Marine outboard transmission and drive unit for inboard power plants

Claim 1

AN OUTBOARD PROPULSION DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE TRANSOM OF A BOAT HAVING AN INBOARD ENGINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING; TRANSMISSION MEANS ARRANGED IN SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING A DRIVE SHAFT TO PROJECT THROUGH THE TRANSOM AND HAVING A DRIVING CONNECTION WITH THE ENGINE; A DRIVE UNIT INCLUDING A TRANSMISSION MEANS AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT IN A FORE AND AFT VERTICAL PLANE; SAID DRIVE UNIT COMPRISING AN UPPER PORTION AND A LOWER PORTION ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO ABOUT THE DRIVE UNIT AXIS IN ANY PIVOTAL POSITION, MEANS INCLUDING GEARS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVE UNIT, SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING STEERING MECHANISM INCLUDING GEARS PROJECTING INTO SAID DRIVE UNIT AND HAVING AN OPERABLE CONNECTION WITH SAID LOWER PORTION THEREOF TO ROTATE AND EFFECT STEERING OF THE BOAT, AND MEANS FOR DETACHING SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID DRIVE UNIT FROM SAID UPPER PORTION WITHOUT DISTURBANCE OF THE DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM.