Marine propulsion device including propeller protection means

Claim 2

A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gear case normally submerged in water, a propeller shaft mounted in said gear case for rotation about an axis and carrying a propeller, a vertical fin extending downwardly from said gear case and having a lower end portion, and a pair of generally flat, horizontal fins affixed on said vertical fin lower end portion and extending laterally in substantially coplanar relationship from the opposite sides of said lower end portion of said vertical fin, each of said horizontal fins having a laterally extending trailing edge located wholly forwardly of said propeller.

Claim 3

A marine propulsion device according to Claim 1 wherein said vertical fin has a lowermost edge and said side fins have lowermost surfaces which are generally coplanar with said vertical fin lowermost edge.

Claim 4

A marine propulsion device according to Claim 1 wherein said vertical fin has leading and trailing edges, said side fin trailing edges are generally co-terminus with said vertical fin trailing edge, and each of said side fins includes a generally straight outermost edge portion extending forwardly from said trailing edge and generally parallel to said propeller shaft axis, and a leading edge extending at an incline from adjacent said vertical fin leading edge toward said outmost edge portion.

Claim 5

A marine propulsion device according to Claim 3 wherein said side fin leading edge includes a convexly curved portion smoothly merging with said outermost edge.

Claim 6

A marine propulsion device according to Claim 3 wherein said outermost edges of said side fins extend laterally to a location generally corresponding to the peripheral path of said propeller.

Claim 7

A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gear case normally submerged in water, a propeller shaft mounted in said gear case for rotation about an axis and carrying a propeller, a vertical fin extending downwardly from said gear case and having a lower end portion, a lowermost edge, and leading and trailing edges, and a pair of generally flat, horizontal fins affixed on said vertical fin lower end portion and extending laterally in substantially coplanar relationship from the opposite sides of said lower end portion of said vertical fin, each of said horizontal fins having a lowermost surface which is generally coplanar with said vertical fin lowermost edge, each of said horizontal fins having a laterally extending trailing edge located wholly forwardly of said propeller in generally coplanar relation to said vertical fin trailing edge, and each of said horizontal fins including a generally straight outermost edge portion extending forwardly from said trailing edge and generally parallel to said propeller shaft axis, and a leading edge extending at an incline from adjacent said vertical fin leading edge toward said outermost edge portion.

Claim 8

A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a gear case normally submerged in water, a propeller shaft mounted in said gear case for rotation about an axis and carrying a propeller, a vertical fin extending downwardly from said gear case and having a lower end portion, a lowermost edge, and leading and trailing edges, and a pair of generally flat, horizontal fins affixed on said vertical fin lower end portion and extending laterally in substantially coplanar relationship from the opposite sides of said lower end portion of said vertical fin, each of said horizontal fins having a lowermost surface which is generally coplanar with said vertical fin lowermost edge, each of said horizontal fins having a laterally extending trailing edge located wholly forwardly of said propeller in generally coplanar relation to said vertical fin trailing edge, and each of said horizontal fins including a generally straight outermost edge portion extending forwardly from said trailing edge and generally parallel to said propeller shaft axis, and a leading edge extending at an incline from adjacent said vertical fin leading edge toward said outermost edge portion.

Claim 9

A marine propulsion device according to Claim 6 wherein said horizontal fin leading edge includes a convexly curved portion smoothly merging with said outermost edge.

Claim 10

A marine propulsion device according to Claim 6 wherein said outermost edges of said horizontal fins extend laterally to a location generally corresponding to the peripheral path of said propeller.