Propeller Assembly

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an inventive dual propeller assembly that can be manually or automatively assembled and includes a leading propeller, a torsion bushing, a thrust washer, a drive sleeve, and a trailing propeller. The propellers were coupled with an alignment system that did not require welding of the two propellers. The leading propeller includes a cylindrical hub and a plurality of blades that extend from an outer surface of the cylindrical hub. The trailing propeller includes a first cylindrical hub having a plurality of grooves, a second cylindrical hub having a cylindrical mount ring, and a conical profile formed between the first cylindrical hub and the second cylindrical hub. The outer surface of the first cylindrical hub is designed to mate with the inner surface of the cylindrical hub of the leading propeller. The trailing propeller is secured and aligned coaxially with the leading propeller. The trailing propeller can be effectively and consistently used with existing propellers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A trailing propeller that is secured to a leading propeller, the trailing propeller comprising:
 a first cylindrical hub having a plurality of grooves on one end;   a second cylindrical hub having a cylindrical mount ring, wherein the cylindrical mount ring is attached to the second cylindrical hub by a set of radial mount ring flanges; and   a conical profile formed between the first cylindrical hub and the second cylindrical hub, wherein the trailing propeller is secured and aligned coaxially to the leading propeller by way of the plurality of grooves, the conical profile, and the cylindrical mount ring.   
     
     
         2 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the first cylindrical hub is received in a hub of the leading propeller. 
     
     
         3 . The trailing propeller of  claim 2 , wherein an outer diameter of the first cylindrical hub is selected based on an inner diameter of the hub of the leading propeller. 
     
     
         4 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves are spaced equidistant from each other. 
     
     
         5 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves rest on a corresponding plurality of radial flanges of the leading propeller. 
     
     
         6 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of blades that extend from a surface of the second cylindrical hub. 
     
     
         7 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein a drive sleeve is engaged with the cylindrical mount ring of the trailing propeller and the leading propeller. 
     
     
         8 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein a propeller shaft secures the trailing propeller with the leading propeller. 
     
     
         9 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the trailing propeller is manufactured using at least one of an investment casting method and a machining process. 
     
     
         10 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the trailing propeller is made of at least one of steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber, fiberglass, elastomeric polymer and aluminum. 
     
     
         11 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1  wherein the leading propeller and the trailing propeller are interchangeable. 
     
     
         12 . The trailing propeller of  claim 1  retrofitted on to a standard outboard boat motor. 
     
     
         13 . The trailing propeller of  claim 12  wherein the boat is in used and a hole shot is produced in 12″ of water. 
     
     
         14 . The trailing propeller of  claim 13  wherein a hole shot is produced in 6″ of water. 
     
     
         15 . A method of assembling the trailing propeller of  claim 1  wherein the trailing propeller is assembled without adhesively securing the first cylindrical hub, the second cylindrical and the resultant conical profile. 
     
     
         16 . The trailing propeller of  claim 12  having a length of 7″-10″. 
     
     
         17 . The trailer propeller of  claim 16  secured to a boat engine wherein the boat is standing in 0″ to 12″ of water. 
     
     
         18 . The trailing propeller of  claim 17  wherein the boat is moved out of the water in less than 1 boat length. 
     
     
         19 . The trailing propeller of  claim 18  wherein the boat is moved out of the water in less than 10 seconds of time.