Patent ID: 8033197

Claim:
A gimbal assembly, comprising: a roll hub configured to rotate about a first rotational axis; a pitch hub disposed at least partially within the roll hub; a main hub disposed at least partially within, and coupled to, the pitch hub; a plurality of pitch hub bearings disposed between the roll hub and the pitch hub to allow the pitch hub to rotate relative to the roll hub about a second rotational axis that is perpendicular to the first rotational axis; a main pitch shaft coupled to, and extending through, the main hub along the second rotational axis; a first main roll shaft coupled to the roll hub and extending therefrom along the first rotational axis; a second main roll shaft to the roll hub and extending therefrom along the first rotational axis; a minor roll shaft coupled to, and extending through, the pitch shaft along the first rotational axis; a plurality of minor roll shaft bearings mounted on the minor roll shaft and disposed between the minor roll shaft and the main hub to allow the minor roll shaft to rotate relative to the main hub about the first rotational axis; a plurality of minor roll shaft bearing springs, each minor roll shaft bearing spring supplying a bias force to a minor roll shaft bearing that pre-loads that minor roll shaft bearing axially outwardly away from the minor roll shaft, whereby each minor roll shaft bearing is fully-floating, self-aligning, and self-adjusting; and a plurality of pitch hub bearing springs, each pitch hub bearing spring supplying a bias force to a pitch hub bearing that pre-loads that pitch hub bearing axially inwardly toward a section of the pitch hub, whereby each pitch bearing is fully-floating, self-aligning, and self-adjusting.