Remote, electrical steering system with fault protection

In a remote, electrical steering system for marine vehicles having a motor-rudder mounted for pivotal steering movement about a pivot axis and with the motor rudder secured at the rear or aft end of the marine vehicle by a mounting bracket and including a hollow guide tube of a standard construction for use in a cable steering system with said guide tube being a hollow construction having a length of between around eleven inches to around twelve inches and with said guide tube adapted to be fixed to said mounting bracket and with said guide tube having a connecting portion adapted for connection with a cable assembly of the cable steering system with the cable operable through said guide tube, the improvement comprising:

• motor-rudder position sensing means for providing a motor-rudder signal indicative of the angular position of the motor-rudder relative to a neutral motor-rudder angular position about the pivot axis,
• steering unit means remote from the motor-rudder and actuable by an operator to selected positions relative to a neutral steering angular position related to desired angular steering positions of the motor-rudder about the pivot axis,
• steering position sensing means operatively connected with said steering unit means for providing a steering position signal indicative of the position of said steering unit means relative to said neutral steering angular position,
• first circuit means responsive to said motor-rudder signal and said steering position signal for providing a control signal indicative of preselected differences between said motor-rudder angular position and said selected positions of said steering unit means,
• electric motor drive means operatively connected to the motor-rudder and responsive to an electrical drive signal to pivot the motor-rudder to determinable angular positions about the pivot axis,
• power circuit means operatively connected with said first circuit means and to said electric motor drive means and responsive to said control signal for providing said drive signal to said electric motor drive means,
• said electric motor drive means comprising an electric motor, support means for supporting said electric motor, actuating means operatively associated with said electric motor and the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions about the pivot axis,
• said actuating means comprising said hollow guide tube whereby said electrical steering system can be used alternatively with a cable steering system employing said guide tube,
• said actuating means further comprising mounting means adapted to connect said guide tube to said support means at said connecting portion of said guide tube, a steering tube slidably supported in said guide tube for reciprocating movement therein and drive connecting means for connecting said steering tube to said electric motor whereby said steering tube can be actuated for powered reciprocating movement in said guide tube and motor-rudder connecting means for connecting said steering tube to the motor-rudder for pivotally steering the motor-rudder about its pivot axis in response to the powered reciprocating movement of said steering tube within said guide tube.

In a remote, electrical steering system for marine vehicles having a motor-rudder mounted for pivotal steering movement about a pivot axis and with the motor rudder secured at the rear or aft end of the marine vehicle by a mounting bracket and includes a hollow guide tube of a standard construction for use in a cable steering system with said guide tube being a hollow construction having a length of between around eleven inches to around twelve inches and with said guide tube adapted to be fixed to said mounting bracket and with said guide tube having a connecting portion adapted for connection with a cable assembly of the cable steering system with a cable operable through said guide tube, the improvement comprising:

• motor-rubber position sensing means for providing a motor-rudder signal indicative of the angular position of the motor-rudder relative to a neutral motor-rudder angular position about the pivot axis,
• steering unit means remote from the motor-rudder and actuable by an operator to selected positions relative to a neutral steering angular position related to desired angular steering positions of the motor-rudder about the pivot axis,
• steering position sensing means operatively connected with said steering unit means for providing a steering position signal indicative of the position of said steering unit means relative to said neutral steering angular position,
• first circuit means responsive to said motor-rudder signal and said steering position signal for providing a control signal indicative of preselected differences between said motor-rudder angular position and said selected positions of said steering unit means.
• electric motor drive means operatively connected to the motor-rudder and responsive to an electrical drive signal to pivot the motor-rudder to determinable angular positions about the pivot axis,
• power circuit means operatively connected with said first circuit means and to said electric motor drive means and responsive to said control signal for providing said drive signal to said electric motor drive means,
• said electric motor drive means comprising an electric motor, support means for supporting said electric motor, actuating means operatively associated with said electric motor and the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions about the pivot axis,
• gear means for drivingly connecting said electric motor to said actuating means, said actuating means comprising said hollow guide tube, a steering tube slidably supported for translational movement within said hollow guide tube, said actuating means further comprising mounting means adapted to connect said guide tube to said support means at said connecting portion of said guide tube, said steering tube having a threaded nut structure at one end,
• said actuating means further comprising a drive screw threadably engageable with said nut structure of said steering tube and adapted to be rotated by said electric motor through said gear means, drive connecting means for connecting said steering tube to said electric motor whereby said steering tube can be actuated for powered translation movement in said guide tube, and motor-rudder connecting means for connecting said steering tube to the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions in response to the powered translation movement of said steering tube within said guide tube.

In a remote, electrical steering system for marine vehicles having a motor-rudder mounted for pivotal steering movement about a pivot axis and with the motor rudder secured at the rear or aft end of the marine vehicle by a mounting bracket and including a hollow guide tube of a standard construction for use in a cable steering system with said guide tube being a hollow construction having a length of between around eleven inches to around twelve inches and with said guide tube adapted to be fixed to said mounting bracket and with said guide tube having a connecting portion adapted for connection with a cable assembly of the cable steering system with a cable operable through said guide tube, the improvement comprising:

• motor-rudder position sensing means for providing a motor-rudder signal indicative of the angular position of the motor-rudder relative to a neutral motor-rudder angular position about the pivot axis,
• steering unit means remote from the motor-rudder and actuable by an operator to selected positions relative to a neutral steering angular position related to desired angular steering positions of the motor-rudder about the pivot axis,
• steering position sensing means operatively connected with said steering unit means for providing a steering position signal indicative of the position of said steering unit means relative to said neutral steering angular position,
• first circuit means responsive to said motor-rudder signal and said steering position signal for providing a control signal indicative of preselected differences between said motor-rudder angular position and said selected positions of said steering unit means,
• electric motor drive means operatively connected to the motor-rudder and responsive to an electrical drive signal to pivot the motor-rudder to determinable angular positions about the pivot axis,
• power circuit means operatively connected with said first circuit means and to said electric motor drive means and responsive to said control signal for providing said drive signal to said electric motor drive means,
• said electric motor drive means comprising an electric motor, actuating means operatively associated with said electric motor and the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions about the pivot axis,
• said actuating means comprising said hollow guide tube whereby said electrical steering system can be used alternatively with a cable steering system employing said guide tube,
• gear means for drivingly connecting said electric motor to said actuating means, said actuating means comprising said hollow guide tube, a steering tube slidably supported for translational movement within said hollow guide tube, said steering tube having a threaded nut structure at one end,
• said actuating means further comprising a drive screw threadably engageably with said nut structure of said steering tube and adapted to be rotated by said electric motor through said gear means, drive connecting means for connecting said steering tube to said gear means whereby said steering tube can be actuated for powered translational movement in said guide tube, and motor-rudder connecting means for connecting said steering tube to the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions in response to the powered translational movement of said steering tube within said guide tube.

In a remote, electrical steering system for marine vehicles having a motor-rudder mounted for pivotal steering movement about a pivot axis and with the motor rudder secured at the rear or aft end of the marine vehicle by a mounting bracket and including a hollow guide tube of a standard construction for use in a cable steering system with said guide tube being a hollow construction having a length of between around eleven inches to around twelve inches and with said guide tube adapted to be fixed to said mounting bracket and with said guide tube having a connecting portion adapted for connection with a cable assembly of the cable steering system with a cable operable through said guide tube, the improvement comprising:

• motor-rudder position sensing means for providing a motor-rudder signal indicative of the angular position of the motor-rudder relative to a neutral motor-rudder angular position about the pivot axis,
• steering unit means remote from the motor-rudder and actuable by an operator to selected positions relative to a neutral steering angular position related to desired angular steering positions of the motor-rudder about the pivot axis,
• steering position sensing means operatively connected with said steering unit means for providing a steering position signal indicative of the position of said steering unit means relative to said neutral steering angular position,
• first circuit means responsive to said motor-rudder signal and said steering position signal for providing a control signal indicative of preselected differences between said motor-rudder angular position and said selected positions of said steering unit means,
• electric motor drive means operatively connected to the motor-rudder and responsive to an electrical drive signal to pivot and the motor-rudder to determinable angular positions about the pivot axis,
• power circuit means operatively connected with said first circuit means and to said electric motor drive means and responsive to said control signal for providing said drive signal to said electric motor drive means,
• condition sensing means for sensing a preselected fault condition and for providing a signal to prevent generation of said drive signal in response to the fault condition,
• brake means operative for resisting involuntary steering movement of the motor-rudder in the absence of said drive signal,
• said electric motor drive means comprising an electric motor, support means for supporting said electric motor, actuating means operatively associated with said electric motor and the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions about the pivot axis,
• said actuating means comprising said hollow guide tube whereby said electrical steering system can be used alternatively with a cable steering system employing said guide tube,
• said actuating means further comprising mounting means adopted to connect said guide tube to said support means at said connecting portion of said guide tube, a steering tube slidably supported in said guide tube for reciprocating movement therein and drive connecting means for connecting said steering tube to said electric motor whereby said steering tube can be actuated for powered reciprocating movement in said guide tube and motor-rudder connecting means for connecting said steering tube to the motor-rudder for pivotally steering the motor-rudder about its pivot axis in response to the powered reciprocating movement of said steering tube,
• said electric motor being a direct current, permanent magnet motor having a rotor winding with two ends each adapted to be alternatively connected to opposite polarities for driving said direct current motor in opposite directions,
• said brake means comprising condition sensing means for sensing a preselected fault condition and for providing a brake signal, said power circuit means in response to said brake signal generally connecting said ends of said rotor winding together to brake said electric motor drive means in response to the fault condition whereby involuntary steering movement of the motor-rudder is inhibited.

A remote, electrical steering system for marine vehicles having a motor-rudder mounted for pivotal steering movement about a pivot axis, said system comprising:

• motor-rudder position sensing means for providing a motor-rudder signal indicative of the angular position of the motor-rudder relative to a neutral motor-rudder angular position about the pivot axis,
• steering unit means remote from the motor-rudder and actuable by an operator to selected positions relative to a neutral steering angular position related to desired angular steering positions of the motor-rudder about the pivot axis,
• steering position sensing means operatively connected with said steering unit means for providing a steering position signal indicative of the position of said steering unit means relative to said neutral steering angular position,
• first circuit means responsive to said motor-rudder signal and said steering position signal for providing a control signal indicative of preselected differences between said motor-rudder angular position and said selected positions of said steering unit means,
• electric motor drive means operatively connected to the motor-rudder and responsive to an electrical drive signal to pivot the motor-rudder to determinable angular positions about the pivot axis,
• power circuit means operatively connected with said first circuit means and to said electric motor drive means and responsive to said control signal for providing said drive signal to said electric motor drive means,
• said electric motor drive means comprising a direct current motor having a rotor winding having two ends each adapted to be alternatively connected to opposite polarities for driving said direct current motor in opposite directions,
• said power circuit means providing drive current to said rotor winding in response to said drive signal,
• condition sensing means for sensing a preselected fault condition and for providing an inhibit signal in response to the fault condition, said power circuit means in response to said inhibit signal being operative with said rotor winding to disable said electric motor drive means in response to the fault condition whereby involuntary steering movement of the motor-rudder by said electric motor drive means is inhibited.

In a remote, electrical steering system for marine vehicles having a motor-rudder mounted for pivotal steering movement about a pivot axis and the with the motor rudder secured at the rear or aft end of the marine vehicle by a mounting bracket, the improvement comprising:

• motor-rudder position sensing means for providing a motor-rudder signal indicative of the angular position of the motor-rudder relative to a neutral motor-rudder angular position about the pivot axis,
• steering unit means remote from the motor-rudder and actuable by an operator to selected positions relative to a neutral steering angular position related to desired angular steering positions of the motor-rudder about the pivot axis,
• steering position sensing means operatively connected with said steering unit means for providing a steering position signal indicative of the position of said steering unit means relative to said neutral steering angular position,
• first circuit means responsive to said motor-rudder signal and said steering position signal for providing a control signal indicative of preselected differences between said motor-rudder angular position and said selected positions of said steering unit means,
• electric motor drive means operatively connected to the motor-rudder and responsive to an electrical drive signal to pivot the motor-rudder to determinable angular positions about the pivot axis,
• power circuit means operatively connected with said first circuit means and to said electric motor drive means and responsive to said control signal for providing said drive signal to said electric motor drive means,
• said electric motor drive means comprising an electric motor, support means for supporting said electric motor, actuating means operatively associated with said electric motor and the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions about the pivot axis,
• gear means for drivingly connecting said electric motor to said actuating means, said actuating means comprising a hollow guide tube, said guide tube adapted to be fixed to said mounting bracket and having a connecting portion, a steering tube slidably supported for translational movement within said hollow guide tube, said actuating means further comprising mounting means adapted to connect said guide tube to said support means at said connecting portion of said guide tube, said steering tube having a threaded nut structure at one end,
• said actuating means further comprising a drive screw threadably engageable with said nut structure of said steering tube and adapted to be rotated by said electric motor through said gear means, drive connecting means for connecting said steering tube to said electric motor whereby said steering tube can be actuated for powered translation movement in said guide tube, and motor-rudder connecting means for connecting said steering tube to the motor-rudder for moving the motor-rudder to said desired angular steering positions in response to the powered translational movement of said steering tube within said guide tube,
• said support means including a housing with said mounting means connecting said housing to said connecting portion, said first circuit means and said power circuit means being supported in said housing proximate to said electric motor.