Outboard Marine Corporation

Bombardier Motor Corporation of America

Other

Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.

Jeffrey P Higby

Kennedy K McElroy, Jr

Philip A Zorc

Clarence E Blanchard

George L Broughton

Robert F Young

Laverne Tatge

Charles D Strang

Erick Lee Gruber

James A Mahnich

A retaining ring assembly and method of assembly is disclosed. A gearcase includes a propeller shaft housing that is retained in the gearcase. The propeller shaft housing is secured against rotational, radial, and axial movement by a retainer. The retainer has a general circular shape and includes a first ring and a second ring. Both rings include a plurality of collinear threaded holes. Threaded fasteners secure the first ring to the second ring via the threaded holes in each respective ring. The first ring has a tapered surface that engages with a tapered surface of the propeller shaft housing. The second ring has an outer diameter that engages with an annular groove on an inner surface of the gearcase. As the threaded fasteners of the retainer are tightened, the tapered face of the first ring is forced against the tapered face of the propeller shaft housing while the second ring is retained in position by the annular groove of the gearcase. Tightening the threaded fasteners creates, and gradually increases, a gap between the first and second rings. This construction secures the propeller shaft housing in the gearcase.

Expandable retaining ring assembly

The present invention, in one aspect, relates to a propeller shaft housing for being secured in the gear case bore and configured for being securely engaged to the gear case bore by threaded screws that pass through bosses in the housing and into threaded holes in the gear case. More specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the propeller shaft housing includes at least two bosses having compound angle holes therethrough, and at least two threaded holes in the gear case are arranged to align with one of the respective holes through the bosses. Respective screws extend through the holes in the bosses of the propeller shaft housing and into threaded engagement with the threaded holes in the gear case. In the exemplary embodiment, one of the threaded holes in the gear case is adjacent a skeg, and one of the threaded holes is adjacent a strut. Specifically, the gear case includes a bullet, and a skeg extends generally downward from the bullet and a strut extends generally upward from the bullet when the engine is in an operative position.

Methods and apparatus for retaining a propshaft support bearing housing in a gear case

A marine propulsion unit drive train including two oppositely facing driven bevel gears having a common rotational axis and different numbers of teeth engaged with a bevel pinion drive gear having a single diametral pitch. Both driven gears have the same pitch diameter but different diametral pitches so that the driven gears rotate at different rates to boost performance when the propulsion unit is operated. The drive train is applicable to single propeller marine propulsion units and dual propeller stem drive units, and a method for fabricating a reduced-tooth driven gear to mesh with a drive pinion of a different diametral pitch is disclosed.

Drive train with a single diametral pitch pinion driving two gears with different diametral pitches

A shift control method and assembly for a marine drive having a transmission with a clutch member movable between a neutral position and a drive position are provided. The assembly includes a first lever responsive to a remotely actuated link and a second lever is connected to drive the clutch member. The assembly further includes a clutch subassembly interconnected between the first and second levers. The clutch subassembly is configured to selectively pivot the second lever to effect movement of the clutch member, and to permit over-travel of the link connected to the first lever without pivoting the second lever upon engagement of the clutch member in the drive position. The clutch member may be returned to neutral without first having to recover any initial overstroke, that is, when it is desired to return the transmission to neutral, rotation of the first lever immediately rotates the second lever, such that the transmission returns to neutral before the first lever reaches neutral. The clutch subassembly then permits the first lever to complete its return to neutral without causing further rotation of the second lever.

Assembly and method for providing shift control for a marine drive

A wedge for preventing relative side to side motion between the propshaft housing and the gear case of an outboard engine is described. The wedge is configured to be located between the propshaft housing and the gear case bore inner diameter surface so that the wedge forces one side of the propshaft housing into contact with the bore surface. The wedge fills, or bridges, the clearance gap between the propshaft housing and the gear case bore surface at the location of the wedge.

Apparatus and methods for preventing relative side to side motion

Disclosed herein is a shaft assembly including a vertically extending axis and comprising a lower shaft having an upper end portion including an upper end, and an axial bore extending downwardly from the upper end, an upper shaft including a lower end portion received in the axial bore and including a lower end and an outer surface extending axially from the lower end, means on the outer end portions of the upper and lower shafts for preventing rotary movement therebetween, and means for selectively permitting assembly and disassembly of the upper and lower shafts and for preventing disassembly of the upper and lower shafts comprising an annular groove in the axial bore in the lower shaft, an inclined bore located in the end portion of the upper shaft, extending upwardly at an acute angle to the axis, and having an opening located wholly in the outer surface, and a ball movable in the inclined bore and in the annular groove between a locked position wherein, when the axis is vertical, the ball is partially located in the annular groove and partially located in the inclined bore, thereby preventing disassembly of the shafts, and an unlocked position wherein the ball is wholly located in the inclined bore, thereby permitting assembly and disassembly of the shafts by permitting insertion and withdrawal of the end portion of the upper shaft relative to the axial bore of the lower shaft.

Marine propulsion device with releasably coupled drive shaft assembly

Marine apparatus comprising a boat including a wall extending generally in the fore and aft direction and having therein an air outlet opening, a propulsion unit mounted on the boat and including a propeller shaft, an engine drivingly connected to the propeller shaft, and a cover surrounding the engine and having therein an air inlet opening, and a duct communicating between the air outlet opening and the air inlet opening.

Arrangement for supplying combustion air to an outboard motor

A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gearcase, a propeller shaft mounted in the gearcase for rotation about a generally horizontal fore and aft axis and having an axially extending forwardly opening bore, a shift shaft including a rearward portion located in the bore, a forward portion, and structure for connecting the forward portion to the rearward portion to effect common axial movement of the forward and rearward portions in both directions along the fore and aft axis, a shift lever supported by the lower unit for rotary movement about a horizontal axis transverse to the fore and aft axis, being adapted to be connected to a vertically shiftable link to thereby rock the lever about the transverse horizontal axis, and including a leg, and structure for connecting the leg to the forward portion of the shift shaft to effect movement of the forward portion of the shift shaft in both directions along the fore and aft axis in response to rotary shift lever movement, one of the structure for connecting the forward portion of the rearward portion and the structure for connecting the leg to the forward portion including assembling structure operable incident to forward displacement of the rearward portion of the shift shaft to effect such connection thereof so as thereafter to effect displacement of the shift shaft in both directions along the fore and aft axis in response to rocking movement of the shift lever about the transverse horizontral axis.

Shiftable reversing transmission for marine propulsion device

Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device including a propulsion unit comprising a gearcase including therein a cavity, a propeller shaft extending in the cavity and including a portion having an outer surface with an axially extending flat, and a forwardly open axial bore, a bevel gear rotatably supported in the gearcase for rotation relative to the propeller shaft and including a central bore receiving the portion of the propeller shaft in spaced relation thereto, a drive pinion supported for rotation by the propulsion unit and drivingly engaging the bevel gear, a shift shaft located in the axial bore in the propeller shaft for axial movement relative to the propeller shaft and between a drive position and a neutral position, a roller retained between the flat and the bevel gear and movable between a driving position in driving engagement between the bevel gear and the propeller shaft and a non-driving position free of driving engagement between the bevel gear and the propeller shaft, and a pair of members movable radially through the propeller shaft and operably connecting the shift shaft and the roller for displacing the roller to the driving position in response to movement of the shift shaft to the drive position and for displacing the roller to the non-driving position in response to movement of the shift shaft to the neutral position.

Releasable roller clutch reversing transmission

A marine propulsion lower unit including spaced first and second sides, first and second water inlet openings respectively located in the first and second sides, a water passage including a laterally extending branch extending between the first and second water inlet openings, and first and second water inlet screen members including respective water inlet screen portions extending across the first and second water inlet openings, and respective first and second portions extending integrally from the water inlet screen portions and having releasable inter-engaging mechanisms for retaining the water inlet screen portions in the water inlet openings.

Marine propulsion device with self assembling coolant water inlet screens

A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a propeller shaft mounted for rotation about an axis, a propeller mounted on the propeller shaft, a drive gear, and a transmission including an actuator movable along the propeller shaft axis for selectively effecting driving engagement between the drive gear and the propeller shaft, an engine drivingly connected to the drive gear, a shift member movable along an axis transverse to the propeller shaft axis, and a mechanism selectively connectable, in alternative first and second conditions, between the shift member and the actuator for moving the actuator in opposite first and second directions along the propeller shaft axis in response to movement of the shift member in opposite directions, the mechanism moving the actuator in the first direction when connected in the first condition and when the shift member is moved in one direction, and the mechanism moving the actuator in the second direction when connected in the second condition and when the shift member is moved in the one direction.

Marine propulsion device with reversible shift apparatus

A marine propulsion device comprising an engine, a lower unit adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat for pivotal movement relative thereto about a generally vertical steering axis, the lower unit including a lower gearcase having therein lubricant, and a propeller rotatably supported by the lower gearcase, a generally vertical drive shaft rotatably supported in the lower unit and including an upper end driven by the engine, a lower end drivingly connected to the propeller, an axial bore extending upwardly from the lower end and defining a sleeve portion of the drive shaft, and an aperture extending radially through the sleeve portion, and internal threads within the axial bore for pumping lubricant from the lower gearcase upwardly through the axial bore to the aperture so that the lubricant flows outwardly through the aperture.

Marine propulsion device bearing lubrication system

Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device comprising an internal combustion engine, a lower unit including a rotatably mounted propeller shaft drivingly connected to the internal combustion engine and a propeller mounted on the propeller shaft, the lower unit further including a gearcase housing having an interior groove and a locating shoulder, a propeller shaft bearing housing within the gearcase housing engaging the locating shoulder, a beveled retaining ring received in the interior groove and engaging the propeller shaft bearing housing to bias the propeller shaft bearing housing against the locating shoulder, and a locking mechanism for preventing rotation of the propeller shaft bearing housing relative to the gearcase housing and for preventing disengagement of the beveled retaining ring from the interior groove.

Propeller shaft bearing housing retention system

Shifting of a marine propulsion device transmission drivingly connecting a drive shaft to an internal combustion engine and including a rotatable member operable to shift the transmission between forward drive, reverse drive and neutral positions in response to rotation of a shift lever is assisted by a shift assistance arrangement including a pivotal actuation lever connected to a push-pull assembly operated by a main control and a connecting link pivotally connected to the shift lever and to the actuator lever. The pivotal connection between the connecting link and the actuation lever includes a slider element mounted for reciprocative axial movement relative to the connecting link and pivotally receiving a pivot pin on the actuation lever. A pair of springs acting on the opposite ends of the slider element maintain the connecting link and the actuation lever in a normal position so they move together to effect shifting when the resistance to transmission shift is below a predetermined level. The slider element, and thus the actuation lever, is displaced relative to the connecting link from the normal position when the shift resistance is above that level. The shift arrangement also includes a switch which is carried by the actuation lever and is engaged to interrupt engine ignition by a pair of cams on the connecting link when the actuation lever is displaced from the normal position only during shifting from either the forward drive position or the reverse drive position to the neutral position.

Growing community of inventors

Wildwood, IL, United States of America

Jeffrey P Higby