Steering system for dynamically positioning a vessel

Claim 1

A MANUALLY CONTROLLED MECHANICAL STEERING SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY POSITIONING A FLOATING INSTALLATION PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST TWO PROPULSION UNITS OF ADJUSTABLE THRUST DIRECTION LOCATED AT POINTS REMOTE FROM THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID INSTALLATION, SAID STEERING SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A DISPLACEMENT CONTROL LEVER HAVING A SOCKET MEMBER PROVIDED AT ITS LOWER END; (B) A YOKE-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING TWO ARMS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SOCKET MEMBER; (C) A FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT INTEGRAL WITH SAID YOKESHAPED MEMBER AND EXTENDING ON THE SIDE THEREOF WHICH IS OPPOSITE TO THE ARMS OF SAID YOKE-SHAPED MEMBER, SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT HAVING ITS AXIS IN THE SYMMETRY PLANE OF SAID TWO ARMS OF SAID YOKESHAPED MEMBER; (D) AT LEAST TWO BEARINGS WHEREON SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED; (E) A LOWER SLEEVE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT BETWEEN SAID BEARINGS AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED WITH AN UPPER SLEEVE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID UPPER SLEEVE ON THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION MEMBER; (F) A HEADING CONTROL MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING SAID PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID UPPER SLEEVE; (G) A SECOND TRANSMISSION SHAFT SPLINED ALONG AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF ITS LENGTH; (H) AN INTERNALLY SPLINED SLEEVE ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID UPPER SLEEVE AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND TRANSMISSION SHAFT; (I) A CONNECTING ROD HAVING A CURVED LOWER END PORTION PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON AN AXIS WITHIN SAID SOCKET MEMBER FOR FREE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT, SAID CONNECTING ROD EXTENDING UPWARDLY BETWEEN THE ARMS OF SAID YOKE MEMBER AND BEING MOVABLE BY ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID AXIS THROUGH MOVEMENT OF SAID DISPLACEMENT CONTROL LEVER IN THE VERTICAL PLANE OF SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT; (J) A UNIVERSAL JOINT CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID SECOND TRANSMISSION SHAFT TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CONNECTING ROD FOR FREE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND TRANSMISSION SHAFT WITH RESPECT THERETO; (K) MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT TO SAID INTERNALLY SPLINED SLEEVE FOR ROTATION OF SAID SECOND TRANSMISSION SHAFT IN RESPONSE TO ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST TRANSMISSION SHAFT; (L) TWO RADIALLY DIRECTED ARMS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND TRANSMISSION SHAFT, EACH OF SAID ARMS BEING PROVIDED WITH A BORE IN THE OUTER END THEREOF;