Actuating devices for control surfaces of moving craft

Claim 1

A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATIC ACTUATION OF A CONTROL SURFACE OF A MOVABLE CRAFT, THE CONTROL SURFACE BEING DIVIDED INTO FIRST AND SECOND PARTS AND THE SYSTEM COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SERVO CHANNELS HAVING RESPECTIVELY FIRST AND SECOND SERVO MOTORS FOR POSITIONING THE FIRST AND SECOND PARTS RESPECTIVELY OF THE CONTROL SURFACE AND EACH HAVING AN INPUT MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE MECHANICALLY DRIVEN TO ACTUATE THE MOTOR; EACH CHANNEL FURTHER COMPRISING SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CONTROL SURFACE MOVEMENT DEMAND SIGNAL, FEED-BACK SIGNAL GENERATOR MEANS FOR PRODUCING A FEED-BACK SIGNAL IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE ONE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PARTS OF THE CONTROL SURFACE, MEANS COUPLED TO THE DEMAND SIGNAL GENERATOR AND THE FEEDBACK SIGNAL GENERATOR FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE DEMAND SIGNAL AND THE FEED-BACK SIGNAL, ENERGIZING MEANS HAVING A MECHANICAL OUTPUT MEMBER AND HAVING FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONS OF OPERATION, THE DISCREPANCY SIGNAL BEING APPLIED TO SAID ENERGIZING MEANS AND SAID ENERGIZING MEANS IN THE FIRST CONDITION BEING OPERABLE TO ACTUATE ITS OUTPUT MEMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DISCREPANCY SIGNAL AND IN THE SECOND CONDITION BEING NON-OPERABLE, COUPLING