Twin-screw marine drive mechanism for relatively small ship

Claim 1

A TWIN-SCREW MARINE DRIVE MECHANISM, COMPRISING: (A) AN INBOARD ENGINE; (B) AN INBOARD MAIN DRIVE SPINDLE JOURNALED FOR ROTATION IN THE STERN PORTION OF THE SHIP AND DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF THE KEEL; (C) MEANS COUPLING SAID SPINDLE TO SAID ENGINE; (D) A PAIR OF PROPELLER DRIVE HOUSINGS, SECURED TO THE LOWER DECK OF THE STERN, AND ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE KEEL, WITH SAID SPINDLE HAVING RESPECTIVE END PORTIONS WITHIN SAID HOUSINGS; (E) A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY-VERTICAL STATIONARY HOUSINGS, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID PROPELLER DRIVE HOUSINGS, WITH SAID STATIONARY HOUSINGS BEING SECURED TO SAID RESPECTIVE DRIVE HOUSINGS, AND WITH EACH OF SAID STATIONARY HOUSINGS DEPENDING THEREFROM AND PROJECTING THROUGH THE LOWER DECK AND INTO THE WATER; (F) A ROTATABLE SLEEVE JOURNALED WITHIN EACH OF SAID STATIONARY HOUSINGS, WITH EACH OF SAID SLEEVES HAVING AN UPPER END PORTION WITHIN ITS RESPECTIVE PROPELLER DRIVE HOUSING; (G) AN INTERMEDIATE DRIVE SPINDLE JOURNALED WITHIN EACH OF SAID SLEEVES; (H) MEANS IN SAID PROPELLER DRIVE HOUSINGS TO COUPLE SAID INTERMEDIATE DRIVE SPINDLES TO SAID MAIN DRIVE SPINDLE; (I) A CLUTCH MECHANISM IN EACH OF SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS; WITH SAID CLUTCH MECHANISMS BEING INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLABLE FROM A SINGLE SOURCE, AND WITH EACH OF SAID CLUTCH MECHANISMS HAVING A "FORWARD," A "REVERSE," AND A "NEUTRAL" POSITION; (J) A PROPELLER HOUSING, FORMED AS A STABILIZER, AND MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER END OF EACH OF SAID ROTATABLE SLEEVES FOR CONJOINT MOVEMENT THEREWITH; (K) A PROPELLER SPINDLE JOURNALED WITHIN EACH OF SAID LAST-NAMED HOUSINGS; (L) MEANS COUPLING SAID PROPELLER SPINDLE TO ITS RESPECTIVE INTERMEDIATE DRIVE SPINDLE; (M) A PROPELLER MOUNTED UPON EACH OF SAID PROPELLER SPINDLES; (N) SLIP CLUTCH MEANS BETWEEN SAID PROPELLER AND ITS RESPECTIVE PROPELLER SPINDLE; (O) A CONTROL MEMBER MOUNTED UPON THE UPPER END OF EACH OF SAID ROTATABLE SLEEVES FOR CONJOINT MOVEMENT THEREWITH; AND (P) CONTROL MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CONTROL MEMBERS WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH A SINGLE CONTROL SOURCE, WHEREBY SAID PROPELLERS, WHEN PIVOTED, ARE ALWAYS IN UNISON WITH EACH OTHER, SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE DRIVE BEING SUPPLIED TO EACH.