BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises an improved nut for securing a propeller to a drive shaft of a vehicle engine. The invention further comprises a nut that may be securely fastened to the end of the drive shaft of a trolling motor engine without the use of separate tools, such as wrenches or drivers. The invention even further comprises a nut with an exterior portion and a shaft portion that communicates along an axis of the drive shaft of a marine engine against the propeller assembly, the shaft portion having elastomeric materials to interface with the propeller assembly and at least one channel which together absorb vibration, heat and sound from the propeller assembly.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention specifically relates to propeller driven engines and solutions for locking a propeller onto a drive shaft that serves as an axis upon which the propeller mounts, the drive shaft being turned by an engine of any number of water, land or airborne crafts.

2. Description of Related Art

Propeller securing nuts are well known in the arts and typically require the use of wrench or driven secured nuts that require external tools. Propeller nuts in the industry have used 0-rings but for waterproofing or sealing purposes, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,962, which seals a cover cap for the nut.

Other propeller connections and nuts are of insufficient dimension, material and structure to provide qualities sought by users of marine craft that utilize propeller propulsion. There remains a need for a nut that is easily and manually applied to the propeller shaft. There further remains a need for a propeller nut that can dampen the sounds and harmonics that emanate from the motion of the propeller about the propeller shaft. There remains even further a need for a solution that reduces the heat that is generated from the operation of the motor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects were met with the present invention. In one embodiment, the present invention discloses a propeller securing nut that secures upon a threaded axis of a propeller assembly, the nut comprising an exterior portion having a terminal end, at least a portion of the exterior portion having a topographical feature, a propeller end of the nut on the axially opposite of the terminal end, a shaft portion of the nut between the propeller end and the exterior portion, the shaft portion having an opening to a shaft of the nut into which the axis of the propeller assembly may engage and secure the nut, a propeller engaging portion towards the propeller end of the shaft portion having a removeable elastomeric material disposed about the shaft portion of the nut, wherein a user may manually grip the topographical features of the nut to turn it and thus the threaded shaft of the nut into the threaded portion of the propeller assembly until the elastomeric material engages against a cup-like chamber of the propeller assembly so that the nut absorbs and releases the resulting heat and noise emanating from the propeller assembly, the propeller engaging portion further comprising a face of the shaft, the face defining a groove into which the elastomeric material may be placed, the groove being disposed between an outer perimeter of the shaft portion and the shaft of the nut, the shaft further comprising internal threads for affixing to the threaded axis of the propeller assembly, the face of the shaft portion being positioned approximately perpendicular to the shaft portion of the nut, the shaft portion having a lesser diameter than the external portion, forming a face of the exterior portion, the elastomeric material resembling a washer and is friction fit around the shaft portion, the elastomeric material substantially covering the face of the exterior portion, the groove being disposed within the face of the shaft portion, the topographical feature being raised or indented and being linear or non-linear, or further comprising linear elements disposed in an axial orientation.

In another embodiment, the present invention discloses a propeller securing nut that secures upon a threaded axis of a propeller assembly and comprises an exterior portion including a gripping surface and a conical section that terminates in a terminal end, at least a portion of the gripping surface having topographical features, a propeller end of the nut on the opposite axial side as the terminal end, a shaft portion of the nut between the propeller end and the exterior portion, the shaft portion having an opening to a shaft of the nut into which the axis of the propeller assembly may engage and secure the nut, the shaft portion having a shaft face positioned towards the propeller of the nut, at least one channel extending between the shaft face and the exterior portion of the nut, whereby the nut absorbs and releases the resulting heat and noise emanating from the propeller assembly, a propeller engaging portion towards the propeller end of the shaft portion having a removeable elastomeric material disposed about the shaft portion of the nut, wherein a user may grip the topographical feature of the nut to turn it and thus the threaded shaft of the nut into the threaded portion of the propeller assembly until the elastomeric material engages against a cup-like chamber of the propeller assembly so that the nut may absorb and transfer the resulting noise emanating from the propeller assembly, the at least one channel extending between an opening at a face of the shaft portion and an opening at the exterior portion of the nut, the at least one channel comprising between 2 and 10 channels extending between the shaft face and the exterior portion of the nut, the elastomeric material comprising an O-ring.

In still another embodiment, the present invention may comprise a propeller securing nut that secures upon a threaded axis of a propeller assembly, the nut comprising an exterior portion including a gripping surface and a terminal end, at least a portion of the gripping surface having topographical features, a propeller end of the nut on the opposite axial side as the terminal end, a shaft portion of the nut between the propeller end and the exterior portion, the shaft portion having an opening to a shaft of the nut into which the axis of the propeller assembly may engage and secure the nut, the shaft portion having a shaft face positioned towards the propeller of the nut, at least one channel extending between the shaft face and the exterior portion of the nut, whereby the nut absorbs and releases the resulting heat and noise emanating from the propeller assembly, the at least one channel extending between an opening at a face of the shaft portion and an opening at the exterior portion of the nut and comprising between 3 and 6 channels extending between the shaft face and the exterior portion of the nut, the shaft portion face positioned approximately perpendicular to the shaft portion of the nut, the opening at the exterior portion of the nut is perpendicular to the shaft portion of the nut, a portion of the channel being exposed at the exterior portion, the opening at the exterior portion of the nut emerging completely at the surface of the exterior portion, the topographical feature comprising linear elements disposed in an axial orientation along the gripping surface of the nut.

