Abstract: An overload mechanism for an air inflatable gland clutch operates to open an air valve to release air from the gland when an overload condition is sensed. The air valve is opened by a piston rod actuator which is urged by a spring to engage a valve stem of the air valve. The piston operates in a cylinder on a rim on one face of the gland. The rod actuator is normally blocked from engaging the valve stem by the arm of a bell crank lever journaled on a shaft. The other arm of the bell crank lever engages a pin on a motion hinge secured to the shaft. A pin urges the motion hinge and bell crank lever into cooperative engagement to rotate together with the shaft. The shaft is rotated by a crank actuator which is mounted on a clutch shoe secured to the opposite face of the gland.

Abstract: A marine drive is shown in which a reverse pinion, which is in continuous mesh with a bull gear, is provided with a detuner to prevent vibration while it idles. The detuner includes a ring gear detuner pinion disposed about the reverse pinion shaft. The detuner pinion has helical teeth as do the reverse pinion and bull gear. One end of the detuner pinion is slidably mounted on a ring which encircles the reverse pinion shaft adjacent the reverse pinion, and the other end of the detuner pinion is supported by a diaphragm assembly which prevents torsional and radial motion but permits axial movement of the detuner pinion. The diaphragm assembly is mounted on a sleeve which is secured to the pinion shaft and extends through, but out of contact with, the detuner pinion.

Abstract: A gear drive unit has a shaft mounted impeller which a series of blades or vanes inside the housing for the drive. The impeller vanes are positioned to be in the path of travel of oil flung off of a bull gear which rotates in an oil pan extending into an oil bath contained in the housing. The impeller is rotated by the impact of the oil against its vanes. In one embodiment, the rotating impeller drives a fan located outside the housing and the fan circulates air through a series of hollow tubes extending through the housing parallel to the impeller shaft. In another embodiment, the rotating impeller drives fans disposed outside of the housing at both ends of the impeller shaft.

Abstract: A disc clutch arrangement is disclosed within a gear drive. One of the clutch halves is formed on the end of a quill shaft which mounts a driven gear and a hydraulic cylinder. A piston operating within the cylinder is connected to a rod extending through the quill shaft and secured at its opposite end of a pinion shaft which mounts the other half of the disc clutch. The pinion shaft is mounted in bearings, such as straight roller bearings or sleeve bearings, which permit sliding of the pinion shaft axially within the bearings. The clutch is engaged by actuating the hydraulic cylinder thereby causing the rod to draw the pinion shaft and its clutch half towards the quill shaft and its clutch half.

Abstract: A gear drive has two closely spaced parallel output shafts driven by a single input shaft. One gear train connects the input shaft to one of the output shafts which has a thrust bearing at one end to absorb thrust loads. A second gear train connects the input shaft to the second output shaft. The second output shaft mounts a double helical pinion which is in engagement with two double helical gears on a pair of spaced shafts. The spaced shafts are each mounted in thrust bearings to absorb the thrust on the second output shaft which is transmitted through the meshings double helical gearing to the pair of shafts. A linkage engages the ends of the pair of shafts to equalize the thrust load on each of the two shafts.