Patent GB-722917-A (GB)
Title: An acceleration indicating system
IPC: G01P15/08
Filed: 1952-01-30
Abstract: 722,917. Electric indicating and control systems. KRAWINKEL, G. H. Jan. 30, 1952 [Feb. 1, 1951], No. 2486/52. Class 40 (1) [Also in Group XL(a)] Apparatus for determining the magnitude of acceleration of a physical body moving linearly or in rotary movement with constant or accelerated angular velocity comprises an evacuated enclosure movable with the body containing a source of a beam of electrons, ions, or other electrically charged particles which is focussed on a target, to which the acceleration transversely of the beam due to the movement of the body imparts a velocity at the instant of impact of a particle which differs from the velocity of the source at the instant of departure; so that the beam during its transit undergoes a deflection, normal to its direction of propagation and relative to the point of impact when the source and target have equal velocities, which is a function of the applied acceleration or angular velocity and is amplified and measured by an indicating device; such displacement being a measure of the acceleration component normal to the direction of propagation of the beam when the body is linearly deflected, or the angular velocity normal to the beam direction when the body is angularly rotated about a centre to which the beam direction is radial. In Fig. 3a an electron beam E which is intensity modulated by a rectangular waveform of frequency # passes between deflection plates C1 energized by a sinusoidal voltage of similar frequency so that the beam traces a line A on the surface of a screen B having a small aperture a, through which pulses of the incident beam travel between further deflection plates C2 energized by a sinusoidal voltage of frequency #=m# (m being an integer) and eventually fall on a linearly disposed target electrode L closely associated with a negatively biased electrode M repelling back to the target any secondary electrons generated on impact of primary beam electrons. The target is connected as two arms of a bridge network with resistors R1 and R2 (Fig. 4) and the target voltage is applied between the junction of R1 and R2 and the beam source, while the beam modulation and the deflection voltages on plates C1 and C2 are respectively phased so that when the beam is undeflected and thus extended into a line symmetrical with regard to aperture a the electron pulse passes when the, deflection voltages are zero, so that no deflection is introduced. The pulse falls symmetrically on a resistive target L so that equal voltages are developed across R1 and R2 and are amplified by corresponding tubes tl and t2 and combined in opposition across R3 to cancel out in the absence of beam deflection. A component of linear acceleration or angular velocity normal to the beam produces corresponding deflections relative to the aperture a so that any asymmetrical spread of the beam across screen B passes the electron pulse through aperture a and plates C2 coincidentally with an instantaneous voltage on the latter such as to . increase the deflection by a factor which is shown to be m, Figs. 3b to 3d (not shown). The asymmetrical impact of the beam on target L develops a voltage across resistor R3 which is a measure of the deflection and of the corresponding component of acceleration or angular velocity normal to the beam. In a modification (Fig. 5) to avoid inaccuracies due to the expansion of the beam spot falling on target L into a line by the deflection amplifying device, the latter operates in two stages; the electron pulse emerging from plates C2 being received on a second apertured screen to produce a second electron pulse, which passes between further deflection plates C3 energized by a sinusoidal voltage of frequency n (n being an integer), times the energization frequency of plates C2 and phased so that the beam is undeflected when the initial deflection is zero. The substantially circular emergent electron pulse falls when undeflected on a small circular. target L surrounded by a negatively biased electrode M to repel secondary impact electrons, and the initial deflection of the beam is shown to be magnified by the product m.n. so that the emergent beam partially avoids the target L and injects pulses of electrons of intensity dependent on the deflection into an electron multiplier having grids G1, G2, G3 and anode K, whose current is therefore a measure of the acceleration or angular velocity applied to the device and producing the initial deflection. Further amplification of the deflection may be produced (Fig. 6) by passing the initial electron beam between coaxial cylindrical electrodes Z1 and Z2 of differing diameters and charged to differing potentials such that a non-uniform potential gradient appears therebetween.  The emergent deflection of the beam E from its undeflected path is stated to be up to 100 times the incident deflection, and the device may be inserted either before the beam enters plates C1, Fig. 7 (not shown), or immediately before the beam impinges on target L. In a modification, the deflection of the beam due to acceleration or angular rotation is amplified by increasing the electron path between source and target. In Figs. 8a, 8b electrons emitted by source e1 are electrostatically accelerated by the positively charged annular electrode e2 coaxial with the source, in the transverse field of an electromagnet N.S. which causes the electron beam to follow a spiral path between the'electrodes and emerge from an aperture in the outer electrode e2. It is shown that if the axis A A of the device is oriented perpendicularly to an axis of rotation (e.g. that of the earth) the emergent beam is measurably deflected in dependence on the angular velocity of rotation, while if the'axis is oriented parallel to the axis of rotation no such deflection takes place. The electron beam maybe electrostatically focussed or gas focussed, or a beam of charged ions may be used instead of an electron beam, with consequently greater sensitivity. The apparatus is applicable to the determination of a fixed absolute plane and direction relative to the axis of rotation of the earth. In Figs. 9a, 9b three acceleration or angular velocity sensitive devices X1, X2, X3 as described above are combined in a three-legged arrangement as shown to define a plane P and are capable of indicating acceleration components oriented along the east-west direction of earth's rotation defined as O-W. When the axis Y of the device and the plane P are normal to the axis of the earth's rotation, the beam deviations and the consequent outputs of the three devices have the same predetermined value, and any inclination of the axis Y or the plane P relatively to the normal to the earth's axis produce variations of the outputs of the devices which are applicable in known manner to operate a directional control servosystem to restore the axis Y and the plane P to their predetermined orientation. Rotation of plane P round axis Y causes a uniform change of the outputs of the three devices which may similarly be applied to a control system restoring the plane to its predetermined position.