Shift and steering control system for water jet apparatus

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6244914
  • Patent Number
    6,244,914
  • Date Filed
    Friday, December 24, 1999
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 12, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A water jet apparatus mounted to a horizontal hull section and having a shift and steering control assembly which penetrates a hole in that hull section. The shift and steering control assembly has a modular lever and shaft subassembly which is installed in the inlet housing, before the inlet housing is installed in the hull. The modular lever and shaft assembly includes a shift and steering control housing mounted to the inlet housing and having respective bores for housing shift and steering shafts. Upper shift and steering levers are coupled to the upper ends of the shift and steering shafts respectively, while lower shift and steering levers are coupled to the lower ends of the shift and steering shafts respectively. Respective control cables are attached to the upper levers inside the hull; respective control rods for operating a steering nozzle and a reverse gate are attached to the lower levers outside the hull.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention generally relates to water jet apparatus for propelling boats and other watercraft. In particular, the invention relates to mechanisms for steering and/or shifting a water jet apparatus.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




It is known to propel a boat or other watercraft using a water jet apparatus mounted to the hull, with the powerhead being placed inside (inboard) the hull. The drive shaft of the water jet apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of the inboard motor. The impeller is mounted on the drive shaft and housed in a jet propulsion pipe or water tunnel.




To facilitate use of water jet-propelled boats in shallow water, it is known to mount the water jet at an elevation such that the water jet does not project below the bottom of the boat hull. This can be accomplished, for example, by installing a duct in the stern of the boat, the duct being arranged to connect one or more inlet holes formed in the bottom of the hull with an outlet hole formed in the transom. The water jet is then installed outside the hull in a position such that the water jet inlet is in flow communication with the duct outlet at the transom. Such a system is shown in Australian Patent Specification No. 262306, published in 1963. Alternatively, the water jet can be installed inside the duct built into the hull, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,868.




In another type of design, a water jet apparatus is installed inside the hull and penetrates the transom. An inlet housing of the water jet has a horizontal opening and an inclined water tunnel for guiding water to the impeller. The horizontal opening of the inlet housing is mounted in a hole in the bottom or near the bottom of the hull. A similar design is disclosed in Swiss Patent No. 481788.




The prior art cited above does not disclose means for passing through the hull the control system for shifting and steering the reverse gate and the steering nozzle respectively of a water jet apparatus mounted to the hull. In particular, there is a need for a design which would allow the shift and steering control system to penetrate a horizontal section of the hull.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is a shift and steering control assembly for activating the steering nozzle and reverse gate of a water jet apparatus. The water jet apparatus comprises an inlet housing which is mounted outside the hull in a cavity. The control cables are located inside the hull and activate the steering nozzle and reverse gate by means of levers and links. The shift and steering control assembly is designed for easy assembly. In particular, the shift and steering control assembly comprises a modular lever and shaft assembly which can be installed in the inlet housing, before the inlet housing is installed in the hull. When the inlet housing is installed, the modular lever and shaft assembly penetrates the hull. To facilitate passage of the upper portion of the lever and shaft assembly through an opening in the hull, one of the upper levers is not attached to the assembly until after the inlet housing is attached to the hull. Then the shift and steering cables are connected to upper shift and steering levers respectively. In the final assembled state, the shift and steering cables and upper shift and steering levers are inside the hull, while the lower shift and steering levers and the shift and steering rods reside outside the hull.




In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the modular lever and shaft assembly comprises a shift and steering control housing which is mounted to the inlet housing. The shift and steering control housing has respective bores for housing shift and steering shafts. Upper shift and steering levers are coupled to the upper ends of the shift and steering shafts respectively, while lower shift and steering levers are coupled to the lower ends of the shift and steering shafts respectively, thus forming rigid structures which are rotatably supported by the shift and steering control housing. In response to operation of one of the cables, the corresponding rigid lever and shaft assembly is rotated, causing the respective lower lever to swing, thereby displacing the corresponding control rod. The steering nozzle is activated in response to operation of the steering cable, while the reverse gate is activated in response to operation of the shift cable.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a schematic (presented in two sheets respectively labeled

FIGS. 1A and 1B

) showing a sectional view of a water jet apparatus mounted to a boat hull in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the section being taken along a vertical midplane.





FIG. 2

is a schematic (presented in two sheets respectively labeled

FIGS. 2A and 2B

) showing a top view of the top mounting plate and the water jet apparatus depicted in

FIG. 1

, with the hull removed.





FIG. 3

is a schematic showing a top view of the inlet housing in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.





FIGS. 4

,


6


and


7


are schematics showing top, side and bottom views of the shift and steering control housing in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 5

is a schematic showing a sectional view taken along line


5





5


shown in FIG.


2


A.





FIG. 8

is a schematic showing a side view of the upper steering lever in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.





FIG. 9

is a schematic showing a sectional view of the upper steering lever, the section being taken along line


9





9


shown in FIG.


8


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




As seen in

FIG. 1

, the water jet apparatus incorporating the invention is designed to be installed in a cavity under a section of the hull and in flow communication with the outlet of an inlet ramp built into the hull. As seen in

FIG. 1

, the boat hull


2


has an inlet ramp


6


formed by a pair of opposing sidewalls


8


and a guide surface


10


which curves gently upward in the aft direction. The end of the inlet ramp


6


is in flow communication with a cavity in which the water jet apparatus is installed. This cavity for the water jet apparatus is defined by a horizontal hull section


12


, a vertical hull section


14


and a pair of opposing sidewalls


16


(only one of which is visible in FIG.


1


), the cavity being open at the bottom and rear for allowing insertion of the water jet apparatus.




The water jet apparatus comprises an inlet housing which is slid into the aforementioned cavity and bolted to the hull by means of a top mounting plate


20


and a front plate


22


. At the time of inlet housing installation, the drive shaft


26


is already rotatably mounted in the inlet housing. In particular, the inlet housing


18


comprises a vertical strut


85


having an axial bore which houses a portion of the drive shaft. During inlet housing installation, the front plate


22


is placed on the inside of the vertical hull section


14


and the inlet housing


18


is placed on the outside of vertical hull section


14


, a set of three throughholes in the vertical hull section


14


and a set of three threaded holes in the inlet housing


18


being aligned with a set of three throughholes in the vertical hull section


14


. Three screws


24


(only one of which is visible in

FIG. 1

) are passed through the aligned throughholes and screwed into the threaded holes of the inlet housing


18


. The numeral


25


in

FIG. 1

denotes a washer placed between the head of screw


24


and the front plate


22


. The front plate


22


has an opening


34


(best seen in

FIG. 2

) which, in the assembled state, is aligned with an opening


36


in the vertical hull section


14


to allow the output shaft (not shown) from the inboard motor to be coupled to the front end of the drive shaft


26


. The studs


28


are affixed to the inlet housing


18


. The inlet housing


18


is inserted into the hull cavity and the studs


28


are inserted into throughholes in the hull. The front plate


22


is then positioned and screws


24


are screwed into the inlet housing


18


. The top mounting plate


20


is then placed over the studs


28


and secured to the hull using nuts and washers.




In the assembled position, a front portion of the inlet housing


18


is sealed against the vertical hull section


14


by means of a seal


30


and a top portion of the inlet housing


18


is sealed against the horizontal hull section


12


by means of a seal


32


. The seal


30


encompasses the interface where the openings in the vertical hull section


14


and inlet housing for the drive shaft


26


meet and is designed to prevent water leaking into the drive shaft assembly or into the boat via the opening


36


. Similarly, the top mounting plate


20


has an opening


38


which, in the assembled state, is aligned with an opening


40


in the horizontal hull section


12


to allow a shift and steering control housing


42


to be placed in a corresponding opening in the top wall of the inlet housing


18


. The seal


32


encompasses the interface where the openings in the horizontal hull section


12


and inlet housing for the shift and steering housing


42


meet and is designed to prevent water leaking into the boat via the opening


38


. In addition, a seal


31


is pressed between the inlet housing


18


and the hull along the front and sides of the inlet housing.




The inlet housing


18


has a water tunnel


44


with an inlet


46


. The water tunnel


44


has a pair of sidewalls


48


(only one of which is shown in

FIG. 1

) which are generally coplanar with the sidewalls


8


of the hull inlet ramp


6


. In addition, the water tunnel


44


has a guide surface


50


which starts at a point near where the guide surface


10


of the hull inlet ramp


6


ends and then curves gradually upward in the aft direction. As a result of the foregoing structure, there is a generally smooth transition between the end of inlet ramp


6


and the beginning of water tunnel


44


. Thus the hull


2


and the inlet housing


18


combine to form a single inlet for guiding water toward the inlet of a stator housing


52


located downstream of the inlet housing.




An inlet grate


54


extends across the inlet


46


of the water tunnel


44


and serves to block the admission of debris into the water jet apparatus. The inlet grate


54


comprises a multiplicity of generally parallel tines


56


which extend downward and rearward from an upper end of the inlet grate. Only the upper end of the inlet grate is attached to the inlet housing by screws (not shown). The cantilevered design is based on the theory that any weeds that wrap around the grate will be drawn down to the lower, open end and slide of f under the boat and/or be drawn into the pump and chopped up. In addition, a ride plate


58


is attached to the bottom of the inlet housing


18


.




As shown in

FIG. 1

, the drive shaft projects in the aft direction out of the inlet housing


18


. The impeller is pre-assembled in the unit prior to mounting in the hull. The hub and blades of impeller


60


are integrally formed as one cast piece. The hub of impeller


60


has a splined bore which meshes with splines formed on the external surface of the drive shaft


26


, so that the impeller


60


will rotate in unison with the drive shaft


26


. Also, a taper on the impeller locks on to a taper on the drive shaft to hold the impeller in place (see FIG.


3


). The impeller


60


is held securely on the drive shaft


26


by a washer


62


, which in turn is held in place by a lock nut


64


tightened onto a threaded end of the drive shaft


26


. As seen in

FIG. 1

, the hub of the impeller


60


increases in radius in the aft direction, transitioning gradually from a generally conical outer surface at the leading edge of the impeller hub to a generally circular cylindrical outer surface at the trailing edge of the impeller hub. This outer surface of the impeller hub forms the radially inner boundary for guiding the flow of water impelled by the impeller.




The stator housing


52


comprises inner and outer shells connected by a plurality of stator vanes, all integrally formed as a single cast piece. The hub of the stator housing


52


gradually decreases in radius in the aft direction, starting out at a radius slightly less than the radius at the trailing edge of the impeller hub. The stator vanes are designed to redirect the swirling flow out of the impeller


60


into non-swirling flow. The stator housing hub has a radial end face with a central throughhole. Before the stator housing is installed, a tail cone cover


66


is attached to the radial end face of the stator housing hub by a screw


68


. The front of the stator housing


52


is then attached to the rear of the inlet housing


18


by a plurality of screws (not shown in FIG.


1


).




A circumferential recess in the stator housing


52


at a position opposing the impeller blade tips has a circular cylindrical wear ring


65


seated therein. Wear to the impeller blade tips is mainly due to the pumping of abrasives such as beach sand. The purpose of the wear ring


65


is to protect the soft aluminum casting with a hard stainless steel surface, thus drastically reducing the rate of wear.




After the stator housing


52


(with attached tail cone cover


66


) has been attached to the inlet housing


18


, the front of an exit nozzle


70


is attached to the rear of the stator housing


52


by screws. The front faces of the tail cone cover


66


and the exit nozzle


70


are preferably coplanar. The water flowing out of the stator housing


52


will flow through the space between the tail cone cover


66


and the exit nozzle


70


, and then will exit the exit nozzle at its outlet.




The water jet apparatus shown in

FIG. 1

is provided with a steering nozzle


72


which can change the direction of the water exiting the exit nozzle


70


. This effect is used by the boat operator to steer the boat left or right. To accomplish this, the steering nozzle


72


is pivotably mounted to the exit nozzle


70


by a pair of pivot assemblies located at the top and bottom of the exit nozzle. Each pivot assembly comprises a screw


74


, a sleeve (not visible in

FIG. 1

) and a bushing


76


. The axes of the screws


74


are collinear and form a vertical pivot axis about which the steering nozzle


72


can rotate. In particular, the steering nozzle has a pair of circular holes in which the bushings


76


are seated. The sleeves are inserted inside the respective bushings


76


. The screws


74


are in turn inserted in the sleeves and screwed into respective threaded holes in the exit nozzle


70


. As best seen in

FIG. 2B

, the steering nozzle


72


has an arm


73


which is pivotably coupled to a flattened end of a steering rod


114


. Displacement of the steering rod


114


in response to operation of a steering cable


78


(see

FIG. 2A

) causes the steering nozzle to swing a desired direction about its vertical pivot axis.




The water jet apparatus shown in

FIG. 1

is also provided with a non-steerable reverse gate


80


which is pivotable between forward and reverse positions. In the forward position, the reverse gate


80


is raised, thereby allowing water to exit the steering nozzle


72


freely. In the reverse position, the reverse gate


80


is lowered to a position directly opposite to the outlet of the steering nozzle


72


. The reverse gate is designed to partially reverse the flow of water exiting the steering nozzle


72


when the reverse gate is in the reverse position. This reverse flow of water will urge the boat in the aft direction. To accomplish the foregoing, the reverse gate


80


is pivotably mounted to the exit nozzle


70


by a pair of pivot assemblies


94


and


96


located on opposite sides of the exit nozzle (see FIG.


2


B). Each pivot assembly


94


and


96


has a construction substantially identical to the pivot assemblies previously described with reference to pivoting of the steering nozzle


72


. As seen in

FIG. 2B

, the reverse gate has a pair of arms


98


and


100


, the ends of which are pivotably coupled to the respective pivot assemblies


94


,


96


. The reverse gate


80


is pivoted by a shift rod


92


, the end of which is coupled to arm


98


of the reverse gate


80


by means of a rod end assembly


102


which comprises a ball socket for allowing horizontal radial motion at the shift lever and vertical radial motion at the reverse gate. The rod end assembly is attached to arm


98


by means of a screw


104


and a lock nut


106


. Displacement of the shift rod


92


in response to operation of a shift cable


82


(see

FIG. 2A

) causes the reverse gate to swing in a desired direction, namely, into forward position or reverse position. The reverse gate has a design which allows the boat to steer in reverse in the same direction like an outboard, stern drive or car.




In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the shift and steering cables located inside the hull are respectively coupled to the shift and steering rods located outside the hull by means of respective lever and shaft assemblies rotatably supported in a shift and steering control housing


42


which is installed in a corresponding opening in the top of the inlet housing


18


. As best seen in

FIGS. 4 and 5

, the housing


42


preferably comprises a base plate


116


, an upper vertical tubular structure


118


integrally formed with base plate


116


and extending above it to a first height, and an upper vertical tubular structure


120


integrally formed with base plate


116


and extending above it to a second height greater than the first height. As seen in

FIG. 5

, the tubular structures


118


and


120


are reinforced by a rib


122


extending therebetween and integrally formed therewith and with the base plate


116


. Additional reinforcement is provided by respective pairs of ribs


124


and


126


(see FIG.


4


). As seen in

FIG. 4

, the base of housing


42


has a generally square shape with rounded corners. Below the base plate, the housing has a circular cylindrical lower wall


128


(shown in FIG.


7


), integrally formed with lower vertical tubular structures


130


and


132


. The lower wall


128


slides into a circular opening


134


(shown in

FIG. 3

) formed in the top wall of the inlet housing


18


. The opening


134


in the inlet housing communicates with the exterior of the water jet apparatus via a pair of opposing side channels through which the lower shift and steering levers (described below) respectively pass. The lower wall


128


is provided with a pair of annular grooves


136


(see

FIG. 6

) in which respective O-rings


138


(see

FIG. 5

) are installed to seal the interface of the respective housings


18


and


42


against leakage of water through opening


134


and into the hull.




Preferably the opening


40


(see

FIG. 1A

) in the horizontal hull section


12


closely matches the opening in mounting plate. As seen in

FIG. 2A

, the housing


42


is bolted to the inlet housing


18


by studs


140


. The shift and steering control housing


42


has throughholes


142


at respective corners (see FIGS.


4


and


7


). The studs


140


are threaded into respective threaded holes


144


formed in the top wall of the inlet housing


18


(see FIG.


3


).




As seen in

FIG. 5

, the shift and steering control housing


42


has one bore


146


for receiving the shift shaft


88


and another bore


148


for receiving the steering shaft


110


. The bore


146


has upper and lower annular recesses in which upper and lower bushings


150


and


152


are respectively inserted; the bore


148


has upper and lower annular recesses in which upper and lower bushings


154


and


156


are respectively inserted. The shift shaft


88


is rotatably supported in bushings


150


and


152


, while steering shaft


110


is rotatably supported in bushings


154


and


156


. One end of the upper shift lever


86


is secured to the top of the shift shaft


88


by means of a lock nut


158


which screws onto a threaded end of the shift shaft; one end of the upper steering lever


108


is secured to the top of the steering shaft


110


by means of a lock nut


160


which screws onto a threaded end of the steering shaft. (only a portion of each of the upper levers is shown in

FIG. 5.

) The upper levers bear on the flanges of the upper bushings during rotation of the lever and shaft assemblies.




As shown in

FIG. 9

, the upper shift lever


86


has a D-slot


162


which form fits on a portion of the shift shaft having a D-shaped cross section. As seen in

FIG. 8

, the upper shift lever


86


has a pair of opposing fingers


164


and


166


, the former having a threaded hole


168


and the latter having a throughhole


170


. These fingers are pinched together by a screw


172


, best seen in

FIG. 2A

, the resulting compressive force clamping the upper shift lever to the shift shaft. The upper steering lever


108


has a similar construction, with fingers pinched together by a screw


174


to clamp the upper steering lever to the steering shaft. Alternatively, the shift and steering levers can be stampings retained by washers and nuts, with the “pinch” fingers being eliminated. The reference numeral


176


designates a pair of seals installed in annular recesses formed at the bottom of the respective lower vertical tubular structures


130


and


132


, in surrounding relationship with the shift and steering shafts respectively.




Still referring to

FIG. 5

, a lower shift lever


90


is welded to the bottom of the shift shaft


88


, while a lower steering lever


112


is welded to the bottom of the steering shaft


110


. A lower washer


178


is installed between the lower shift lever


90


and the lower vertical tubular structure


130


of the shift and steering control housing


42


, while a lower washer


180


is installed between the lower steering lever


112


and the lower vertical tubular structure


132


of housing


42


. The washers


178


and


180


provide a bearing surface.




The full length of the lower steering lever


112


is shown in

FIG. 5

, while only a portion of the lower shift lever


90


is depicted.

FIG. 5

shows a clevis


182


and a shoulder screw


184


for attaching the distal end of the lower steering lever


112


to the forward end of the steering rod (not shown in FIG.


5


). Similarly, the distal end of the lower shift lever is attached to the forward end of the shift rod by means of a clevis and shoulder screw coupling (not shown in FIG.


5


).




Referring to

FIG. 2A

, the distal end of the upper shift lever


86


is attached to the shift cable


82


by means of a clevis


186


and a clevis pin


188


. These components are located inside the hull of the boat (see FIG.


1


A). Displacement of the end of the shift cable causes the shift lever and shaft assembly to rotate. Likewise the distal end of the upper steering lever


108


is attached to the steering cable


78


by means of a clevis


190


and a clevis pin


192


, and displacement of the end of the steering cable causes the steering lever and shaft assembly to rotate. As best seen in

FIG. 1A

, the shift cable


82


is supported by a bracket


194


and the steering cable


78


is supported by a bracket


196


, both brackets being integrally connected to and extending vertically upward from the top mounting plate


20


. In response to operation of the steering cable


78


, the steering nozzle can be selectively turned left or right to steer the boat as desired during water jet operation. In response to operation of the shift cable


82


, the reverse gate can be selectively raised or lowered to propel the boat forward or rearward as desired during water jet operation.




The foregoing structure is designed to facilitate installation of a shift and steering control system which penetrates a horizontal hull section of a boat. The assembly procedure is as follows. The lower levers are welded to the bottom ends of the respective shift and steering shafts. These welded lever and shaft subassemblies are then inserted in a large opening in the inlet housing, the bottoms of the shafts being supported by a boss


198


(seen in FIG.


5


). As part of the assembly, grease is applied to both shafts. Then a pair of O-rings are installed in the annular grooves of the shift and steering control housing


42


. One of the shaft is then placed in position in the opening in the inlet housing and the corresponding bore (


146


or


148


) of the shift and steering control housing


42


is slid over the top part of that shaft. Then the second shaft is passed up through the inlet housing and its top section is slid into the other bore, following which the housing


42


is slid downward and into the receiving opening in the inlet housing


18


. In the final position, the housing


42


is bolted to the inlet housing


18


. Then the upper shift lever


86


is assembled to the shift shaft


88


. The upper steering lever is not pre-assembled to its shaft to allow assembly of the inlet housing to the hull. Therefore, means are provided for retaining the steering shaft and lower steering lever subassembly in the housing


42


, either temporarily or permanently, until the upper steering lever is installed in the boat. After the inlet housing has been attached to the hull via the front plate and top mounting plate, the upper steering lever is attached to the top of the steering shaft. Then the shift and steering cables are respectively connected to the upper shift and steering levers.




Preferably the inlet housing and the shift and steering control housing are made of sand-cast aluminum or molded plastic, while the stator housing is preferably made of stainless steel.




While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.




As used in the claims, the term “outlet housing” comprises one or more attached parts. For example, in the disclosed preferred embodiment, the stator housing and the exit nozzle form an outlet housing. However, the present invention encompasses forming the stator housing and the exit nozzle as one piece, or forming the stator housing as two pieces, and so forth.



Claims
  • 1. A water jet apparatus comprising:an inlet housing comprising a water tunnel having an outlet and a cavity having an opening; an outlet housing comprising a water tunnel having an inlet in flow communication with said outlet of said water tunnel of said inlet housing; a steering nozzle pivotably mounted to said outlet housing; a steering assembly for pivoting said steering nozzle, said, steering assembly comprising a steering shaft and a lower steering subassembly for coupling pivoting of said steering nozzle to rotation of said steering shaft; and a control housing installed in said cavity of said inlet housing and comprising a first bore, said steering shaft being rotatably mounted in said first bore.
  • 2. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said lower steering subassembly comprises a lower steering lever rigidly connected to a lower end of said steering shaft.
  • 3. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said lower steering subassembly further comprises a steering rod arranged to couple said steering nozzle to said lower steering lever.
  • 4. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said steering assembly further comprises an upper steering lever rigidly connected to an upper end of said steering shaft.
  • 5. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:a pivotably mounted reverse gate; and a shift assembly for pivoting said reverse gate, said shift assembly comprising a shift shaft and a lower shift subassembly for coupling pivoting of said reverse gate to rotation of said shift shaft, wherein said control housing comprises a second bore, said shift shaft being rotatably mounted in said second bore.
  • 6. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said lower shift subassembly comprises a lower, shift lever rigidly connected to a lower end of said shift shaft.
  • 7. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said lower shift subassembly further comprises a shift rod arranged to couple said reverse gate to said lower shift lever.
  • 8. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said shift assembly further comprises an upper shift lever rigidly connected to an upper end of said shift shaft.
  • 9. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said shift and steering shafts have different lengths.
  • 10. The water jet apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said control housing comprises a circular cylindrical outer surface having an annular groove formed therein.
  • 11. A water jet apparatus comprising:an inlet housing comprising a water tunnel having an outlet and a cavity having an opening; an outlet housing comprising a water tunnel having an inlet in flow communication with said outlet of said water tunnel of said inlet housing; a pivotably mounted reverse gate; a shift assembly for pivoting said reverse gate, said shift assembly comprising a shift shaft and a lower shift subassembly for coupling pivoting of said reverse gate to rotation of said shift shaft; and a control housing installed in said cavity of said inlet housing and comprising a bore in which said shift shaft is rotatably mounted.
  • 12. A housing system for a water jet apparatus comprising:an inlet housing designed to house at least a portion of a drive shaft and having an inlet for water; a stator housing designed to house at least a portion of an impeller, said stator housing being attached to said inlet housing; and a control housing designed to house a first shaft, said control housing being attached to said inlet housings, wherein said inlet housing comprises a cavity having an opening, said control housing being seated in said cavity.
  • 13. The housing system as recited in claim 12, wherein said control housing is further designed to house a second shaft.
  • 14. The housing system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a seal arranged in said cavity between said control housing and said inlet housing.
  • 15. The housing system as recited in claim 14, wherein said control housing comprises a circular cylindrical outer surface having an annular groove formed therein, said seal comprising an O-ring seated in said annular groove.
  • 16. The housing system as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said inlet housing and said control housing is a cast metal or molded plastic structure.
  • 17. A boat comprising:a hull having an opening; a duct mounted to said hull and comprising an inlet and an outlet; an impeller rotatably supported within said duct; a steering nozzle which is pivotably mounted to said duct; a steering assembly for pivoting said steering nozzle, said steering assembly comprising a steering shaft, an upper steering subassembly for rotating said steering shaft, and a lower steering subassembly for coupling pivoting of said steering nozzle to rotation of said steering shaft; and a shaft housing comprising a first bore in which said steering shaft is rotatably mounted, wherein said shaft housing and said steering shaft penetrate said opening in said hull.
  • 18. The boat as recited in claim 17, further comprising:a pivotable reverse gate; and a shift assembly for pivoting said reverse gate, said shift assembly comprising a shift shaft, an upper shift subassembly for rotating said shift shaft, and a lower shift subassembly for coupling pivoting of said reverse gate to rotation of said shift shaft, wherein said shaft housing further comprises a second bore in which said shift shaft is rotatably mounted, wherein said shift shaft penetrates said opening in said hull.
  • 19. A boat comprising:a hull having an opening; a duct mounted to said hull and comprising an inlet and an outlet; an impeller rotatable supported within said duct: a reverse gate which is pivotably mounted to said duct; a shift assembly for pivoting said reverse gate, said shift assembly comprising a shift shaft, an upper shift subassembly for rotating said shift shaft, and a lower shift subassembly for coupling pivoting of said reverse gate to rotation of said shift shaft; and a shaft housing comprising a bore in which said shift shaft is rotatably mounted, wherein said shaft housing and said shift shaft penetrate an opening in said hull.
  • 20. A cast housing comprising:a generally planar base; first and second upper structures extending from said base in a first direction generally perpendicular to said base, the maximum height of said first upper structure being greater than the maximum height of said second upper structure; first and second lower structures extending from said base in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction; a first bore passing through said first upper structure, said base and said first lower structure; a second bore passing through said second upper structure, said base and said second lower structure, said second bore being parallel to said first bore and of different length; and a first arcuate wall extending in said second direction and connecting said first and second lower structures; and a second arcuate wall extending in said second direction and connecting said first and second lower structures, wherein said first and second lower structures and said first and second arcuate walls form a generally circular cylindrical lower outer periphery.
  • 21. The cast housing as recited in claim 20, wherein said base comprises a plurality of throughholes located radially outward of said lower outer periphery.
  • 22. The cast housing as recited in claim 20, wherein said lower outer periphery comprises an annular groove radially outward of said lower outer periphery.
  • 23. The cast housing as recited in claim 20, wherein each of said first and second bores has an upper and a lower annular recess at opposing ends thereof.
  • 24. A marine craft comprising:a hull comprising a generally horizontal hull section with an opening therein; an inlet housing of a water jet apparatus attached to said generally horizontal hull section and comprising a water tunnel located entirely below said generally horizontal hull section, and a cavity located outside the water tunnel and having a first opening facing and communicating with said opening in said generally horizontal hull section; a shaft housing installed in said cavity of said inlet housing and comprising a first bore penetrating said opening in said generally horizontal hull section; and a first shaft rotatably supported in said first bore.
  • 25. The marine craft as recited in claim 24, wherein said shaft housing further comprises a second bore penetrating said opening in said horizontal hull section, further comprising a second shaft rotatably supported in said second bore.
  • 26. The marine craft as recited in claim 25, wherein said cavity in said inlet communicates with a space external to said inlet housing via second and third openings, further comprising a first lever having one end connected to an end of said first shaft and another end projecting into said external space, and a second lever having one end connected to an end of said second shaft and another end projecting into said external space, wherein said first and second levers pass through said second and third openings respectively.
  • 27. The marine craft as recited in claim 24, further comprising a seal arranged in said cavity between said control housing and said inlet housing.
  • 28. The marine craft as recited in claim 24; wherein each of said inlet housing and said control housing is a cast metal or molded plastic structure.
  • 29. The marine craft as recited in claim 24, wherein said cavity in said inlet communicates with a space external to said inlet housing via a second opening, further comprising a lever having one end connected to an end of said first shaft and another end projecting into said external space, said lever passing through said second opening.
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