All The Claims

1. A drive system for a boat having a hull, an engine having a drive shaft, a pair of propeller shafts, and means for connecting the engine drive shaft and the propeller shafts, the drive system comprising:
a primary gearbox and an outboard gearbox;
the primary gearbox including a housing and a gear arrangement operatively connected to the engine drive shaft and a first propeller shaft;
the outboard gearbox including a housing and a gear arrangement operatively connected to a second propeller shaft; and
a transverse shaft operatively connected between the gear arrangements in the primary gearbox and the outboard gearbox;
each gearbox including an upper cooling pad connected to a respective housing upper wall and a lower cooling pad connected to a respective housing lower wall, the cooling pads being supplied with cooling liquid from the engine to inhibit overheating of the respective gear arrangement within the housings.
2. A drive system as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary gear arrangement is in an L-configuration and the outboard gear arrangement is in an L-configuration whereby the propellers rotate in opposite directions, unless otherwise required by a marine transmission.
3. A drive system as defined in claim 1, wherein a marine transmission is operatively connected to the outboard gearbox.
4. A drive system as defined in claim 3, wherein a support for the transmission includes a cradle associated with the transmission and connected to spaced points on the hull.
5. A drive system as defined in claim 4, wherein each spaced point is provided by a cushioned mounting block, and wherein raised support points are provided in the boat hull to carry each mounting block.
6. A drive system as defined in claim 1, wherein the cooling pads are not machined and a layer of heat sink grease is disposed between each cooling pad and its associated gearbox housing to facilitate heat transfer between the gearbox housing and the cooling pad.
7. A drive system as defined in claim 1, wherein each cooling pad includes a closed chamber having inlet and outlet openings.
8. A drive system as defined in claim 7, wherein: each cooling pad includes upper and lower walls and connecting sidewalls.
9. A drive system as defined in claim 8, wherein the sidewalls provide the inlet and outlet openings.
10. A drive system as defined in claim 8, wherein the upper and lower walls of each cooling pad are connected by a passage providing access to the gearbox housing.
11. A drive system as defined in claim 1, in which a mounting plate is connected between the primary gearbox and the engine to facilitate engine locating.
12. A drive system for a boat having a hull, engine including a drive shaft, a pair of laterally spaced propeller shafts and means for connecting the engine drive shaft and the propeller shafts the drive system comprising:
a primary gearbox and opposed outboard gearboxes;
the primary gearbox including a housing having an upper and lower wall and a gear arrangement within the housing operatively connected to the engine shaft;
each outboard gearbox including a housing having an upper and lower wall and a gearbox arrangement operatively connected to an associate propeller shaft;
each gearbox including an upper cooling pad connected to its associate housing upper wall and a lower cooling pad connected to its associate housing lower wall and supplied with cooling liquid from the engine to inhibit overheating of the gear arrangement within the housing;
the cooling pads being separated from associated gearbox housings and the cooling liquid being water circulated from the engine to the cooling pads to inhibit overheating of the gear arrangement within the gearbox housings.
13. A drive system as defined in claim 12, wherein:
the engine includes an adaptor plate attached to the primary gearbox for movement of the primary gearbox with the engine.
14. A drive system as defined in claim 12, wherein:
a marine transmission is connected to each outboard gearbox and a support for the transmissions includes a cradle associated with each transmission and connected to spaced points on the hull.
15. A drive system as defined in claim 14, wherein:
each spaced point is provided by a cushioned mounting block.
16. A drive system as defined in claim 15, wherein:
raised support points are provided in the boat hull to carry each mounting block.
17. A drive system as defined in claim 12, wherein each cooling pad includes a close chamber having upper and lower walls and connecting sidewalls, and wherein the sidewalls provide inlet and outlet openings.
18. A drive system as defined in claim 17, wherein the upper and lower walls of each cooling pad are connected by a passage providing access to the respective gearbox housing.
19. A drive system for a boat having a hull an engine having a drive shaft, a pair of propeller shafts, and means for connecting the engine drive shaft and the propeller shafts, the drive system comprising:
a primary gearbox and opposed outboard gearboxes;
the primary gearbox including a housing and a gear arrangement operatively connected to the engine shaft;
each outboard gearbox including a housing and a gear arrangement operatively connected to the respective propeller shaft;
each gearbox including an upper cooling pad connected to a respective housing upper wall and a lower cooling pad connected to a respective housing lower wall, the cooling pads being supplied with cooling liquid from the engine to inhibit overheating of the respective gear arrangement within the housings; and
a support system for each of the outboard gearboxes including a cradle associated with each outboard gearbox and connected to spaced points on the hull.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An operating lever of a disc brake caliper, the operating lever being adapted for pivoting movement in the disc brake caliper to transfer an actuating force from a brake actuator to a brake pad, the operating lever comprising:
a shaft having a shaft pivot axis;
a cam surface on the shaft at a first end of the operating lever and operable on pivoting of the operating lever;
a lever arm extending from the shaft, intermediate ends of the shaft and extending over the cam surface;
a wear adjuster arm extending from the operating lever; and
a stub axle at a second end of the operating lever,
wherein the operating lever has a bearing surface adapted for reactive support of the cam surface on a roller element bearing of the disc brake caliper, the stub axle adapted to be supported in a plain bush of the disc brake caliper, a diameter of the stub axle is less than a radius of the bearing surface, and the bearing surface defines the shaft pivot axis and the diameter defines a stub axle pivot axis, the stub axle pivot axis being coincident with the shaft pivot axis.
2. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the diameter of the stub axle is 40-80% of the radius of the bearing surface.
3. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the stub axle protrudes from a surface that is orthogonal to the shaft pivot axis and defines an annular thrust face of the operating lever.
4. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the bearing surface extends over 180\xb0 or less of a circumference of the operating shaft.
5. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the lever arm extends substantially at a right angle to the wear adjuster arm.
6. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the wear adjuster arm and the cam surface are at opposite axial sides of the lever arm.
7. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the bearing surface is at a first side of the operating shaft, the cam surface and the wear adjuster arm are at a second side of the operating shaft, and the second side is substantially opposite to the first side.
8. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the stub axle includes a first stub axle surface configured to prevent movement of the operating lever in a first axial direction of the shaft pivot axis.
9. The operating lever according to claim 8 wherein the stub axle includes a second stub axle surface configured to prevent movement of the operating lever in a second axial direction of the shaft pivot axis, and the second axial direction is substantially opposite to the first axial direction.
10. The operating lever according to claim 8 wherein the stub axle includes a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, the first cylindrical portion has a diameter substantially less than a diameter of the second cylindrical portion, and the first stub axle surface is defined as a shoulder between the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion.
11. The operating lever according to claim 10 wherein the first cylindrical portion is closer to the cam surface than the second cylindrical portion.
12. The operating lever as defined in claim 1 wherein the stub axle is adapted for reactive support of the cam surface in the plain bush.
13. A brake caliper comprising:
a plain bush for a stub axle; and
an operating lever being adapted for pivoting movement in a disc brake caliper to transfer an actuating force from a brake actuator to a brake pad, the operating lever including:
a shaft having a shaft pivot axis,
a cam surface on the shaft at a first end of the operating lever and operable on pivoting of the operating lever,
a lever arm extending from the shaft, intermediate ends of the shaft and extending over the cam surface,
a wear adjuster arm extending from the operating lever, and
the stub axle at a second end of the operating lever, wherein the operating lever has a bearing surface adapted for reactive support of the cam surface on a roller element bearing of a disc brake caliper, the stub axle adapted to be supported in the plain bush of a brake caliper, a diameter of the stub axle is less than a radius of the bearing surface, and the bearing surface defines the shaft pivot axis and the diameter defines a stub axle pivot axis, the stub axle pivot axis being coincident with the shaft pivot axis.
14. The brake caliper according to claim 13 wherein one end of the plain bush includes an annular thrust face.
15. The brake caliper according to claim 13 wherein the plain bush is a thrust bush including a first thrust bush surface configured to prevent movement of the operating lever in a first axial direction of the shaft pivot axis.
16. The brake caliper according to claim 15 wherein the thrust bush includes a second bush surface configured to prevent movement of the operating lever in a second axial direction of the shaft pivot axis, and the second direction is substantially opposite to the first axial direction.
17. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the stub axle is fixed relative to the operating lever.
18. The operating lever according to claim 1 wherein the stub axle projects on the shaft pivot axis and is supported in a bearing block by the plain bush, and the bearing block is mounted on or forms part of a reaction bridge and is stationary relative to a tappet assembly.
19. The brake caliper according to claim 13 wherein the stub axle projects on the shaft pivot axis and is supported in a bearing block by the plain bush, and the bearing block is mounted on or forms part of a reaction bridge and is stationary relative to a tappet assembly.
20. The brake caliper as defined in claim 13 wherein the stub axle is adapted for reactive support of the cam surface in the plain bush.

1. A lubricant comprising a basestock andor a co-basestock of the formula:
wherein R1 is C1 to C4 linear or branched alkyl; R2 is H or CH3; and n=2-4.
2. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein R1 is C2 to C4 alkyl.
3. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein R1 is C1 to C4 alkyl, R2 is H, and n is 2 or 3.
4. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein R1 is C1 to C4 alkyl, R2 is CH3, and n is 2 or 3.
5. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein R1 is C2 to C4alkyl, R2 is H, and n is 4.
6. A lubricant comprising a basestock andor a co-basestock of the formula:
7. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
8. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
9. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
10. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
11. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
12. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
13. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
14. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the basestock is of the formula:
15. The lubricant of claim 1, further including a basestock or a co-basestock selected from the group consisting of a polyalphaolefin fluid, a metallocene-catalyzed polyalphaolefin fluid, a gas-to-liquid fluid and Group I to III basestocks.
16. A lubricant comprising a basestock andor a co-basestock of the formula:
17. The lubricant of claim 16, further including a basestock or a co-basestock selected from the group consisting of a polyalphaolefin fluid, a metallocene-catalyzed polyalphaolefin fluid, a gas-to-liquid fluid and Group I to III basestocks.
18. The lubricant of claim 6, further including a basestock or a co-basestock selected from the group consisting of a polyalphaolefin fluid, a metallocene-catalyzed polyalphaolefin fluid, a gas-to-liquid fluid and Group I to III basestocks.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A vehicle comprising two support members being spaced apart from each other so as to define a track width between the support members, an adjustable support member mechanism comprising at least one adjustable suspension arm coupled to each support member and a rotational transfer arm that pivots about a central portion of the transfer arm, each support member including a shock absorber assembly and each adjustable suspension arm being coupled to the corresponding shock absorber assembly, each end of the transfer arm being pivotally linked to one of the adjustable suspension arms, the adjustable support member mechanism being movable between at least first and second positions so as to change the track width, thereby establishing a first track position and a second track position, respectively, the first track position defining a first distance between the two support members and the second track position defining a second distance between the two support members, the first distance being smaller than the second distance, a steering input device, and a steering mechanism arranged between the input device and the support members to change direction of the support members according to a position of the steering input device at least when the support members are in the first track position and when the support members are in the second track position.
2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotational transfer arm transfers an input motion to change the support member track width.
3. The vehicle of claim 2 additionally comprising a cylinder mechanism connected to the rotational transfer arm to provide said input motion.
4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the cylinder mechanism is configured to be manually operated.
5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the steering mechanism includes at least one member that rotates about the same axis about which the rotational transfer arm rotates.
6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the steering mechanism includes a steering lever that rotates about the rotational axis of the rotational transfer arm.
7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operator input device is a handle bar.
8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the adjustable support member mechanism is configured to move the support members relative to a centerline of the vehicle.
9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the support members are steering skis.
10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism includes an idler arm that transfers motion from a pitman arm to a steering lever.
11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the steering lever transfers motion to a slideable bracket that is movable along the steering lever.
12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the slideable bracket and the steering arm are configured in a manner allowing the slideable bracket to transfer motion of the steering lever to at least one transfer arm regardless of the position of the slideable bracket on the steering lever.
13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the slideable bracket and the steering arm are arranged such that the position of the slideable bracket changes a steering linkage geometry at least when the adjustable support member mechanism moves between the first and second positions.
14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the idler arm, the steering lever, and the at least one transfer arm all rotate independently of each other on a common axis.
15. A snowmobile vehicle comprising two skis being spaced apart from each other so as to define a track width between the skis, and an adjustable ski-track mechanism coupled to the skis and movable between at least first and second positions so as to change the track width, thereby establishing a first track position and a second track position, respectively, the first track position defining a first distance between the two skis and the second track position defining a second distance between the two skis, the adjustable ski-track mechanism including an input mechanism to change the track width between the skis, the input mechanism comprising a rotational transfer arm that is coupled to both skis and that pivots about a central portion of the transfer arm, and a cylinder mechanism connected to the rotational transfer arm.
16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the rotational transfer arm transfers an input motion to change the track width between the skis.
17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the cylinder mechanism provides said input motion.
18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the cylinder mechanism is configured to be manually operated.