Fluid pressure actuating system for use in power steering of outboard motors and the like

Claim 1

A FLUID ACTUATED CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SELECTIVELY POWERSHIFTING A POWER DRIVEN DEVICE SUCH AS AN OUTBOARD MOTOR, HAVING IN COMBINATION A SOURCE OF GASEOUS MEDIUM SUCH AS AIR UNDER PRESSURE, A FLUID-RESPONSIVE ACTUATOR INCLUDING A CYLINDER AND A PISTON MOUNTED THEREIN, A PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER AND HAVING SEALED RELATION WITH SAID CYLINDER, SAID ROD CONSTITUTING AN ACTUATING ELEMENT HAVING ACTUATING CONNECTION WITH SAID DRIVEN DEVICE FOR SHIFTING THE SAME, OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID CYLINDER HAVING INTAKE FLUID PASSAGE THEREIN FOR TRANSMITTING FLUID PRESSURE TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PISTON, SAID CYLINDER ALSO HAVING DECOMPRESSION PASSAGES AT OPPOSITE END PORTIONS THEREOF, A FLUID-RESPONSIVE BRAKE MECHANISM MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVEN DEVICE TO PREVENT SHIFTING MOVEMENT THEREOF, SAID BRAKE MECHANISM HAVING AN AIR INTAKE PASSAGE THEREIN FOR TRANSMITTING FLUID PRESSURE THERETO AND HAVING DECOMPRESSION PASSAGES THEREIN, VALVE MECHANISM HAVING A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTIBLE FLUID PASSAGES THEREIN AND HAVING A SHIFTABLE VALVING ELEMENT SHITABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY INTERCONNECTING CERTAIN OF SAID FLUID PASSAGES AND DISCONNECTING CERTAIN OF SAID FLUID PASSAGES RELATIVE TO THE INTAKE OF THE FLUID PASSAGES IN SAID CYLINDER WITH THE SOURCE OF GASEOUS MEDIUM, AND ALSO HAVING PASSAGES THEREIN FOR CONNECTION AND DISCONNECTION OF THE INTAKE OF SAID FLUID PASSAGE TO SAID BRAKE MECHANISM WITH THE SOURCE OF GASEOUS MEDIUM,