Patent ID: 8616929

Claim:
A vessel propulsion apparatus comprising: a first shaft that is rotationally driven; a drive gear connected to the first shaft; a tubular first driven gear that engages the drive gear; a tubular second driven gear that engages the drive gear; a dog clutch that is switched by a shift operation between a connected state in which the dog clutch is connected to one of the first driven gear and the second driven gear and a non-connected state in which the dog clutch is not connected to either of the first driven gear and the second driven gear; a second shaft that is inserted in the first driven gear and in the second driven gear, that is connected to the dog clutch, and that is arranged to undergo a thrust; a first bearing disposed between the first driven gear and the second shaft; a second bearing disposed between the second driven gear and the second shaft; a case that contains the drive gear, the first driven gear, the second driven gear, the dog clutch, the first bearing, and the second bearing and to which a thrust applied to the second shaft is transmitted via the first bearing and the first driven gear or via the second bearing and the second driven gear; and an adjusting member that is disposed between the second shaft and at least one of the first driven gear and the second driven gear, and that is arranged to apply a preload onto the first bearing and onto the second bearing.