US3665283A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plural axes gyro-motor light-beam target tracking facility
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1970-06-18
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Granted: 1972-05-23
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Expires: 1990-06-18
Abstract
Abstract Light-beam target tracking facility comprising a stationary base, a source emitting a light beam lying on said base and an arrangement including two gyroscopes, a bearing gyroscope and an elevation gyroscope, used as motors and having intersecting and rectangular precession axes. Each gyroscope comprises a precession outer gimbal, a nutation inner gimbal, a rotor and a torque motor connected to its nutation inner gimbal. The precession outer gimbal of the bearing gyroscope bears a frame rigidly connected thereto and the precession outer gimbal of the elevation gyroscope is rotatable around said frame and bears a principal mirror rigidly connected thereto. The precession shaft of the bearing gyroscope is hollow and conveys the light beam. At the intersection of the precession axes of the two gyroscopes, another mirror deviates the light beam along the direction of the precession axis of the elevation gyroscope. Then the light beam falls on to the principal mirror which has a plane 45* apart from the plane of the precession outer gimbal of the elevation gyroscope and the beam is rejected perpendicularly to said outer gimbal plane.
Inventors
- 👤 Jean Claude Le Gall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 13:35
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C21/00; G01C21/10; G01C21/12; G01C21/16; G01C21/165; G01C21/1652; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
236 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility comprising a stationary base, a bearing and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said base and defining a bearing precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about a bearing nutation axis perpendicular to said bearing precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said bearing nutation axis, a support member rigidly secured to the precession outer gimbal of said bearing gyroscope, an elevation and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said support member and defining an elevation precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about an elevation nutation axis perpendicular to said elevation precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said elevation nutation axis, a light source, an optical member rigidly secured to said elevation precession outer gimbal, receiving from said light source said light-beam coincident successively with said bearing precession axis direction and said elevation precession axis direction and reflecting said lightbeam along a direction perpendicular to said elevation gyroscope precession outer gimbal, bearing and elevation torque motors respectively secured to said bearing and elevation nutation inner gimbals and means for applying respectively bearing and elevation input signals to said torque motors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
236 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility comprising a stationary base, a bearing and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said base and defining a bearing precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about a bearing nutation axis perpendicular to said bearing precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said bearing nutation axis, a support member rigidly secured to the precession outer gimbal of said bearing gyroscope, an elevation and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said support member and defining an elevation precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about an elevation nutation axis perpendicular to said elevation precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said elevation nutation axis, a light source, an optical member rigidly secured to said elevation precession outer gimbal, receiving from said light source said light-beam coincident successively with said bearing precession axis direction and said elevation precession axis direction and reflecting said lightbeam along a direction perpendicular to said elevation gyroscope precession outer gimbal, bearing and elevation torque motors respectively secured to said bearing and elevation nutation inner gimbals and means for applying respectively bearing and elevation input signals to said torque motors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility as set forth in claim 1 in which the bearing and elevation gyroscopes comprise an angular position detector secured to the nutation axes of saId gyroscopes and producing a nutation signal, a torque motor secured to the precession axes of said gyroscopes and means for respectively applying said nutation signals to said torque motors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
320 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility comprising a stationary base, a bearing and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said base and defining a bearing precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about a bearing nutation axis perpendicular to said bearing precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said bearing nutation axis, a support member rigidly secured to the precession outer gimbal of said bearing gyroscope, an elevation and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said support member and defining an elevation precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about an elevation nutation axis perpendicular to said elevation precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said elevation nutation axis, a light source, an optical member secured to said elevation precession outer gimbal, receiving said light-beam coincident successively with said bearing precession axis direction and said elevation precession axis direction and reflecting said light-beam along a direction perpendicular to said elevation gyroscope precession outer gimbal, angular position detectors secured to the precession outer gimbals of said bearing and elevation gyroscopes and respectively producing an actual bearing signal and an actual elevation signal, bearing and elevation torque motors respectively secured to said bearing and elevation gyroscope nutation inner gimbals, means for applying to said tracking facility bearing and elevation input signals, a bearing circuit for subtracting said actual bearing signal from said input bearing signal and forming a bearing difference signal, said bearing difference signal being applied to the bearing torque motor, and an elevation circuit for subtracting said actual elevation signal from said input elevation signal and forming an elevation difference signal, said elevation difference signal being applied to the elevation torque motor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
320 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility comprising a stationary base, a bearing and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said base and defining a bearing precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about a bearing nutation axis perpendicular to said bearing precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said bearing nutation axis, a support member rigidly secured to the precession outer gimbal of said bearing gyroscope, an elevation and motor gyroscope having a precession outer gimbal rotatable with respect to said support member and defining an elevation precession axis, a nutation inner gimbal rotatable with respect to said precession outer gimbal about an elevation nutation axis perpendicular to said elevation precession axis and a wheel rotatable with respect to said nutation inner gimbal about a spin axis perpendicular to said elevation nutation axis, a light source, an optical member secured to said elevation precession outer gimbal, receiving said light-beam coincident successively with said bearing precession axis direction and said elevation precession axis direction and reflecting said light-beam along a direction perpendicular to said elevation gyroscope precession outer gimbal, angular position detectors secured to the precession outer gimbals of said bearing and elevation gyroscopes and respectively producing an actual bearing signal and an actual elevation signal, bearing and elevation torque motors respectively secured to said bearing and elevation gyroscope nutation inner gimbals, means for applying to said tracking facility bearing and elevation input signals, a bearing circuit for subtracting said actual bearing signal from said input bearing signal and forming a bearing difference signal, said bearing difference signal being applied to the bearing torque motor, and an elevation circuit for subtracting said actual elevation signal from said input elevation signal and forming an elevation difference signal, said elevation difference signal being applied to the elevation torque motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
77 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility as set forth in claim 3 in which the bearing and elevation gyroscopes are secured to one-freedom-degree gyros having wheels rotatable around spin axes respectively parallel to the spin axes of the wheels of said bearing and elevation gyroscopes, said one-freedom-degree gyros producing output bearing and elevation signals and means are provided for subtracting said output bearing and elevation signals from respectively said bearing difference signal and said elevation difference signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A light-beam type target tracking facility as set forth in claim 1 in which said light source is a laser source.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-23 | 1975-11-22 | 1976-05-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-23 | 1979-11-22 | 1980-05-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-23 | 1983-11-22 | 1984-05-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |