Gyroscope uncaging device

Claim 1

A gyroscope device comprising a supporting structure, a stator, a rotor constructed symmetrically to a rotor axis, and means for caging the rotor on the stator relative enveloping a caging axis intersecting said rotor axis, wherein the stator incluDes a spherical bearing member, a stem connecting said spherical bearing member to the supporting structure and having a cylinder surface coaxial with said caging axis, and gas bearing means supporting the rotor on said spherical bearing member for rotation about said rotor axis and for universal movement about the point of intersection of said rotor axis with said caging axis, said stem and bearing member being provided with passages for the supply of gas to the surface of said bearing member, the rotor including a spherical shell portion enveloping said spherical bearing member at a small distance therefrom so as to form therewith a gas bearing when gas is supplied through said passages, and the rotor being formed to include a surface of revolution which is coaxial with said rotor axis and which has a profile extending approximately radially from the said point of intersection of the rotor axis with the caging axis, said caging means including a caging member guided on said cylinder surface for movement in the direction of said caging axis between a caging position and a free position, said caging member having bearing-surface portions which are spaced round said caging axis at equal distances from said axis and which are so arranged that when said caging member is in said caging position, said bearing surface portions face said surface of revolution of the stator at small and equal distances, the gyroscope device also including means for producing between each said bearing surface portion and said surface of revolution a flow of gas operative, when the rotor axis forms an angle with the caging axis, to exert upon the rotor a couple tending to reduce the said angle.