GB545284A - Improvements relating to gyroscopic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

545,284. Gyroscopic apparatus. SPERRY GYROSCOPE CO., Inc., and HILLIER, A. May 17, 1940, No. 8812. Addition to 492,670. [A Specification was laid open to inspection under Sect. 91 of the Acts, Nov. 21, 1940.] [Class 97 (iii)] The gyroscopic apparatus claimed in the parent Specification is modified by mounting the polyphase stator directly upon a member from which a sensitive element of the gyroscope is supported with freedom to precess, and mounting the conductive member (co-operating with the stator) on the sensitive element. As shown in Fig. 3, wherein the gyro casing 71 is universally mounted by a gimbal ring 6, a conductive cup 81 is carried by a stem 191 depending from the gyro casing. Stator poles 11<SP>1</SP> are mounted on a fixed base 35 and are supplied with three phase current by way of connection-reversing relays controlled by pendulums 36, 37 co-operating with reversing contacts 39, 391, 40, 40<SP>1</SP>, the pendulums being pivoted about the two gimbal axes. The magnetic flux across the poles of the stator is varied in direction by the pendulums according to the tilt of the rotor axis and the eddy currents consequently induced in the conductor cup 8<SP>1</SP> produce a reactive torque to eliminate the tilt. A more graduated control may be obtained by making the pendulums form the sliding contacts of potentiometers in a Wheatstone bridge arrangement supplying the stator pole windings. In a modification applied to a "slave" directional gyroscope, Fig. 4, wherein the gyro rotor spins on an horizontal axis 51, and the rotor casing 41 pivots about an horizontal axis 42 in a verticallypivoted ring 43, a cylindrical conductive member 46 is secured to the rotor case and torque is applied thereto by a three-fingered stator 1111 mounted on the vertical ring. The torque is applied in either direction by reversing one of the phases of the three-phase windings by means of a reversing switch 47, Fig. 6, which may be operated manually or from a remote magnetic compass or other control means.