Outboard propulsion unit exhaust system

Claim 1

IN AN OUTBOARD PROPULSION UNIT UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY, A HOUSING HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HORIZONTAL BORE WHICH OPENS REARWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING AND IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE EXHAUST GASES FROM A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PASSAGE IN SAID HOUSING, A BEARING SUPPORT MEMBER SECURED IN SAID BORE AND HAVING AXIALLY SPACED END PORTIONS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE BORE WALL, A PROPELLER SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID BEARING SUPPORT MEMBER AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY THROUGHT SAID BORE OPENING, MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING TO EFFECT ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT, A PROPELLER HAVING A HUB MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT REARWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING, SAID HUB INCLUDING REARWARDLY EXTENDING PASSAGE MEANS GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID BORE AND TERMINATING WITH A DISCHARGE OPENING AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE EXHAUST GASES FROM THE BORE FOR DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID OPENING, AND BAFFLE MEANS WITHIN SAID BORE OUTWARDLY FROM THE BEARING SUPPORT MEMBER AND INTERMEDIATE THE END PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBER TO DIRECT THE FLOW OF EXHAUST GASES FROM THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PASSAGE INTO THE REARWARDLY EXTENDING PROPELLER HUB PASSAGE MEANS WITH A MINIMUM OF TURBULENCE AND THEREBY REDUCE THE ABSOLUTE BACK PRESSURE IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.