GB1020200A - Improvements relating to gyroscopes - Google Patents

Abstract

1,020,200. Gyroscopic apparatus. BOLKOW G.m.b.H. July 11,1963 [July 17, 1962], No. 27616/63. Heading G1C. A gimbal mounted gyro has propellant loaded precessional force senders mounted on its external gimbal frame, and means for igniting them when the internal frame is deflected to a position approaching parallelism with the external frame, the forces so produced acting in a direction so as to return the internal frame towards perpendicularity with the external frame. The invention is most applicable to gyros, such as in missiles, whose operating life is short and which have not normally been fitted with the more expensive gimbal alignment systems. A gyro rotor 2 is carried by the inner gimbal frame 4 and the outer gimbal frame 5, mounted in a housing 6. The position to be avoided is that in which the inner gimbal frame 4 has rotated through 90 degrees from the optimum position shown in Fig. 1; in this position sensitivity to motion in one direction is reduced to zero. The force senders are mounted in pairs 12, 13 and 14, 15 for precessing the gyro, the pairs acting in opposite directions. They are electrically fired when the displacement of the inner ring closes contacts 16, 18, or 17, 18. In a modification, a number of pairs of senders may be used, each successively fired pair corresponding to displacement in a given direction being fired as a result of a displacement slightly greater than the previous displacement, thus ensuring that the pairs are utilised one at a time. In order to avoid the possibility of continued corrections being required in the same direction resulting in all charges for that direction being utilised, thus rendering the gyro ineffective after only half the charges carried have been used, all the pairs of charges may be wired for propellant initiation from either end of their lengths, the charges being mounted in chambers open at both ends.