Blocking device for preventing axial movement in selected extent

In a propeller device comprising a boat propeller (24, 24A, 24B) having propeller blades (25) and a hub portion (20) including an inner wall defining an opening for accommodating a propeller shaft (10, 10", 10") said inner wall having an outer circumferential groove, a partly flexible locking means (30A, 30B) partially located in said outer groove, said shaft having an inner circumferential groove in its surface for partially receiving said locking means therein, said hub portion having an access port (22) enabling introduction of said locking means into an inner channel (K) defined by said inner and outer grooves in juxtaposed position, said locking means including an elongated flexible unitary plastic rod having a selected cross-section, said rod including a plurality of spaced indentations for increasing the flexibility thereof;

• said indentations forming reduced cross-sections of said rod and defining flexible bridges, said rod between each two adjacent indentations forming rod sections constituting rigid link members, said rod including terminal rigid link members forward of the first said indentation and rearward of the last indentation, and a means for blocking rotational movement between said hub portion and shaft.

In a blocking device for limited axial movement between a first body (20) having a cylindrical inner wall defining an opening, and a second body (23) having a cylindrical outer wall fitting into said opening, said inner and outer walls having a respective outer and inner circumferential groove (11c, 21c), and in juxtaposed position conplementing each other to form a circumferential channel (K), said first body having an access portion (22), a locking means (30A) introducible through said access port and including a plurality of massive and substantially rigid, separated link members (31a, 131c), said link members having in a radial direction substantially the same dimension as said channel and being circumferentially limited by an outer arc (31c) having the same radius (r') as the bottom of said outer groove, and an inner arc (31d) having the same radius (r") as the bottom of said inner groove, said device is used for blocking a propeller shaft in the hub of a boat propeller provided with an intermediate hub means having an outer and an inner cover, said inner circumferential groove being provided in said outer cover and spline connections are provided in said inner cover and on thereto adjacent parts, so that when the propeller is being removed, the intermediate hub means may be selectively retained on the propeller shaft or in the hub of the propeller.

In a blocking device for limited axial movement between a first body (20) having a cylindrical inner wall defining an opening, and a second body (23) having a cylindrical outer wall fitting into said opening, said inner and outer walls having a respective outer and inner circumferential groove (11c, 21c), and in juxtaposed position complementing each other to form a circumferential channel (K), said first body having an access port (22), a locking means (30A) introducible through said access port and including a plurality of massive and substantially rigid, separated link members (31a, 131c), said link members having in a radial direction substantially the same dimension as said channel and being circumferentially limited by an outer arc (31c) having the same radius (r') as the bottom of said outer groove, and an inner arc (31d) having the same radius (r") as the bottom of said inner groove, said device is used for blocking a propeller shaft (10) in the hub of a boat propeller, said locking means having a lower average density than water.