GB850945A - Improvements in or relating to accelerometers - Google Patents

Abstract

850,945. Inertia switches, switch contacts. UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION. Dec. 30, 1957, No. 40312/57. Class 38 (5). [Also in Group XIX] An accelerometer housing 1 rotatably supports an electric motor stator element 10 for angular displacement in response to acceleration of the housing in a given direction, a rotor 22 being adapted upon energization to oppose the angular displacement of the stator 10, and contacts operably connected to the stator control energization of the rotor in response to the angular displacement. The stator 10 is supported by shafts 7, 8 in bearings 2, 3 of housing walls 4, 5, and is provided with an enlarged flywheel encircling portion 11 which carries a weight spaced from the axis 7, 8. The weight and the axis 7, 8 normally lie in a plane at right angles to the direction in which the device is to be accelerated. When the device is accelerated, the weight causes the stator to rotate and turn a commutator 15 fixed to the shaft 8 so that a conducting segment 16 (Fig. 5) embedded therein makes contact with a stationary brush 17. Lead 53, which is connected to one side of a source of supply, is thus connected via segment 16, jumper 55, segment 57 and lead 24 to one side of the rotor 22, the other side of which is connected to the other side of the source of supply via lead 25, segment 67 and lead 70. Energization of the rotor 22 causes it to rotate in the same direction as the initial rotation of the stator, so that the reaction force acts on the stator to return it to its initial position thus breaking the contact between the segment 16 and brush 17 and de-energizing the rotor. Continued acceleration causes the contacts 16, 17 to be again made and broken and as long as acceleration continues the rotor 22 continues to be intermittently energized and itself accelerates in proportion to the linear acceleration of the housing 1.