Power steering mechanism

Claim 1

IN A POWER STEERING MECHANISM INCLUDING AN INPUT MEMBER HAVING A BORE THEREIN, AN OUTPUT MEMBER, AND A FLUID MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT MEMBER FOR APPLYING POWER THERETO, THE COMBINATION OF A HOUSING HAVING A VALVE BORE AND A STEERING GEAR CAVITY THEREIN, AN INLET, OUTLET, AND TWO CYLINDER PORTS LOCATED IN SAID HOUSING, AN HOURGLASS WORM HAVING A CAM TRACK THEREON AND A STEPPED DIAMETER BORE LOCATED WITHIN AND AT ONE END THEREOF WHICH EXTENDS SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CAM TRACK WITHOUT INTERFERING THEREWITH, A FOLLOWER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT MEMBER AND ENGAGING SAID CAM TRACK, SAID HOURGLASS WORM AND FOLLOWER BEING LOCATED IN THE STEERING GEAR CAVITY OF SAID HOUSING, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY ROTATABLE NESTED TUBULAR ELEMENTS THROUGH WHICH FLUIDS FLOW TO AND FROM SAID MOTOR IS CONTROLLED, SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS BEING LOCATED IN THE VALVE BORE OF SAID HOUSING, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING SAID INPUT MEMBER AND THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING A SLEEVE MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID HOURGLASS WORM AND LOCATED BETWEEN SAID INPUT MEMBER AND HOUSING, SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS EACH HAVING ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING INTO AND LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN SAID STEPPED DIAMETER BORE OF SAID HOURGLASS WORM, MEANS FOR OPPOSING ROTATION OF SAID INPUT MEMBER, ONLY ONE ANNULAR GROOVE FORMED ON THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AND DEFINED BY TWO ANNULAR LANDS EACH HAVING SEALING MEANS IN CONTACT WITH SAID VALVE BORE, PASSAGE MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING SAID ANNULAR GROOVE WITH ONE OF SAID CYLINDER PORTS, A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY EXTENDING SLOTS FORMED ON THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID INPUT MEMBER, SAID SLOTS BEING IN OVERLAPPING RELATION WHEN SAID INPUT MEMBER AND SLEEVE MEMBER ARE IN A NEUTRAL POSITION, INLET PASSAGE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID INPUT MEMBER FOR COMMUNICATING HALF OF THE SLOTS IN SAID INPUT MEMBER WITH SAID INLET PORT VIA THE BORES IN SAID INPUT MEMBER AND WORM, OUTLET PASSAGE MEANS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE SLEEVE MEMBER FURTHEST REMOVED FROM SAID WORM FOR COMMUNICATING THE OTHER HALF OF THE SLOTS IN SAID INPUT MEMBER WITH SAID OUTLET PORT, FIRST CYLINDER PASSAGE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER FOR COMMUNICATING HALF OF THE SLOTS IN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER WITH ONE OF THE CYLINDER PORTS VIA SAID ANNULAR GROOVE, SECOND CYLINDER PASSAGE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER FOR COMMUNICATING THE OTHER HALF OF SAID SLOTS IN SAID SLEEVE MEMBER WITH THE OTHER OF SAID CYLINDER PORTS VIA SAID STEERING GEAR CAVITY, AND MECHANICAL DRIVE THROUGH PICKUP MEANS LOCATED ON SAID ONE END OF SAID INPUT MEMBER AND IN SAID STEPPED DIAMETER BORE OF SAID HOURGLASS WORM FOR PERMITTING LIMITED RELATIVE ROTARY MOTION BETWEEN SAID INPUT MEMBER AND SAID WORM.