Aircraft range plotting means

Claim 1

Means for graphically recording a two dimensional representation of the path of an object along a marked run comprising: optical tracker means; plotting means including; record sheet holding means, recording means, carrier means mounting said recording means for reciprocal movement in a first path, means mounting said carrier means for reciprocal linear movement in a second path orthogonal to said first path, vector block means mounted on said carrier means for movement in a reciprocal linear movement in a third path orthogonal to said first and said second paths, means connecting said vector block to said recording means to move said recording means along said first path as said vector block moves along said third path; drive means for moving said carrier means and said vector block means so that said recording means traces a path on a record sheet held by said sheet-holding means; said optical tracker means including manually operable means for controlling said drive means; optical augmentation means pivotally suspended in spaced relation to said manually operable means and operably connected to said vector block means in such a manner that; when said manually operable means is moved in azimuthal or elevational directions, said vector block is moved in said third direction and along with said carrier means in said second direction respectively, depending on the degree of manipulation of said manually movable means; movement of said vector block means, through said operable connection with said optical augmentation means, moving said augmentation means in azimuth and elevation respectively to track an object; and movement of said vector block means coincidentally with movement of said carrier means causing movement of said recording means over said sheet to produce a graphic plot of the path traversed by the object being tracked.