Safety device for helm, throttle and directional controls of water vehicles

A safety device for small craft helm, throttle and directional controls, intended for operation between a rotatable control drive shaft and a rotatable driven shaft of the helm, throttle and directional controls comprising:

• a one way mechanical coupling for rotatively coupling the drive shaft and the driven shaft together, said one-way mechanical coupling including a first engaging element rigidly connected to the drive shaft and a second engaging element rigidly connected to the driven shaft, the first and second engaging elements being coaxially mounted and substantially geometrically matched with respect to each other for transmitting motion in a direction of rotation from said drive shaft to said driven shaft;
• locking means, interposed and held by resilient force between said first and second engaging elements for preventing rotation from the driven shaft to the drive shaft, said locking means locking the second engaging element connected to the driven shaft and being unlocked by moving the first engaging element connected to the drive shaft against the resilient force,
• wherein said locking means includes
• an outer casing member for housing said first and second engaging elements,
• two pairs of locking members continually biased in opposite directions and against said first engaging element, the locking members being removably wedged between an inner peripheral surface of said outer casing member and an external surface of said second engaging element unless acted upon by said first engaging element in a direction against the continually biased direction, and wherein said second engaging element includes diametrically opposed elongated arcuate sides and notched end portions positioned orthogonal to the elongated sides.

A safety device for small craft helm, throttle and directional controls, intended for operation between a rotatable control drive shaft and a rotatable driven shaft of the helm, throttle and directional controls comprising:

• a one way mechanical coupling for rotatively coupling the drive shaft and the driven shaft together, said one-way mechanical coupling including a first engaging element rigidly connected to the drive shaft and a second engaging element rigidly connected to the driven shaft, the first and second engaging elements being coaxially mounted and substantially geometrically matched with respect to each other for transmitting motion in a direction of rotation from said drive shaft to said driven shaft;
• locking means, interposed and held by resilient force between said first and second engaging elements for preventing rotation from the driven shaft to the drive shaft, said locking means locking the second engaging element connected to the driven shaft and being unlocked by moving the first engaging element connected to the drive shaft against the resilient force;
• a coil spring frictionally engaged with a stationary portion of the device;
• means associated with said driven shaft and in abutment with ends of said spring for resisting rotation of said drive shaft;
• first means associated with said drive shaft and adapted to cooperate with the ends of said spring for at least decreasing the frictional engagement of said spring with said stationary portion;
• and
• second means associated with said drive shaft for rotatively entraining said driven shaft after said first means has released said driven shaft from a locked position,
• wherein said coil spring is compressed into clutching engagement with inner walls of an element consisting of a surrounding bush secured on a stationary portion of the device, the ends of said spring being bent radially inwards to abut against said means associated with the driven shaft and be engaged by said first means associated with the drive shaft.