Thrust supporting structure for a marine propulsion unit
AssigneeSanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAkihiro Onoue
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thrust taking arrangement for a marine propulsion unit that employs a propeller shaft and a thrust transfer member that is affixed against an abutment on the propeller shaft and which transfers thrust to a lower unit housing through forward and reverse thrust bearings. In one embodiment, the thrust transfer member is permanently affixed to the propeller shaft and in the other embodiments, it is detachably connected by threaded connections.
Claims30
A thrust taking arrangement for a propeller shaft of a marine propulsion unit, a propulsion device coupled to said propeller shaft adapted to drive an associated watercraft in forward and reverse directions by exerting opposite axial thrusts to said propeller shaft, means forming an abutment on said propeller shaft facing in only the forward thrust direction, a thrust transfer member separate from said propeller shaft and positioned on said propeller shaft in engagement with said abutment, and means affixed directly to said propeller shaft for axially affixing said thrust transfer member to said propeller shaft in engagement with said abutment, the portion of the propeller shaft defining said abutment having a greater diameter than the remainder of said propeller shaft, said thrust transfer member having an annular configuration with an inner diameter sufficiently large to pass over the propeller shaft from at least one end thereof and to be engaged with said abutment and an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of said abutment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.