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A helm apparatus for a marine craft or other vehicle having a steered member such as a rudder includes a mechanically rotatable steering device and a sensor which senses angular movement of the steering device when the craft is steered. A communication link to the rudder enables the helm to monitor

A helm apparatus for a marine craft or other vehicle having a steered member such as a rudder includes a mechanically rotatable steering device and a sensor which senses angular movement of the steering device when the craft is steered. A communication link to the rudder enables the helm to monitor the rudder position. A bi-directional stop mechanism is actuated when the helm determines that the rudder position is beyond starboard or port hard-over thresholds, indicating that the rudder has reached a limit of travel. The helm can cause the stop mechanism to fully engage the steering device to stop further rotation of the steering device in a first rotational direction, corresponding to rotational movement towards the limit of travel.

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What is claimed is: 1. A helm apparatus for a marine craft having a rudder, comprising: a mechanically rotatable steering device; a sensor which senses angular movement of the steering device when the craft is steered; a stop mechanism actuated when the rudder reaches a starboard or port hard-over

What is claimed is: 1. A helm apparatus for a marine craft having a rudder, comprising: a mechanically rotatable steering device; a sensor which senses angular movement of the steering device when the craft is steered; a stop mechanism actuated when the rudder reaches a starboard or port hard-over threshold position, near a starboard or port hard-over position, causing the stop mechanism to engage the steering device to stop further rotation of the steering device in a first rotational direction, corresponding to rotational movement towards said hard-over position, rotational play being provided between the steering device and the stop mechanism, whereby the steering device can be rotated a limited amount, as sensed by the sensor, when the stop mechanism is fully engaged, the stop mechanism being released from engagement with the steering device when the sensor senses that the steering device is rotated, as permitted by said play, in a second rotational direction which is opposite the first rotational direction. 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the helm apparatus includes a processor which permits the stop mechanism to release when the stop mechanism is fully engaged and the steering device is rotated in the second rotational direction. 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including multiple sensors to sense angular rotation of the steering shaft. 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stop mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch, the clutch having a plurality of plates which are urged into frictional engagement with each other by an electromagnetic actuator to engage the steering device. 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop mechanism includes an electromagnetic actuator, the electromagnetic actuator releasing the steering device when the steering device is rotated in the second rotational direction while the stop mechanism is engaged. 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the stop mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch, the clutch having a plurality of plates which are urged into frictional engagement with each other by the electromagnetic actuator to engage the steering device. 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, including a housing having a hollow interior, the stop mechanism, the sensor and the processor being within the housing, one of the interior of the housing and at least some of the plates of the clutch having slots and another of the interior of the housing and at least some of the said plates having projections fitting within the slots, the slots being wider than the projections to provide said play between the sensor and the stop mechanism. 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, including means for controlling the actuator to partially apply the stop mechanism to provide steering effort. 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means adjustably controls the actuator to provide variable steering effort. 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means determines a solenoid gap by measuring inductance change, for feedback control of the variable steering effort. 11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means includes a proximity sensor to determine a solenoid gap for feedback control of the variable steering effort. 12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means uses pulse width modulation. 13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means uses pulse width modulation. 14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the stop mechanism includes a member having an annular slot bounded radially outwardly by an outer annular surface and inwardly by an inner annular surface, a helical spring being located in said annular slot, said spring engaging said outer annular surface when the electromagnetic actuator is actuated while the steering device is being rotated in one rotational direction and said spring engaging said inner annular surface when the electromagnetic actuator is actuated while the steering device is being rotated in another said rotational direction. 15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steering device includes a steering shaft, the sensor senses angular movement of the shaft and the stop mechanism engages the shaft. 16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop mechanism is bidirectional. 17. A steering apparatus for a marine craft having a rudder, comprising: a rotatable wheel; an encoder responsive to angular movement of the wheel which provides helm signals indicative of incremental movement of the wheel; a stop mechanism capable of selectively stopping rotation of the wheel; a processor adjacent to the stop mechanism and coupled to the encoder which receives the helm signals and rudder signals indicative of positions of the rudder, the processor providing a stop signal to actuate the stop mechanism and stop rotation of the wheel when the rudder approaches, within a predetermined amount, a predetermined limit of travel, wherein the processor has a memory which retains positions of the helm. 18. The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor is integral with the stop mechanism. 19. The steering system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor permits the stop mechanism to release when the wheel is steered in a direction which would move the rudder away from said predetermined limit of travel. 20. The steering system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the processor provides a signal to reengage the stop mechanism when the steering wheel is steered in a direction which would move the rudder back towards said predetermined limit of travel after the stop mechanism is released. 21. The steering system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the processor provides a signal to reengage the stop mechanism only when the steering wheel is steered back further in the direction which would move the rudder towards said predetermined limit of travel, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel was previously steered in the direction which would move the rudder away from said predetermined limit of travel. 22. The steering system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the processor provides a signal to reengage the stop mechanism only when the steering wheel has, in aggregate, been steered back further in the direction which would move the rudder towards said predetermined limit of travel, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel has, in aggregate, been steered in the direction which would move the rudder away from said predetermined limit of travel. 23. The steering system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the apparatus includes a housing, the encoder, the stop mechanism and the processor being within the housing. 24. A method of stopping rotation of a steering wheel of a vessel having a rudder and hard-over positions of the rudder, the method comprising: producing rudder signals indicating rudder positions; receiving the rudder positions near the steering wheel; determining, utilizing a processor adjacent to the wheel, whether the rudder positions are within a predetermined distance of a hard-over position of the rudder; engaging a stop mechanism operatively coupled to the steering wheel if the steering wheel is rotated in a direction corresponding to rudder movement towards said hard-over position; releasing the stop mechanism if the steering wheel is rotated in a direction corresponding to rudder movement away from said hard-over position, wherein the stop mechanism is reengaged if the wheel is steered back in a rotational direction corresponding to rudder movement towards the hard-over position and wherein the stop mechanism is reengaged only when the steering wheel is steered further in the direction which would move the rudder towards said hard-over position, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel was previously steered in the direction which would move the rudder away from said hard-over position. 25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the stop mechanism is reengaged only when the steering wheel has, in aggregate, been steered further in the direction which would move the rudder towards said hard-over position, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel has, in aggregate, been steered in the direction which would move the rudder away from said hard-over position. 26. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein decisions to engage or disengage the wheel are made by a processor adjacent to the steering wheel. 27. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the position of the rudder is retained in memory adjacent to the steering wheel. 28. A steering apparatus for a vehicle having a steered member, comprising: a mechanically rotatable steering device; a sensor which senses angular movement of the steering device when the vehicle is steered; a stop mechanism actuated when the steered member reaches a first or second threshold position, near a first or second hard-over position, causing the stop mechanism to engage the steering device to stop further rotation of the steering device in a first rotational direction, corresponding to rotational movement towards said hard-over position, rotational play being provided between the steering device and the stop mechanism, whereby the steering device can be rotated a limited amount, as sensed by the sensor, when the stop mechanism is fully engaged, the stop mechanism being released from engagement with the steering device when the sensor senses that the steering device is rotated, as permitted by said play, in a second rotational direction which is opposite the first rotational direction. 29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein the steering apparatus includes a processor which permits the stop mechanism to release when the stop mechanism is fully engaged and the steering device is rotated in the second rotational direction. 30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, including multiple sensors to sense angular rotation of the steering shaft. 31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein the stop mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch, the clutch having a plurality of plates which are urged into frictional engagement with each other by an electromagnetic actuator to engage the steering device. 32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the stop mechanism includes an electromagnetic actuator, the electromagnetic actuator releasing the steering device when the steering device is rotated in the second rotational direction while the stop mechanism is engaged. 33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32 wherein the stop mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch, the clutch having a plurality of plates which are urged into frictional engagement with each other by the electromagnetic actuator to engage the steering device. 34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, including a housing having a hollow interior, the stop mechanism, the sensor and the processor being within the housing, one of the interior of the housing and at least some of the plates of the clutch having slots and another of the interior of the housing and at least some of the said plates having projections fitting within the slots, the slots being wider than the projections to provide said play between the sensor and the stop mechanism. 35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, including means for controlling the actuator to partially apply the stop mechanism to provide steering effort. 36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the means adjustably controls the actuator to provide variable steering effort. 37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein the means determines a solenoid gap by measuring inductance change, for feedback control of the variable steering effort. 38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein the means includes a proximity sensor to determine a solenoid gap for feedback control of the variable steering effort. 39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein the means uses pulse width modulation. 40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the means uses pulse width modulation. 41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the stop mechanism includes a member having an annular slot bounded radially outwardly by an outer annular surface and inwardly by an inner annular surface, a helical spring being located in said annular slot, said spring engaging said outer annular surface when the electromagnetic actuator is actuated while the steering device is being rotated in one rotational direction and said spring engaging said inner annular surface when the electromagnetic actuator is actuated while the steering device is being rotated in another said rotational direction. 42. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the steering device includes a steering shaft, the sensor senses angular movement of the shaft and the stop mechanism engages the shaft. 43. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the stop mechanism is bidirectional. 44. A steering apparatus for a marine vehicle having a steered member, comprising: a rotatable wheel; an encoder responsive to angular movement of the wheel which provides steering signals indicative of incremental movement of the wheel; a stop mechanism capable of selectively stopping rotation of the wheel; a processor adjacent to the stop mechanism and coupled to the encoder which receives the steering signals and steered member signals indicative of positions of the steered member, the processor providing a stop signal to actuate the stop mechanism and stop rotation of the wheel when the steered member approaches, within a predetermined amount, a predetermined limit of travel, wherein the processor is integral with the stop mechanism and wherein the processor has a memory which retains positions of the steering. 45. The steering system as claimed in claim 44, wherein the processor permits the stop mechanism to release when the wheel is steered in a direction which would move the steered member away from said predetermined limit of travel. 46. The steering system as claimed in claim 45, wherein the processor provides a signal to reengage the stop mechanism when the steering wheel is steered in a direction which would move the steered member back towards said predetermined limit of travel after the stop mechanism is released. 47. The steering system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the processor provides a signal to reengage the stop mechanism only when the steering wheel is steered back further in the direction which would move the steered member towards said predetermined limit of travel, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel was previously steered in the direction which would move the steered member away from said predetermined limit of travel. 48. The steering system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the processor provides a signal to reengage the stop mechanism only when the steering wheel has, in aggregate, been steered back further in the direction which would move the steered member towards said predetermined limit of travel, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel has, in aggregate, been steered in the direction which would move the steered member away from said predetermined limit of travel. 49. The steering system as claimed in claim 44, wherein the apparatus includes a housing, the encoder, the stop mechanism and the processor being within the housing. 50. A method of stopping rotation of a steering wheel of a vessel having a steered member and hard-over positions of the steered member, the method comprising: producing steered member signals indicating steered member positions; receiving the steered member positions near the steering wheel; determining, utilizing a processor adjacent to the wheel, whether the steered member positions are within a predetermined distance of a hard-over position of the steered member; engaging a stop mechanism operatively coupled to the steering wheel if the steering wheel is rotated in a direction corresponding to steered member movement towards said hard-over position; releasing the stop mechanism if the steering wheel is rotated in a direction corresponding to steered member movement away from said hard-over position, wherein the stop mechanism is reengaged if the wheel is steered back in a rotational direction corresponding to steered member movement towards the hard-over position and wherein the stop mechanism is reengaged only when the steering wheel is steered further in the direction which would move the steered member towards said hard-over position, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel was previously steered in the direction which would move the steered member away from said hard-over position. 51. The method as claimed in claim 50, wherein the stop mechanism is reengaged only when the steering wheel has, in aggregate, been steered further in the direction which would move the steered member towards said hard-over position, after the stop mechanism is released, than the wheel has, in aggregate, been steered in the direction which would move the steered member away from said hard-over position. 52. The method as claimed in claim 50, wherein decisions to engage or disengage the wheel are made by a processor adjacent to the steering wheel. 53. The method as claimed in claim 50, wherein the position of the steered member is retained in memory adjacent to the steering wheel.