STEERING AND CONTROL OF WATERCRAFT

摘要

A watercraft includes two steerable propellers driven by motors, the angular positions of and the thrusts produced by the steerable propellers being controlled by a control system. The control system includes an input device having a frame, a head and a handwheel supported on the frame for independent pivotal movement about a common first axis, and a lever supported on the head for pivotal movement about a second axis normal to the first axis. The head, handwheel and lever are each operatively coupled to a respective input element by a respective gear arrangement. A microcomputer responsive to the input elements is connected through several control devices to the motor and the steerable propellers for effecting the requisite control thereof.