Patent ID: 8662945

Claim:
An outboard drive device comprising an outboard motor having a crankshaft, wherein said outboard drive device further comprises a propeller which propeller is below the hull of a boat when said outboard drive device is operated, and a power coupling system for transferring power from the motor to the propeller, wherein the power coupling system comprises a power transfer device, a transmission, a transmission drive shaft, a power transfer means, a drive shaft of an endless loop flexible drive coupling, the endless loop flexible drive coupling and the propeller shaft, the power transfer device connects the crankshaft with the transmission drive shaft for transferring the output power from the crankshaft to the transmission drive shaft, the power transfer means is arranged for transferring output power from the transmission to the drive shaft of the endless loop flexible drive coupling operatively connecting said transmission to the propeller shaft for driving said propeller, the crankshaft is substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to the propeller shaft when said outboard drive device is operated, the transmission comprising a forward gear and a reverse gear on each of the transmission drive shaft and the drive shaft, the forward gears and reverse gears each connected via the power transfer means, and the power coupling system comprises a single clutch, the single clutch situated on the transmission drive shaft, and adapted for regulating transfer of power to the drive shaft via either the forward or reverse gears, and wherein the single clutch is positioned on the transmission drive shaft so as to be centrally oriented between the power transfer means connecting the transmission drive shaft to the drive shaft.