Reversible transmission

Claim 2

A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit having a rotatably mounted drive shaft provided with a driving gear, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in said lower unit and carrying a propeller, a drive gear rotatably carried on said propeller shaft and disposed in meshing engagement with said driving gear, a propeller shaft drive means carried on said propeller shaft for axial movement relative to said propeller shaft and for common rotation with said propeller shaft, a clutch dog mounted on said propeller shaft drive means for rotation relative thereto and for common axial movement with said propeller drive shaft means into a position drivingly connecting said clutch dog with said drive gear for common rotation, means for selectively moving said propeller shaft drive means axially on said propeller shaft to move said clutch dog relative to said position, and means for connecting said clutch dog to said propeller shaft drive means for rotation of said drive means in response to rotation of said clutch dog.

Claim 3

A marine propulsion device according to claim 1 wherein said means for connecting said clutch dog to said propeller shaft drive means includes a spirally wound torsion spring affixed at the opposite ends to said clutch dog and said propeller shaft drive means and in encircling relation to said propeller shaft, said torsion spring being disposed so as to be gradually wound tighter during the initial rotation of said clutch dog after engagement with said drive gear and to eventually become tightly wound during continued rotation of said clutch dog to thereby provide a substantially rigid connection between said clutch dog and said propeller shaft drive means.

Claim 4

A mariNe propulsion device according to claim 2 including a resilient cushion located beneath said spring for supporting said spring and adapted to be compressed by said spring as said spring becomes tightly wound.

Claim 5

A marine propulsion device according to claim 2 wherein said propeller shaft drive means comprises a member including an axially extending, cylindrical sleeve portion, a circular portion extending radially outwardly from said sleeve portion and defining a radial shoulder, and a central aperture for receiving said propeller shaft, said clutch dog comprises a member including an axially extending, cylindrical body section having a central bore rotatably received on the sleeve portion of said propeller shaft drive means, and a circular flange which extends radially outwardly from said body, is axially spaced from the radial shoulder of said propeller shaft drive means, and carries means for drivingly connecting said clutch dog to said drive gear, and said torsion spring encircles the body section of said clutch dog and is affixed at the opposite ends to the circular portion of said propeller shaft drive means and said clutch dog flange.

Claim 6

A marine propulsion device according to claim 4 including an elongated tubular, resilient cushion located on the body section of said clutch dog for supporting said spring, said cushion having a longitudinal dimension less than the axial spacing between the shoulder of said propeller shaft drive means and said clutch dog flange.

Claim 7

A marine propulsion device including a lower unit having a drive shaft provided with a driving gear, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in said lower unit and carrying a propeller, a pair of axially spaced drive gears rotatably carried on said propeller shaft and disposed in meshing engagement with said driving gear, a propeller shaft driver carried on said propeller shaft between said drive gears for axial movement relative to said propeller shaft and for common rotation with said propeller shaft, said propeller shaft driver comprising a generally cylindrical member including a radially outwardly extending, circular central portion defining axially spaced radial shoulders, and oppositely directed cylindrical sleeve portions extending axially from said central portion shoulders, and a central bore for receiving said propeller shaft, a clutch dog rotatably mounted on each of the sleeve portions of said propeller shaft driver for common axial movement with said propeller shaft driver into selective engagement with respective of said drive gears, each of said clutch dogs comprising a member including a central bore for rotatably receiving a sleeve portion of said propeller shaft driver, a cylindrical body section, and a circular flange which extends radially outwardly from said body section and is axially spaced from the corresponding shoulder of said propeller shaft driver, drive lugs on each of said clutch dog flanges which are engageable with the drive lugs of the corresponding drive gears, in response to selective axial movement of said propeller shaft driver on said propeller shaft, to drivingly connect a corresponding clutch dog and drive gear for common rotation, a spirally wound, torsion spring encircling each of said clutch dog body sections and affixed at the opposite ends to the central portion of said propeller shaft driver and the to the central portion of said propeller shaft driver and the corresponding clutch dog flange, said springs being more tightly wound when the corresponding clutch dog and drive gear are drivingly connected, and means for selectively moving said propeller shift driver axially on said propeller shaft to respectively drivingly engage said clutch dogs.

Claim 8

A marine propulsion device including a lower unit having a drive shaft provided with a driving gear, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in said lower unit and carrying a propeller, a pair of axially spaced drive gears rotatably carried on said propeller shaft and disposed in meshing engagement with said driving gear, a propeller shaft driver carried on said propeller shaft between said drive gears for axial movement relative to said propeller shaft and for common rotation with said propeller shaft, said propeller shaft driver comprising a generally cylindrical member including a radially outwardly extending, circular central portion defining axially spaced radial shoulders, and oppositely directed cylindrical sleeve portions extending axially from said central portion shoulders, and a central bore for receiving said propeller shaft, a clutch dog rotatably mounted on each of the sleeve portions of said propeller shaft driver for common axial movement with said propeller shaft driver into selective engagement with respective of said drive gears, each of said clutch dogs comprising a member including a central bore for rotatably receiving a sleeve portion of said propeller shaft driver, a cylindrical body section, and a circular flange which extends radially outwardly from said body section and is axially spaced from the corresponding shoulder of said propeller shaft driver, drive lugs on each of said clutch dog flanges which are engageable with the drive lugs of the corresponding drive gears, in response to selective axial movement of said propeller shaft driver on said propeller shaft, to drivingly connect a corresponding clutch dog and drive gear for common rotation, a spirally wound, torsion spring encircling each of said clutch dog body sections and affixed at the opposite ends to the central portion of said propeller shaft driver and the to the central portion of said propeller shaft driver and the corresponding clutch dog flange, said springs being more tightly wound when the corresponding clutch dog and drive gear are drivingly connected, and means for selectively moving said propeller shift driver axially on said propeller shaft to respectively drivingly engage said clutch dogs.

Claim 9

A marine propulsion device according to claim 6 further including an elongated tubular resilient cushion located on the body section of each of said clutch dogs for respectively supporting said springs, said cushions having a longitudinal dimension less than the respective axial spacing between said propeller sHaft driver shoulder and said clutch dog flange.

Claim 10

A transmission including a driven shaft, a drive gear carried on said driven shaft and adapted for connection to a source of power, and drive gear including one or more drive lugs, a drive means carried on said driven shaft for axial movement relative to said driven shaft and for common rotation with said driven shaft, a clutch dog rotatably mounted on said shaft drive means for rotation relative thereto an for common axial movement with said drive means into a position drivingly connecting said clutch dog with said drive gear for common rotation, means for selectively moving said shaft drive means axially on said driven shaft to move said clutch dog relative to said position, and means for connecting said clutch dog to said shaft drive means for rotation of said drive means in response to rotation of said clutch dog.

Claim 11

A transmission including a driven shaft, a drive gear carried on said driven shaft and adapted for connection to a source of power, and drive gear including one or more drive lugs, a drive means carried on said driven shaft for axial movement relative to said driven shaft and for common rotation with said driven shaft, a clutch dog rotatably mounted on said shaft drive means for rotation relative thereto an for common axial movement with said drive means into a position drivingly connecting said clutch dog with said drive gear for common rotation, means for selectively moving said shaft drive means axially on said driven shaft to move said clutch dog relative to said position, and means for connecting said clutch dog to said shaft drive means for rotation of said drive means in response to rotation of said clutch dog.

Claim 12

A transmission according to claim 8 wherein said means for connecting said clutch dog to said shaft drive means includes a spirally wound torsion spring affixed at the opposite ends to said clutch dog and said shaft drive means and in encircling relation to said driven shaft, said torsion spring being disposed so as to be gradually wound tighter during the initial rotation of said clutch dog after engagement with said drive gear and to eventually become tightly wound during continued rotation of said clutch dog to thereby provide a substantially rigid connection between said clutch dog and said shaft drive means.

Claim 13

A transmission according to claim 9 including a resilient cushion located beneath said spring for supporting said spring and adapted to be compressed by said spring as said spring becomes tighly wound.