Device for rotationally driving and steering a screw-rudder of a floating vehicle

In a device for rotationally driving and steering a screw-rudder of a floating vehicle, comprising:

• a support for mounting on a floating vehicle;
• a tubular casing mounted on the support;
• a steering shaft which is mounted for rotation in the tubular casing;
• thrust bearing means supporting the steering shaft in the tubular casing;
• a screw-carrier assembly rigidly suspended from the steering shaft;
• first drive means for rotationally driving a screw carried by said screw-carrier assembly and including at least one hydrostatic receiver unit housed in the screw-carrier assembly, a hydrostatic transmitter unit, and a pair of oil circulation pipes connecting the hydrostatic receiver unit to the hydrostatic transmitter unit;
• and
• second drive means disposed at the top end of the steering shaft for rotating the steering shaft in the tubular casing in order to steer the screw-rudder;
• and wherein said pair of oil circulation pipes comprises a pair of ducts inside the steering shaft and a pair of rotating joints interposed between the steering shaft and the tubular casing;
• said pair of rotating joints and said thrust bearing means being grouped together with said second drive means at the top end of the steering shaft;
• the improvement in which said pair of rotating joints is disposed immediately below said second drive means, said pair of rotating joints is disposed immediately above said thrust bearing means, centering bearing means supporting the steering shaft in the tubular casing at the bottom end of the tubular casing, said pair of rotating joints comprising a pair of superposed annular recesses in said casing, said second drive means comprising a pinion on said shaft, a rack engageable with said pinion, means to reciprocate said rack to rotate said shaft, said thrust bearing means comprising inner and outer races with anti-friction means therebetween, substantially vertical slide guide means fastened to the support, top and bottom slide shoe means slidable in said slide guide means, said tubular casing being mounted on said bottom slide shoe means and being pivotally mounted on said top slide shoe means, and means acting between said casing and said support to raise and lower said casing, said bottom slide shoe means being adapted to move out of said slide guide means to permit the casing to pivot about said top slide shoe means thereby to lift the screw-carrier assembly out of the water.