GB844463A - Improvements in means for tracking movable targets - Google Patents

Abstract

844,463. Target tracking apparatus. ARENCO A. B. Aug. 22, 1957 [Aug. 30, 1956], No. 26573/57. Class 97(2). [Also in Group XXXVI] A sighting device is positioned by servo-motors operating in a polar co-ordinate system, one motor being controlled in accordance with the equation : where sv is the azimuth co-ordinate and A the range. In the system shown the servo-motor 3 rotates the shaft 1 to position a radar or.optical sighting device in azimuth. Tachometer generators 4 and 5 generate voltages of opposite sign multiplied in a potentiometer 7 rotated by the shaft 2, which turns in terms of A/A, to produce a voltage representing sv.A/A fed through a resistance 11 to a summator 43 where it is added to a voltage -#sv produced by the condenser 14. The motor 3, driven from an amplifier 12 fed from the summator, normally runs to balance these voltages, the circuit constants being chosen to satisfy the above equation. If this condition is not satisfied the motor speed, is corrected by utilizing voltage sv appearing in the amplifier output 18 to a condenser 13 to produce #sv which is fed to the summator 43. If the generator co-ordinate sv is not that required to follow the target a correction voltage is applied to the summator through resistance and condenser 32, 33 either from the radar at 37 or from a manually operated generator 35, according to the position of the relay 34. The potentiometers 21, 22 driven from the shaft 2 produce, on the lead 27, a voltage representing A<2>/A<2>. This voltage is added in the summator 20. to voltages representing the derivative of #A/#A, produced by the generator 29 on the shaft 2 and one representing sv<2> produced by the generators 5 and 6 to produce a voltage fed to the amplifier 31 driving the motor 26 which thereby rotates the shaft 2 in terms of A/A to satisfy the equation : If the generated range co-ordinate is not that required to follow the target a correction is applied from the radar at 41 or from the manually operated generator 39 according to the position of the relay 38. If purely manual following is required the relay 10 is actuated to disconnect the resistance 11 from the potentiometer 7 and connect it to earth. A control switch is provided to position the relays 10, 34, 38 according to the type of following required. The apparatus described deals only with movement in one, e.g. horizontal plane. A similar apparatus may deal with vertical movement for three dimensional tracking. A voltage representing sv may be fed to a ballistic corrector at 44 if needed.