Marine drive with improved propeller mounting
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorDaniel F. McCormick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A marine drive for a boat (3) includes a longitudianlly extending propeller shaft (17, 37, 38) which effectively carries the propeller hub (18, 41, 42) between a pair of fore and aft conical surfaces (26-29; 44-47; 51-54) which mate with similar conical surfaces associated with the hub. These mating surfaces prevent orbiting movement of the propeller. The mating surfaces also center the hub on its axis and provide for high torque retention. The construction is such that water is kept out of the joint between the hub and propeller shaft, with pre-applied lubricant being retained therein. The inventive concepts may be utilized with a single propeller system (FIG. 2), or dual propeller installation (FIG. 4).
Claims7
In a marine drive, the combination comprising:
- (a) a generally vertical drive housing (6) terminating in a lower torpedo housing (9, 35),
- (b) a propeller shaft (17, 37, 38) disposed within and extending longitudinally rearwardly from said torpedo housing in a generally fore-to-aft direction, and with said shaft being rotatable on a longitudinal drive axis (11, 36),
- (c) a propeller (10, 33, 34) disposed on the rearward portion of said shaft, and with said propeller having a hub (18, 41, 42),
- (d) and means mounting said propeller to said shaft,
- (e) said mounting means including a pair of longitudinally spaced fore and aft sets (A-B;
- C-D;
- E-F) of generally longitudinally facing mating conical surfaces disposed on said shaft and said hub, each set in said pair of sets facing oppositely from the other said set in said pair;
- said mating conical surfaces providing a piloting effect to prevent orbiting of said propeller (10) and a centering effect for said hub (18).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.