Ships – Steering mechanism – Remote control steering excluding manual operation
Patent
1986-06-25
1988-08-30
Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
Ships
Steering mechanism
Remote control steering excluding manual operation
B63H 2504
Patent
active
047668334
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to steering gear for a yacht, and, in particular, to steering gear of the kind defined in the preamble of the independent claim.
The invention accordingly relates to steering gear in which a pivotally movable steering arm, such as a pivoted arm provided with a wind vane or otherwise producing or transmitting steering signals, is supported on a bracket and arranged to rotate a servo oar supported by a rocker, such that the servo oar is caused by hydrodynamic forces to be pendulously moved and thereby to pivotally move the rocker, which in turn actutates a rudder to deflect it.
Such steering gear is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,831 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,657. The steering gear disclosed in the first-mentioned patent specification has a separate or auxiliary rudder rotatably mounted on the bracket and, consequently, is independent of the yacht's own or main rudder, while the steering gear disclosed in the second patent specification is adapted for use in conjunction with the yacht's main rudder. The last-mentioned steering gear therefore can be constructed from fewer and simpler components and, accordingly, can be made cheaper.
An object of the present invention is to bring about further simplification of the steering gear and thereby make possible further reduction of the number of components and a simple connection to autopilots existing on the market.
To this end, in the steering gear according to the invention, the steering arm is pivotally supported on the bracket and the pivot axis of the steering arm is stationary with respect to the pivot axis of the rocker.
While in the steering gear disclosed in the above-mentioned patent specifications the orientation of the pivot axis of the steering arm is changed upon setting the course to be kept by the yacht, the steering arm pivot axis of the steering gear according to the invention has a fixed orientation which suitably is such that the axis is slightly inclined forwardly and upwardly, as viewed from a position behind the yacht and the steering gear, and is contained in a longitudinal vertical plane also containing the pivot axis of the rocker. Suitably, this vertical plane is the longitudinal centre plane of the yacht.
Because the pivot axis of the steering arm is stationary with respect to the bracket, the transmission of motion from the steering arm to the servo oar can be effected by a linkage which is simpler than that of the known steering gear. A further advantage is that the ]ournal for the steering arm can be placed at a low level and, consequently, a steering force acting on the steering arm, e.g. on a wind vane supported by or forming part of the steering arm, can be transmitted to the servo oar with a favourable lever ratio.
In another aspect, steering gear according to the invention comprises: a bracket adapted for attachment to the transom of a yacht, said bracket comprising means for attaching said bracket in fixed position to the transom of a yacht, means for pivotally mounting a rocker on said bracket, and means for pivotally mounting a steering arm on said bracket independently of said rocker; a rocker pivotally mounted on said bracket and being pivotally movable relative to the bracket about a rocker axis which extends generally in the fore and aft direction of the yacht when the bracket is attached to the transom and being connectable to a rudder member such that the rudder member is deflected in response to pivotal motion of the rocker about the rocker axis; a servo oar supported by the rocker and pivotally movable together with the rocker about the rocker axis, the servo oar being rotatable relative to the rocker about an oar axis which is generally perpendicular to the rocker axis; and a steering arm pivotally mounted on said bracket independently of said rocker, said steering arm being pivotally moveable about a steering arm axis; linkage means coupling the steering arm to the oar such that the oar is rotated about the oar axis in response to pivotal motion of the steering arm axis.
Further features and adv
REFERENCES:
patent: 4078511 (1978-03-01), Daniels
patent: 4327657 (1982-05-01), Knoos
"Windselbststeueranlagen" by Volz/Mohr, 1977, pp. 128, 129, 146 and 147.
"Die Yacht" journal, No. 1, 1972, pp. 83-87.
"Windsteueranlage Windpilot IV Pacific of John Adam" brochure, 1975.
Brahan Thomas J.
Peters Jr. Joseph F.
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