricted 
manner so as to not adequately cool the engine. In order to provide a 
visual indication to the operator that coolant is flowing through the 
engine, it is a normal practice to provide a small bypass line in the 
water return from the engine cooling jacket to the body of water in which 
the watercraft is operating. This bypass line discharges the water 
rearwardly of the transom in a small amount so that the operator can 
always determine that coolant is flowing through the engine. 
However, there is a type of outboard motor wherein the lower unit is not 
provided with a forward/neutral/reverse transmission and wherein reverse 
operation is accomplished by pivoting the outboard motor through 
180.degree. about its steering axis. When this is done, however, the water 
bypass will fall either on the transom or inside of the hull, obviously 
undesirable results. 
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an 
improved abnormal condition display for an engine cooling system for an 
outboard motor wherein the aforenoted problems are avoided. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide an abnormal display for 
an engine cooling system for an outboard motor wherein the operator can, 
upon selection, shut off the display for a variety of reasons including 
avoiding the spraying of water within the watercraft or upon himself. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is adapted to be embodied in an outboard motor that is 
supported for steering movement about a generally vertically extending 
steering axis and which has a water cooled internal combustion engine in 
its power head for providing the propulsion power. Coolant is circulated 
through a cooling jacket of the engine and returned to the body of water 
in which the watercraft is operating. A bypass conduit extends from the 
water return to a point above the body of water in which the watercraft is 
operating and to the rear of the transom, in the normal condition, for 
discharging a small amount of coolant so that the operator can ascertain 
that the engine cooling system is operative. In accordance with the 
invention, means are provided for permitting the operator to selectively 
disable this discharge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
Referring first to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, an outboard motor 
constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is 
identified generally by the reference numeral 11. The outboard motor 11 
includes a power head, indicated generally by the reference numeral 12, 
which includes a powering internal combustion engine, shown in block form 
and indicated at 13. The internal combustion engine 13 may be of any known 
type and is provided with a liquid cooling jacket for cooling the engine 
during its operation. A protective cowling 14 encircles the engine 13 and 
forms the remainder of the power head 12. 
A driveshaft housing 15 depends from the power head 12 and contains a 
driveshaft (not shown) which depends into a lower unit 16 and drives a 
propeller 17 through a bevel gear transmission. 
The outboard motor 11 is of the type wherein the lower unit 16 does not 
have a forward/neutral/reverse transmission and therefore, the driveshaft 
housing 15 is provided with an assemblage whereby it may be steered about 
a vertically extending steering axis 18 for steering between not only a 
forward position but also a reverse drive position, as shown in the 
phantom line view of FIG. 2 wherein the propeller 17 will deliver a 
reverse driving thrust to the associated watercraft. 
The driveshaft housing 15 is connected to a clamping bracket 19 by means of 
a pivot pin 21 for tilt and trim operation. The clamping bracket 19 
carries a clamping device 22 for affixing the outboard motor 11 to a 
transom 23 of an associated watercraft 24. 
A tiller 25 is connected to the power head 12 and permits the aforenoted 
steering and reverse movement of the outboard motor 11. The construction 
of the outboard motor 11 as thus far described may be considered to be 
conventional and, as noted, the engine 13 may be of any water cooled type. 
In conjunction with the water cooling for the engine 13 and as is typical 
with outboard motor practice, the lower unit 16 is provided with a water 
inlet opening 26 through which cooling water may be drawn from the body of 
water in which the watercraft is operating under the operation of a water 
pump 27 that is contained at the interface between the driveshaft housing 
15 and the lower unit 16 and which is driven by the driveshaft in a known 
manner. The pump 27 delivers water to a water inlet opening 28 of the 
engine cooling jacket through a supply conduit 29. The engine cooling 
jacket also has a discharge opening 31 that communicates with a return 
passageway 32 that extends through the driveshaft housing 29 and 
discharges into the body of water in which the watercraft is operating 
below the normal water level, as shown by the line 33. 
As is typical with this type of outboard motor, a small bypass line 34 
extends from the return line 32 to a point in the lower surface of the 
power head 12 wherein a discharge fitting 35 is formed. The discharge 
fitting 35 has a passage 36 (FIG. 4) that communicates with the return 
conduit 32 and through which water is discharged at the rear of the power 
head 12 when the outboard motor 11 is being operated in a forward 
direction. As may be readily seen from FIG. 2, however, when the outboard 
motor 11 is pivoted to its reverse drive position, the discharge fitting 
35 will be disposed above the transom 23 and may spray water back onto the 
operator. 
In accordance with the invention, means are provided whereby the operator 
may disable the indicating spray for the fitting 35. A closure plug 37 may 
be selectively placed over the end of the discharge fitting 35 so as to 
preclude this spray when the operator wishes to operate the watercraft in 
reverse. If desired, this fitting 37 may be affixed by a chain, rope or 
the like to the power head 12 so that it will not be displaced or 
inadvertently lost. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the invention which differs from 
the previously described embodiment only in the form of the water spray 
for indicating the abnormal condition and the way in which the indicator 
may be disabled. In this embodiment, a fitting 51 is formed on the power 
head 12 and has a passageway 52 that extends through it. The passageway 52 
is intersected by a transversely extending passageway 53 in which a plug 
type valve 54 is positioned. The plug type valve 54, as is typical with 
this type of valve, has a cross passageway 55 which may be selectively 
positioned to permit flow through the discharge passage 52 to provide the 
indicating spray that the engine is receiving adequate coolant. However, 
the plug type valve 54 may be rotated to a closed position and cut off 
this spray so as to achieve the aforenoted result. A control lever 56 is 
formed on one end of the plug type valve 54 so as to permit this 
manipulation. 
It should be readily apparent from the foregoing description that the 
described embodiments of the invention are very effective in providing an 
indication of an abnormal condition in the cooling system but which will 
also permit the abnormal condition display to be moved to a position for 
reverse operation without having the spray enter the watercraft. Of 
course, the foregoing description is that of preferred embodiments of the 
invention and various changes and modifications may be made without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the 
appended claims.