Outboard Marine Corporation

Gordon B Hale

Edward D McBride

Donald J Friddle

A marine propulsion device comprising a ball clutch transmission including a propeller shaft including an axial bore defining an annular wall having therethrough a radially extending aperture communicating with the bore, a ball located in the aperture, an actuator extending in the axial bore in the propeller shaft and being movable between axially spaced drive and neutral positions, the actuator including an axially extending groove, the groove including a deep portion having a cross sectional contour of such dimension as to permit receipt therein of at least a portion of the ball so as to disengage the ball from a driven bevel gear, the groove also including a shallow portion located adjacent the deep portion and having a cross sectional contour such that engagement of the shallow portion with the ball forces the ball radially outwardly so that the ball is engaged by the gear, the shallow portion also including a section which slopes radially inwardly and toward the deep portion, whereby the force exerted on the section by the ball biases the actuator toward the neutral position.

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Waukegan, IL, United States of America

Gordon B Hale