U.S. patent number 3,810,440 [Application Number 05/218,379] was granted by the patent office on 1974-05-14 for steering mechanism for sailboats and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to C. Sherman Johnson Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Curtiss S. Johnson, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,810,440 |
Johnson, Jr. |
May 14, 1974 |
STEERING MECHANISM FOR SAILBOATS AND THE LIKE
Abstract
A steering mechanism for a sailboat is formed by a tiltable,
vertically mounted steering post which connects through the tiller
to the boat rudder. The steering post is mounted to the deck or
other portion of the boat by a universal joint which permits the
post to be tilted relative to the vertical axis of the boat. A
pivot joint connects the tiller to the steering post at a point
midway between the ends of the post so that the tiller is moved by
the tilting motions of the post. With the tiller connected to the
post in this manner and the post mounted forward of the rudder
along the center line of the boat, lateral tilting motions of the
post swing the tiller and turn the rudder.
Inventors: |
Johnson, Jr.; Curtiss S.
(Middle Haddam, CT) |
Assignee: |
C. Sherman Johnson Co., Inc.
(Middle Haddam, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
22814869 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/218,379 |
Filed: |
January 17, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
114/162;
114/144R |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63H
25/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B63H
25/06 (20060101); B63h 025/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;114/144R,162,236,146,164 ;74/491 ;115/18R,35 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reger; Duane A.
Assistant Examiner: Goldstein; Stuart M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McCormick, Paulding & Huber
Claims
I claim:
1. A steering mechanism for sailboats and the like having a rudder
pivoted by a tiller comprising: a manually engaged and tiltable
steering post having a generally upright operating position in the
boat; first pivot means connected to the lower end of the steering
post for mounting the steering post in the boat in the upright
position and comprised of a universal joint having one pivot axis
extending in the fore and aft direction when the handle is mounted
in the upright position in the boat to permit the post to be tilted
laterally toward one side or the other of the boat and another
pivot axis extending in the lateral direction perpendicular to the
fore and aft direction; and second pivot means connected to the
steering post at a point between the ends of the post for fastening
the tiller directly to the post whereby tilting motions of the post
toward one side or the other of the boat cause the tiller to
correspondingly swing toward the one side or the other and thereby
turn the rudder.
2. A steering mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein: the lower
end of the steering post and the universal joint have a rotatable
connection with a rotational axis colinear with the post axis for
rotating the post relative to the universal joint.
3. A steering mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein: the second
pivot means comprises a tiller engaging member and a pivot pin
extending transversely of the steering post and connecting the
engaging member pivotally to the post.
4. A steering mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein: a steering
bar is connected to the upper end of the steering post in generally
perpendicular relationship to the post; and two handles are
connected respectively to the opposite ends of the steering bar at
the upper end of the steering post.
5. A steering mechanism as defined in claim 1 including: a hiking
stick; and third pivot means connecting the hiking stick to the
steering post adjacent the upper end of the post.
6. A steering mechanism as defined in claim 5 wherein: the third
pivot means comprises a universal joint having two rotational
degrees of freedom permitting the hiking stick to be held
horizontally as the upright steering post is tilted laterally in
the boat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of steering mechanisms
for boats and, more particularly, is related to steering mechanisms
for small boats, such as sailboats, which are steered by means of a
tiller connected to a pivotal rudder.
Sailboats are generally steered by means of a tiller or steering
wheel. The tiller is the simplest of the two devices and consists
of a lever connected either directly to the rudder or to a pivot
shaft on which the rudder is mounted for turning the rudder below
the water line. A tiller has the advantage of being relatively
simple in construction, strong and the least prone to failure.
Because of its simple construction it is also inexpensive to
manufacture and install. In addition, since the helmsman generally
holds the tiller at its projecting end, it provides an indication
of the rudder position, centered or otherwise, and movements of the
tiller are transmitted directly to the rudder to provide
quick-acting control.
The tiller, however, also has several disadvantages. When a
sailboat is tacked or is changing direction, the tiller must sweep
through the cockpit occupied by the helmsman and can cause
confusion with the crewmen handling the sheets or lines controlling
the sails. Since the normal position for the tiller is along the
center line of the boat, the tiller is inconvenient to hold from
the rail of the boat when tacking or beating. To maintain control
of the boat in such situations, the helmsman must reach inwardly
from the rail of the boat or sometimes a hiking stick is attached
to the projecting end of the tiller to serve as an extension from
the center line of the boat to the helmsman at the rail. Utilizing
the hiking stick requires an additional degree of skill and adds to
the difficulty of steering a boat, particularly for individuals not
accustomed to sailing or to the hiking stick. Also, while the
tiller provides a quick-acting device for steering a boat, the
forces required to hold or move the tiller can be unusually high
and can prove to be an additional handicap in controlling the
boat.
Steering wheels are generally employed in larger boats and ships
and have certain advantages over a tiller. A wheel does not sweep
through the cockpit as the tiller does and, therefore, does not
disrupt the operation of the sheets or interfere with passengers.
The wheel is also more convenient to hold because of its greater
mechanical advantage afforded in part by the linkages which connect
the wheel to the rudder. The wheel also allows the helmsman to sit
adjacent the rail of the boat and hold the wheel at its rim rather
than reach all the way to the center line of the boat as is
required with a tiller without a hiking stick. The wheel also
offers certain aesthetic and prestige factors.
On the other hand, many of the disadvantages of the wheel are
closely associated with features which provide its advantages. For
example, the wheel is generally connected to the rudder by means of
a drum or capstan on the wheel axis, a quadrant connected to the
pivotal rudder shaft and a chain or cable running through a series
of sprockets or sheaths between the drum and quadrant. Such
mechanisms are obviously far more complex than the tiller and are
subject to higher failure rates because of their complexity and the
associated wear problems. Such steering mechanisms are far more
expensive than a tiller and may be very difficult or impossible to
install on existing boats. Furthermore, the high mechanical
advantage offered by such systems is accompanied by a corresponding
reduction in the speed of response and "pouring spokes" or rapid
rotation of the wheel to accomplish more rapid steering can be as
tiring as holding a tiller under heavy strain. Also, since many
rotations of the wheel are normally required to turn the rudder
between extremes, the wheel is a directionless indicator and makes
it difficult to recognize where the rudder is positioned at any
given time.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to
disclose a steering mechanism for a sailboat or the like which
offers many of the advantages of the tiller, such as the high
response and simple construction, and also offers at least one of
the important features of the wheel in that it does not sweep
through large areas of the cockpit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resides in a steering mechanism for sailboats
and the like having a rudder pivoted by a lever arm or tiller. The
steering mechanism comprises a tiltable steering post having a
handle at one end for the helmsman to hold while he is sailing the
boat. First pivot means connects the end of the steering post
opposite the handle to the boat so that the post can be tilted
relative to the vertical axis of the boat under the control of the
helmsman. The pivot means is preferably a universal joint
permitting the steering post to tilt in both the fore-and-aft and
lateral directions. Second pivot means are connected to the
steering post at a point between its ends and serves to fasten the
tiller or a similar lever and the rudder to the steering post so
that the tilting motions of the post relative to the boat swing the
tiller and thereby turn the rudder. Since the steering post pivots
in a vertical plane of the boat rather than a horizontal plane as
most tillers do, the tilting motions do not occupy a large portion
of the cockpit and, therefore, do not interfere with the crew.
Furthermore, the position of the steering post indicates the
position of the rudder and the helmsman can steer the boat, if
desired, while he is standing as in boats having steering
wheels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the steering mechanism of the
present invention in one embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of the steering
mechanism in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the embodiment of the steering
mechanism in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the universal joint for mounting
the steering mechanism in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the universal joint as seen along the
sectioning line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the universal joint in FIG.
4.
FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the pivotal joint fastening the
tiller to the steering post in FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the pivotal joint in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a side elevation view showing an alternate embodiment of
the steering mechanism of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the steering mechanism as seen
along the sectioning line 10--10 of FIG. 9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show one embodiment of the steering mechanism of
the present invention, generally designated 10, connected to a
shortened lever or tiller 12, indicated in phantom in FIG. 1, in a
sailboat. The tiller 12 is connected in conventional manner to the
rudder pivot shaft 14 for turning the rudder (not shown) and
steering the boat. The mounting of the pivot shaft 14 in the boat
and the connection of the shaft 14 and the rudder are also
conventional and well known and, therefore, are not indicated in
the drawings. The tiller 12 may alternately be connected directly
to a pivotally mounted rudder and therefore the steering mechanism
10 is suitably adapted to be installed in any boat which has a
tiller-controlled rudder or a boat which can be modified to include
a tiller for controlling the rudder.
The steering mechanism 10 comprises a steering post 20 having a
generally vertical operating position in the boat, a mounting joint
22 which pivotally connects the bottom end of the steering post 20
to the frame or deck of the boat, preferably along the center line
of the boat immediately forward of the rudder shaft 14, for tilting
movement of the post relative to the vertical axis 32 of the boat
and a connecting joint 24 which pivotally fastens the tiller 12 to
the steering post at a point intermediate the top and bottom ends
of the post.
The upper end of the steering post 20 has a steering bar 26,
mounted in perpendicular relationship to the post to form a
generally T-shaped configuration. The bar 26 is mounted at its
center and extends laterally of the boat. Two handles 28 and 30 are
connected to the respective projecting ends of the bar to permit
the helmsman to grasp the steering mechanism 10 and tilt the
steering post 20 toward one side or the other of the boat while he
stands behind, in front or to either side of the post 20. The
length of the steering post 20 is selected so that the helmsman may
stand in an upright position behind the post and grip both of the
handles 28 and 30 at waist height.
The mounting joint 22 connected to the lower end of the steering
post 20 is a universal joint permitting the steering post to be
tilted laterally in the boat as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2
to swing the shortened tiller and execute steering motions. The
connecting joint 24 allows the post 20 to be tilted relative to the
tiller 12 and at the same time causes the tiller to be swept
laterally in an arc with the post 20 so that the tilting motions
are translated by the tiller 12 into pivotal motions at the rudder
shaft 14 to turn the shaft 14 and the rudder relative to the boat.
With the post 20 mounted along the center line immediately forward
of the rudder, the steering post 20 is aligned with the vertical
axis 32 of the boat when the rudder is straight or centered. When
the steering post tilts relative to the vertical axis 32, the
rudder turns away from center by a corresponding amount. Tilting
the post 20 to one side of the boat center line turns the rudder
and steers the boat in one direction, and tilting the post to the
other side turns the rudder and steers the boat in the opposite
direction.
Assuming that the steering post 20 is mounted in the boat forward
of the rudder post 14 as viewed in FIGS. 1-3, it will be understood
that the lateral tilting motions of the post relative to the
vertical axis 32 and indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3 will
necessarily be accompanied by fore-and-aft tilting motion as
indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. At the same time and because of
the particular construction of the joint 24, the sweeping motion of
the tiller 12 requires the post 20 to rotate about its own axis
relative to the boat by an amount equal to the rotation of the
rudder shaft 14. For these reasons, the mounting joint 22 is a
universal joint providing three rotational degrees of freedom about
the three mutually perpendicular rotational axes through the joint,
two axes of which are perpendicular to the vertical axis 32 and the
third of which is colinear with the axis of the post.
One embodiment of the mounting joint 22 providing the universal
motion is shown in detail in FIGS. 4-6; however, other universal
joints or a ball-and-socket joint providing the three rotational
degrees of freedom can be substituted with equally satisfactory
results. The mounting joint 22 includes a stub shaft 40 which
projects upwardly from the deck or other portion of the boat to
which the steering mechanism is mounted. The shaft 40 is received
coaxially within the lower end of the steering post 20 shown as a
hollow tube and broken away in FIGS. 4 and 6. The lower end of the
post 20 includes two diametrically opposed circumferential slots 42
and 44, and a connecting pin 46 fixed in the shaft 40 and extending
diametrically through the shaft 40 projects through the respective
slots 42 and 44 to capture the post 20 on the shaft 40. The
circumferential length of the slots 40 and 42 is made sufficiently
large to permit the post 20 to be rotated relative to the shaft 40
by an amount such as .+-. 40.degree., as indicated in the cross
sectional view in FIG. 5, to fully accommodate the extreme tilting
positions of the post.
While the upper part of the stub shaft 40 is circular in cross
section to fit tightly within the post 20, the lower part of the
stub shaft 40 is rectangular in cross section and includes two
bifurcations 50 and 52. The joint 22 includes a connecting pin 54
mounted in a U-shaped bracket 56 and the bifurcations 50 and 52 on
the shaft 40 straddle the pin 54. A safety pin 58 extending through
the bifurcations 50 and 52 and fixed in the bifurcations captures
the shaft 40 on the pin 54 and secures the shaft pivotally to the
bracket 56 held in the boat by means of mounting screws 60 and 62.
The connection between the stub shaft 40 and the bracket 56
provided by the pins 54 and 58 permits the steering post 20 to be
tilted as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 6 in two perpendicular planes
which intersect at the vertical axis 32 of the boat so that both
fore-and-aft and lateral tilting of the post are permitted. The
rotational connection between the steering post 20 and the shaft 40
adds a further or third rotational degree of freedom about the axis
of the post to accommodate the slight rotations of the post as it
is tilted.
One embodiment of the connecting joint 24 which fastens the
steering post 20 to the tiller 12 and the rudder is shown in FIGS.
7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 7, the steering post 20 is divided into
an upper section 20a and a lower section 20b which are
interconnected by means of a plug connector 70 and two connecting
pins 72 and 74 extending transversely through the connector 70 into
engagement with the post sections 20a and 20b respectively. The
opposite, cylindrical and aligned ends of the plug connector 70
extend respectively in close fitting relationship into the sections
20a and 20b so that the sections are held in coaxial alignment. A
pivot pin 76 extends transversely through the plug connector 70 and
into a U-shaped tiller engaging bracket 78. The bracket 78 is
connected pivotally to the plug connector 70 by means of the pivot
pin 76, the nuts 80 and 82 and associated washers 84 and 86 at the
opposite sides of the connector 70, and is free to rotate with the
pin 76 relative to the steering post sections 20a and 20b about the
axis of the pin 76. The bracket 78 is engaged with the tiller 12 by
means of a bolt 90 and nuts 92 and 94 which permit the engaged
tiller to pivot relative to the bracket 78 about the axis of the
bolt 90. It will therefore be understood that as the steering post
20 is tilted laterally of the boat, the tiller 12 pivots about the
bolt 90 relative to the bracket 78 and relative to the post
sections 20a and 20b about pin 76. The connecting joint 24
therefore provides two degrees of rotational freedom between the
tiller 12 and the steering post 20 to accommodate the tilting
motions during operation of the steering mechanism 10.
From the description of the steering mechanism 10 above, several
important advantages will be apparent. Of principal concern with
conventional tillers is the fact that the region of the cockpit
swept by the tiller during steering operations may be considerable
and moving the tiller may contribute to confusion in the running of
the boat. The steering post 20, however, can be connected to a
swinging tiller 12 which is considerably shorter than the
conventional tiller because the length of the steering post 12
above the connecting joint 22 can be selected to increase the
leverage applied to the rudder. The tilting motions of the post 20
are principally in a vertical plane of the boat and are confined to
the vicinity immediately adjacent the rudder, a region not occupied
or utilized by crew members other than the helmsman. The mechanism,
therefore, leaves most of the cockpit area clear. The construction
of the mechanism is simple and, therefore, is inexpensive and not
prone to failure. The mechanism is easily installed by mounting the
joint 22 to the boat deck or frame and connecting the shortened
tiller to the joint 24. When the boat is tacked or beating the
wind, the helmsman can stand or sit at either lateral side rail of
the boat and maintain control over the boat in substantially the
same manner as that permitted by boats having steering wheels. The
control movements of the steering post are quick acting since the
conventional tiller transmits the tilting motions directly to the
rudder. A person can easily adapt himself to use of the steering
mechanism since it closely simulates the control motions of a
conventional tiller and is centered in an upright operating
position when the rudder is centered.
An alternate embodiment of the steering mechanism in accordance
with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In this
embodiment of the invention, the joints 22 and 24 between the boat
and tiller 12 are the same as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 and,
therefore, are not indicated in FIGS. 9 or 10. The steering
mechanism of the alternate embodiment, generally designated 100,
differs primarily from the steering mechanism 10 in the form of the
handle at the upper end of the steering post 20. As shown in FIG.
9, a handle 102 is mounted coaxially on the upper end of the
steering post and is formed by a single hand grip so that the
helmsman can tilt the post 20 laterally from a standing position
immediately behind the post with one hand. To hold the steering
post 20 from either lateral side rail of the boat, a conventional
hiking stick 104 is connected to the steering post 20 by means of a
universal joint 106 immediately below the handle 102. The universal
joint 106 is similar to the joint 24 in FIGS. 7 and 8 and provides
two rotational degrees of freedom which permit the hiking stick 104
to be held in a generally horizontal position as the helmsman tilts
the steering post 20 laterally with respect to the boat. When the
hiking stick is not in use, as, for example, when the helmsman is
standing directly behind the steering post 20, it is rotated into
position parallel to the steering post 20 and captured in a
metallic clip 108 on the steering post below the universal joint
106.
It will be understood that while the present invention has been
disclosed in several preferred embodiments, other modifications and
substitutions can be had without departing from the spirit of the
invention. The particular joints disclosed can be changed in form
as long as they accommodate the necessary degrees of freedom
between the steering post, the boat and the tiller. For example, if
a third rotational degree of freedom is provided by the joint 24
between the tiller 12 and the post 20, only two rotational degrees
of freedom are needed at the joint 22 about the axes perpendicular
to the vertical axis 32. Various forms of handles can be attached
to the steering post to suit the convenience of the user.
Accordingly, the present invention has been disclosed in several
preferred embodiments by way of illustration rather than
limitation.
* * * * *