Control apparatus having a finger operated dual motion control device

Claim 2

Aircraft control apparatus comprising: an aircraft control stick having a control grip at the upper end thereof; a mounting member having its lower portion connected to said aircraft control stick; a control device having a housing connected to the upper portion of said mounting member; first signal source means in said housing for producing an electrical signal; second signal source means in said housing for producing an electrical signal; and finger or thumb operable means operatively connected to both said first and said second signal source means for permitting a finger or thumb to be used to control said first and said second signal source means; said finger or thumb operable means having a portion thereof extending outside of said housing; said mounting member, said housing and the portion of said finger or thumb operable means extending outside of said housing being located with respect to said control grip to permit the portion of the finger or thumb operable means extending outside of said housing to be readily operated by a finger or thumb of a hand that is grasping said control grip.

Claim 3

The aircraft control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing is located substantially in front of said control grip.

Claim 4

The aircraft control apparatus of claim 2 wherein said finger or thumb operable means comprises a lever having an enlarged outer end member.

Claim 5

The aircraft control apparatus of claim 3 wherein the enlarged outer end member of said lever has a hole adapted to receive a portion of the tip of the finger or thumb of a hand that is grasping said control grip.

Claim 6

The aircraft control apparatus of claim 1 including a first gear train having more than two gears operatively connected to said finger or thumb operable means and said first signal source means and a second gear train having more than two gears operatively connected to said finger oR thumb operable means and said second signal source means.

Claim 7

The aircraft control apparatus of claim 5 wherein said gear trains each have an output to input travel ratio of at least 5 to

Claim 8

Control apparatus for an aircraft comprising: an aircraft control stick; a mounting member having its lower portion connected to said aircraft control stick; a control device having a housing connected to the upper portion of said mounting member; a partition located within said housing; a mounting shaft rotatably mounted in and extending through said partition; a U-shaped mounting member rigidly secured to one end of said mounting shaft, said U-shaped mounting member having two projecting walls; a first mounting member shaft extending between the walls of said U-shaped mounting member and having its ends thereof rotatably mounted in the walls of said U-shaped mounting member; a finger or thumb operable lever connected to said first mounting member shaft, said finger or thumb operable lever having a portion thereof extending outside of said housing; a gear located on and rigidly connected to said first mounting member shaft; a second mounting member shaft extending between the walls of said U-shaped mounting member and having its ends thereof rotatably mounted in the walls of said U-shaped mounting member; a first gear and a second gear located on and rigidly connected to said second mounting member shaft, said first gear on the second mounting member shaft meshing with the gear located on said first mounting member shaft; a third mounting member shaft having one end thereof rotatably mounted in one wall of said U-shaped mounting member; a gear located on and rigidly connected to said third mounting member shaft, said gear on the third mounting member shaft meshing with the second gear located on said second mounting member shaft; first signal source means for producing an electrical signal connected to the opposite end of said third mounting member shaft; a gear rigidly attached to the end portion of said mounting shaft opposite the end thereof connected to said U-shaped mounting member; a panel located within said housing and spaced away from said partition; a first shaft extending between said partition and said panel having the respective ends thereof rotatably mounted in said partition and said panel; a first gear and a second gear located on and rigidly connected to the first shaft extending between the partition and the panel, said first gear on the first shaft extending between the partition and the panel meshing with the gear attached to said mounting shaft; a second shaft extending from said partition having one end thereof rotatably mounted in said partition; a gear rigidly mounted on the second shaft extending from the partition, said gear on said second shaft extending from the partition meshing with said second gear on the first shaft extending between the partition and the panel; and second signal source means for producing an electrical signal connected to the end of said second shaft extending from said partition opposite the end rotatably mounted in said partition.

Claim 9

Control apparatus for an aircraft comprising: an aircraft control stick; a mounting member having its lower portion connected to said aircraft control stick; a control device having a housing connected to the upper portion of said mounting member; a partition located within said housing; a mounting shaft rotatably mounted in and extending through said partition; a U-shaped mounting member rigidly secured to one end of said mounting shaft, said U-shaped mounting member having two projecting walls; a first mounting member shaft extending between the walls of said U-shaped mounting member and having its ends thereof rotatably mounted in the walls of said U-shaped mounting member; a finger or thumb operable lever connected to said first mounting member shaft, said finger or thumb operable lever having a portion thereof extending outside of said housing; a gear located on and rigidly connected to said first mounting member shaft; a second mounting member shaft extending between the walls of said U-shaped mounting member and having its ends thereof rotatably mounted in the walls of said U-shaped mounting member; a first gear and a second gear located on and rigidly connected to said second mounting member shaft, said first gear on the second mounting member shaft meshing with the gear located on said first mounting member shaft; a third mounting member shaft having one end thereof rotatably mounted in one wall of said U-shaped mounting member; a gear located on and rigidly connected to said third mounting member shaft, said gear on the third mounting member shaft meshing with the second gear located on said second mounting member shaft; first signal source means for producing an electrical signal connected to the opposite end of said third mounting member shaft; a gear rigidly attached to the end portion of said mounting shaft opposite the end thereof connected to said U-shaped mounting member; a panel located within said housing and spaced away from said partition; a first shaft extending between said partition and said panel having the respective ends thereof rotatably mounted in said partition and said panel; a first gear and a second gear located on and rigidly connected to the first shaft extending between the partition and the panel, said first gear on the first shaft extending between the partition and the panel meshing with the gear attached to said mounting shaft; a second shaft extending from said partition having one end thereof rotatably mounted in said partition; a gear rigidly mounted on the second shaft extending from the partition, said gear on said second shaft extending from the partition meshing with said second gear on the first shaft extending between the partition and the panel; and second signal source means for producing an electrical signal connected to the end of said second shaft extending from said partition opposite the end rotatably mounted in said partition.