Patent GB-284871-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in devices for maintaining the direction of a telescope, search-light, signal transmitter or the like
IPC: G01C21/18
Filed: 1927-02-24
Abstract: 284,871. Zeiss, C., [Firm of], and Steinle, A. Feb. 24, 1927. Telescopes.-The. direction of telescopes, search lights, signal transmitters, &c., on board ship is maintained bv the use of a stabilizing - apparatus located apart from the instrument concerned, the movement of the supports relatively to the stabilizer being transmitted electrically. The base 1 of the stabilizing device carries a pillar 2 serving as a guide for two tubes 3, 4 by which rotations in altitude and azimuth are transmitted to electrical transmitters 59. The inner tube 3 is forked at its upper end to carry bolts 5 whose axis intersects the axis of the pillar 2 at the point forming the origin of the two systems of co-ordinates, viz., that of the system fixed relatively to the earth and that of the ship's system. About the bolts 5 is rotatable a bow 6 carrying an arm 7 and bevel-wheel 8 which engages a wheel on the upper edge of the outer tube 4. A cardan ring 10 is also suspended from the bolts 5 and carries by bows 11 a ring 12 rotatable about the origin of the co-ordinates. Within the ring 12 is a second ring 13 operated by worm gearing 14, 15 and carrying a gyroscope 17 with a horizontal axis of rotation. From two arms 19 on the ring 12 is suspended a pendulum weight 20 serving to maintain the axis of the gyroscope horizontal. Bolts 21 on the ring 12 carry a bow 22 rotatable about the bolts 21 by worm gearing 23, 24, the bow 22 carrying a bearing 25 the axis of which passes through the origin of the coordinate systems. In operation, the ring 12 is maintained horizontal by the weight 20 and is prevented from rotating about a vertical axis by the gyroscope 17. The initial positions of the bow 22 and the ring 12 are set by handwheels 28, 27 in accordance with the actual bearing of the object to be sighted. The oscillations of the ship are transformed into corresponding oscillations of the bow 6 connected to the arm 7 and these oscillations of the bow 6 are transformed into rotation of the tube 3 about the pillar 2 for variations of azimuth angles and by means of bevel wheels 8, 9 into rotations of the tube 4 about the pillar 2 for variations of angles of elevation. The rotations of the tubes 3, 4 effect rotation of the armatures 63 of the electrical transmitters 59 by means of bevel wheels at the lower ends of the tubes 3, 4. Corresponding rotations of similar armatures 67 of the receivers 64, which are fitted with pointers 69, result. The telescope 78, mounted to rotate on a horizontal shaft and a vertical shaft 84, is moved by handwheels 73, 76 connected by gearing to the shafts 80, 86 respectively, until pointers 74, 75 are coincident with the pointers 69 on the receiver armatures 67. The telescope is thus maintained directed upon the object. The ship co-ordinates may be read off the scales 82, 90 on the telescope mounting and the earth co-ordinates off the scales 41, 55 adjacent to the ring 12, Fig. 3. If the direction of the telescope be varied the direction of the axis 25 of the stabilizing-apparatus is also varied by the hand-wheels 27, 28. The movements of the armatures 63 of the transmitting apparatus may be communicated to any number of receiving stations.