Patent GB-416813-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to automatic pilots for aircraft
IPC: G05D1/08
Filed: 1933-08-15
Abstract: 416,813. Gyroscopic apparatus. SPERRY GYROSCOPE CO., Inc., Manhattan Bridge Plaza, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.-(Assignees of Sperry, E. A. ; 682, Ocean Avenue, Brooklyn, Carlson, B. G. ; 8054, 236th Street, Queen's Village, and Bates, M. F. ; 1918, East 7th Street, Brooklyn, both in New York, U.S.A.) Aug. 15, 1933, No. 22788. Convention date, Sept. 2, 1932. [Class 97 (iii).] In gyroscopic control apparatus for the automatic piloting of aircraft two gyroscopes for steering and stabilizing can be observed so as to act as a directional gyroscope and an artificial horizon, the horizon bar 1 being visible through a window 2 in the instrument panel and the compass card 3 in the directional gyroscope being visible through a window 4<1>. The gyroscope vertical or artificial horizon unit includes an air-spun rotor, not shown, mounted for spinning about a vertical axis in a casing 9 pivoted on horizontal trunnions 10, 10<1> in a gimbal ring 8 mounted on horizontal pivots 11, 11<1> in the main frame 12. Air for spinning the rotor is led through the hollow trunnion 11, the hollow gimbal ring 8 and the hollow bearing 10<1> to the rotor casing 9. To facilitate taking off controls about both axes, a circular bail 13 is mounted on trunnions 14, 141 in the frame 12 and preferably in line with the trunnions 10, 10<1>. The bail 13 is of U-shaped cross-section and has rolling contact with a roller at the bottom of the gyroscope ; thus the bail partakes of oscillation of the gyroscope about the axis 10, 10<1> but not of its oscillation about the axis 11, 11<1>. A climb or dive indicating bar 18 is mounted by arms 16, 17 on the bail and is read on graduations 19 at the side of the instrument. A cup-shaped disc 20 mounted on the ring 8 by an arm tilts laterally with the gyroscope about the axis 11, 11<1 >and is provided with graduations 21 adapted to read against a fixed index 211 to show the lateral attitude of the craft. An index 22 on the disc is readable against an index 23 forming part of a pointer 24 secured at one end to a member 25 constituting a follow-up member from the servo-motor and biassed in one direction by a spring 24<1>. The directional gyroscope includes an air-spun rotor 48 journalled in a normally horizontal axis in a rotor bearing frame 47 mounted for oscillation about a second horizontal axis 50, 50<1> in the vertical ring 51 which is journalled for rotation about a vertical axis 52 in a fixed frame 53. Air for spinning the rotor is led in through a pipe coupling 54, a bearing 55 and a pipe 56. A caging and resetting means is provided for locking the gyroscope about its horizontal axis in any position of azimuth, moving it to any other desired position of azimuth and releasing it with its spinning axis horizontal and comprises a setting-knob 57, crowned gear 58 slidably and rotatably actuated therefrom, a spur gear 59 on the vertical ring and a locking- arm 60 actuated from a yoke 62 and a centralizing pin 63. The vertical ring 51 has a graduated scale 64 which may be used as a compass. A second graduated ring 65 is secured to arms 66 on the rotatable framework 67 carrying the air parts 68, 68<1> by which the gyroscope controls the servo-motor.