Abstract: A control device 1 comprises an operator lever 2 fast at its lower end with a lever block 3 which carries a ball stud 4 of which the ball 7 is mounted for universal pivoting in a fixed ball housing 8. A cross shaft 13 is mounted for rotation about its axis in the lever block 3, and links 17 are pivotally connected to opposite ends of the cross shaft and each to an axially movable output member 20. The operator lever 2 can be pivoted about axes passing through the center of the universally pivoted ball 7 to cause axial movements of the output members, either together in the same direction or in opposite directions or one only at a time. A gate may be provided for the operator lever 2 to confine the ball 7 to pivot only about defined axes. A spring 24 may be provided which becomes loaded upon movement of each output member 20 either side of a neutral position to bias the output member and hence the operator lever 2 back to neutral. The output members 20 may operate push pull control cables.

Abstract: A power assistance device has a double acting piston and cylinder whose piston rod is connected to an output. Compressed air is passed via a pair of air pressure regulators to opposite sides of the piston. Each regulator has a regulator spring, and the regulators are housed in a body which is moved upon manual effort being applied to an input to cause the springs to differentially bias so decreasing pressure on one side of the piston and increasing pressure on its opposite side, creating a pressure differential across the piston causing it to move with its piston rod to apply a magnified load to the output which is proportional to the manual effort applied to the input. The regulators could be set so that in a neutral position of the power assistance device, zero pressures exist on opposite sides of the piston. In an alternative arrangement a pair of single acting piston and cylinder devices could be used.

Abstract: The invention comprehends a remote control mechanism having a beam swingable about a pivot to transmit a pushing force to a first cable and a pulling force to a second cable which cables are connected to locations of said beam on opposite sides of said pivot, said pushing and pulling forces being reversed when said beam is swung in opposite directions, said beam also having a third cable connected thereto at said pivot, said beam also being movable in further opposite directions in a manner such as to transmit, when moved in one such direction, pushing forces to each of said first, second and third cables, and when moved in the opposite such direction, pulling forces to each of said first, second and third cables, wherein(a) said third cable is a push cable and said first and second cables are pull cables, or(b) said third cable is a pull cable and said first and second cables are push cables.

Abstract: The invention comprehends a remote control mechanism comprising push-pull control links operatively connected at one end to spaced locations of a beam, said beam being pivotally movable about mutually displaced first and second axes, said spaced locations of said beam moving equally in the same direction upon pivoting of said beam about said first axis, said spaced locations of said beam moving in opposite directions relative to said control links upon pivoting of said beam about said second axis, one of said axes being fixed and the other axis rotating about said one axis when said beam is pivoted about said one axis, paired coincident movement of said control links being complementary to both said spaced locations of said beam moving equally in said same direction, and differential relative movement of said control links being complementary to said spaced locations of said beam moving in said opposite directions.

Abstract: The invention comprehends a pedal operated mechanism comprising a pedal, means for mounting the pedal for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis (considered in one orientation of said mechanism) in a substantially vertical plane, an output means adapted for operative connection to a flexible cable element, connection means operatively connecting the output means and the pedal such that the output means will translate the cable element, when operatively connected thereto, in response to pivotal movement of the pedal, and adjusting means for swivelling the output means relative to the pedal about a substantially vertical axis into any of a plurality of angular positions in a horizontal plane such that the cable element can extend in any path complementary to the angular position in which the output means is adjusted, the connection means maintaining said operative connection between the pedal and the output means in whatever angular position the output means is adjusted.

Abstract: A ship's steering unit comprising a housing, a cable wheel mounted within the housing, a shaft with a pinion thereon in driving engagement with the cable wheel, and a one-piece body which serves as a bearing support for the shaft, the shaft having a shroud portion providing a member for mounting the unit to a support surface, which when the unit is orientated with its housing lowermost is spaced below the upper region of the shaft and the bearing support therefor.

Abstract: A mechanism for opening and closing an angularly movable panel, comprising a drive box for attachment to a fixed frame, the drive box housing a cable wheel rotatable upon translation of a control cable when in operative association therewith, a chaincase having a sprocket operatively connected with a chain located in a casing, the chain being for attachment at one end to an angularly movable panel, rotation of the sprocket effecting translation of the chain into, or out of, the casing in accordance with the sense of sprocket rotation, the chaincase being mountable in any of four different positions on the drive box.