Marine propulsion device with floating drive shaft

Claim 1

A marine propulsion device comprising a mounting bracket adapted to be mounted on the transom of a boat, and a propulsion unit pivotally mounted on said mounting bracket for pivotal movement relative to said mounting bracket about a generally vertical steering axis, said propulsion unit including an upper gearcase including an upper gear adapted to be driven by an engine, said upper gear having a generally vertical axis of rotation and including a splined socket, a lower gearcase removably connected to said upper gearcase and including a rotatably mounted propeller, a lower gear drivingly connected to said propeller and having a generally vertical axis of rotation, and a lower drive shaft including a lower end drivingly connected to said lower gear, and an upper end including a splined socket, said lower drive shaft having an axis of rotation generally colinear with said lower gear axis of rotation, and a floating drive shaft having a generally vertical axis of rotation and including a lower end including splines loosely received in said socket in said lower drive shaft and an upper end including splines loosely received in said socket in said upper gear in response to connection of said lower gearcase to said upper gearcase, and said splines on one of said ends of said floating drive shaft being removed from the associated one of said sockets and said splines on the other of said ends of said floating drive shaft being removable from the other of said sockets in response to disconnection and removal of said lower gearcase from said upper gearcase.