Steering devices

Claim 1

A BOAT STEERING DEVICE INCLUDING A BASE PLATE, A CIRCULAR RING ELEMENT ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BASE PLATE AND FORMED WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE OF GREATER DEPTH THAN WIDTH, A FLEXIBLE MEMBER EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY INTO SAID GROOVE AND SECURED IN SAID GROOVE TO SAID RING ELEMENT, WHEREBY UPON ROTATION OF SAID RING ELEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER BECOMES WOUND THEREON IN SAID GROOVE AND UPON ROTATION OF SAID RING ELEMENT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SAID FLEXIBLE ELEMENT BECOMES UNWOUND THEREFROM, A CIRCULAR ARRAY OF PINS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE PLATE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY SURROUNDING SAID RING ELEMENT, ROLLERS MOUNTED ON SAID PINS PROVIDING A FIRST SET OF ROLLER ELEMENTS ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID RING ELEMENT AND A SECOND SET OF ROLLER ELEMENTS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME WIDTH AS SAID GROOVE EXTENDING INTO SAID GROOVE INTO POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, SAID FIRST SET OF ROLLER ELEMENTS HOLDING SAID RING ELEMENT CENTERED ABOUT ITS AXIS OF ROTATION AND SAID SECOND SET OF ROLLER ELEMENTS HOLDING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER AGAINST OUTWARD DISPLACEMENT FROM SAID GROOVE, AND MEANS WITHIN THE RING JOURNALLED ON THE BASE PLATE AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAID RING FOR IMPARTING ROTARY MOTION THERETO.