Marine propeller assembly with shock absorbing hub and easily replaceable propeller housing

A marine propeller assembly adapted to be attached to a power-rotated shaft having an externally splined portion and having an externally threaded outer end portion located adjacent said splined portion, said assembly comprising a shock absorbing hub having (a) an internally splined tubular spindle adapted to be telescoped onto the splined portion of said shaft, (b) an outer sleeve telescoped over and spaced radially from said spindle, and (c) elastomeric material disposed between said spindle and said sleeve and transmitting torque from said spindle to said sleeve while absorbing torsional shock, said sleeve having an outer peripheral surface and an axially facing outer end, a plurality of angularly spaced and axially extending keyways formed in the outer surface of the sleeve and opening out of the outer end of the sleeve, a tubular propeller housing having a plurality of angularly spaced propeller blades, said housing having an inner peripheral surface with a plurality of angularly spaced, axially extending and radially inwardly projecting keys each having an axially facing outer end, said keys interfitting with said keyways to couple said housing for rotation with said sleeve, a retainer having an internally splined hole, said retainer normally being telescoped onto the splined portion of said shaft and normally being disposed in an active position covering the outer ends of said keys and said keyways to captivate said housing axially on said sleeve, a nut on the threaded end portion of said shaft and normally tightened to hold said retainer in said active position, said nut being operable when turned in a loosening direction to move axially away from said retainer to permit said retainer to be slid off of the splined portion of said shaft and onto the threaded portion thereof and then turned on the threaded portion to a releasing position uncovering the outer ends of said keys and said keyways to enable said housing to be slipped axially off of said sleeve while said nut and said retainer remain on said shaft.

A marine propeller assembly adapted to be attached to a power rotated shaft having an externally splined portion, said assembly comprising a shock absorbing hub having an internally splined tubular spindle adapted to be telescoped onto the splined portion of said shaft, (b) an outer sleeve telescoped over and spaced radially from said spindle, and (c) a core of elastomeric material filling the space between said spindle and said sleeve, said core being bonded to said spindle and said sleeve and transmitting torque from said spindle to said sleeve while absorbing torsional shock, said spindle having a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface, said sleeve having an inner peripheral surface defined at least in part by three equally spaced straight sides, said core having inner and outer peripheral surfaces conforming in shape to the outer and inner peripheral surfaces of said spindle and said sleeve, respectively, a tubular propeller housing having a plurality of angularly spaced propeller blades, means keying said housing for rotation with said sleeve, and selectively releasable means mounted on an end of said shaft for captivating said housing axially on said hub sleeve, and said releasable captivating means being rotatable from a first position captively retaining said housing axially on said hub and a second position for permitting removal of said housing from said hub while said captivating means remains mounted on said shaft.