Marine propeller bushing coupling

Claim 1

A marine propulsion drive coupling bushing assembly, comprising an outer housing, an inner sleeve, and an annular rubber bushing within said housing and around said sleeve; said housing, sleeve and bushing being symmetrical about a central axis of rotation, said housing forming an inner chamber, and having a substantially cylindrical inner engagement surface of diameter Dc surrounding said inner chamber; said sleeve having an outer surface of diameter Ds spaced radially inwardly of said housing inner engagement surface to define an annular chamber therebetween; said annular bushing having an inner surface bonded to said sleeve outer surface, and having a free configuration substantially trapezoidal in cross section on a radial plane, the base of the trapezoid being at said bushing inner surface; said bushing free configuration having a diameter D B with the following relationship to diameters Dc and Ds: ##EQU3## and said bushing, in its assembled condition in said annular chamber between said chamber inner surface and said sleeve outer surface, having a diameter equal to diameter Dc.