US1295003A - Method and means of gyroscopic control. - Google Patents

Description

E. F. CHANDLER.

METHOD AND-MEANS 0F GYROSCOPIC CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4 1915.

1,295,003. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

l1 TTOR/VEY haemo OFFICE.

nnw r. LEE, or nnooxnrn, NEW onx, AssIeNon; r CHANDLER nn'vnnor MEET-CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND MEANS OF GYEOSGOPIG CONTROL. 7

J To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F.

.citizen of the United States, residing in System of an pelled' dirigible devices; The invention. r- Y thermore relates to improvements 1n gyro- Brooklyn, county of- Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Methods and Means of 'Gyroscopic Control, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawt 1 which when spmning at high speed, is

mgs, forming a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to an lmproved oscopic control for selfroscopes and particularly gyrostats mounted in gimbalrings in which the fly wheel 1s kfree to be revolved and also in which, due

to the gimbal rings, the fly wheel may be .revolved'around the vertical and horizontal One of the objects of the invention is to I provide improvements in those systems of existing systems of gyroscopic control in which the gyroscopeis adapted to control the operatlon of certaln auxiliary apparatus in such a manner that as the relation changesbetween it and the axis of the dirigible' device or other apparatus upon which it, is carried, some 'function will result due to the said change v of relation between the axis of the gyrostat and the axis of the member carrying. the.

same; such improvements being-of such a nature that the usual errors met with m osco ic control are overcome, the operatlon of t e system simplified, andimproved.

' A further, object is-to provide a system of gyroscopic control in which the gyrostat beingfree to revolve about its vertical and horizontal axis atall times, an operative relation may be established-at any time for the purpose of gyroscopic-control, irrespective of the vpositionof the sad gyrostat about its vertical center at the time. Heretofore it has been the practice to lockthe frame in a fixed relation to the axis oi the d1r1g1blegyroscope fly wheel carrying device the steering of] .whifclris to be con trolled. Y I

In my-sy stem of gyroscopic bon'tr'ol, the

fly wheel carrying. members are free at all times and thOI'GfOI'Q'WhllO the said gyroscope is receiving its initiatspin it is free to seek a position closely approximating its natural settling position w1th respect to theaxis of the earth. Other objects and advantages Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 18 1919 Application filed November 4, 1915; Serial No. 59,535.

will be apparent to those versed these matters after having read the following specification and after having referred to the drawlngs-herewith.

-1S well known gyroscopes and. gyrostats are employedfor automatically stabiliz'ing and steering moving or movable bodies with'jrespect to a given axis or di-.

rection. The gyro comprisesan element adapted to assume a position in space, orjto maintain a osition in s ace which has been impressed t ereon. en the position is assumed by the'spinning element, its axis of "rotation will stand parallel with the axis of the earth when on the other hand a position is impressed upon the said element, which is not parallel with the axis of the earth it persists in this position only against its natural .tendency to assume its relation with respect to the earth, and it is this infiuence on gyroscopic apparatus as heretofore. employed that I overcome by means of the present invention wherein the spinning-element of my apparatus is stabilized gyroscope fly wheelas for instance by means of a spring, compressed air or electricity, but in the preferred embodiment of my invention I not only revolve my roscope prequently maintain the rotation of the same by the continued application of electrical energy.. 'For a better understanding of the details of how electricity maybe applied to the spinning of a gyroscope, I refer to my Patent #1,127,403 on a gyroscopically controlled torpedo dated Feb. 9, 1915, in which is disclosed and described a system of electrical operation well adapted for spinning a gyroscope fly wheel.

To further assist in a clearer understanding of my present invention, I refer to the drawings herewith in which, I

"Figure ,1 is a conventional siderview of my gyroscope; Fig. 2 is a conventional plan View, part of which has been broken away; Fig. 3 is a detail of a certain modification; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic detail of another modification.

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically a modification of my invention,

liminaril'y by means of electric1ty,.but subse- In Fig. 1, 1 is the fly wheel having a spin dle 2 and 2 after the'usu-al manner of gyroscopic fly wheel construction. 3 is a gimbal ring or frame in which the fly wheel is so supported as to be capable of being freely revolved. Member '3 is supported, by means of suitable antifriction pivots 4, to the main carrying ring 5, 5 in turn being pivoted at 6 and 6' in a suitable standard or frame 7 It will be seen from this description that so far my gyroscope closely resembles the usual form commonly employed for such purposes in which frame 7 is secured within the body of the device or vessel and adapted in the preferred form to stand vertical, substantially as illustrated. As is well known, in order to take advantage of the gyroscopic action, it is necessary that some means be provided whereby as the relation between the axis of the gyroscope and the axis of the device upon which the gyroscope is carried changes, a suitable member will be actuated, said member being either the steering rudder of the dirigible device or an indlcator, or both according to the purpose for which the gyroscope is being employed. In its simlest form, the gyroscope of a torpedo steermg gear for instance, is so constructed an employed that the turning of the gyroscope about its vertical axis or any turning of the dirigible device about the Vertical axis of the gyroscope will transmit an impulse either by means of fluid ressure or electricity to the rudder actuating motor for the purpose of steering the said torpedo or other device in a direction corresponding to or bearing a fixed relation to the position maintained by the gyroscope. In the well known forms of gyroscopes such as are used commonly intorpedoes, as above noted the fly wheel carrying members are securely locked until the unlocking impulse is initiated and at that instantthe gyroscopic device is released leaving the fly wheel free to exercise its'peculiar function. Now, I have found that the steering of a dirigible device can begreatly improved by not locking the gyroscope in a fixed relation but rather allowing same complete freedom during the spin-' ning eriod thereby permitting same to seek to rest in its true settling position with respect to the earth and by again referring to ,Fig. 1, it will be seen that I accomplish this end by not establishing cooperation between the gyroscope and the steering gear until after the gyroscope has been spun up to proper speed and as will be seen this'may be accomplished by providing means of any suitable nature whereby at the proper instant cotiperation may be established between the gyroscope and the steering gear. schematically I illustrate a clutch member 8 integral with the vertical fly wheel supporting frame 5. The other clutch member 9 as shown is maintained out of engagement with 8 by means of latchesor hooks 10 and 10 which are fulcrumed to frame 7 at 11 and 11'. Hook 10 is rovided with an integral extension 12 to w ich is connected an actuating bar 13. 14 is a suitable link member so connecting members 10 and 10 that they are worked together, or in other words function simultaneously so as to open said hook members for the purpose of instantly releasing 9 when member 13 is moved toward the left. Assuming that the gyroscope fly wheel 1 is spinning at its maximum velocity and that it is desired to bring member 9 into operative relation with 8, it will be seen that it is merely necessary to move bar 13 to the left thereby releasing member 9 and permitting the same to fall upon member 8. It will be noted that 8 is indicated as tapered and that 9 is provided with an internal taper adapted to fit or cooperate with 8. when brought into association with each other. Secured to the front of the frame 7 is a member 15 which is preferably of insulating material. adapted to engage with the surface of member 9 as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2. U pen the edge of member 9 is a suitable contact strip 17 against which contact member 16 is ada ted to rest for the purpose of making' and reaking an electric circuit.

As previously set forth any suitable method adapted for spinning the gyroscope fly wheel may be employed. I prefer however toemploy electrical energy, and in Fig. 1, 56 represents a source of electrical energy such as a battery or generator. Energy is conducted to the gyroscope through suitable conductors H, I. In the circuit a switch 57 may be inserted when necessary or desirable, which may be of any suitable pattern. In the schematic representation current is indicated as being conveyed to the motor-gyroscope through the gimbal pivots. It will be understood however, that I do not wish to limit myself to such structural details as electrical gyroscopes, their construction and operations are well known in the art.

It is merely necessary in carrying-out my invention that. the gyroscope be of a motor type, and that energy can be conveyed to the same irrespective of its position about its vertical axis..

It will be understood that any suitable method of communicating angular motion from the gyroscope to the steering or indicating means may be employed, but for convenience and for clearness I indicate an electromagnetic device 18 connected by .means of lead A with contact member 16 and by means of B electrical communication is established between 17 and the source of electrical energy 19, the circuit being com- At 16 is a suitable contact member pleted by lead C. 20 is an armature fulcrumed at 21 and 22 may be considered as a rudder or indicator. By this arrangement it will be 'seen that if ring 9 is carried in a clockwise direction around the vertical axis of the gyroscope, electrical circuit will be broken between 17 and 16, the electromagnetic device 18 will be deenergized and owing to the action of spring 23, armature 20 will be pulled away from 18 and 22 will.

consequently swing to the right. The gyroscopic device as above described is well adapted for use in a torpedo in which case bar 13 would be actuated by the starting latch which device is common to all torpe- 7 does and is not described here in detail, it being deemed suflicient to mention that the starting latch which is operated. as the torpedo is leavin the tube, is adapted to be so connected wit bar 13 that the tripping of the said latch will cause the lever 12 to move to the left thus releasing member 9. It must be understood, however, that I in no way limit myself to connect directly with the starting latch, it being within the scope of the invention to release the clutch holding member or otherwise set up gyroscopic control at any time and in any suitable manner calculated'to give the best results and I may therefore wish to operate my gyroscope clutch or other device before the starting latch is operated, etc. Putting the gyroscope into operative relation with some other member ofthe steering or indicating system, permits of wide modification and variation and as I do not wish to limit myself to any specific construction or means for accomplishing this end, I illustrate in Fig. 3 a certain modification in which 5 iseither the upper or the lower part of the verticalgyroscope carrying ring most of which has been broken away. 9 is a contact carrying member normally out of'engagement with member 5. 24 represents an electromagnet adapted when energized to engage member 9'. 6 is one of the anti-friction pivots about which member 5 and 24, they being integral, v are adapted to rotate in the vertlcal plane.

. upon 7', it being noted that'there is no operative relation between.5 and '9, said member 5 being free to' revolve within the member 9'. Carried by 9' is a contact member or brush 25. 26 represents a contact plate carried upon a suitable insulating member 27. 28 is a switch ler er. 29 is a suitable source of electrical energy. D and E are leads or wires by means of which when switch 28 is caused to contact with 28' an electrical circuit will be completed, thus energizing magnet 24. When the magnet 24 is energized member 9' will be engaged, and thus engaged will be carried by member 5. Rotation" of 5 about the vertical then cause contact member 25 to moveover contact plate 26 and by this arrangement a suitable circuit adaptedto operate a, steering or indicating device may be brought into op- V eration. From this description it will be seen that contact member 25 need not necessarily be employed electrically, but might'be used as a lever or other mechanism for communicating motion to the valve of a -'servo motor, etc., it being my purpose chiefly to show that it is possible to obtain motion as a result of the gyroscopic' action, it being well known that I may employ this motion in any manner best suited for the part cular piiirfiose or use to which my system is app e V In Fig. 4, 30 is a disk adapted to be carried by the vertical ring 5 and 6 is the pivot or hearing. The object of this diagram is to illustrate another means to transmit motion fromthe gyroscope to any other appropriate mechanism. Disk 30 which may be of any suitable thickness and of any appropriate material is adapted to be engaged upon its periphery by member 31 which memberis fulcrumed to hell crank 32 at 33. A suitablespring 34 tends to move member 31 over against the periphery of 30 and a suitable latch member 35 maintains 31 out of engagement with the said disk. By means of connecting rod 36 bell crank '32 is adapted tovcontrol the valve of a servo motor 37. By

cases in which the gyroscope .does not turn througha very great angleto one side or the other and in other words in which the turning moment is comparatively small.

In Fig. 6, however, I show a modification of the scheme diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4 in which 30 is a disk corresponding with the one just previously described and 6 is the vertical pivot or'bea disk 38 isadapted to engagewith disk30 very Inthiscasemuch after the order of a. pair of gears. Su I perimposed upon disk 38 is another disk 39 having one tooth 40, this said tooth being in engagement with member 41, member 41 in turn being pivoted at 42 to an-extension of the swinging bracket 43, this said bracket being fulcrumed in any appropriate manner at 44. The object of this modification is to provide for a greater f moment of the gyroscope in which case disk 38 may be com- .pletely revolved as a result of its operative engagement with 30. Disk 39 being integral with 38 or secured thereto acts as a onetooth gear upon member 41 swinging same to the right or to the left about the pivot 42,

as will be well understood by those versed in matters of this nature. The extension 45 of member 41 may be caused to perform any desired function such as the making and breaking of circuits, or the operating of the valve of a servo motor, or merely as an indicator and in any of these cases as the gyroscope turns to one side or the other of that position in which it was standing at the time that engagement was made between disks 30 and 38 member 41 will be rocked and if constructed substantially in accordance with the drawing herewith it will remain locked to one side or the other if the turning moment exceeds a certain amount. Devices represented by Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 may be con structed in a great many different ways and it will be understood that coiiperation between the friction surfaces may be improved by cutting suitable teeth on members 38 and 31 or30'and 38 or engagement may be had merely between ground surfaces or by the application of suitable frictional material all of which will be well understood by those versed in mechanics. Sometimes it is desired to so construct a gyroscope that when the same is finally put into operation for the purpose of fire control the path of the weapon or other device will lay in a pre-. determined direction difiering somewhat from that direction in which the dirigible device is pointing at the time that the gyroscope is put into operation. In other words it is sometimes necessary or desirable to alter the neutral position of the gyroscope with respect to the horizontal axis of the diri -ble device carrying the said gyroscope. his condition is most commonly met with in torpedo practice and is known as angle firing and with a view of showing that my device is adaptable for this purpose as well as many others in which an adjustment of this kind will be desirable, I have shown in Fig. 5 member 9 carrying a contact brush 25, this member remaining stationary with respect to the axis of the torpedo until engaged by the gyroscope of which 8 is a part. 46 and 46 are contact plates supported by an insulating medium 47 these said contact plates are suitably mounted upon member 48 having teeth 49. In engagement with the teeth is a suitable adjusting worm 50 which when revolved is adapted to revolve member 48 around the vertical center of the gyroscope. 51 and 51 represent electromagnets adapted to control a swinging armature 52 which is fulcrumed at 53, the said armature being shown as carrying a pointer which might also be considered as the rudder 54. 55 is a source of electrical energy. Member 9 is connected by lead F with the source of current 55 and then with the magnets by F,

leads G and G connecting the said magnets substantially as shown with the contact plates 46 and 46. The operation of this arrangement is as follows: Assuming the apparatus is applied to a torpedo and that it is not desired that the torpedo follow the direction in which it is pointing when launched but that it is to turn to one side or to the other through a definite angle and then proceed in a straight line. As shown in the drawing, neutral point 47 has by means of the adjusting worm 50 been moved away from the contact brush 25 which is standing in a fixed relation to the axis of the torpedo. Obviously either part 25 or 47 may be made adjustable. Previous to the launching of the torpedo the gyroscope will be spinning at high speed and upon the desired instant member-9 will be brought into'engagement with 8, 8 being the roscope or a part thereof. Contact mem r 25 completes circuit through 46 in which is located magnet 51 with the result that the rudder of the torpedo or other vessel is held over to one side, this will cause the torpedo to turn about and to continue to turn until contact member 25 passes the insulated point 47. As the circuit will be broken when member 25 crosses 47, the rudder will come to a midship position and as long as the torpedo or other vessel steers in a straight line and the contact member 25 remains upon 47, no action will occur at the rudder, but as soon as the torpedo deviates to one side or'the other and as a consequence contact member 25 passes ofl' of the insulated part 47 and makes contact with 46 or 46, the rudder will function accordingly for the purpose of steering the torpedo back upon its course. There are a great many possible modifications and schemes in the steerin of torpedoes and I have described herewit a conventional case for the sake of clearness. It will be understood, however, that with a device such as is shown, member 25 would not in reality remain stationaryon the insulated part 47 but would probabl vibrate back and forth due to mechanical d efects in the torpedo with the result that the weapon would steer a somewhat sinuous course, it being possible, however, by providing means (such as oppositely opposed springs, not shown) for normally holding the rudder in amidships position thereby somewhat flatten the otherwisefully sinuous course of the weapon.

It will be seen that a preferred embodiment of the herein described invention results in a. Very much simplified form of gyroscope Well suited for many purposes and as it is not necessary to reset the gimbal rings as is the case particularly in torpedo gyroscopes, certain structural advantages will be apparent to those versed in this art. To obtain the same degree of accuracy, considerably less skill is required in the manufacture of gyroscopes built in accordance with this invention, which considered in the light of its fewer parts constitutes, another important advance over the present known types of gyroscopes. Having thus described some of the illustrative embodiments of my invention, I a desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for the purpose'of limitation, the

scope of the above being set forth in' the appended claims. Iclaim: v 1. The method of controlling the steering of a dirigible device, which consists in spin-.

ning a gyroscope while free to seek its own settling position, and then causing it to exercise its influence upon the steering means.

2. The method of gyroscopic' control, of a dirigible device which consists in spinnng the gyroscope while free to rotate about its vertical axis and subsequently bringing the gyroscope into operative engagement with the steeringmeans.

3. The method of gyroscopic control, which consists in spinning a gyroscope while operatively free from the controlling means,

so as to allow the free orientation of the gyroscope in relation to the axis of the earth, and subsequently establishing operative relation between said gyroscope and said con trolling means when the gyroscopic axis. has been independentl estabhshed.

4:. The metho of gyroscopic control, which consists in spinning a gyroscope While disconnected from the controlling means,

- and free to seek its own settling position,

. nin

and in establishing operative relation between said gyroscope and the controlling means only at the moment when it is desired to have the governing action of the gyroscope upon the steering means.

5. The method of controlling the steering of a dirigible device, which consists in spina gyroscope while free to seek its own sett ing position, and then causing it to exercise 1ts influence upon an indicating device steering means, a gyroscope at all times to rotate around its vertical am's, and adapted to be operatively connected to or discon nected from said' controlling means.

S. The method of stabilizing a dirigible body, which consists in spinning a gyroscope while free to rotate with respect to agiven axis, and then placing the gyroscope 1n control of said body.

9. The method of stabilizing a dirigible body, which consists in ini tially operating a stabilizing element while same is free to rotate in space with respect to a given axis and then placing the body under control of said element.

10. The method of gyroscopic control which consists in spinning a gyroscope while free to establish substantially a. north and south axial-position, and'then causing the gyroscope to exercise its influence body to be stabilized.

11; The method of gyroscopic mntrol, which consists in spinning an element freely suspended in space so as to establish its independent gyroscopic axis, and then establishing operative relation between said element and a member to be controlled thereby.

12. The method of stabilizing a body with respect to a given axis, which consists in establishing in an element a relatively independent axis in space and then establishing operative relation between the body and the element with respect to their axes.

13. In connection with a dirigible device having steering means, a gyroscope free to rotate upon its verticalaxis, means for spinning the same while free, and means operable to establish operative relation between the same and the said steering means.

upon the 14. Means ofgyroseopic control of steering indicating means, comprising a gyroscope, means for spinning the same whlle "free to rotate about its vertical axis, and

means for establis operative relation between the gyroscope .and the indicating means.-

15. In combination with a an indicator for showing the status of the same with respect to a given axis, means forspinning the gyroscope while free to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane and means for placing the gyroscope in control of the said indicator.

16. The method of compensating for the action of the earths rotation on a gyroscoplcally steered device, which in establisin the axis of rotation of a p10 para lel with the axis of the earth and then placing the gyroscope in control of said device.

17. In a means for indicating the course of a dirigible device with respect to a given axis, a gyroscope, means for spinning same while free to rotate with respect to said axis, In testimony whereof I have signed this and means to place the gyroscope in control specification in the presence of two swbscribw of theIindicatmg means;1 ing Witnesses, this 2nd day of October 1915. 18. n a gyrosco ic evice a rosco e free at all times to i-otavte about i vertic l CHANDLER axis, a member adapted to be controlled by Witnesses:

the gyroscope and means for placing said C. E. RUssELL,

member under control of the gyroscope. H. L. SLoAN.

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