US2498223A - Steering apparatus for ships - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1950 w. a. ROMMEL STEERING APPARATUS FOR SHIPS Filed Dec. 5, '1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v. h n m n 3 WILLIAM G. ROMMEL (Ittomeg- Feb. 21, 1950 w. G. ROMMEL 2,498,223

STEERING APPARATUS FOR SHIPS Filed Dec. 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zmnentor WILLIAM G. ROMMEL (lttomeg Patented Feb. 21, 1950 STEERING APPARATUS FOR SHIPS William G. Rommel, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to The Garrett Corporation, Airesearch Manufacturing Company division, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 5, 1944, Serial No. 566,68

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the steering of marine vessels. One of the objects of the invention is to provide apparatus which is adapted to automatically maintain the boat on a straight line course without attention by a pilot. Another object is to provide steering apparatus includin means for manually controlling turning movements of the boat, coupled with means for automatically maintaining the boat on a straight line course after a desired direction has been established.

A further object of the invention is to provide electrically powered mechanism for moving the -rudder of a boat, together with means Operable by a pilot at one or more control stations on the boat, for controlling such powered mechanism.

A further object is to provide steering control mechanism for a boat, including a portable control device which may be carried by a pilot to any part of the boat and utilized at any time for controlling the steering operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide boat steering apparatus including means whereby the boat may be steered under manual power, coordinated with means whereby the boat may be steered under electro-motive power. It is contemplated that such electro-motive power may be controlled either manually or by a combination of manual control for turning and automatic control for maintaining the ship on a straight course when such course has been established.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved steering apparatus for boats including a reversible electrically operated power device for moving the rudder of the boat and gyropilot mechanism including a pair of contacts fixed to the boat for movement therewith and included in a pair of circuits for operating said electrically operated means in opposite directions, and a contact carried by a gyroscope, positioned between said pair of contacts and adapted to engage one or the other in accordance with any deviation of the ship from a straight line course, so as to restore the ship to a straightline course.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a boat embodying the invention;

Fig. 2. is a schematic diagram of the steering apparatus of my invention;

Fig. 3 is 'a side elevation of the gyro-pilot device;

Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of the boat steering apparatus embodying a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view of the clutch of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of a modified portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

As an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, I have shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the steering apparatus of a boat I including a deck il, a cockpit l2, and a rudder l3. To the rudder post I4 is secured an operating arm I5 which receives movement from a threaded shaft l6 forming part of a screw jack H. The screw jack l1 includes a reversible electric motor I8 and an internally threaded sleeve l9 driven thereby, the shaft l6 being threaded into the sleeve l9 and being adapted to be extended or retracted, depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor IS.

The screw jack i1 is illustrated as one form of the electro-motive device for moving the rudder l3. It is to be understood that the invention contemplates the use of any two-way electrically operated device. For example, a reversible motor could be connected by means of chains and sprockets to the rudder post l4 through worm gearing, as shown in Fig. 4.

The field coils and 2| of the motor l8 form part of a pair of energizing circuits including, respectively, conductors 22 and 23, branch conductors 24 and 25, and switch contacts 26 and 21 connected to the conductors 24 and 2-5, the contacts 26 and 21 forming part of a manual over-control switch indicated generally at 28. The switch 28 includes a manually operable switch arm 29 which is connected to a source of power 33 and adapted to engage either the contact 26 or the contact 21 so as to complete a circuit through the conductor 22 or the conductor 23 respectively to the field coil 20 or the field coil 2| of the motor ii, to operate the latter in either of its directions of rotations.

A gyropilot mechanism to automatically maintain the ship on a straight line course is indicated generally at 3|. Such gyro-pilot mechanism includes a pair of contacts 32 and 33 respectively connected to the respective conductors 22 and 23, and a contact 34 disposed between the contacts 32 and 33 and carried by an arm 35 on a gyroscope 38 which is adapted to maintain a fixed course in a horizontal direction,

so that in the event of deviation of the boat from said fixed-course, one of the contacts 32, 33, will engage the contact 34. Such engagement will establish an energizing circuit from the power source 33 through the switch arm 23 and an automatic" control contact 31 and a conductor 33 through either the conductor 22 or 23, depending on which of the contacts 32, 33, has been engaged, whereby to energize the motor l3 in the proper direction to restore the ship to the fixed course.

The gyroscope 33 includes a fly wheel member 33 having ashaft 43 mounted in bearings 4| on a horizontal axis transverse to the direction of the course to be maintained, bearings 4| being part of the frame 42 on which the arm 35 is mounted. A motor 43, which may also be carried by the frame 42, provides the power for maintaining the spinning of thefiy wheel 33. The frame 42 has trunnions 44 mounted, on a vertical axis, in bearings 45 forming part of a bracket 43 which is suitably supported upon a base member 41. The trunnions 44 are adapted the bracket 43 attached to the base 41, deviate to I one side or the other from said fixed course.

The manual over-control device 23, shown schematically in Fig. 2, constitutes one of several manual control stations, other such stations being indicated at 23a, and 23b, in Fig. 1. The control stations 23a and 28b are fixed stations, while the control station 23 comprises a portable switch box on the end of an extension cable 43, the cable 43 having three conductors connected to the conductors 24, 25, and 33 as shown.

By employing the portable control station 23, the operator may control the steering of the boat from any position on the deck of the boat or within the cockpit l2,'as may be desired.

In the operation of the steering apparatus, the switch arm 23 will be normally connected to the contact 31 so as to provide for automatic steering. When it is desired to change the course of the boat, the pilot moves the switch arm 23 to the contact 23 or 21, depending upon the direction in which he desires to turn, and maintains it in that position until the new course is established. The contacts 32 and 33, acting through the contact 34 and the arm 35, are adapted to forcibly shift the gyroscope 33 into the new course. When the course has been established,

. the pilot shifts the contact arm 23 back to the automatic control" contact 31, so as to restore the control to the gyro pilot mechanism, which will thereafter maintain the ship on the new course thus established.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 4, I provide for the transmission of manual steering power to the rudder l3 from a steerin wheel or tiller 31. The steering wheel 31 is geared through a bevel pinion and crown 33, to a shaft 43 which is geared to the rudder l3 as by means of a worm 53 on the shaft 43 meshing with a worm gear 5| on the rudder post l4.

Alternative power operated steering means is provided in the form of a reversible electro-motive unit 13 having a driven shaft 52 carrying a sprocket 53 which drives a chain 54. The chain 54 in turn drives a sprocket 55 mounted on a dog clutch member 53 which is slidable and freely rotatable on the shaft 43 when disengaged from a mating dog clutch member 51 which is pinned to the shaft 43. The clutch member 53 is shifted by a lever 53 which has a fork 53 engaging a clutch collar 33 carried by the clutch member 53.

The clutch dogs 3| of the clutch element .51 are adapted to engage in recesses 32 in the clutch member 53, the recesses 32 being disposed out of diametrical alignment and the dogs 3| being correspondingly positioned, so that the clutch may become engaged in only one relative position of its members within a three hundred and sixty degree are. This. preserves the proper relationship between the shaft 43 and arm 33 which contacts and operates to open one. or the other of normally closed limit switches 33 to de-energize the electro-motive device 10 when the rudder has been moved to a predetermined limit of swing in either direction respectively. A two-way portable switch 34, operable from any position on the deck of the boat, may be employed for establishing circuits through the respective conductors 35. and 33 to the reversible actuating device 13.

As a modification of the idea shown in Fig. 4, the two-way portable switch 34 may be omitted and the conductors and 33 may be connected to the conductors 22 and 23 of a controlcircuit,

including a gyro-pilot control 3| and a manual over-control device 28, as shown in Fig. 6.

I claim as my invention:

1. Steering apparatus for controlling the movement of a ship rudder, comprising: power means including an electrically operated means for moving'said rudder in both of its directions of movement, and means for controllably energizing said electrically operated means, including a source of power, a pair of conductors for conducting current to the respective field coils of said electrically operated means, a gyroscope having a vertical plane of rotation and mounted for turning movement with reference to the ship on a vertical axis, a contact carried by said gyroscope, a pair of contacts, one on either side of said gyroscope carried contact, and each connected to one of said conductors, and a manual overcontrol switch comprising a switch arm connected to said source of electric power and a plurality of electric contacts, engageable by said switch arm, one of said contacts being connected to said gyroscope carried contact and adapted,

' when engaged by said switch arm, to establish an automatic control circuit for said electrically operated means, and the other of said over control contacts being connected respectively to said two conductors so as to provide for manual control of the operation of said electrically operated means in either direction, overriding said automatic control.

2. Steering apparatus for controlling the movement of a ship ruder, comprising: power means including an electrically operated means for moving said rudder in both of its directions of movement, and gyro-pilot means for controlling the operation of said electrically operated means in a manner to maintain the ship on a straight-line course, said gyro-pilot means comprising a gyroscope having a vertical plane of rotation and mounted for rotating movement around a vertical axis with reference to the ship, a contact carried by said gyroscope, contacts connected to the ship for movement therewith and arranged one on either .slde of said gyroscope carried contact, said pair of contacts forming parts of a pair of circuits for operating said electrically operated means in opposite directions, and a source of electric power for energizing said circuits, whereby deviation of the ship from a straight-line course will cause one of said pair of contacts to bear against said gyroscope carried contact and close a circuit to said electricall operated means to actuate said rudder to right the ship.

3. Steering apparatus for controlling rudder movement, including: a power transmitting shaft having a driving connection with said rudder; means for transmitting manual power to said shaft; electrically operated means for driving said shaft, said electrically operated means being operable in opposite directions; limit switches for opening the energ'ming circuits of the electrical means at limits of movement in said opposite directions; power transmitting means including a clutch for connecting said power means to said shaft or disconnecting said power means from said shaft; and means whereby said clutch is adapted to engage at only one position within 360 of relative rotation of its members in order to preserve the proper operational relationship between said limit switches and said shaft.

4. Steering apparatus for controlling the movement of a ship rudder, comprising: power means including an electrically operated means for moving said rudder in both of its directions of movement, and gyro-pilot means for controlling the operation of said electrically operated means in a manner to maintain the ship on a straight-line course, said gyro-pilot means comprising a gyroscope having a vertical plane of rotation and mounted for rotating movement around a vertical axis with reference to the ship; a contact carried by said gyroscope; contacts connected to the ship for movement therewith and arranged one on either side of said gyroscope carried contact, said pair of contacts forming parts of a pair of circuits for operating said electrically operated means in opposite directions; a source of electric power for energizing said circuits, whereby deviation of the ship from a straightline course will cause one of said pair of contacts to bear against said gyroscope carried contact and close a circuit to said electrically operated means to actuate said rudder to right the ship; and portable over-ride mechanism for controlling the operation of said electrically operated means to effect turning movement of the boat.

5. In a gyro-pilot means for controlling the operation of reversible electrically operated means, comprising: a gyroscope having a vertical plane of rotation and mounted for rotative movement around a vertical axis with reference to a vehicle on which it is mounted; a contact carried by said gyroscope; and contacts arranged on either side of said gyroscope carried contact and adapted to form parts of a pair of circuits for said electrically operated means, said pair of contacts being adapted to move with the above mentioned vehicle with respect to the gyroscope.

6. In steering apparatus for controlling rudder a power transmitting shaft having a driven connection with said rudder; means for transmitting manual power to said shaft; electrically operated power means for driving said shaft; and power transmitting means, including a clutch, for connecting said power means to said shaft or disconnecting said power means from said shaft, said clutch having members arranged to engage at only one position within 360 of relative rotation of its members.

7. In steering apparatus for controlling the movement of a ship rudder, comprising: a power transmittin shaft having a driving connection with said rudder; means for transmitting manual power to said shaft; electrically operated power means for driving said shaft, said electrically operated means being operable in opposite directions; limit switches for opening the energizing circuits of said electrically operated means at limits of movement in opposite directions; power transmitting means, inauding a clutch, for connecting said power means to said shaft or disconnecting said power means from said shaft; means whereby said clutch is adapted to engage at only one position within 360 of relative rotation of its members in order to preserve the proper operational relationship between said limit switches and said shaft; gyro-pilot means for controlling the operation of said electrically operated means in a manner to maintain the ship on a straight line course, said gyro-pilot means comprising a gyroscope having a vertical plane of rotation and mounted for rotative movement around a vertical axis with reference to the ship; a contact carried by said gyroscope; contacts connected to the ship for movement therewith and arranged one on either side of said gyroscope carried contact, said pairs of contacts forming parts of a pair of circuits for operating said electrically operated means in opposite directions; and a source of electric power for energizing said circuits, whereby deviation of the ship from a straight-line course will cause one of said pair. of contacts to bear against said gyroscope carried contact and close a circuit to said electrically operated means to actuate said rudder to right the course of the ship.

0 WILLIAM G. ROMMEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,939,775 Holmes Dec. 19, 1933 1,993,551 Holmes Mar. 5, 1935 2,045,775 Hodgman June 30, 1936 2,105,513 Chance Dec. 14, 1937 2,373,144 Saul Apr. 10, 1945

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