Autopilot for ship

Claim 1

An autopilot system for a ship comprising: a computer for calculating a course of a ship; an output register supplied with the output of said computer; a feedback register; a comparator for comparing the outputs of said output and feedback registers; an AND-gate supplied with the output of said comparator; a servo system including a servo amplifier, a servo motor and a gear train, and an analog to digital converter driven by said servo motor, the output of said analog to digital converter feedback to said feedback register; a synchro torque transmitter driven by said servo motor; an autopilot including a synchro torque receiver supplied with the output of said synchro torque transmitter as a set course of said autopilot for maintaining said ship in accordance with the set course; a second gate circuit connected between said synchro torque transmitter and said synchro torque receiver, said second gate circuit controlled by the output of said AND-gate, whereby when said AND-gate generates an output, said second gate circuit is opened to inhibit the passage of the output of said synchro torque transmitter to said synchro torque receiver and when said AND-gate produces zero output said second gate circuit is closed to permit the passage of the output of said synchro torque transmitter to said synchro torque receiver so as to drive said autopilot in accordance with the set course of said computer.