Aircraft attitude-indicating instrument

Claim 2

In an attitude-indicating instrument having a vertical gyro with pitch-and-roll gimbals supported on a frame adapted for mounting in an aircraft having pitch-and-roll axes, the improvement comprising: first means on the gyro for converting pitch displacements of the pitch gimbal to a generally fore-and-aft motion with respect to the frame, the first means being stabilized in space by the gyro with respect to roll motion of the frame; a member connected to the first means to be stabilized in space with respect to roll motion of the frame and to be movable in a generally fore-and-aft direction with respect to the frame in response to pitch displacements; and an attitude indicator; and coupling means connected between the member and indicator, and including as components thereof: a. a shaft secured to the indicator, b. means secured to the frame and shaft for mounting the shaft to be rotatable about its axis to display roll attitude on the indicator in response to roll movement of the frame with respect to the roll-stabilized member, and further for mounting the shaft to be movable about an axis which is fixed with respect to the frame and normal to the shaft axis to move the indicator up and down with respect to the frame to display pitch attitude, c. reversing means for effecting a reversal in rotational direction of the shaft with respect to a direction of apparent rotation of the gyro roll gimbal during aircraft roll maneuvers, and d. a universal joint to compensate for axial misalignment of the shaft with respect to the member as the shaft moves in response to pitch variations; each of said coupling means components being effective in transmitting both pitch-and-roll position from the gyro to the indicator whereby splitting and subsequent recombination of pitch-and-roll position within the coupling means is avoided.

Claim 3

In an attitude-indicating instrument including a vertical gyro rotatably supported by a frame adapted for mounting in an aircraft having pitch-and-roll axes, the gyro having pitch-and-roll gimbals rotatable with respect to the frame around axes parallel to the respective pitch-and-roll axes of the aircraft, the gyro having a rotor spin axis which is gyro stabilized to be substantially vertical in space, the improvement comprising; a horizon panel supported on the frame and defining a simulated horizon line which is stationary with respect to the frame and aircraft during aircraft maneuvering; an indicator disposed adjacent the horizon panel for displaying with reference to the horizon line the actual aircraft pitch-and-roll attitude with respect to earth; first means on the roll gimbal and connected to the pitch gimbal for converting relative movement of the gimbals during pitch maneuvers to a fore-and-aft motion with respect to the frame; a member connected to the first means to be movable thereby in a generally fore-and-aft direction with respect to the frame in response to aircraft pitch movement, and to be rotatable with the roll gimbal as the roll gimbal rotates with respect to the frame during aircraft roll movement; second means for supporting and driving the indicator, including a bracket pivotally secured to the frame to be movable about an axis which is fixed with respect to the frame and parallel to the horizon line, an input shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket, an Output shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket, the indicator being attached to the output shaft, and a rotation-reversing means connected in driving relation between the input and output shafts to effect a rotation reversal therebetween; and a universal joint connected between the member and input shaft for correcting misalignment therebetween during pitch maneuvers; whereby rotations of both the pitch and roll gimbals with respect to the frame are transmitted through the member, universal joint, and input and output shafts to rotate the indicator in a direction corresponding to roll movement of the aircraft, and to move the indicator above and below the simulated horizon line in a direction corresponding to pitch movement of the aircraft.

Claim 4

In an attitude-indicating instrument including a vertical gyro rotatably supported by a frame adapted for mounting in an aircraft having pitch-and-roll axes, the gyro having pitch-and-roll gimbals rotatable with respect to the frame around axes parallel to the respective pitch-and-roll axes of the aircraft, the gyro having a rotor spin axis which is gyro stabilized to be substantially vertical in space, the improvement comprising; a horizon panel supported on the frame and defining a simulated horizon line which is stationary with respect to the frame and aircraft during aircraft maneuvering; an indicator disposed adjacent the horizon panel for displaying with reference to the horizon line the actual aircraft pitch-and-roll attitude with respect to earth; first means on the roll gimbal and connected to the pitch gimbal for converting relative movement of the gimbals during pitch maneuvers to a fore-and-aft motion with respect to the frame; a member connected to the first means to be movable thereby in a generally fore-and-aft direction with respect to the frame in response to aircraft pitch movement, and to be rotatable with the roll gimbal as the roll gimbal rotates with respect to the frame during aircraft roll movement; second means for supporting and driving the indicator, including a bracket pivotally secured to the frame to be movable about an axis which is fixed with respect to the frame and parallel to the horizon line, an input shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket, an Output shaft rotatably mounted on the bracket, the indicator being attached to the output shaft, and a rotation-reversing means connected in driving relation between the input and output shafts to effect a rotation reversal therebetween; and a universal joint connected between the member and input shaft for correcting misalignment therebetween during pitch maneuvers; whereby rotations of both the pitch and roll gimbals with respect to the frame are transmitted through the member, universal joint, and input and output shafts to rotate the indicator in a direction corresponding to roll movement of the aircraft, and to move the indicator above and below the simulated horizon line in a direction corresponding to pitch movement of the aircraft.

Claim 5

The improvement defined in claim 2 in which the universal joint has a center of action which, when the instrument is in a level pitch attitude, lies substantially in a plane containing the bracket axis and normal to the axis of the roll gimbal.

Claim 6

The improvement defined in claim 2 in which the first means includes a lost-motion linkage arranged to move the member fore-and-aft for a limited range of deviations from a horizontal pitch attitude, and to maintain the member in a substantially stationary fore-and-aft position for pitch attitudes beyond the limited range whereby indicator pitch movement is maximized for aircraft pitch attitudes close to a horizontal attitude, and the indicator is substantially stationary at pitch limit positions during extreme pitch attitudes so roll attitude can be continuously monitored.

Claim 7

The improvement defined in claim 4 in which the roll gimbal is an outer gimbal, the member being shaped as a yoke with arms extending on opposite sides of the roll gimbal for attachment to the first means, the roll gimbal being rotatably supported on the frame by a single shaft remote from the member whereby the outer gimbal can rotate continuously with respect to the frame without interfering with the member to drive the indicator through a full range of possible pitch attitudes; and in which the rotation-reversing means is a pair of gears attached to the respective shafts; the universal joint having a center of action which, when the instrument is in a level pitch attitude, lies substantially in a plane containing the bracket axis and normal to the axis of the roll gimbal.