Shifting apparatus for a propelling unit for a vessel
First Claim
1. In a shifting arrangement for a marine propelling unit or the like comprising an outer housing journalling an output shaft, a pair of oppositely rotating gears journalled on said output shaft, a clutch element rotatably coupled to said output shaft and axially movable relative thereto for selective driving engagement with said gears for driving said output shaft in a selected direction of rotation, a plunger for axially moving said clutch element, an operating element supported for reciprocation and operatively connected to said plunger for operating said plunger to shift said clutch element, and an elongated control rod, the improvement comprising said outer housing having an opening through which said control rod is inserted in an axial direction, said control rod having integral actuating means for reciprocating said operating element upon rotation of said control element, said integral actuating means being sized to pass through said outer housing opening.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A shifting arrangement for a propelling unit for a vessel embodying an improved and simplified unitary control rod for operating a clutching element of a reversing gear. The control rod is long and torsionally resilient and a detent cooperates with the lower end of the control rod for achieving a snap action gear engagement.
34 Citations
10 Claims
- 1. In a shifting arrangement for a marine propelling unit or the like comprising an outer housing journalling an output shaft, a pair of oppositely rotating gears journalled on said output shaft, a clutch element rotatably coupled to said output shaft and axially movable relative thereto for selective driving engagement with said gears for driving said output shaft in a selected direction of rotation, a plunger for axially moving said clutch element, an operating element supported for reciprocation and operatively connected to said plunger for operating said plunger to shift said clutch element, and an elongated control rod, the improvement comprising said outer housing having an opening through which said control rod is inserted in an axial direction, said control rod having integral actuating means for reciprocating said operating element upon rotation of said control element, said integral actuating means being sized to pass through said outer housing opening.
- 6. In a shifting mechanism for coupling a driving mechanism to a driven mechanism comprising a pair of relatively movable positive clutching elements each operatively connected for rotation with a respective one of said mechanisms, said clutching elements being relatively movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and actuating means for moving said clutching elements relative to each other between their engaged and disengaged positions including an element having a first end portion adapted to be moved by an operator for actuating said clutching elements, a second end portion cooperable with said clutching elements for their relative movement and a resilient intermediate portion, the improvement comprising detent means engageable with a portion of said element contiguous to said second end portion for releasably restraining said second end portion in a neutral position, said intermediate portion being sufficiently resilient for relative rotation of said first and second end portions upon operation of said first end portion by an operator until the predetermined force required to release said detent means is exceeded for release of the resilient force stored in said intermediate portion upon release of said detent means for providing a spring force for driving said clutching elements into engagement.
Specification