Marine transmission control with vibration isolation system

Claim 1

A marine propulsion device comprising a marine propulsion unit including an engine, a rotatably mounted propeller, transmission means operatively connected with said engine and said propeller for operation between a neutral position in which said engine is operatively disconnected from said propeller and a drive position in which said engine powers said propeller, said transmission means including a gearcase housing having confined therein an incompressible lubricating oil, and control means for operating said transmission means between said neutral position and said drive position, said control means including a movable control handle, a shift rod operatively connected between said control handle and said transmission means, having a longitudinal axis, and movable axially along said longitudinal axis in response to operative forces imparted by the movement of said control handle and in response to vibratory forces imparted by operation of said transmission means, and damper means for resisting the transmission of vibratory forces and comprising a cylinder enclosing a portion of said shift rod, a piston attached to said portion of said shift rod and movable within said cylinder in common with the movement of said shift rod axially along said longitudinal axis, and incompressible lubricating oil contained within said cylinder, and conduit means communicating between said gearcase housing and said cylinder for conducting lubricating oil therebetween.