The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 06, 1988
Filed:
Jun. 24, 1987
Gordon B Hale, Waukegan, IL (US);
Donald J Friddle, Kenosha, IL (US);
Edward D McBride, Waukegan, IL (US);
Outboard Marine Corporation, Waukegan, IL (US);
Abstract
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.