Patent ID: 9234457
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: F02B,F16F

Claim Text:
1. A marine engine, comprising: a crankshaft that is supported for rotation about a crankshaft axis; a drive gear that rotates with the crankshaft; a balance shaft that is supported for rotation so as to balance secondary vibrational forces of the crankshaft; a driven gear that causes rotation of the balance shaft; wherein said drive gear causes rotation of the driven gear and wherein the driven gear is selectively radially movable towards and away from the drive gear about an eccentric axis; a cylinder that supports the driven gear, the cylinder comprising an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface that is eccentrically aligned with respect to the outer circumferential surface, wherein rotation of the cylinder in one direction moves the driven gear towards the drive gear and wherein rotation of the cylinder in an opposite direction moves the driven gear away from the drive gear; and a support plate coupled to the cylinder, wherein rotation of the support plate causes rotation of the cylinder.