Patent GB-719957-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to gyroscopic apparatus
Inventor: SEDGFIELD HUGH BROUGHAM
IPC: G01C19/00
Filed: 1952-05-02
Abstract: 719,957. Gyroscopic apparatus. SPERRY GYROSCOPE CO., Ltd. April 24, 1953 [May 2, 1952], No. 11166/52. Class 97(3) Gyroscopic apparatus comprises a rotor mounted in a supporting frame for spinning about a spin axis and for angular movement of the spin axis and is relative to the supporting frame about any axis perpendicular to the spin axis through a limited angle; a main support in which the supporting frame is mounted about two mutually perpendicular axes; servomotors for controlling the supporting frame to follow the angular movements of the rotor about said axes under the control of pick-off means mounted on the supporting frame adjacent to the rotor periphery to co-operate with the periphery to detect relative angular movements of the rotor and its supporting frame; a ball bearing for the rotor comprising two sets of balls adapted to run in parallel circular tracks, lying in planes normal to the rotor spin axis, that are defined by an outer ball face located in the interior of an axial bore in the rotor, the inner race for the two sets being portions of concentric spherical surfaces of an inner race member supported by the supporting frame at the rotor centre, the two portions lying on opposite sides of the common centre of said spherical surfaces; and means for driving the rotor about its spin axis. As shown in Fig. 1, the rotor 1 is held by a plate 8 on the outer ball race 4 having parallel tracks, accommodating sets of balls 6, 7, running on an inner race 5, constituted by a hollow truncated sphere fitted on a motor driven shaft 2 journalled in a supporting frame 12 which is pivoted about a horizontal axis X, Y in a vertical 'ring 16, itself pivoted about vertical axis R S in a fixed support 17, Fig. 2, which may be mounted in a craft. Angular movements of the rotor 1 relative to the frame 1,2 are deterred by pick-off 19, 20. 21, 22 mounted in diametrically opposed pairs on frame 12. Each pick-off is of the usual E type and the combined outputs of the pick-offs of each pair are used to control servomotors 28, 31, on the frame 17 and gimbal 16 respectively, whereby torques are applied to the gimbal and the frame 12. In order that the apparatus may function as a directional gyroscope, force-applying devices 34, 35, 36, 37 are also mounted on the frame 12. Each device is similar to the pick-offs and they are arranged in diametrically opposite pairs, Fig. 3. Each device has two sets of energizable windings. To windings 38, 42, 44, 46 of each device is applied the output from a gravity responsive controller 33<SP>1</SP>, detecting tilt about the X-Y axis, to cause precession about axis X-Y, while an error signal depending on the misalignment .between the gyroscopic reference and a reference provided, for instance, by a flux valve compass, is applied to the other winding of each motor to cause precession in azimuth about the vertical axis R-S. A direction indicator may be mounted on gimbal ring 16 to indicate angular movements in azimuth of the craft in which the apparatus may be mounted; in addition, or alternatively, a pick-off 41<SP>1</SP> may control a remote indicator or an automatic pilot.