Homing system for guided missiles

Claim 1

A MISSILE-BORNE SYSTEM FOR HOMING A GUIDED MISSILE ONTO A TARGET, COMPRISING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL MEANS HAVING A LATERAL CONTROL MOTOR FOR CONTROL ABOUT A LATERAL AXIS OF THE MISSILE, A VERTICAL CONTROL MOTOR FOR CONTROL ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS OF THE MISSILE AND A LONGITUDINAL CONTROL MOTOR FOR CONTROL ABOUT A LONGITUDIAL AXIS OF THE MISSILE; GYROSCOPIE REFERENCE MEWANS HAVING A STABLE AXIS RELATIVE TO SPACE AND INDICATING MEANS FOR INDICATING SAID STABLE AXIS; A RADIATION SENSOR RESPONSIVE TO RADIATION FROM THE TARGET DIRECTED TO RECEIVE RADIATION FROM SAID TARGET FOR DETECTING DEPARTURE OF THE SENSOR AXIS FROM THE MISSILE-TARGET SIGHTING LINE; DETECTING MEANS DIRECTED AT THE INDICATING MEANS OF SAID GYROSCOPIC REFERENCE MEANS FOR DETECTING DEPARTURE OF SAID STABLE AXIS FROM A MISSILE-FIXED REFERENCE POSITION; TWO SERVOMOTOR MEANS OF WHICH ONE IS CONNECTED WITH SAID SENSOR FOR CAUSING IT TO TRACK TARGET AND THE OTHER IS CONNECTED TO SAID DETECTING MEANS FOR CAUSING IT TO TRACK SAID STABLE AXIS; TWO ANGLE-TRANSMITTING REVOLVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID RESPECTIVE RADIATION SENSOR AND DETECTING MEANS TO ISSUE RESPONSIVE PAIRS OF COORDINATE VOLTAGES OF WHICH ONE VOLTAGE CORRESPONDS TO A LATERAL ANGLE AND THE OTHER TO AN ELEVATION ANGLE IN A MISSILE-FIXED POLAR COORDINATE SYSTEM, ONE PAIR OF COORDINATE VOLTAGES RELATING TO THE MISSILE-TARGET SIGHTING LINE AND THE OTHER PAIR TO SAID STABLE AXIS; AND A COMPUTING SYSTEM COMPRISING TWO ELECTRIC NETWORK CONNECTED TO SAID TWO RESOLVERS AND HAVING RESPECTIVE OUTPUT SIGNAL VOLTAGES CORRESPONDING TO THE RATE OF CHANGE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAID TWO LATERAL ANGLES AND TO THE RATE OF CHANGE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAID TWO ELEVATION ANGLES, SAID TWO SIGNAL VOLTAGES BEING CONNECTED TO SAID LATERAL CONTROL MOTOR AND TO SAID VERTICAL CONTROL MOTOR FOR LATERAL AND VERTICAL CONTROL RESPECTIVELY IN THE SENSE REQUIRED FOR REDUCING SAID RATES OF CHANGE RESPECTIVELY, A DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER HAVING TWO INPUT CIRCUITS AND AN OUTPUT CIRCUIT, ONE OF SAID INPUT CIRCUITS BEING CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID SIGNAL VOLTAGES, A VARIABLE-GRAIN REGULATING AMPLIFIER CONNECTING SAID OTHER SIGNAL VOLTAGE WITH SAID OTHER INPUT CIRCUIT, GAIN REGULATING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID OUTPUT CIRCUIT AND IN CONTROLLING CONNECTION WITH SAID REGULATING AMPLIFIER FOR CONTROLLING ITS GAIN IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE AMPLIFIED OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF SAID DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER AND IN THE SENSE TOWARD REDUCING SAID LATTER VOLTAGE, AN ANGLE TRANSMITTER CONNECTED WITH SAID GAIN REGULATING MEANS TO BE CONTROLLED THEREBY AND HAVING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF THE INSTANTANEOUS AMPLIFICATION GAIN OF SAID REGULATING AMPLIFIER, AND A DIFFERENTIAL-FORMING NETWORK CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ANGLE TRANSMITTER AND SAID LONGITUDINAL CONTROL MOTOR FOR CONTROLLING THE SAID LONGITUDINAL CONTROL MOTOR IN THE SENSE REQUIRED TO REDUCE SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL.