GB1405389A - Marine drive system - Google Patents

Abstract

1405389 Propelling ships S W RAULERSON 14 Jan 1974 01720/74 Heading B7V [Also in Division F2] A marine drive system for connecting a single marine engine to twin screw propeller shafts in a boat, comprises a unit B with an input shaft 2 driven by the engine and driving a shaft 16 by way of gears 3, 17, the shaft 16 passing through and projecting from each side of the housing 1 of the unit B and being connected at each side by way of a universal joint 36 (only one side being shown in Fig. 2) to drive a shaft 90 mounted in a gear unit C containing gears 100, 110 and a shaft 112 coupled to a splined input shaft 126 of an independently operable marine transmission E the output shaft of each of which carries a propeller (not shown), the arrangement being such that the twin propellers are contrarotating since they are both driven from the shaft 16. Each end of the shaft 16 carries an adapter 25 mounting the outer race 76 of the associated universal joint 36. The inner race 70 of the joint is mounted on a splined shaft 37 and a cage 74 locating equally spaced balls 72 is interposed between the races 70, 76. External splines on a portion 43 of the shaft 37 telescope within internal splines in the associated shaft 90 allowing axial adjustment therebetween. The housing 1 of the unit B includes an extension 21 on each side, each extension having a pair of diametrically opposed ears 84 (one of which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) the ears 84 interfitting with a pair of ears 82 formed on housing section 30 of the associated unit C. A gimbal ring 29 is positioned about the ears 82, 84 and is pivotally connected thereto by pairs of pins 33, 86 disposed on axes at right angles to each other. Housing section 30 is formed as a split collar 94 which may be clamped about the main housing section 41 of the unit C by bolts and nuts 96, 98 to allow adjustment of the distance between the units B, C. In this way the housing sections enclosing the universal joints 36 may be adjusted to suit the in use relative positions and attitudes of the units B, C.