Drive extender for a stern drive unit and such a unit incorporating the extender
AssigneeLand & Sea, Inc.
InventorRobert M. Bergeron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A kit, an assembly and the combination of these with a boat's stern drive unit for the purpose of extending the propeller rearwardly of the boat to increase the trim height adjustment range and leverage. The kit and the assembly include an extruded spacer and an extension shaft.
Claims9
A stern drive unit incorporating an extension assembly, for the stern drive of a boat, having an inboard engine with an outboard stern drive, the stern drive comprising a support, incorporating a pivot arrangement, transmission structure attached to the support and connected to the engine through a drive shaft for transmitting power from the engine through the transmission to a propeller, the pivot arrangement on the support allowing adjustment of trim about a substantially horizontal axis and of steering angle about a substantially vertical axis during operation of the engine, the transmission structure and a portion of the support, which is pivotable about the pivot arrangement, together defining two interconnectable housing portions spaced apart by the extension assembly which comprises:
- (a) a spacer defining a longitudinal axis, said spacer being sized and configured to fit between the two housing portions and being rigidly attached to both of the housing portions to increase the distance between the boat and the propeller a desired distance from that existing when the housing portions are interconnected;
- and,
- (b) an extension drive shaft installed in an opening through said spacer along said axis connected with the transmission to the propeller and inboard engine at the pivot of the support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.