GB198275A - Improvements in and relating to automatic steering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

198,275. British Thomson-Houston Co., Ltd., (General Electric Co.). Aug. 29, 1922. Steering and manoeuvring automatically ; steering, controlling from a distance. - In an automatic steering-gear for ships, a drag towed by a long drag line is used to operate a tiller directly or to control servo-motors of steering gears when the ship swings from its course. For direct steering, the drag 36 has its drag line 35, Fig. 7, connected to the ship at 35<1> and also to the tiller 11. In electric-hydraulic steering gears, the drag line 35, Fig. 1, is attached to an arm 37 and carries a contact arm 38 which is placed between two stationary contacts of a switch in the circuit of an electric servo-motor 41. This motor is geared down to a shaft which is screwed and carries a nut attached to a plate 46 whereby the latter can be moved backward or forward by the motor. Electric magnets 47, when energized, move with the plate 46 and are coupled by a rod 48 to the main control 30 at the same position as is the rod 28 of the telemotor control. The servo-motor has a hunting mechanism. The solenoid brake 54 is on when the magnets 47 are de-energized for hand control and is off when the automatic control is used, the circuit being controlled by a switch 62 near the helm. The motor has two windings, the direction of running being controlled by two selector contacts in the circuits of the contacts and closed or opened by the arm 38 on the drag link. Automatic movement of the rudder results in the telemotor gear moving the steering wheel 20 in sympathy and thus provides an indication to the helmsman of the rudder position. A pointer may also be attached to the arm 37 and a scale provided to show the angle between the drag line and keel line of the ship.