Propeller assembly drive

Claim 1

A TORPEDO TAILCONE AND PROPELLER DRIVE ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING; (A) A CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR STATIONARY FIRST JOURNAL FORMING A PART OF THE TAILCONE, (B) A FRONT PROPELLER HAVING A FIRST HUB WITH A PLAIN CYLINDRICAL BEARING SURFACE THEREIN ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST JOURNAL, (C) A PAIR OF PLAIN THRUST BEARINGS, EACH HAVING FLAT SURFACES, DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FIRST HUB, ADAPTED TO RETAIN IT AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT, (D) SAID FIRST HUB HAVING A REARWARDLY EXTENDING TORQUE COLLAR RIGIDLY AFFIXED THERETO FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND INCLUDING A TUBULAR SECOND JOURNAL, (E) A REAR PROPELLER HAVING A SECOND HUB WITH A PLAIN BEARING SURFACE THEREIN ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND JOURNAL, (F) A PAIR OF LIKE THRUST BEARINGS FOR RETAINING THE SECOND HUB AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT. (G) A TUBULAR OUTER DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING AXIALLY OF THE TAILCONE ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED IN ONE DIRECTION HAVING A SPLINE AT ITS REAR END DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO A PORTION OF SAID TORQUE COLLAR, (H) AN INNER DRIVE SHAFT DISPOSED WITHIN THE OUTER DRIVE SHAFT ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND HAVING A SPLINE AT ITS REAR END PORTION DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO THE HUB OF SAID REAR PROPELLER, (I) THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT A REARWARD AXIAL FORCE APPLIED TO SAID SECOND HUB IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE REARMOST THRUST BEARING TO THE TORQUE COLLAR AND FIRST HUB, AND THENCE THROUGH THE REAR THRUST BEARING FOR THE FRONT HUB TO THE TAILCONE, THE TWO NAMED SPLINE CONNECTIONS PREVENTING SUCH FORCE FROM BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE TWO DRIVE SHAFTS.