Marine propeller mounting device

Claim 1

A marine propeller mounting device for a marine propeller driven by motive means, said mounting device comprising a shaft coupled at one end to motive means and having an opposite free end, said shaft having external threading thereon in spaced proximate relation with the free end thereof, a plurality of keyways formed in the shaft at the free end thereof extending parallel to the axis of the shaft in spaced equiangular relation and a plurality of keys supported in said keyways; a propeller mount supporting a marine propeller for rotation therewith, said propeller mount being coaxially positioned over the shaft and having an internally threaded axial bore threadedly coupled to the threading of the shaft and a plurality of internally threaded bores formed in an end surface thereof parallel to the axis; a component coaxially positioned over part of the propeller mount, said component having a first part with external threading thereon, a second part having a plurality of radially extending internally threaded bores formed therein in spaced equiangular relation, and first and second adjoining axial bores formed through the component, the second bore having a larger diameter than the first, the first bore accommodating part of the propeller mount; a substantially annular restraining member coaxially positioned over the shaft and within the second bore of the component, said restraining member having a plurality of bores formed therethrough in alignment with the bores of the propeller mount; a plurality of screws each in a corresponding one of the bores of the restraining member and each threadedly coupled to the propeller mount via a corresponding one of the bores of the propeller mount coupling the restraining member to the propeller mount with a predetermined gap between the restraining member and the propeller mount thereby preventing axial movement of the propeller mount; an assembly nut member having first, second and third adjoining axial bores formed therethrough, the first bore having a larger diameter than the second and the second bore having a larger diameter than the third, a plurality of radially extending internally threaded bores formed in the nut member around the first bore in alignment with the radially extending bores of the component, the second bore being internally threaded and a plurality of keyways formed in the third bore in alignment with the keys of the shaft, said nut member being threadedly coupled to the component via the externally threaded part of said component and the second bore of said nut member; and a plurality of set screws each threadedly coupled in a corresponding one of the radially extending bores of the assembly nut member and threadedly coupled in a corresponding one of the radially extending bores of the component.