Vehicular attitude-control display

Claim 2

A vehicular in-flight attitude indicating system for a pilot''s cockpit having a hand operated vehicular control device comprising normally horizontally spaced actuatable visual signals positioned on said pilot''s hand control dEvice, and means responsive to a change in roll attitude condition of said vehicle to actuate said signals and thus display said attitude to said pilot.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 wherein each of said spaced signals comprises a light source and, when actuated at one roll attitude produces a visual signal of a first color, and when actuated at another roll attitude produces a visual signal of a second color distinguishable from said first color.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2 wherein each of said signals are pairs of light sources, one light source, of said pair, of said first color, and the other light source of said second color.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3 wherein each of said pair of signals are vertically oriented and colors for each pair are red above green.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4 including means to actuate one pair of signals relative to the degree of roll about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle from a normal horizontal position approximately as follows: Degree of Roll Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* green flashing 1 cps (cycle per second)10* to 18* green flashing 2 cps 18* to 22* green steady 22* to 180* red flashing 4 cps.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1 wherein said signals are gyro activated.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 1 wherein said signals comprise a light of a single color.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 7 including means to actuate said light relative to the degree of roll about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle from a normal horizontal position approximately as follows: Degree of Roll Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* flashing light 1 cps 10* to 18* flashing light 2 cps 18* to 22* steady light 22* to 180* flashing light 4 cps.

Claim 10

A vehicular in-flight attitude indicating apparatus for a pilot''s cockpit comprising means attachable to a pilot''s control wheel or stick so as to be oriented normally horizontally, vertically spaced pairs of visual signals attached to said means so as to be spaced to the right and left of a centerline of said wheel or stick, means to actuate said signals responsive to a given roll attitude condition of said vehicle.

Claim 11

A vehicular in-flight attitude indicating apparatus for a pilot''s cockpit comprising means attachable to a pilot''s control wheel or stick so as to be oriented normally horizontally, vertically spaced pairs of visual signals attached to said means so as to be spaced to the right and left of a centerline of said wheel or stick, means to actuate said signals responsive to a given roll attitude condition of said vehicle.

Claim 12

An air or space vehicle roll attitude indicating system for a pilot''s cockpit comprising a pilot''s two hand grip control device, horizontally spaced pairs of actuatable lights, each pair positioned on said control device so as to be substantially contiguous to the normal grip position of either hand, each of said pairs oriented to provide a red actuatable light above a green actuatable light, a gyro responsive to the roll attitude of said vehicle, and means responsive to said gyro and connectable with said lights to provide actuation of a pair of lights relative to the direction of roll from horizontal, said means actuating said lights according to the following approximate attitude conditions: Degree of Attitude Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* green flashing 1 cps 10* to 18* green flashing 2 cps 18* to 22* green steady 22* to 180* red flashing 4 cps.

Claim 13

An air or space vehicle roll attitude indicating system for a pilot''s cockpit comprising a pilot''s two hand grip control device, horizontally spaced pairs of actuatable lights, each pair positioned on said control device so as to be substantially contiguous to the normal grip position of either hand, each of said pairs oriented to provide a red actuatable light above a green actuatable light, a gyro responsive to the roll attitude of said vehicle, and means responsive to said gyro and connectable with said lights to provide actuation of a pair of lights relative to the direction of roll from horizontal, said means actuating said lights according to the following approximate attitude conditions: Degree of Attitude Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* green flashing 1 cps 10* to 18* green flashing 2 cps 18* to 22* green steady 22* to 180* red flashing 4 cps.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 10 including means to indicate the operability of the system components.

Claim 15

A vehicular in-flight attitude indicating system for a pilot''s cockpit comprising spaced actuatable discrete visual signals oriented substantially parallel to an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle aNd positioned within said pilot''s normal peripheral vision space defined by a cone, the axis of which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and whose apex is substantially at said pilot''s point of vision when said pilot is in his normal in-motion operational and navigational duties, the central angle of said cone no greater than about 160*, each of said spaced signals comprising pairs of adjacent vertically oriented light sources, one light source, of said pair, of a first color, and the other light source of a second color, and means to actuate one pair of signals relative to the degree of roll about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle from a normal horizontal position approximately as follows: Degree of Roll Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* first color flashing 1 cps (cycle per second) 10* to 18* first color flashing 2 cps 18* to 22* first color steady 22* to 180* second color flashing 4 cps

Claim 16

A vehicular in-flight attitude indicating system for a pilot''s cockpit comprising spaced actuatable discrete visual signals oriented substantially parallel to an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle aNd positioned within said pilot''s normal peripheral vision space defined by a cone, the axis of which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and whose apex is substantially at said pilot''s point of vision when said pilot is in his normal in-motion operational and navigational duties, the central angle of said cone no greater than about 160*, each of said spaced signals comprising pairs of adjacent vertically oriented light sources, one light source, of said pair, of a first color, and the other light source of a second color, and means to actuate one pair of signals relative to the degree of roll about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle from a normal horizontal position approximately as follows: Degree of Roll Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* first color flashing 1 cps (cycle per second) 10* to 18* first color flashing 2 cps 18* to 22* first color steady 22* to 180* second color flashing 4 cps

Claim 17

A system according to claim 12 wherein the colors for each pair are red above green.

Claim 18

A system according to claim 13 including means to actuate one pair of signals relative to the degree of roll about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vehicle from a normal horizontal position approximately as follows: Degree of Roll Visual Signal 0* to 3* none 3* to 10* green flashing 1 cps (cycle per second) 10* to 18* green flashing 2 cps 18* to 22* green steady 22* to 180*red flashing 4 cps.