Marine propulsion device with two piece propeller shaft assembly including spring clip for releasably preventing relative movement between propeller shaft pieces

US4863406A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Outboard Marine Corporation · US

Inventors

• Gerald F. Bland · Glenview, US
• Michael Freitag · Würzburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 15, 1988
• Grant date: Sep 5, 1989
• Expiry date: Apr 15, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B63H2020/323
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gearcase, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in the gear case and adapted to support a propeller, a clutch shaft rotatably mounted in the gearcase in co-axial relation to the propeller shaft, a splined female end portion on one of the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft and a splined male end portion on the other of the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft and engaged with the splined female end portion, and a resilient spring clip cooperating with the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft for releasably retaining the propeller shaft and the clutch shaft in predetermined axial relation to each other.