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:
May. 15, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1988
Neil A Newman, Omro, WI (US);
Daniel F McCormick, Oshkosh, WI (US);
Brunswick Corporation, Skokie, IL (US);
Abstract
An inboard/outboard stern drive system incorporates a chain drive mechanism. A chain drive extends between the propeller shaft and an intermediate shaft mounted in the stern drive lower unit above the waterline during boat operation for driving the propeller shaft in response to rotation of the intermediate shaft. An input shaft is mounted in the upper portion of the stern drive lower unit, and is drivingly engageable with the intermediate shaft. Appropriate gears and/or sprockets are mounted to the input shaft and the intermediate shaft for transferring rotation therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, a reversing mechanism is employed for selectively imparting rotation to the intermediate shaft in either a first or second rotational direction, thereby controlling the direction of rotation of the propeller shaft. The reversing mechanism is disposed above the waterline during normal operation so as not to impinge on the submerged area of the lower unit. The location of the intermediate shaft above the waterline allows large reductions necessary to efficiently transfer power from the input shaft to the propeller shaft in high power applications, without increasing the frontal area of the submerged portion of the lower unit.