Gyrocompass

Claim 1

A COMPASS APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE SUBJECT TO ROTATIVE MOVEMENT IN SPACE; MOTOR MEANS ON SAID BASE AND INCLUDING A PART ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED ABOUT A FIRST AXIS WHEN SAID MOTOR MEANS IS ACTUATED; A SINGLE DEGREE OF FREEDOM GYROSCOPE HAVING A SPIN AXIS, A SINGLE OUTPUT AXIS, AND A SINGLE INPUT AXIS, SAID GRYROSCOPE INCLUDING A SIGNAL GENERATOR RESPONSIVE TO GYROSCOPIC PRECESSIVE MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID OUTPUT AXIS AND ADAPTED TO PRODUCE A SIGNAL AS A FUNCTION OF MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID OUTPUT AXIS AWAY FROM A NORMAL POSITION IN WHICH SAID SIGNAL IS AT A NULL, SAID GYROSCOPE ALSO INCLUDING A DAMPING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OUTPUT AXIS; MEANS MOUNTING SAID GYROSCOPE ON SAID ROTATABLE PART SO THAT SAID INPUT AXIS LIES IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST AXIS WHEN SAID SIGNAL IS AT A NULL, SAID GYROSCOPE RESPONDING TO ROTATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID BASE STRUCTURE ABOUT ANY AXIS WHEREIN A COMPONENT OF SAID ROTATIVE MOVEMENT IS IMPARTED ABOUT SAID INPUT AXIS; AND MEANS INCLUDING CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID SIGNAL GENERATOR TO SAID MOTOR MEANS SO THAT SAID MOTOR MEANS IS ACTUATED UPON PRECESSIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID GYROSCOPE ABOUT SAID OUTPUT AXIS TO CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE PART AND SAID GYROSCOPE MOUNTED THEREON TO A POSITION ABOUT SAID FIRST AXIS WHEREAT SAID COMPONENT OF ROTATIVE MOVEMENT IMPARTED ABOUT SAID INPUT AXIS IS REDUCED TO ZERO.