Patent ID: 8235666

Claim:
A variable pitch propeller for a marine propulsion system, comprising: a propeller hub; a plurality of openings in the hub, each for receiving a respective propeller blade; a hub ring for each of the propeller blades, the hub rings each forming a part of a respective said opening and having a hub surface; a base ring on each propeller blade and having a base surface for engaging a respective hub surface; a slide member having a load surface; a locking and unlocking mechanism for unlocking the propeller blade by transferring load from the base surface and hub surface to the base ring and load surface to unlock the blades and for locking the blades by retransferring load to the base surface and hub surface after the propeller blade has been adjusted in pitch; and a pitch adjusting mechanism for rotating the blades about transverse axes with respect to the axis of rotation of the propeller when the propeller is in the unlocked condition and the load has been transferred to the base ring and load surface.