US3824865A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Projectile having a gyroscope
Assignee: Kearfott Guidance and Navigation Corp
•
Filing: 1972-09-21
•
Granted: 1974-07-23
•
Expires: 1992-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A projectile including, a housing, an optical tracker, and a gyroscope disposed within the housing, the housing having a nose section and a base section forming a chamber enclosing the tracker and the gyroscope, the nose section having a window, the optical tracker having an optical lens unit and an image detector unit mounted on the gyroscope, the optical unit being arranged to receive an image through the window and to transmit the image to the image detector unit, the gyroscope comprising, a stator mounted on the base section within the chamber, the stator having a stator axis, a hollow rotor mounted on the stator, the rotor having a rotor axis intersecting the stator axis at a pivot point, anti-friction means disposed between the stator and the rotor, drive means adapted to rotate the rotor relative to the stator about the rotor axis, wherein the stator has a peripheral wall enclosing a recess, the recess being arranged to receive the image detector unit, the stator peripheral wall having a spherical outer surface, the spherical outer surface having a spherical center substantially coinciding with the pivot point.
Inventors
- 👤 J Evans
- 👤 C Decotiis
- 👤 V Johnson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 10:21
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G7/00; F41G7/20; F41G7/22; F41G7/2253; F41G7/2213; F41G7/2273; F41G7/2293; F42; F42B; F42B15/00; F42B15/01; G; G01; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/02; G01C19/04; G01C19/16; G01C19/20; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/12; Y10T74/1261; Y10T74/1275; Y10T74/1282
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
241 words
A gyroscope comprising: a. a base; b. a stator mounted on said base and having an axis of symmetry; c. a hollow rotor mounted on said stator for rotation relative to said stator about a spin axis, said rotor spin axis innersecting said stator axis of symmetry at a pivot point; d. said stator having an outer surface of spherical shape having a center of sphericity disposed substantially coincident with said pivot point; e. anti-friction means disposed between said stator outer surface and said rotor inner surface to permit relative angular movement between said rotor and said stator, said rotor having an outer surface of spherical shape which is formed of a magnetic permeable material, said rotor outer surface having a center of sphericity disposed substantially coincident with said pivot point; f. wide-angle variable reluctance pick-off means for sensing the angle and direction of tilt of said rotor spin axis relative to said stator axis of symmetry; g. said pick-off means including at least one pick-off unit with a magnetic core having upper and lower surfaces respectfully facing said rotor outer surface and being separated therefrom by respective gaps of uniform thickness; and h. said rotor outer surface being formed to constitute a highly permeable variable reluctance return path for said pick-off unit core and enabling said pick-off unit to sense over a relatively large tilt angle of said spin axis of said rotor relative to said stator axis of symmetry.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
241 words
A gyroscope comprising: a. a base; b. a stator mounted on said base and having an axis of symmetry; c. a hollow rotor mounted on said stator for rotation relative to said stator about a spin axis, said rotor spin axis innersecting said stator axis of symmetry at a pivot point; d. said stator having an outer surface of spherical shape having a center of sphericity disposed substantially coincident with said pivot point; e. anti-friction means disposed between said stator outer surface and said rotor inner surface to permit relative angular movement between said rotor and said stator, said rotor having an outer surface of spherical shape which is formed of a magnetic permeable material, said rotor outer surface having a center of sphericity disposed substantially coincident with said pivot point; f. wide-angle variable reluctance pick-off means for sensing the angle and direction of tilt of said rotor spin axis relative to said stator axis of symmetry; g. said pick-off means including at least one pick-off unit with a magnetic core having upper and lower surfaces respectfully facing said rotor outer surface and being separated therefrom by respective gaps of uniform thickness; and h. said rotor outer surface being formed to constitute a highly permeable variable reluctance return path for said pick-off unit core and enabling said pick-off unit to sense over a relatively large tilt angle of said spin axis of said rotor relative to said stator axis of symmetry.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
The gyroscope as claimed in claim 1 including torquer means for applying a torque on said rotor to control the tilt of said rotor spin axis relative to the axis of symmetry of said stator, said torquer means including at least one torquer unit with a magnetic core having upper and lower inner surfaces respectively facing said rotor outer surface and being separated therefrom by respective gaps of uniform thickness for torquing over a relatively large tilt angle of said spin axis relative to said stator axis of symmetry.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein said piCkoff means includes four such pickoff units equiangularly spaced about the spin axis of said rotor, each pickoff unit including a U-shaped core of magnetic iron and a pair of coils wound on said core.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The gyroscope as claimed in claim 3, wherein said torquer means includes four such torquer units equiangularly spaced about the spin axis of said rotor, each torquer unit including a U-shaped core of magnetic iron and a pair of coils wound on said core, said four torquer units being alternately spaced between said four pickoff units, said adjacent units being spaced apart at an angle of about 45*.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
The gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor has a liner fixedly joined to said rotor inner surface, said linear having an inner surface of spherical shape facing said stator outer surface, said liner being composed of a material having a substantially lower modulus of elasticity than the material of said rotor and the material of said stator, for minimizing contact pressure between said stator outer surface and said rotor inner surface during transfer of acceleration load therebetween.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, and which includes a ring-shaped flywheel concentrically mounted on said rotor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein said flywheel has a plurality of drive buckets formed on the exterior side thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3045197A
Cited
US3233467A
Cited
US3105657A
Cited
US3257854A
Cited
US3457793A
Cited
US3677098A
Cited
US3604277A
Cited
US3718379A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-07-22 | 1978-01-21 | 1978-07-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-22 | 1982-01-21 | 1982-07-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-22 | 1986-01-21 | 1986-07-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |