Patent ID: 8210114

Claim:
A rudder assembly comprising: an elongated rudder blade having leading and trailing edges, opposite side faces, and top and bottom ends; a stop member affixed to the blade near the top end and having a portion projecting forward beyond the leading edge thereof; a frame extending along a portion of the trailing edge of the blade and forward along the opposite side faces of the blade, the frame forming a slot and the blade being slideable lengthwise through the slot in the frame; a mounting block having a groove receiving a portion of the leading edge of the blade opposite the portion of the trailing edge along which the frame extends, the mounting block having a pivot component for engagement against the forward projecting portion of the stop member such that the blade is rotatable from an upright steering position with the stop member engaged against the pivot component toward a horizontal retracted position; and a spring connected between the mounting block and the frame, the spring biasing the frame toward a position in which the blade received in the slot therein extends in the upright steering position but allowing upward rotation of the blade and frame relative to the mounting block followed by lengthwise translation of the blade relative to the frame and mounting block.