US1917017A - Gyrocompass transmission system - Google Patents

Description

J. L. CHANTEM ERI-KE vm10 COMPASS TRANSMISSION SYSTEM July 4, 1933.

Filed June 1e, 192s 3 sheets-sheet. 2 Y

NHS TEE7 er/a;

Y. E N R O.

July 4, 1933.

J. L. CHANTEMERLE GYRO COMPASS TRANSMISSION SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 16, 1926 45' v412 50' 4 fsa INVENTOR n Jaa@ /r /mn wei. v

/TORNEY] Y Patented july 4,A

UNITED STATES JOSEPH L. C HANTEMERLE, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,v

PATENT OFFICE TO SlERRY GYROSCOPE COMPANY, INC., 0F BRGOKLYN, NEW YORK, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK Application filed June 16,

This invention relates to transmission systems for gyroscopic compasses. It is one object of this invention to provide means whereby both a fine and a coarse indication of the. master compassY reading may be transmitted to the repeater compasses. This construction is applicable to both a D. C. and an A. C. system of transmission and is of great importance where a synchronous transmission system is deslred, that 1s, one 1n which the repeater lnstrument cannot get out of step with the master instrument even though p the master instrument be turned relative to the repeater when the current is off and later recstablished. For this purpose there is usually employed a 1: 1 transmission system, since in any system of multiplication of movement, that is, where the transmitter operates a plurality of revolutions for each revolution of the master, it is possible forl the repeating instrument to'lose step with the master should the master be turned through an angle greater than one revolution -instrument through multiplicationgearing so that the said fine transmitter operates through a plurality of revolutions for each revolution of the master instrument. By causing the fine transmitter to control an auxiliatry repeating instrument, the said. auxiliary instrument acts as a Vernier for the main repeating instrument and enables fine readings to within, say, 10 minutes of are to be read, while at the same time permitting the system to remain self-synchronous.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a system of fine and coarse transmission wherein usual compass correctionsmay be introduced into said transmission system .so that beth the coarse and fine transmitters will transmit corrected readings.

GYROCOMPASS TRANSFISSION SYSTEM Y A 192e. sei-181m. 116,271.

For this vpurpose I may employ means whereby corrections are introduced into the coarse and line transmitters m the same ratio as said transmitters bear to each other.

A. further object of the invention is the transmission system between a master com-A ass and one or more repeater Compasses. Still further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent in the following detailed description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly sectioned vertically and with parts removed, showing provision of an A. C. system of transmission a master gyroscopic compass having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the master compass of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of F ig. 4 and disclosing a, lostmotion drive between the master compass and a transmitter. A

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed plan View of the mechanism for introducing corrections into the transmittters.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the coarse transmitter and the correcting mechaxliisni taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7 is a section taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the pivot blocks of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 'is a, Wiring diagram of the transmittels and repeaters.

Referring to Fig. 1 of thc drawings, there will be seen that I have illustrated my invention as applied to a gy'roscopic compass system, comprising the gyro casing liniwhich operates the gyroscopic rotor, said casing being mounted on horizontal axes in the vertical ring 11, said casing and ring constituting the sensitive element which is suspended from the spider by any suitable suspension 5 azimuth gear l5 meshing with a pinion 16 of.

an azimuth motor 17. The mercury ballistic element 18 and eccentric pivot `19 are also disclosed. In accordance with the ordinary method of operation of the gyroscopic compass, the azimuth motor causes the followfup element 14 to follow the apparent movements of the sensitive element and said movements of the follow-up element have heretofore been indicated by a compass card carried by said follow-up element. Such a card may be provided here but since I illustrate my invention in connection with a synchronous transmission system wherein the transmitter has a 1:1 relation with the master compass, may mount the card C on the armature of the said transmitter T (see Fig. 2).

For synchronous transmission of the movements of the master compass to the repeaters, I may employ the said transmitter T geared by gearing 521-22 to the follow-up element, the said gearing having a 1:1 relation. Although the said transmission system may be a D. C. transmission system, I have illustrate ed my invention in connection with an A. C. transmission system; The transmitter T, therefore, will comprise ield poles and an armature, the said armature being rotated by the follow-up element, md the displacement of the armature relative to the lield poles being transmitted to a similar receiver M having similar field poles and armature to cause said receiving instruments to repeat the movements of the transmitter T.' It will be understood that if a l). C. transmission system is employed, said transmission system may be as shown in the patent to Elmer A. Sperry #1,255,480, dated February 5, 1918, as shown in F ig. (3 thereof, except that the transmitter would have a 1:1 relation with the follow-up element instead of rotating a plurality of tim-3s vfor each revolution of theA master compass.

I have shown a compass card C mounted on the shaft of the armature of transmitter 'l and it will be apparaent that since said card C is sub-divided into 360 degrees. as shown in Fig. 2,'accurate readings to within say 5 or 1() minutes o t are is impossible and at best the readings can be taken accurately only to within say the nearest degree- At the same time, therefore, that I operate the 1:1 transmitter T, which I shall hereafter call the coarse transmitter, I operate also a fine transmitterl T having a multiplying gearing connection 16 to the azimuth gear 15, so that said line transmitter TV makes a plurality of revolutions, in this case thirtysiX, for each revolution of the master compass. A complete revolution of the card C of transmitter T', therefore, corresponds to but 10 of arc and permits reading to within 5 or 10 minutes of are. The employment of the fine transmitter T does not destroy the complete synchronization ofthe transmission system, for should the master compass be turned through, say, 150 whenthe current is oil', upon reestablishment of the current, repeater motor M will take up a position in exact synchronization with the transmitter T and, therefore, with the master compass, that is, it will be moved through the entire 15 while repeater motor M will move through the remaining 5 so that the absolute synchronization of the system is at no time destroyed, and at the same time I am enabled to transmit very tine readings of the compass movements.

I have further devised a system for intro- Iv ducing the necessary corrections which must be introduced 1n the repeater instruments and also preferably in the master compass cards to compensate for various errors tlat necessarily arise due to the movements of the ship or other dirigible craft on which the compass is mounted. The completev theory underlying said errors is set forth in the said Sperry patent wherein it is shown that whenever a vessel, on which the compass is mounted, has a meidianal course component, an error is set up which is proportional to the speed of the ship, the latitude and the course of the ship'. The total error arising from this cause is set forth in the equation aK cos H COS L l tain L in which D is the total correction, a and b are constants, K is the linear speed of the ship in knots, I-I is the anglein degrees of ships heading or course from the true geographical north, and L is the latitude. From this it will he seen that there are two types of corrections to be introduced. tion which is a function of the course and must, therefore, be constantly controlled by Y by moving the field poles which are ordinarily stationary. Thus, as shown in Fig. (i, the field poles may be operated by actuating gears 30, 30 fixed to the casingr carrying the said poles of the respective transmitters, lsaid gears being controlled by the correcting mechanism in the manner hereinafter dceov leo r One is a corrccy scribed. Any relative change of position between the armature and the field poles will, of course, transmit a change to the receiving instruments, M, M', that is to say, the corrected readings will thus be transmitted to the receiving instruments. By mountin the lubber ring L for movement with the fie d poles, as shown in Fig. 6, I introduce the correction by varying the position of the lubber line as was heretofore done in the said Sperry patent cited, for instance.

Since the two transmitters T-T are independent of each other, each of these must be corrected and the fine transmitter T must have thecorrection multiplied in the same degree as the movement of its dial C is multiplied over that of dial C. Thus,'for example, in the illustration, ca'rd Cmovcs 36 times as rapidly as card C and, therefore, Whatever correction is introduced in transmitter T must be introduced also in transmitter T and multiplied 36 times. Preferably I employ a single means for controlling both connections, said means taking the form of a gear 32 at the end of a pivoted segment 33 and said gear being suitably geared through idlers and 70 to the pinions 30, 30 fixed to move with the field poles of the respective transmitters. The ratio of gearing is such that the correction introduced in the field poles of transmitter T' is multiplied 36 times with respectto the movement of the field poles of transmitter T. Not only, therefore, am I enabled by this means to transmit both fine and coarse indications, but I am enabled to transmit corrected line and coarse indications.

t will be understood that if ad). C. system of transmission is employed, the same method of introducing the correction may be employed, that. is, a single gear, suitably geared to the armature or trolleys contacting therewith in the form shown, for instance, in the said Sperry patent, or.in a patent to L. Tanner No. 1,412,760, dated April 11, 1922 for correction device for gyroscopic Compasses, to move the' armature and contacts relatively. As previously stated at least one of said armatures would have a 1: 1 relationship with the movements ofthe master compass.

It will now be seen fromthe equation set forth hereinbefore that there are two corrections to be introduced, one of which is an additive quantity which, in any given latitude, may be made in a single operation and the other of which is a continuing correction which is a function of the course, being traveled and must, therefore, be at all times tied up with the compass so th at it may vary as the course varies.

For introducing the first correction, that is, the additive correction, I may merely shift the gear at the end of the segment 33 by any suitable adjusting means like that shown in Fig. 2,A comprising. an adiusting screw 34 operating in a fixed'bracket 35 and threaded into the gear 32 slidably mounted on segment 33. This will at once introduce the correction in the two transmitters in the proper ratios and the said corrections will be transmitted to the repeating instruments. This correction is not used in'some types of compasses and may be omitted Where not needed without-affecting the Voperation of my invention.

For introducing the second correction I may provide means for suitably controlling the movements of said segment and its attached gear from the master compass. For this purpose I may provide upon the followup element driven from -tbe master compass a so-called cosine ring 40, that is, a ring having either a cam slot, or as shown ar. eccentric roove 41 within a circular member, which is so designed that its eccentricity from point to point varies in a predetermined degree in accordance with the function of the ships heading. The eccentricity of said cosine ring transmits its movements through a suitable linkage such as the bell crank 44 and lever 45 to the segment. The connection between said lever and said segment is such that another factor of this correction, namely, the speed and latitude may also be introduced to effect the movement of the segment. For this purpose the lever is shown in the form of a fork pivoted within a support'42 at 43 and within said fork slides a pivot 46 (shown enlarged in F ig. 8) forming the pivotal connection between the segment 33 and the lever 45. It will be seen that when the two pivots 43 and 4'6 are in alignment, reation of the. lever 45 causes no movement of the segment 33. The slidable pivot 46 is moved within grooves 47 by means of an adjusting nut 50 mounted on threaded stem 50 which is threaded through a boss 80 of segment 33 and which is rotatably but nonslida ly mounted at its inner end in the pivotal connection 46. Said stem also carries a vertical scale 51 graduated in degrees of latitude and which is readable upon a scale 51 graduated in accordance with speed in knots. The curves on the late 51 are so plotted that when the indicated latitude intersects the curve for the indicated speed, the pivotal connection 46 will be, shifted in accordance with the required combined functions of both speed and latitude. The lever arm between the two ivots is thus varied so that any movementof the lever 4 5 will thus transmit a greater or lesser movement to the segmentwhich is ivoted at 49 Within support 42. The nal movement of the segment, therefore, is the component of the course as determined by the cosine cam slot 41 and bell crank 44, and of the speed and latitude, as determined by the position of the slidable pivot 46.. lhese corrections are introduced into the transmitters thro-ugh the same gearing 32 as the additive latitude correction was introduced so that this correction also is suitably multiplied in the fine transmitter T.

Since the follow-up element is usually '5 given a continuous small oscillatory move- -tail in Figs. 3 and 4.

ment, known as the linut, in order to overcome static friction, means may be provided herein for eliminating this movement from the transmitters. For this purpose the gears which are driven by the azimuth gear 22 are not connected directly to the respective armature shafts, as for example, shaft in Fig. 1, but said gears are connected to said armature shaft through a hunt eliminating or lost motion device indicated generally at 61. Thus, for example, in Fig. l the gear 21 is connected to its armature shaft fi() through the hunt eliminating device 6l shown in de- Gear 21 is fixed to a shaft 62 which carries a member GS thereon, said member being adapted to engage one or the other of members (34 fixed to a casing 65 which is fixed to thc armature shaft (i0. The member G3 is of such size and the space'between the members (i4 is such that said member 63 engages one or the,I other of said members 64 depending upon the direction of rotation of shaft 62 only at a certain degree of lost motion. This degree of lost mot-ion is equivalent to the amount of movement which would ordinarily be transmitted by the hunting movement ot the compass and is, therefore, much larger on the fine than on the coarse transmitter. The degree of lost motion may be varied by any suitable adjusting means which will move members 64 toward or away from member (-33 to reduceithe increasingr space between said member G3 and said members (34. For this purpose I have shown in Fig. 3 a pinion 67 engaging with the outer threaded periphery 68 of members 64 to efi'ect the necessary adjustment of said members (i4.

In accordance with the. provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof",.but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described. some of these may he altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use. 1

llaving described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination, a gyroscopic compass, means for transmitting the indications of said compass including coarse and fine transmitters having a predetermined rat-1o of movement with respect to said compass and to each other, means whereby said compass actuates said transmitters, a correction device also actuated from said compass, and means for introducing corrections from sai device into each of said transmitters in the tions into said transmitters simultaneously in the same ratio as said first ratio of movement.

3. In combination, a gyroscopic compass adapted to be mounted on a craft, means for transmitting the indications of said compass 7 including coarse and lino transmit e C having a predetermined ra A1o o movement with respect to said com-pass and to each other, means whereby said compass actuatcs said transmitters, and means for introducing corrections into said transmitter-gin the same ratio as said first ra io o movement, comprising a member shifted by movements of the compass, means whereby said member is adjusted to Correct also for speed, and latitude of said craft and gearing of difiercnt ratios connecting said member and each transmitter.

4. In combination, a gyroscopic compass, means fortransmitting indications of said compass including coarse and fine transmitters having a predetermined ratio of movement with respect to said compass and to cach other, a follow-up element, means whereby said element actuates said transmitters, and means including a common operating member governed in part by said element and gearing between said member and said transmitters for introducing corrections into said transmitters in the same ratio as said first ratio of movement.

5. In a gyroscopic compass adapted to be mounted on a dirigible craft, an A. C. transmission system including a plurality of transmitters and repeaters yeach transmitter hav-f ing an armature and a stator, means whereby said compass actuates the armatures of said transmitters at a predetermined ratio of movement relative to each other, a. card carried by each armature` a lubbers line on each stator on 'which each card is read and means also actuated in part from said compass for shifting the stators of said transmitters and the said lubber lines in the same ratio for introducing corrections.

G. In a gyroscopic compass adapted to be mounted on a dirigible craft, an A. C. transmission systen; including a. plurality of transmitters and repeaters each transmitter haviiw an armature and a stator, means whereby said compass actuates the armatures of said transmitters at a predetermined ratio of movement relative to each other, a card carried by eacl armature, a lubbers line on cach stator on which each card is read and means including a single member, and gearing connections between said member and the stators of said transmitters for shifting said stator and the attached lubber lines in the same ratio for introducingr corrections.

7 In a. gym-compass, the combination with a follow-up element of the compass, of a plurality of transmitters driven therefrom at different gear ratios, a correction device for said transmitters, comprising a member rotated'in accordance with a, function of the position of said element, means settable in accordance with speed and latitude varying the drive between said member and element, and gearing of different gear ratios connecting said member and each of said transmitters.

8. In a gyroscopic compass, a direction responsive element, a coarse transmitter and a fine transmitter actuated by said element, a 360 coarse compass card carried bythe coarse transmitter and a 10 Vernier card carried by the fine transmitter.

9. In a gyro compass, the combination with the follow-up element of the compass, of a. plurality oi transmitters driven therefrom at different gear ratios, a correction device for said transmitters, comprising a member rotated in accordance with a function of i the position of said element, means settable 'in accordance with speed and latitude varying the drive between said member and ele-v ment, separate means settable in accordance with another function of latitude for adding an additional corrective movement to said member, and gearing of different gear ratios connecting said memberA and each of said transmitters.

l0. In a correction device for gyro ccpasses forl correcting the transmitted reading in accordance with the expression aK eos H cos L -tb tan L,

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