Marine drive lower gearcase with non-cavitating drain plug location
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorGary L. Meisenburg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A marine drive (2) having a lower gearcase (4) with a torpedo housing (10) having an internal lubricant-containing cavity (26) has a removable drain plug (50) and drain plug hole (52) at a location away from the exterior hydrodynamic surface (46) of the torpedo housing along which water flows, to prevent cavitation burns on the torpedo housing and the propeller (24), and to aid in eliminating propeller ventilation.
Claims11
A marine drive comprising a lower gearcase with a vertical drive shaft driving a horizontal propeller shaft in a torpedo housing and having a propeller mounted on said propeller shaft at the rear of said torpedo housing, said torpedo housing having an internal cavity holding lubricant, said torpedo housing having an exterior hydrodynamic surface along which water flows, a removable drain plug mounted to said torpedo housing at a location away ,from said hydrodynamic surface to prevent cavitation burns on said torpedo housing and said propeller otherwise caused by mounting said drain plug at said hydrodynamic surface, removal of said drain plug permitting draining of said lubricant.
A marine drive comprising a lower gearcase with a vertical drive shaft driving a horizontal propeller shaft in a torpedo housing and having a propeller mounted on said propeller shaft at the rear of said torpedo housing, said torpedo housing having an internal cavity holding lubricant, a removable drain plug in said torpedo housing at the rear thereof for draining said lubricant upon removal of said plug.
A marine drive comprising a lower gearcase with a vertical drive shaft driving a horizontal propeller shaft in a torpedo housing and having a propeller mounted on said propeller shaft at the rear of said torpedo housing, said torpedo housing having an internal cavity holding lubricant, a spool mounted to the rear of said torpedo housing and disposed in said cavity and supporting said propeller shaft for rotation, a removable drain plug in said spool at the rear thereof communicating with said cavity, for draining lubricant from said cavity upon removal of said plug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.