Apparatus for varying the direction of travel of a vehicle, in particular a water-borne vehicle

An apparatus for varying the direction of travel of a watercraft vehicle, comprising a steering wheel which can be operated by the vehicle driver to vary the vehicle's direction of travel, and a hub (14) for rotatably supporting the steering wheel, the hub having a respective longitudinal axis and being connected fixedly to the vehicle, the hub having transfer means for transferring the movement of the steering wheel to corresponding means for controlling the vehicle's direction of travel, through the agency of corresponding transmission means comprising a respective rotary shaft, the transfer means being adapted to transfer the movement of the steering wheel to the means for controlling the vehicle's direction of travel, through the transmission means to the self-same controlling means, with a transmission ratio of 1:1;

• wherein:
• the hub comprise fixed means which are integral with the vehicle and which support in freely rotatable manner corresponding first movable means, which are integral with the steering wheel, and second movable means, which are integral with the transmission means, the second movable means being rotatably supported by the fixed means separately or independently of the first movable means, the first movable means being operatively connected to the second movable means to transfer thereto the movement imparted by the driver to the steering wheel.
• the transfer means are rotatably supported relative to the transverse axis by the fixed means;
• the apparatus comprises means for actuating the transfer means, said means for actuating the transfer means being integral and supported by the first movable means;
• the means for actuating the transfer means comprise a crown gear, having radially projecting teeth extending from the respective base towards the respective apex along the direction of the longitudinal axis;
• the apparatus comprises means for actuating the transmission means for transmitting the motion to the means for controlling;
• the means for actuating the transmission means being integral with the second movable means;
• the means for actuating the transmission means comprise a respective crown gear, having radially projecting teeth extending from the respective base towards the respective apex along the direction of the longitudinal axis;
• the crown gear for actuating the transmission means is coaxially internal with respect to the crown gear for actuating the transfer means;
• the transfer means comprise a toothed pinion having a set of teeth for meshing with the crown gear for actuating the same transfer means and a second set of teeth for meshing with the crown gear for actuating the transmission means.