Marine propulsion device with releasably coupled drive shaft assembly

Abstract

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.