GB606335A - Improvements in and relating to gyroscopic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

606,335. Gyroscopic apparatus. SPERRY GYROSCOPE CO., Inc. April 26, 1941, No. 4444/43. Convention date, April 26, 1940. Divided out of 553,094. [Class 97 (iii)] Gyroscopic apparatus, particularly air-borne gyroscopic compasses, are provided with equal and oppositely directed air jets for applying damping or erecting torques to the gyroscope, and a pendulum for controlling the torques applied by the jets, the pendulum being pivotally mounted on the gyroscope and having means for dividing each of the air jets into two streams in order to exert different torques. As shown applied to an air-borne gyroscopic compass resiliently supported as described in Specification 553,094, and wherein one side of the rotor casing 25, 25<1> is attached to an horizontal hollow stem 32 mounted in air-bearings 34, 35 carried by the vertical ring 20 as described in Specification 606,334, a pendulum 44 is pivotally supported on the hollow stem by means of airbearings and dips into an oil container 47 attached to the rotor casing 25, 25'. United to the pendulum are oppositely directed tubes 50, 51, Fig. 3, which direct air jets differentially against knife-edged baffles 53, 53<1> projecting into circular channels 49, 49<1> moving with the rotor casing. Relative tilt between the pendulum and the rotor casing thus results in an unbalanced torque about the vertical axis, thereby reducing the tilt and damping the compass. Air entering the channels 49, 49<1> imposes substantially no torque on the rotor and emerges through an opening at the top of the channels. When the relative tilt exceeds a predetermined amount in either direction, the air jets are completely cut off by the inner walls 60<1> of the channels.