JPH05170182A - Propulsion device for ship - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate the assembly of a power transmission device by supporting the shift lever of a shift device for shifting forward and rearward rotating directions of propeller shaft so as to freely oscillate inside a gearcase by which the propeller shaft is supported, in the lower unit of a marine propulsion unit. CONSTITUTION: In a propulsion unit of a marine propulsion device, a gearcase 32 is provided in the lower unit, and a propeller shaft 42 is freely rotatably supported in the gearcase 32. Further, a power transmission device 58 is housed in a recess 43, and this device transmits power, which is transmitted to a vertical drive shaft 56, from a drive pinion 60 through a bevel gear 64 or 66 to the propeller shaft 42. As means for selectively connecting the propeller shaft 42 to the bevel gears 64, 66, a dog clutch 82 and an operating means 86 for shifting the clutch are provided, and the operating means 86 includes an L- shaped shift lever 94, which is rocked through a shift rod 92, and performs the shift control of the dog clutch 82 through a connection link mechanism 114 by the rocking movement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to marine propulsion devices such as outboard motors and stern drive units. More particularly, the present invention relates to a power transmission device for a ship propulsion device, such as the one described above, including a reverse rotation power transmission device, including a "counter rotation" and a "standard rotation".
The present invention can be applied to both types of power transmission devices called "automation". The present invention also relates to a method of incorporating a reverse power transmission into a marine propulsion device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the past, a power transmission device called a "counterrotation" type had a two-member type propeller shaft. That is, the propeller shaft had a front portion and a rear portion. Transmission of the forward thrust to the gear case has been performed by the thrust ring provided at the rear portion of the propeller shaft. Providing a thrust ring on the propeller shaft
It had hindered the reliable assembly of the shift operating mechanism on the front part of the propeller shaft. As a result, a counterrotation type power transmission employs a split shaft, which allows the front portion of the propeller shaft to be incorporated before the rear portion of the propeller shaft (including the thrust ring) is incorporated into the front portion of the propeller shaft. It was possible to reliably connect the shift operating mechanism to the front side of the. The standard rotation type propeller shaft was a one-member type shaft.

More specifically, in a conventional shift operation mechanism having both a counter rotation type and a standard rotation type, a shift shaft having an annular groove is provided at the front end of the propeller shaft, and the shift shaft has an outer side that enters the groove. There was a bell crank type shift lever with legs having ends.

In both prior art structures of counter rotation and standard rotation,
A bell crank type shift lever was pivotally mounted in the shift housing, and the front bevel gear was also initially incorporated into the shift housing. The shift housing assembly thus obtained is then
The gear housing is mounted on the front end of the recess, and the pins of the shift housing are engaged with the slots of the gear case to prevent rotation between the shift housing and the gear case. Also, before inserting the shift housing assembly into the recess of the gear case, the shift shaft and dog clutch are assembled on the propeller shaft (or the front part of the propeller shaft in the case of counterrotation), so that the front Forming a propeller shaft assembly that is to be inserted into a bevel gear located at, and operatively engaging the shift shaft with a pivotally mounted shift lever. Next, the shift housing assembly having the pre-assembled shift lever and the bevel gear located in the front, together with the propeller shaft assembly (with the shift shaft and shift lever operatively engaged), is recessed in the gear case. Had been inserted inside.

In the next stage of the prior art, the drive pinion was fixed to the drive shaft, and the drive pinion was engaged with the bevel gear located in the front in a meshed state. It is difficult and costly to properly "tighten" the nut that holds the drive pinion on the drive shaft because the gear case is recessed inside, i.e. the propeller shaft is already located in the recess. It was a laborious task.

Thereafter, in the standard rotation structure, the bevel gear and the propeller shaft bearing retainer located at the rear are mounted in the recess of the gear case so as to surround the propeller shaft. The bearing retainer was then fixed in place.

In the counterrotation structure, the rear bevel gear (with the assembled thrust container or thrust canister) was assembled to the portion of the propeller shaft in front of the thrust ring which is provided at the rear portion of the propeller shaft. The assembly thus assembled also included a propeller shaft bearing retainer attached to the thrust canister and extending from the thrust canister to the rear of the thrust ring. Next, the pre-assembled product obtained in this way (pre-assembly)
Is inserted into the recess of the gear case, the rear part of the propeller shaft is engaged so as to rotate integrally with the front part of the propeller shaft, the bevel gear located at the rear is engaged with the drive pinion, and the bearing is mounted on the gear case. In addition, the thrust canister is engaged with the gear case so that the forward thrust force is transmitted therebetween, and further, the propeller shaft bearing retainer is engaged with the recess of the gear case. The bearing retainer was then fixed in place and each element held in a recess in the gear case.

See the following US patent specifications:

Inventor Patent Number Issued Date BLANCHARD 4,302,196 November 24, 1981 TAGUCHI 4,637,802 January 20, 1987 HARADA 4,689,027 August 25, 1987 HIGBY 4,850,910 1989 25th July McELROY 4,861,295 29th August 1989 HIGBY 4,865,570 12th September 1989 Also, Johnson / Evinrude 1987
(Johnson / Ebinurudo) Service Manual (S
See also Service Manual). The counterrotation configuration disclosed in this service manual is obtained by rotating the counterrotation engine in a rotation direction opposite to the rotation direction of the standard rotation structure.

[0010]

The present invention comprises a lower unit, the lower unit being provided in the gear case so as to rotate about a gear case and a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis. A propeller shaft extending axially and having a hole open toward the front, a rear portion provided in the hole, a front portion, and connecting the front portion to the rear portion, the front portion and the rear portion A shift shaft having means for axially moving integrally in both directions along the longitudinal axis, and the lower unit so as to rotate about a horizontal axis that traverses the longitudinal axis. A shift lever supported and connected to a vertically movable link so as to swing about the horizontal axis, and also has a leg portion, and the leg portion in front of the shift shaft. And a means for moving the front portion of the shift shaft in both directions along the longitudinal axis according to the rotational movement of the shift lever, and connecting the front portion to the rear portion. And one of the means for connecting the leg to the front portion actuate in response to the forward movement of the rear portion of the shift shaft to make the connection, after which the shift lever is moved to the horizontal position. There is provided a ship propulsion device comprising assembly means for moving the shift shaft in both directions along the longitudinal axis in response to swinging around the axis.

A key feature of the present invention is that it can be used in both standard and counterrotation marine propulsion powertrains including a reverse powertrain that switches the powertrain between a drive position and a neutral position. Is to provide a shift assembly,
The shift assembly includes a shift shaft composed of a plurality of members and a shift mechanism, and the shift shaft and the shift mechanism insert a propeller shaft assembly including at least a part of the shift shaft into a gear case to thereby provide a gear. Can be assembled in a mutually working relationship in the case,
This makes it possible to use a one-piece or multi-piece propeller shaft and makes the assembly of the power transmission device more efficient.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, claims and drawings.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before describing in detail one embodiment of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the application of the present invention is not limited to the details of the structure and the constitution of each element shown in the following description or the drawings. There is. The invention may be embodied in other embodiments and may be implemented or carried out in various ways.
Further, the terms and terms used in the present specification are used for the purpose of explanation, and should not be construed as limiting.

A ship propulsion system 10 embodying various features of the present invention is shown in the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the boat propulsion device 10 is an outboard motor, but in other configurations, another type of boat propulsion device 1 such as a stern drive unit is used.
It can be zero.

The outboard motor 10 is a transom 1 of the boat 16.
4 has a mounting assembly 12 attached thereto.
In the illustrated arrangement, the mounting assembly 12 includes a transom bracket 18 fixed to the transom 14 and a transom bracket 18 about a generally horizontal tilt axis 22 although any other suitable mounting assembly may be used. The pivot bracket 20 is attached to the transom bracket 18 so as to be pivotable relative to the pivot bracket 20.

The outboard motor 10 also includes a substantially vertical steering axis 2
6 comprises a propulsion unit 24 mounted on the swivel bracket 20 such that it can pivot relative to the swivel bracket 20 about its circumference. The propulsion unit 24 includes a lower unit 28 having a drive shaft housing 30 and a gear case 32 provided at a lower end of the drive shaft housing 30. The gear case 32 has a closed front end 36.
And a hollow interior or recess 34 (FIG. 2) having an open rear end 38 and a generally horizontal anterior-posterior axis 40. The propeller shaft 42 extends rearward from the gear case 32, and a propeller 44 is appropriately attached to the rear end portion of the propeller shaft 42.

The propeller shaft 42 has a longitudinal axis which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 40 in the illustrated arrangement, and which is described below to provide the recess 3 of the gear case.
4 is rotatably supported around a longitudinal axis 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the propeller shaft 42 communicates with the axially extending hole 46 provided at the front end of the propeller shaft and opening toward the front, and is opposed to the axial hole 46 in the diametrical direction. A pair of axially extending slots 48 are mounted. Also, the propeller shaft 42 has
A thrust ring 50 having a one-piece structure facing the rear end of the propeller shaft is also provided.

In the illustrated construction, the propeller shaft 42 has a one-piece construction, but in other constructions, the propeller shaft 42 has a split shaft construction, with a plurality of appropriately connected propeller shaft portions. Can be configured.

The propulsion unit 24 also includes a lower unit 2
8 also has an internal combustion engine or internal combustion engine 54. The engine 54 is drivingly connected to a propeller 44 via a propeller shaft 42 by a driving means,
The drive means comprises a vertically extending drive shaft 46 supported in the drive shaft housing 30 and having a lower end extending into the gear case recess 34.

To convert the rotation of the drive shaft into the rotation of the propeller shaft, the drive means also comprises a power transmission device 58 provided in the recess 34 of the gear case, the power transmission device comprising the drive shaft. 56 may be operative to selectively connect to the propeller shaft 42 in a force transmitting relationship. In the configuration shown, the power transmission device 58 is a contra-rotating reversible power transmission device, but in other configurations,
A standard rotary power transmission can be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the power transmission device 58 is
It has a drive pinion 60 secured to the lower end of drive shaft 56 by a threaded lock nut 62 or other suitable means. In order to selectively transmit force from the vertical drive shaft 56 to the horizontal propeller shaft 42, the power transmission device 58 also includes a pair of spaced bevel gears 64, 66, which are bevel gears. , Coaxially surrounds the propeller shaft 42 and is supported in a recess 34 in the gear case for rotation about a longitudinal axis 40. Bevel gear 6
The reference numerals 4 and 66 are provided in front of and behind the pinion 60 so as to engage with both sides of the pinion 60.
Thereby, the bevel gears 64 provided at the front and the rear,
66 always rotates in the opposite direction as the pinion rotates. Therefore, the bevel gears 64 provided at the front and the rear,
By selectively connecting one or the other of 66 to the propeller shaft 42, the propeller shaft 42 can be rotated in either direction.

In the illustrated arrangement, the power transmission 58 is switchable between a forward drive state, a neutral state, and a rear or reverse drive state, as further described below. As shown in FIG. 2, the bevel gear 64 provided at the front is a reverse drive bevel gear and is connected to the propeller shaft 42 during the reverse operation of the outboard motor 10, while the bevel gear provided at the rear. Reference numeral 66 denotes a forward drive bevel gear, which is connected to the propeller shaft 42 during forward drive of the motor 10. In a standard rotary power transmission device, the above configuration is reversed.

In order to support the bevel gear 64 provided at the front, the power transmission device 58 is provided with this bevel gear 64 provided at the front in the recess 34 of the gear case around the longitudinal axis 40. Means for rotatably supporting is provided. Although any suitable bevel gear support means may be used, in the illustrated arrangement, such means comprises a bevel gear bearing housing or shift housing 68, which is generally cup-shaped, the shift housing comprising a gear case. Adjacent to the front end 36, which fits tightly in the recess 34 and is closed, it is provided in the recess of the gear case. Between the shift housing 68 and the gear case 32, mutual engagement means (not shown) for preventing relative rotation between the shift housing and the gear case is provided. Centrally located in the shift housing 68 is a hole 70 coaxially aligned with the propeller shaft 42 which allows passage of the enlarged forward end of the shift shaft described below. It is dimensioned to be able to. The shift housing 68 further includes a guide passage 72 oriented substantially vertically. Further, the shift housing 68 includes a propeller shaft 4 rotatably supported in a bevel gear 64 provided at the front.
Support the front end of 2.

In order to rotatably support the rear end of the propeller shaft 42 and to transmit the forward thrust or thrust from the propeller shaft 42 to the gear case 32, the power transmission device 58 includes a housing assembly 74 bearing the propeller shaft. have. A housing assembly 74 for bearing the propeller shaft is provided within the gear case recess 34 adjacent the rear end 38 of the gear case recess 34, such a housing assembly being described herein. See Higby et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,8,25, Jul. 25, 1989.
No. 50,910.

Briefly, the propeller shaft bearing housing assembly 74 includes a rear bevel gear 66.
And a rear bevel gear assembly 76 having a thrust container 78. The thrust container 78 is
It is located in front of the thrust ring 50 of the propeller shaft 42 in combination with the bevel gear 66 provided at the rear. The thrust container 78 is configured to engage with the thrust ring 50 and transmit the thrust force from the propeller shaft 42 to the gear case 32 during the forward operation of the outboard motor 10. Also,
Propeller shaft bearing housing assembly 74 includes a propeller shaft bearing housing or retainer 80.
The propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 surrounds the rear portion of the propeller shaft 42 and is detachably fixed by an appropriate means so as not to come off the recess 34 of the gear case. By holding the propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 in the recess 34 of the gear case, the propeller shaft 42 and the thrust container 78 are prevented from coming backward from the gear case 32.

The power transmission device 58 also includes a propeller shaft 42.
Are provided with means for selectively connecting them for rotation with one or the other of a bevel gear 64 on the front and a bevel gear 66 on the rear. A variety of suitable optional connecting means may be used, but in the illustrated arrangement such means would provide diametrically opposed openings 8.
4 is provided with a clutch dog, that is, a dog clutch 82
The dog clutch is supported by the propeller shaft 42 by an appropriate spline (not shown) so as to rotate together with the propeller shaft 42. By the spline connection of the dog clutch 82 and the propeller shaft 42, a bevel gear 64 provided at the front and a bevel gear 66 provided at the rear.
Within a shift range that includes a central or neutral position (shown in FIG. 2) spaced apart from each other, allows the dog clutch to move axially along the propeller shaft 42. More specifically, the shift range includes a first drive position in front of and in front of the neutral position and adjacent to a bevel gear 64,
Behind the neutral position and between the second drive position adjacent the rear bevel gear 66.

The dog clutch 82 is replaced with the dog clutch 8
The means for engaging either the forward bevel gear 64 or the rear bevel gear 66 with which the two are moved towards and rotating with the selected bevel gear is a dog clutch and a bevel gear 64. , 6
6 is provided. Such interlocking means may include drive lugs (not shown) or other suitable means. Since the dog clutch 82 cannot rotate relative to the propeller shaft 42, the propeller shaft 42 is
One of the bevel gears 6 with which the dog clutch 82 is engaged
Rotate with 4, 66. When the dog clutch 82 is in the neutral position, the meshing means is not engaged and the propeller shaft 42 is not driven in either direction.

The means for selectively connecting the propeller shaft 42 to one or the other of the bevel gears 64, 66 also includes the dog clutch 82 within the shift range and between the neutral position and the drive position in response to operator actuation. It also includes actuating means for shifting in. Although various actuation means 86 may be used, in the illustrated arrangement such means would be a power transmission shift structure or shift assembly 9.
It has 0.

2-9, the shift assembly 90 includes an elongated shift rod 92 which is suitably supported by the drive shaft housing 30 for vertical movement. Together, it extends downward into the gear case recess 34. One end of the shift rod 92 has a control mechanism (not shown).
The shift rod 92 can be moved upward or downward by the operator operating the control mechanism.

The shift assembly 90 also includes a movably mounted shift actuating member or shift actuator 94. In the illustrated arrangement, the shift actuator 94 is a shift lever in the form of a generally L-shaped swing arm or bell crank. The shift lever 94 is supported by a substantially horizontal pivot pin 98,
A central portion 96 is provided for oscillating or pivoting the shift lever 94 about a generally horizontal axis 100 oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis 40. Pivot pin 98 is preferably supported by shift housing 68 to maintain lateral axis 100 in a generally horizontal orientation,
It can also be supported by other means such as the gear case 32. The shift lever 94 also includes a rearwardly extending first leg 102 and a second leg 104 extending downwardly into the gear case recess 34.

The shift assembly 90 includes a shift rod link or coupler 106 (see FIG. 3) for connecting the shift rod 92 to the shift lever 94 and for pivoting the shift lever 94 in response to vertical movement of the shift rod. ) Is provided. The shift rod coupler 106 is
It is reciprocally accommodated in the guide passage 72, and the lowermost end of the shift rod 92 is accommodated in a screw type. The lower end of shift rod coupler 106 is provided with a first slot 108 (FIG. 3) that receives the outer end of first leg 102. The shift rod coupler 106 is also provided with a pair of opposed second slots 110 across the first slot 108. A cross pin 112 extending from both sides of the outer end of the first leg 102 is housed in the second slot 110 and pivotally connects the first leg 102 to the shift rod coupler 106. ..

The shift assembly 90 is also provided between the second leg 104 of the shift lever 94 and the dog clutch 82, and the dog clutch 82 is axially moved along the propeller shaft 42 in response to the pivotal movement of the shift lever 94. It is provided with a connection link mechanism 114 for moving the robot. The connecting link mechanism includes a substantially horizontal and elongated shift shaft 116 that is reciprocally housed in the axial hole 46 of the propeller shaft 42 and is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 40. ..

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shift shaft 11
6 has a rear portion 118 housed in the axial bore 46 of the propeller shaft 42. A coupling pin 120 extends through the rear end of the rear portion 118 of the shift shaft, through the opposing slot 48 of the propeller shaft 42, and the dog clutch 82.
Extending into the opposite opening 84 of the shift shaft to connect the rear portion 118 of the shift shaft to the dog clutch 82 so that the rear portion and the dog clutch 82 both rotate and axially within the shift range of the dog clutch 82. I try to exercise. The shift shaft 116 also has an axial bore 4
6 is provided with a front portion 124 projecting forward and outward, and the front portion extends through the hole 70 of the shift housing 68 in the axial direction to the front thereof. The front portion 124 of the shift shaft has an enlarged front end 126 that connects the power transmission 58 to the gear case 32.
Hole 70 in shift housing 68 when assembled into
Inserted in.

The shift shaft 116 also connects the rear and front portions 118, 124 of the shift shaft, both parts together in the axial bore 46 of the propeller shaft 42 along the longitudinal axis 40. Also provided with means for axial movement. The forward portion 124 of the shift shaft is non-rotatable for reasons described in detail below. Therefore,
The means for connecting the rear and front portions 118, 124 of the shift shaft also relatively rotatably connect these portions. Rear and front portions 118, 12 of the shift shaft
Various means can be used to connect both parts so that the four move axially together and in a relative rotational movement, but in the illustrated embodiment most of the means shown in FIG. As you can see, as such a connection means,
A reduced diameter end portion 128 is formed at the front end of the rear portion 118 of the shift shaft, and a further reduced diameter annular groove 130 is formed behind and inward of the end portion 128. Also,
The rear end of the forward portion 124 of the shift shaft is provided with a first radially opening slot 132 that defines a protrusion 134 adapted to extend into the annular groove 130. To do. In communication with the first radially opening slot 132 is a second radially expanding and opening second slot 136 which connects the end portion 128 of the rear portion 118 of the shift shaft. It is housed.

Rear and front portions 118 of the shift shaft,
To assemble 124, the rear portion 11 of the shift shaft
Positioning the eight end portion 128 in the radially open second slot 136 of the shift shaft front portion 124;
This allows the rear and front portions 118 of the shift shaft,
Ensuring that 124 moves axially in unison. Thereafter, the shift shaft 116 is attached to the axial hole 46 of the propeller shaft 42.
Into the axial hole 4 by means of which the connecting means is
Position in 6. By inserting the shift shaft in this manner, the rear portion and the front portion 118 of the shift shaft,
It prevents axial separation of 124 and allows relative rotation between these rear and front portions.

Shown in FIG. 4 is an alternative shift shaft structure or arrangement with modified means for connecting a pair of shift shaft portions for axial and relative rotational movement together. Is. In this modified construction, the front portion of the rear portion 138 of the modified shift shaft includes an annular groove 140 spaced rearwardly from the front end of the front portion. The structure also includes a modified shift shaft front portion 142 that is always located in front of the propeller shaft 42, the front portion having a larger dimension than the shift shaft rear portion 138, and A circular hole 144 opened rearward is provided for rotatably accommodating the front portion of the rear portion of the. The front portion 142 of the shift shaft also includes one or more laterally extending semi-annular slots 146 (only one shown), which slots and the annular groove 140 of the rear portion 138 of the shift shaft. Can be matched in direction. A C-shaped clip 148 extends into the semi-annular slot 146 and groove 140 to prevent the rear and front portions 138, 142 of the modified shift shaft from disassembling in the axial direction. In addition, it allows relative rotation between both parts.

Referring to the configurations of the reverse rotation and standard rotation power transmission devices, generally, in assembling the power transmission device, the shift lever 94 is attached to the lower unit 28,
The shift rod 92 is connected to the shift lever 94, and the drive pinion 60 and the bevel gear 64 provided at the front are attached. Then, attach the propeller shaft 42 to the recess 34 of the gear case.
The second leg 104 of the shift lever 94 for ease of insertion therein and for operatively associating the shift shaft 116 with the shift lever 94.
The connecting linkage 114 is provided with means for releasably and operatively engaging or mating with the 24 enlarged forward ends 126. In the illustrated configuration, as shown in FIGS. 5-9, such a combination means is associated with the forward movement of the shift shaft 116 relative to the shift lever 94 and the shift shaft 116 and the shift lever 94. Is intended to engage and connect.

More specifically, although other means can be used to combine the shift shaft 116 and the shift lever 94, in the illustrated arrangement, such combination means is the second part of the shift lever 94. Cross links or cross pins 15 provided on the outer ends of the legs 104
It has 0. The cross pin 150 has the second leg portion 10.
4 extends from both sides in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis 40 and has a thickness dimension 152 in the longitudinal direction.

The combination means also includes an upwardly open recess 154 formed in the enlarged front end 126 of the forward portion 124 of the shift shaft and the axially extending slot 1.
56, the recesses and slots of which are cross pins 15
0 and the outer ends of the second leg 104 are received. The outer end of the second leg 104 and the cross pin 150 are housed in the axial slot 156 and the upwardly open recess 154 so that the forward portion 124 of the shift shaft is prevented from rotating. ..

An upwardly open recess 154 is defined between a front vertical wall 158, a rear vertical wall 160 and a semi-cylindrical lower wall 162. The semi-cylindrical lower wall 162 extends across the longitudinal axis 40 between the front and rear vertical walls 158, 160, and a portion of which extends below the longitudinal axis 40. Has been extended to. The recess 154 that opens upward has a length dimension 164 in the front-rear direction that is slightly larger than the thickness 152 of the cross pin 150.

The shift lever 94 can be pivoted over a range corresponding to the shift range of the structure of the shift shaft 116 and the dog clutch 82. The shift lever 94, when not engaged with the shift shaft 116, is pivotable or pivotable from outside the shift range to a combined position (FIG. 5).
And FIG. 6). In this regard, the front vertical wall 15
8 is when the shift lever 94 is in the combined position,
The top surface 16 located just below the bottom of the cross pin 150
Have six. As a result, shift shaft 116 moves forward, which causes front vertical wall 158 to cross pin 150 when shift shaft 116 is in the mated position.
You can allow it to pass under. Top 166
Extending downwardly and forwardly from is an inclined surface 168 which, when the shift lever 94 is spaced slightly downward from the combined position, shift shaft 116.
In response to the forward movement of the shift lever 94, the shift lever 94 is engaged by the cam action to move the shift lever 94 to the combined position.

The vertical wall 160 behind the enlarged front end 126 of the front portion 124 of the shift shaft merges with the end wall 170, which is identical to the rear vertical wall 160. It extends above the top surface 166 in a plane or inclined upwards with respect to the rear vertical wall 160 and can be flat or curved as required. .. The end wall 170 extends into the path of the cross pin 150 in response to continued movement of the shift shaft 116. Thus, the cross section taken through the recess 154 that is open axially upwards in the longitudinal axis 40 is asymmetric with respect to the axis 100 of the pin 98.

When the shift shaft 116 and the shift lever 94 are assembled together, when the cross pin 150 is in the assembled position, the shift shaft 116 is moved forward by the first step relative to the shift lever 94. The front vertical wall 158 moves underneath the cross pin 150, which in turn engages the end wall 170 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). This engagement and continued forward movement of shift shaft 116 causes shift lever 94 to pivot into a shift range from the combined position and cross pin 150 to move downward to move forward and rearward vertical walls 158. , 160 into a recess 154 that is open upwards (see FIG. 7), which causes the shift shaft 116 and the shift lever 116 to move as the shift shaft 116 moves forward toward the shift lever 94. 94 is operably and automatically combined. After that, the shift rod moves in the vertical direction according to the operation by the operator, and the shift lever
In response to the pivoting, the shift shaft 116 axially moves within the shift range in the longitudinal axis 40 between the neutral position, the forward drive position and the reverse drive position (FIG. 7). Through FIG. 9).

In the reverse rotation structure, the propeller shaft 42 is inserted into the recess 34 of the gear case, and the shift shaft 116
When operatively combined with the shift lever 94, the shift shaft 116, the dog clutch 82, the connecting pin 120, the rear bevel gear 66, the thrust container 78, and the propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 are all located on the propeller shaft 42. It is preferably preassembled to form the propeller shaft assembly. After the propeller shaft assembly is assembled in the gear case recess 34 and operatively engages the shift lever 94, the propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 is locked in place and the propeller shaft assembly is separated from the gear case 32. Prevent. The propeller 44 can then be fixed to the rear end of the propeller shaft 42. Further, when the respective elements are within the shift range, the cross pin 150 is prevented from being inadvertently removed from the recess 154 opened upward, and the front portion 124 of the shift shaft is prevented from rotating.

Further, in the standard rotating structure, the thrust ring 50 on the propeller shaft 42 can be omitted, and further the thrust container 78 can be omitted from the preassembled propeller shaft assembly. The propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 can be part of a pre-assembled assembly or can be inserted into the gear case recess 34 after the propeller shaft assembly has been inserted.

Further, when the power transmission device 58 uses the shift assembly 90 and completely incorporates the shift assembly, that is, the bevel gear 66 provided at the rear side is provided at the front of the thrust container 78 so as to surround the propeller shaft 42. Note that if so, the movement of shift axis 116 is limited to movement within the shift range.

Therefore, the structure disclosed herein is a reversible reversible power transmission device 58 of the contra-rotating type according to the procedure described below.
The gear case 32 of the lower unit 28 of the ship propulsion device.
It is possible to install it in the empty space 34. That is, the shift lever 94 is pre-assembled in the shift housing 68 so as to be rotatable relative to the shift housing, and the bevel gear 64 provided at the front is rotatable in the shift housing 68 and relatively rotatable with the shift housing. Pre-assembled, thereby providing a shift housing assembly including a shift housing 68, a shift lever 94 and a bevel gear 64 mounted forward, the shift housing assembly being inserted into the gear case recess 34 and then driven. The pinion 60 is fixedly mounted on the drive shaft 56 while being engaged with the bevel gear 64 provided at the front, and the thrust container 78 and the bevel gear 6 provided at the rear.
6 pre-assembled to provide the rear bevel gear assembly, and the rear bevel gear assembly assembled in front of the thrust ring 50 in a relationship surrounding the propeller shaft 42,
The bearing retainer 80 is pre-mounted on the propeller shaft 42 and the rear bevel gear assembly, the shift shaft 116 is pre-mounted in the axial bore 46 of the propeller shaft 42, and the dog clutch 82 is in front of the bevel gear assembly. The dog clutch 82 on the rear portion 11 of the shift shaft.
A dog clutch 82 is connected to the rear portion 118 of the shift shaft for axial and relative rotational movement together with the eight, thereby allowing the propeller shaft 42, the rear bevel gear 66, and the thrust container 78. , Dog clutch 82,
A propeller shaft assembly including a bearing retainer 80 and a shift shaft 116 is provided, after which the propeller shaft assembly is inserted into the gear case recess 34.
Operatively engaged with the shift lever 94, thereby allowing the shift shaft to move axially in response to the pivotal movement of the shift lever 94, and the bevel gear 66 provided at the rear to move the bevel gear 66 to the recess 34 of the gear case. Among them, the drive pinion 60 is rotatably mounted while being engaged with the drive pinion 60, and the thrust container 78 is further engaged with the gear case 32. After that, the propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 is fixed in place to prevent the disengagement of the propeller shaft from being released.

Of course, a standard rotary type power transmission device without the thrust ring 50 and the thrust container 78 can also be assembled according to the present invention. The bearing retainer 80 can be part of a pre-assembled assembly, or it can be inserted into the gear case recess 34 after inserting the propeller shaft assembly.

FIGS. 10 to 18 show a second embodiment of the operating means for shifting the dog clutch 82 within the shift range, and in these drawings, similar elements are designated by similar reference numerals. .. In the preferred embodiment, an alternative shift assembly 200, and in particular an alternative connecting linkage 202, is used.

More specifically, shift assembly 200
Includes a modified shift lever 204 having first and second legs 206, 208, said first and second legs having an enlarged outer end having a generally arcuate peripheral surface. 210 is provided (see FIG. 10). Shift rod 92
The shift assembly 200 also has a rectangular cross section for accommodating the enlarged outer end 210 of the first leg 206 to cause the shift lever 204 to pivot in response to the vertical movement of the first leg 206. A shift rod coupler 212 having a slot 214 is also included. Rectangular slot 21
4 is flared forward, thereby providing clearance for the first leg 206 as it pivots about axis 100.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the connecting link mechanism 202 includes an elongated two-member type shift shaft 216 extending substantially horizontally, and this shift shaft is a modified shaft of the propeller shaft 42. It is reciprocally accommodated in the directional hole 218 and is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 40. Shift shaft 2 as will be described in more detail below.
To assist in the assembly of 16, the propeller shaft 42 is
An inner side surface defining an axial bore 218 is provided, the inner side surface having a relatively large diameter front surface 220, a relatively small diameter rear surface 222, and anterior and posterior surfaces. And a cam surface 224 that is angled between 222.

As shown in FIG. 13, the shift shaft 216 is
A rear portion 226 is provided which is fully contained within the axial bore 218 of the propeller shaft 42, the rear portion being
It is fixed to the dog clutch 82 in the manner described above. The forward end of the rear portion of the shift shaft has a pair of radially spaced wall portions 228 defining a slot 230 extending therebetween in the direction of longitudinal axis 40. ing. The wall portions 228 are preferably separated by a distance that is approximately equal to the combined thickness of these two wall portions, and also in the radial direction between the wall portions 228 and the relatively large diameter anterior surface 220. The gap is the wall part 2
It is preferably approximately equal to one thickness of 28. Each wall portion 228 is provided with a laterally extending hole 232, which is preferably perpendicular to the slot 230 in the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft. The holes 232 of the wall portions 228 are coaxially aligned and each of these holes has a diameter approximately equal to the distance between the wall portions 228.

The shift shaft 216 also has a front portion 234 extending forward of the propeller shaft 42, the front portion 234 being a male wall portion extending rearward from the rear end of the forward portion 234 of the shift shaft. 236, which can be inserted between both wall portions 228 to enter slot 230. The male wall portion 236 has a recess or hole 238 extending orthogonally to the wall portion 236, which has substantially the same dimensions as the hole 232 of the wall portion 228 and When the mold wall portion 236 is inserted into the slot 230, it can be coaxially aligned with the hole 232.

To connect the forward portion 234 of the shift shaft to the shift lever 204, the forward portion 234 of the shift shaft is connected to the shift lever 204 so that, in response to the pivotal movement of the shift lever 204, Front part 23
Means for moving 4 along the longitudinal axis 40 is provided in the front portion 234 of the shift shaft. Although various means can be used to connect the forward portion 234 of the shift shaft to the shift lever 204, in the illustrated arrangement, the connecting means is the enlarged forward end of the forward portion of the shift shaft. The front end is formed as a generally pincushion-shaped receiving portion 240.

The receiving portion 240 has an annular groove 242 in which the outer end 210 of the second leg 208 is received. The receiving portion 240 allows the shift shaft front portion 234 to rotate without interfering with the connection between the shift lever 204 and the shift shaft front portion 234. As with the structure described above, the receiving portion 24
The dimensions of the hole 70 are such that the zero is not required to be inserted into the hole 70 of the shift housing 68.
All that is required is to support the rear end of 4 and pass this rear end.

The shift shaft 216 also connects a rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and a front portion 234 of the shift shaft, which move integrally along the longitudinal axis 40 in response to the pivotal movement of the shift lever 204. It also has a means to make it. In the configuration shown, such connecting means also provide a rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and a front portion 2 of the shift shaft.
34 is connected and these are rotated integrally. Although various means can be used to connect the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and the front portion 234 of the shift shaft to move and rotate them together in an axial manner, such arrangements are shown in the illustrated arrangement. The connecting means is also the rear part 2 of the shift shaft.
26 functions to releasably and operably engage or assemble the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and the front portion 234 of the shift shaft in response to the forward movement of 26. Figure 1
As shown in FIGS. 0-18, such connecting means comprises a pair of connecting members, such as pins or balls 244, which connect holes 232 in wall portion 228 and hole 238 in male wall portion 236. It is preferably slightly smaller than. Each ball 244 is partially housed in one of the holes 232 in each wall portion 228.

The connecting means also comprises means (shown in FIGS. 12-14) for pressing the balls 244 radially outwardly and holding them in a pre-assembled position.
Although various pressing means can be used, in the illustrated arrangement, the pressing means is the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft.
Block member 246 provided in slot 230 of
Is equipped with. A compression spring 248 is provided in the slot 230 on the rear side of the block member 246, with the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and the front portion 234 of the shift shaft in a disassembled relationship (FIGS. 12 and 12). Figure 1
3), the block member 246 is attached to each wall portion 2
Push forward toward a position that preferably intersects the common axis of the 28 holes 232, thereby limiting the entry of the ball 244 into the slot 230. While the block connecting member limits the ball 244 from entering the slot 230, the relatively large front face 2 of the propeller shaft 42.
20 restricts radial outward movement of the ball 244, which causes the ball 244 to move into the hole 23 of the wall portion 228.
Partially restrained in 2. Thus, the front surface 22
0 and the block member 246 cooperate to hold the ball 244 in the pre-assembled position and
Are prevented from accidentally coming out of the axial hole 218 of the propeller shaft 42. Similarly, if the ball is to be retained in the forward portion 234 of the shift shaft, it may be compared to a portion of the shift housing 68 behind the bore 70 or other bore having an open rear surface as compared to the front small diameter portion. To provide an enlarged diameter portion and a cam surface.

To assemble the shift shaft 216, the propeller shaft 42 which houses the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft is
Move forward relative to the shift shaft front portion 234, thereby causing the male wall portion 236 to move to the shift shaft rear portion 2.
26 into slot 230 and block member 246
(See FIG. 13). Further advancement of the propeller shaft 42 causes the ball 244 to contact the cam surface 244, further compresses the spring 248, and moves the blocking member 246 rearward, but the inward radial movement of the ball 244 is It is still blocked by the blocking member 246 or the male wall portion 236 (see Figure 14). When the propeller shaft 42 is further advanced,
A hole 238 in the male wall portion 236 aligns with a hole 232 in the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft (see Figure 15). afterwards,
By moving the shift shaft 216 relative to the propeller shaft 42, the cam action of the cam surface 232 causes the balls 244 to move.
Into the aligned holes 232, 238. Such camming causes shift shaft 216 to reach a position within the normal operating range in which ball 244 is constrained by a relatively small diameter rear surface 222 and shift shaft 216 is fully assembled. Will continue until. Shift shaft 21
When 6 is within normal operating range, each ball 24
4 is partially housed in the hole 238 of the male wall portion 236 and one or the other of the holes 232 of the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft to retain the male wall portion 236 in the slot 230. To do. Preferably, half of each ball 244 is received in hole 238, while the other half of each ball 244 is received in corresponding hole 232. By accommodating the ball 244 in this state, the transmission of force between the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and the front portion 234 of the shift shaft is facilitated, which allows the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and the shift shaft to move. The front portions 234 are connected to move integrally in the axial and rotational directions. This configuration also
Reduces friction and wear of each element.

The normal operating range of the shift shaft 216 is the first position (FIG. 16) corresponding to the first driving position of the dog clutch 82 and the second position (corresponding to the second driving position of the dog clutch 82). 18). The neutral position (Fig. 17) is also included in the normal operating range. Once within normal operating range, shift shaft 216 is selectively moveable between forward drive position, neutral position and reverse drive position in response to pivotal movement of shift lever 204.

To disassemble the shift shaft 216, the assembly operation described above is reversed and the ball 244 is again positioned in front of the cam surface 224. In this state, the action of spring 248 causes block member 246 to return to its functional position. However, when the power transmission device 58 is completely disassembled, the movement of the shift shaft 216 is restricted within the shift range, and the disassembly of the shift shaft 216 is prevented.

The assembly of the power transmission device using the shift shaft assembly 200 is similar to that described above, but with the front portion 234 of the shift shaft, along with the shift lever 204,
The difference is that it is preferably preassembled to the shift housing 68 as part of the shift housing assembly. Also, the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft, along with the block member 246 and the ball 244, forms a part of the propeller shaft assembly to form the axial bore 21 of the propeller shaft 242.
Pre-assemble in 8.

More specifically, in order to mount the power transmission device 58 using the shift assembly 200 in the gear case 32, the shift rod coupler 212 is inserted into the guide passage 72 of the shift housing 68 to shift the gear. Pre-assembling the lever 204 into the shift housing 68 for pivotal movement relative thereto, and pre-assembling the forward portion 234 of the shift shaft into the shift housing 68;
This allows the receiving portion 240 to receive the outer end 210 of the second leg 208 of the shift lever, and the rear end of the front portion 234 of the shift shaft to pass through the hole 70, and more preferably to be located forward. The bevel gear 64 is incorporated into the shift housing 68, thereby forming a shift housing assembly including the elements described above. The shift housing assembly is then inserted into the recess 34 of the gear case and then the shift rod 92 is attached to the shift rod coupler 2.
12 and the pinion 60 can be fixed to the drive shaft 56 while being engaged with the bevel gear 64 provided at the front. Rear portion 226 of shift shaft, ball 24
4, the block member 246, and the spring 248 are pre-assembled in the axial hole 218 of the propeller shaft 42, and the thrust container 78 and the bevel gear 66 provided at the rear are pre-mounted on the propeller shaft 42 in front of the thrust ring 50. Then, the propeller shaft assembly formed by pre-installing the bearing retainer 80 on the propeller shaft 42 and connecting the dog clutch 82 to the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft is then directed forward into the recess 34 of the gear case. And insert it
By mounting the rear bevel gear 66 engaged with the pinion 60, the rear portion 226 of the shift shaft and the front portion 234 of the shift shaft can be automatically assembled as described above. After that, the propeller shaft bearing retainer 80 is fixed in place, and the disengagement of the propeller shaft is releasably blocked.

The structure disclosed herein does not interfere with propeller shaft 42 and / or dog clutch 82 in standard rotary and counter-rotating power transmissions, and does not require special tools. It has the advantage that the drive pinion 60 can be fixed or "torqued" on the drive shaft 56 with relative ease. Further, the structure disclosed herein enables the use of a one-member propeller shaft in the configuration of the standard rotary type and the counter rotating type power transmission device, and therefore the power transmission into the gear case 32 is performed. Device 5
8 can be easily installed and a great cost can be saved.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a marine propulsion device including a switchable power transmission device and embodying various features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of a power transmission device included in the marine vessel propulsion device shown in FIG.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing various elements of a power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 2. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing various elements of a modification of the power transmission device switching mechanism shown in FIG.

5 is a side view schematically showing the assembly and action of some elements of a power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. It is separated and disassembled, and the shift lever is shown in the assembled position.

6 is a side view schematically showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. It is shown that it is moved relatively to the left, and is engaged with the shift lever.

7 is a side view schematically showing the assembly and the operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 2 in an enlarged and partially schematic manner;
The state is shown in which the shift lever is moved further leftward toward the drive position.

8 is a side view schematically showing the assembly and the operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 2 in an enlarged and partially schematic manner;
The figure shows a state in which the shift lever is moved further leftward toward the neutral position.

9 is a side view schematically showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 2 in an enlarged and partially schematic manner;
The state is shown in which the shift lever is moved further leftward toward the other drive position.

10 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing a power transmission device including a second embodiment of a power transmission device switching mechanism.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of various elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, partly schematically showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, which is behind the shift shaft in the propeller shaft; Figure 5 shows the front portion of the shift shaft in a disassembled and spaced apart position.

13 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, showing a front portion and a rear portion of the shift shaft; The propeller shaft has been moved to the left to engage.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, further showing the propeller shaft moved to the left side; ing.

15 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, in which the propeller shaft further moves to the left and shifts; It shows a state in which the front part and the rear part of the shaft are partially connected.

16 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, in which the propeller shaft further moves to the left side; The state is shown in which the front and rear parts of the shift shaft are fully connected and the shift shaft is in the drive position.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, in which the shift shaft is directed toward the neutral position; , Shows the state of moving to the right relative to the propeller shaft.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view partially showing the assembly and operation of some elements of the power transmission device switching mechanism included in the power transmission device shown in FIG. 10, in which the shift shaft is placed in another drive position; Toward the right side of the propeller shaft.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Ship propulsion device 12 Mounting assembly 28 Lower unit 30 Drive shaft housing 32 Gear case 34 Gear case recess 40 Front-rear axis line 42 Propeller shaft 50 Thrust ring 64, 66 Bevel gear 68 Shift housing 74 Housing assembly 80 Bearing retainer 82 Dog clutch 90 shift assembly 92 shift rod 94 shift lever 116 shift shaft 118 rear part of shift shaft 124 front part of shift shaft

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A lower unit is provided in the gear case so as to rotate about a gear case and a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis, and extends in the axial direction and faces forward. A propeller shaft having an open hole, a rear portion provided in the hole, a front portion, and the front portion connected to the rear portion, and the front portion and the rear portion are connected to the longitudinal axis. A shift shaft having means for axially moving integrally in opposite directions along a vertical axis, while being supported by the lower unit for rotational movement about a horizontal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis. A shift lever connected to a movable link for rocking about the horizontal axis and having a leg, and the leg connected to a front portion of the shift shaft, Means for moving the front portion of the shift shaft in both directions along the longitudinal axis in accordance with the rotational movement of the lever, and means for connecting the front portion to the rear portion and the leg portion. One of the means for connecting to the front portion operates in response to the forward movement of the rear portion of the shift shaft to make the connection, after which the shift lever swings about the horizontal axis. Accordingly, the marine vessel propulsion device is provided with an assembling means for moving the shift shaft in both directions along the longitudinal axis. 2. The marine propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the assembling means connects the leg portion to the front portion of the shift shaft in response to forward movement of the rear portion of the shift shaft. And a front end of the shift shaft having a front end, the assembling means comprising an upwardly open recess provided at the front end of the front portion of the shift shaft; A marine propulsion device comprising a pin extending laterally on a leg and accommodating in the recess. 3. The marine vessel propulsion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the assembling means connects the front portion and the rear portion of the shift shaft in response to the forward movement of the rear portion of the shift shaft. And the front portion of the shift shaft has a rear end and the rear portion of the shift shaft has a front end, the assembling means comprising:
A slot provided at one of the front end of the rear portion and the rear end of the front portion, and a male member provided at the other of the front end of the rear portion and the rear end of the front portion. The male member is inserted into the slot in response to the rear portion moving forward relative to the front portion. 4. The marine propulsion device according to claim 3, wherein each of the front portion of the shift shaft and the rear portion of the shift shaft is coaxial with the longitudinal axis line. apparatus. 5. The marine propulsion device according to claim 3, wherein the front portion of the shift shaft has a front end, and means for connecting the leg portion to the front portion of the shift shaft includes the shift shaft. A marine propulsion device comprising a receiving portion provided at the front end of the front portion and having an annular groove, the legs extending into the annular groove. 6. The marine vessel propulsion apparatus according to claim 5, wherein means for connecting the front portion of the shift shaft to the rear portion of the shift shaft includes connecting the front portion and the rear portion of the shift shaft in the front-rear direction. A propulsion device for ships, characterized in that the propulsion device is connected so as to integrally rotate around the axis of the. 7. The marine propulsion device according to claim 3, wherein the entire rear portion of the shift shaft is provided in an axial hole opened toward the front of the propeller shaft. Propulsion device for ships. 8. The marine propulsion device of claim 3, wherein one of the front end of the rear portion and the rear end of the front portion has a hole oriented transverse to the slot, The male part has a cavity that can be aligned with the hole in response to the male part being inserted into the slot, and the assembling means includes the male part with the slot. Retaining means therein, the retaining means being partly housed in the hole and partly housed in the cavity when the hole and the cavity are aligned, Accordingly, the marine vessel propulsion apparatus is provided with a connecting member that connects the front portion and the rear portion of the shift shaft so as to move integrally along the longitudinal axis and relative to the propeller shaft. 9. The marine propulsion device of claim 8, wherein the assembly means engages the male portion to move the connecting member radially outwardly before the holes and the voids are aligned. A marine vessel propulsion device comprising means capable of being pressed. 10. The marine propulsion device according to claim 9, wherein the pressing means includes a block member provided in the slot, the block member and the front end of the rear portion, and the rear end of the front portion. And a spring that presses the block member to a position adjacent to the hole, the ship propulsion device. 11. The marine vessel propulsion apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the propeller shaft includes an inner side surface that defines an axial hole that is open toward the front and has a cam surface, and the cam surface includes: When the hole and the void are aligned, the cam member moves the connecting member inward in the radial direction when the hole is aligned with the connecting member, and a part of the connecting member is moved into the void. A propulsion device for ships characterized by being inserted. 12. The marine vessel propulsion apparatus according to claim 11,
The inner surface comprises a rear surface extending rearward from the cam surface and defining a reduced diameter of the forwardly-opened axial bore, the rear surface being defined by the connecting member radius. To stop moving outwards, which
A marine vessel propulsion apparatus, wherein the front portion and the rear portion of the shift shaft are integrally moved in a normal operating range. 13. The marine vessel propulsion apparatus according to claim 12,
The marine vessel propulsion apparatus further includes a dog clutch provided on the propeller shaft so as to rotate integrally with the propeller shaft and move in the axial direction relative to the propeller shaft, and the dog clutch includes the shift clutch of the shift shaft. The shift shaft is connected to the rear portion so as to move integrally with the rear portion, and the shift shaft is disposed in the front-rear direction relative to the propeller shaft between a pair of drive positions that define the normal operating range. A propulsion device for ships, which is movable in both directions along the axis of the ship. 14. The marine propulsion device of claim 3, wherein the front end of the rear portion comprises a pair of radially spaced wall portions defining the slot therebetween. Each wall portion has a hole, and
The male portion extends rearward from the rear end of the front portion of the shift shaft, and the rear portion moves forward relative to the front portion of the wall portion. The hole has a hole that can be coaxially aligned, the assembly means includes a pair of connecting members,
Each of these connecting members is partially accommodated in the hole of each wall portion when the hole of the wall portion is aligned with the hole of the male portion, and A part of which can be accommodated in the hole of the ship, thereby connecting the front part and the rear part of the shift shaft so that both parts move in unison. apparatus.