Aircraft gyrohorizon indicator with signal lamp positional attitude indicating means

Claim 1

A device for signalling departure beyond predetermined limits from straight and level flight as indicated by a gyrohorizon instrument having a casing, an outer gimbal pivotally journalled within the casing, being determinative of deviation of an aircraft in the roll axis, and an inner gimbal, pivotally journalled within the outer gimbal about an axis perpendicular to the journal axis of the outer gimbal, the relative rotational position thereof, with respect to the outer gimbal, being determinative of deviation of an aircraft in the pitch axis; the combination comprising, a first pair of signal lamps indicating, when energized, ''''nose up'''' and ''''nose down'''' aircraft positional attitude, respectively, in the pitch axis, a second pair of signal lamps for indicating, when energized, ''''left wing down'''' and ''''right wing down'''' aircraft positional attitude, respectively, in the roll axis, a first means controlled by the relative position of said inner gimbal with respect to said outer gimbal for selectively energizing one or the other of said first signal lamps in accordance with corresponding ''''nose up'''' and ''''nose down'''' aircraft positional attitude, and a second means controlled by the relative position of said outer gimbal with respect to said casing for selectively energizing one or the other of said second pair of signal lamps in accordance with corresponding ''''left wing down'''' and ''''right wing down'''' Aircraft positional attitude, said first pair of signal lamps being mounted directly above and below the indicating dial of the gyrohorizon instrument in an aircraft panel, and said second pair of signal lamps being mounted directly at each side of said instrument dial, thereby serving as a warning that the aircraft has departed from safe flight parameters, and thereby also serving to indicate the direction of aircraft deviation and whether such deviation is in pitch or in roll or both in pitch and roll.

Claim 2

A device for signalling departure beyond predetermined limits from straight and level flight as indicated by a gyrohorizon instrument having a casing, an outer gimbal pivotally journalled within the casing, being determinative of deviation of an aircraft in the roll axis, and an inner gimbal, pivotally journalled within the outer gimbal about an axis perpendicular to the journal axis of the outer gimbal, the relative rotational position thereof, with respect to the outer gimbal, being determinative of deviation of an aircraft in the pitch axis; the combination comprising, a first pair of signal lamps indicating, when energized, ''''nose up'''' and ''''nose down'''' aircraft positional attitude, respectively, in the pitch axis, a second pair of signal lamps for indicating, when energized, ''''left wing down'''' and ''''right wing down'''' aircraft positional attitude, respectively, in the roll axis, a first means controlled by the relative position of said inner gimbal with respect to said outer gimbal for selectively energizing one or the other of said first signal lamps in accordance with corresponding ''''nose up'''' and ''''nose down'''' aircraft positional attitude, and a second means controlled by the relative position of said outer gimbal with respect to said casing for selectively energizing one or the other of said second pair of signal lamps in accordance with corresponding ''''left wing down'''' and ''''right wing down'''' Aircraft positional attitude, said first pair of signal lamps being mounted directly above and below the indicating dial of the gyrohorizon instrument in an aircraft panel, and said second pair of signal lamps being mounted directly at each side of said instrument dial, thereby serving as a warning that the aircraft has departed from safe flight parameters, and thereby also serving to indicate the direction of aircraft deviation and whether such deviation is in pitch or in roll or both in pitch and roll.