Patent ID: 7156708
Filing Date: 2007-01-02
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
1. A hydraulic steering assembly for applying a force to a tiller of a marine, outboard propulsion unit and for rotating said propulsion unit about a steering axis between a center position and hard over positions to each side of the center position, the propulsion unit being supported for arcuate movement about a tilt axis which is generally perpendicular to the steering axis, the steering assembly comprising: a hydraulic steering actuator including a cylinder and an elongated piston rod reciprocatingly mounted within the cylinder and extending through the cylinder for movement along a piston rod axis, the piston rod having opposite ends; a pair of support arms which are pivotable about the tilt axis of said propulsion unit and are connected to the piston rod near the opposite ends thereof, the support arms allowing arcuate movement of the rod about the tilt axis, maintaining the rod axis parallel to the tilt axis; a pivot member pivotally mountable on the tiller of said propulsion unit for pivoting about a first link axis which is parallel to the steering axis; a pair of actuator arms, each said actuator arm being connected to the cylinder and extending radially outwards with respect to the piston rod axis, at least one of said actuator arms being removable, each of the actuator arms having an integral cylindrical projection axially aligned with a second link axis which is parallel to the piston rod axis, each said cylindrical projection being rotatably received within a complementary cylindrical recess of the pivot member, thereby pivotally connecting the actuator arms to the member.