Claims
- 1. A boat impeller wheel comprising:
- a rotating shaft, and
- a plurality of impeller vane units, each said impeller vane unit including a cylindrical supporting rod having an axis and extending radially from said rotating shaft, a planar impeller vane having a circular and tubular middle portion which is sleeved rotatably on said supporting rod, and limiting means for limiting said impeller vane to rotate about said supporting rod between a first position and a second position, said limiting means including a slide groove formed in an outer end surface of said tubular middle portion of each of said impeller vanes and a protrusion projecting radially from an outer end of said corresponding supporting rod and received slidably in said slide groove of said impeller vane, said impeller vane being almost parallel to said rotating shaft at said first position and generally perpendicular to said rotating shaft at said second position so that it can rotate about said supporting rod at an angle of no greater than 90.degree., any one of said impeller vanes when in a substantially forward position and turned downwardly towards the water surface being almost parallel to said water surface, and any one of said impeller vanes when turned upward away from said water surface rotating rapidly about said supporting rod until it is generally perpendicular to said water surface.
- 2. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said impeller vanes includes a counterweight attached to a portion thereof other than said tubular middle portion so as to accelerate rotation of said impeller vane about said supporting rod.
- 3. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said impeller vanes includes a buoyant element attached to a portion thereof other than said tubular middle portion so as to accelerate rotation of said impeller vane about said supporting rod.
- 4. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said impeller vanes is divided by said tubular middle portion thereof into two side portions which extend different distances along the length of said supporting rod so as to create different water resistances to said side portions of said impeller vane.
- 5. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting rods are mounted removably on said rotating shaft.
- 6. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said impeller vanes is divided into two similar side portions by said tubular middle portion thereof.
- 7. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said impeller vane has a center of gravity which is not on said axis of said supporting rod.
- 8. A boat impeller wheel comprising a rotating shaft, and a plurality of impeller vane units, each of said impeller vane units including a supporting rod extending radially from said rotating shaft, a planar main plate secured to said supporting rod at an intermediate portion thereof in parallel with said rotating shaft and having a leading surface and a trailing surface, and a planar swing plate connected pivotally to a radial outer end of said trailing surface of said main plate at a radial outer end portion thereof and rotatable about an axis generally perpendicular to said supporting rod, whereby, when any one of said impeller vane units is turned downward from a substantially upward position to a substantially downward position about said rotating shaft, a radial inner end of said adjacent swing plate engages with said trailing surface of said main plate and when any one of said impeller vane units is turned upward away from an associated water's surface, said radial inner end of said adjacent swing plate is remote from said main plate.
- 9. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said main plates has a cut-away portion opposite a major part of said corresponding swing plate so that splashes from said main plate are reduced.
- 10. A boat impeller wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein said supporting rods are mounted removably on said rotating shaft.
- 11. A boat impeller wheel comprising a rotating shaft, and a plurality of impeller vane units, each of said impeller vane units including a cylindrical supporting rod having an axis and extending radially from said rotating shaft, a planar impeller vane having a circular and tubular middle portion which is sleeved rotatably on said supporting rod, and limiting means for limiting said impeller vane to rotate about said supporting rod between a first position and a second position, said impeller vane being almost parallel to said rotating shaft at said first position and generally perpendicular to said rotating shaft at said second position so that it can rotate about said supporting rod at an angle of no greater than 90.degree., said limiting means including a threaded hole formed in said supporting rod, a slide slot formed through a wall of said tubular middle portion of said impeller vane and extending in a circumferential direction on said tubular middle portion, and a bolt extending through said slide slot of said impeller vane to engage threadably with said threaded hole of said supporting rod, each of said impeller vanes including a buoyant element attached to a portion thereof other than said tubular middle portion so as to accelerate rotation of said impeller vane about said supporting rod, whereby, when any one of said impeller vanes is turned downward from a substantially forward position to a substantially downward position about said rotating shaft, it is almost parallel to the water surface and when any one of said impeller vanes is turned upward away from said water surface, it rotates rapidly about said supporting rod and until it is generally perpendicular to said water surface.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/232,993, filed Aug. 17, 1988, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3303532 |
Aug 1984 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
232993 |
Aug 1988 |
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