Patent GB-419210-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in gyroscopic apparatus
IPC: B63B39/02
Filed: 1933-05-04
Abstract: 419,210. Gyroscopic apparatus. GRAY, J. G., La Mancha, Victoria Circus, Dowanhill, Glasgow. May 4, 1933, No. 12991. [Class 97 (iii).] In gyroscopic apparatus for stabilizing a vehicle and having a gyro pivoted in a frame fixed to or pivoting in the vehicle, a spring or springs for controlling the precession of the gyro are attached to the frame by an anchorage which is adjustable to adapt the system to movement in a curved path. As shown in Fig. 1, a gyro 1 is mounted by normally vertical pivots 2 in a frame 3. The lower pivot is extended and carries a road wheel 7, a second motor driven road wheel 8 being carried directly by the frame 3. Since the latter is of itself unstable about the axis formed by the road wheels 7, 8, the gyro 1 is rendered unstable about the pivots 2, 2 by a crank arm 4 fixed to the upper pivot 2 and connected by a spring 5 to an anchorage 6 on the frame. When in motion the frame 3 tends to follow up the movements of the gyro 1 about the pivots 2, 2 and the system is stable and normally moves in a straight path. To adapt the system to movement in a curved path, the anchorage 6 is adjustable transversely of the frame 3. The spring 5 may be attached to the end of an arm 16, Fig 5, of a T member 16, 17 pivoted at 18 and arranged to be rocked through link 22, wheel 21 and worm 20 by reversible motor 19. Alternatively, the spring 5 may be attached to a non-rotatable nut on a threaded spindle driven by a motor or to one end of a pivoted lever which is centralized at the other end by springs and may be rocked in one direction or the other by a pair of solenoids. A second stabilizing gyroscope may be fixed in the frame 3 and the latter may be rendered stable when at rest by attaching two small motors with their spindles horizontal and lying fore and aft. The spindles each carry a system of plane vanes and rotate in opposite directions under the control of a roller contact on the arm 4. In a modification, the gyro 1 and wheel 7 may be carried by one box and the wheel 8 and driving motor by another, the two boxes being attached by a vertical hinge and rendered azimuthally unstable by a spring. Fig 8 shows the invention used in stabilizing and steering a motor bicycle or simple form of car. The gyroscope 32 is carried by the front fork 33 and driven through gearing and a free-wheel device from the front wheel 34. The shaft 35 of the fork 33 turns freely in bearing 36 and carries a crank 37. A strong spring 39 stretches from the end of crank 37 to the end of an arm 40 which may be turned by a handlebar or handwheel 43 through gearing 45, 46 to adjust the anchorage of the spring. A second gyroscope 49 may be driven by the rear wheel 48. When applied to stabilizing a submarine, torpedo, airship &c. designed to be unstable without spin of the gyro, the frame carrying the gyro about normally vertically pivots is fixed in the vehicle. The lower pivot carries the crank to which the spring is attached and the upper pivot carries a pointer. The vehicle, if steered to maintain the pointer in line with a fixed mark normally follows a straight course. To cause the vehicle to move in a curved path the anchorage of the spring is shifted laterally. If the gyro is connected by suitable servomechanism to the rudder so that the vehicle follows the gyro, steering may be effected electro-magnetically from any part of the vehicle or from outside the vehicle through the medium of a cable or by wireless signals. When used in stabilizing and steering a submarine, torpedo, or airship &c. which is stable without spin of the gyro, the frame 50, Fig. 10, may be fixed in the vehicle and the spinning axes of the precessing gyro 51 and an auxiliary gyro 52 lie athwart the vehicle. The upper pivot 53 of the gyro 51 carries a pointer 57 co-operating with a mark 58 and a lever 59 to which the ends of two centralizing springs 60 are attached, the other ends being secured to an anchoring member 66. The lower pivot 53 ,carries a contact arm 61 moving over contact plates 63 on a disc 64 which is caused to followup the arm 61 and controls the steering gear of the vehicle. In order to cause the vehicle to follow a curved path, the anchorage member 66 in the form of a pivoted lever is arranged to be rocked by a motor or by electromagnets. In a modification, the frame 50 with the apparatus carried by it may be pendulously mounted on horizontal pivots in the vehicle. In a further modification, a gyro is pendulously mounted by horizontal pivots in a frame mounted by normally vertical pivots in the vehicle. The frame is centralized about its pivots by two springs with adjustable anchorage points. This modification may be used on aircraft, the pilot steering so that the aircraft follows the gyro and the observer controlling the course by adjusting the anchorage for the springs by means of a flexible shaft and a handwheel.