Spherical-flywheel attitude-control system

Claim 1

A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, ADAPTED TO BE USED IN AIRLESS SPACE, COMPRISING: AN HERMETICALLY-SEALED, GAS-CONTAINING CASING; A HOLLOW, SPHERICAL BALL IN SAID CASING HAVING AN EXTERIOR, SPHERICAL SURFACE OF HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE, NON-MAGNET METAL HAVING A CONSIDERABLY GREATER DEGREE OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY THAN OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY AND HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LESS THAN THREE; GASEOUS-BEARING MEANS SEALINGLY MOUNTED ON SAID CASING AND HAVING SURFACES WITHIN SAID CASING FOR FREELY SUPPORTING SAID BALL ON GASEOUS-BEARING FILMS; PUMPING MEANS ON SAID CASING FOR WITHDRAWING GAS FROM SAID CASING, AND COMPRESSING AND SUPPLYING SAID GAS TO SAID GASEOUS-BEARING MEANS; AN ASSEMBLY OF AT LEAST THREE TORQUERS, FIXED TO SAID CASING, FOR PROVIDING TORQUE ON SAID BALL AND OPPOSITE, REACTIONARY TORQUE ON SAID CASING, EACH OF SAID TORQUERS HAVING AT LEAST FOUR ELECTROMAGNETIC COILS WHOSE AXES ARE DIRECTED TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID BALL, WHEN IT IS IN ITS NORMAL POSITION OF BEING EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED FROM SAID COILS, SAID COIL AXES OF EACH TORQUER BEING IN A SINGLE ONE OF THREE ORTHOGONAL PLANES PASSING THRU THE CENTER OF THE BALL IN ITS SAID NORMAL POSITION, SAID COILS AND BALL BEING CLOSELY JUXTAPOSED WHEREBY A CURRENT THRU THE COILS PRODUCES EDDY CURRENTS IN SAID HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING REFERENCE CURRENT OF A PREDETERMINED STRENGTH TO AT LEAST TWO COILS OF EACH OF SAID TORQUERS; CONTROL MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO AT LEAST TWO OTHER COILS OF EACH TORQUER AN ELECTRIC CURRENT OF VARIABLE STRENGHT, WHEREBY WHEN THE STRENGTH OF SAID VARIABLE CURRENT DEPARTS FROM THAT OF SAID REFERENCE CURRENT THE EDDY CURRENTS IN SAID METAL ARE QUICKLY CHANGED, THUS PLACING A TORQUE ON SAID BALL AND A REACTION ON SAID CASING.

Claim 2

A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, ADAPTED TO BE USED IN AIRLESS SPACE, COMPRISING: AN HERMETICALLY-SEALED, GAS-CONTAINING CASING; A HOLLOW, SPHERICAL BALL IN SAID CASING HAVING AN EXTERIOR, SPHERICAL SURFACE OF HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE, NON-MAGNET METAL HAVING A CONSIDERABLY GREATER DEGREE OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY THAN OF ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY AND HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LESS THAN THREE; GASEOUS-BEARING MEANS SEALINGLY MOUNTED ON SAID CASING AND HAVING SURFACES WITHIN SAID CASING FOR FREELY SUPPORTING SAID BALL ON GASEOUS-BEARING FILMS; PUMPING MEANS ON SAID CASING FOR WITHDRAWING GAS FROM SAID CASING, AND COMPRESSING AND SUPPLYING SAID GAS TO SAID GASEOUS-BEARING MEANS; AN ASSEMBLY OF AT LEAST THREE TORQUERS, FIXED TO SAID CASING, FOR PROVIDING TORQUE ON SAID BALL AND OPPOSITE, REACTIONARY TORQUE ON SAID CASING, EACH OF SAID TORQUERS HAVING AT LEAST FOUR ELECTROMAGNETIC COILS WHOSE AXES ARE DIRECTED TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID BALL, WHEN IT IS IN ITS NORMAL POSITION OF BEING EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED FROM SAID COILS, SAID COIL AXES OF EACH TORQUER BEING IN A SINGLE ONE OF THREE ORTHOGONAL PLANES PASSING THRU THE CENTER OF THE BALL IN ITS SAID NORMAL POSITION, SAID COILS AND BALL BEING CLOSELY JUXTAPOSED WHEREBY A CURRENT THRU THE COILS PRODUCES EDDY CURRENTS IN SAID HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING REFERENCE CURRENT OF A PREDETERMINED STRENGTH TO AT LEAST TWO COILS OF EACH OF SAID TORQUERS; CONTROL MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO AT LEAST TWO OTHER COILS OF EACH TORQUER AN ELECTRIC CURRENT OF VARIABLE STRENGHT, WHEREBY WHEN THE STRENGTH OF SAID VARIABLE CURRENT DEPARTS FROM THAT OF SAID REFERENCE CURRENT THE EDDY CURRENTS IN SAID METAL ARE QUICKLY CHANGED, THUS PLACING A TORQUE ON SAID BALL AND A REACTION ON SAID CASING.