Course selector and indicator

Claim 2

A course selector and indicator comprising a compass having magnetic means adapted to orient said compass toward magnetic North, a course selector rotatable to select a course adjacent a reference marker, an energy source associated with said compass means adapted to direct energy from a reference position, and transmitting means positionable with said selector adapted to transmit the energy from said reference position to a discrete position on said selector corresponding to the selected course indication when the course is achieved.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein the energy is light energy supplied by a light source, and reflecting means on said compass means adapted to direct a beam of light toward said reference position.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein the reference position is magnetic North.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 further comprising a multiplicity of optical fiber rods having first ends thereof equiangularly spaced about said compass and second ends in annular array and equi-angularly spaced on said selector, whereby the second end of the optical fIber rod on said selector having its first end radially aligned with said reflecting means will be illuminated.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 wherein the second ends of said optical fiber rods are arranged in a rotational order reverse to the rotational order of said first ends.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5 wherein said selector is calibrated in compass directions.

Claim 8

The device of claim 5 further including means for limiting rotation of said selector to no more than 360*.

Claim 9

The device of claim 4 wherein said compass is a card having magnetic means thereon and having a depending skirt, said skirt defining an opening therein adapted to pass light energy from said reflecting means.

Claim 10

The device of claim 8 wherein the first ends of said fiber rods are formed on a bevel to receive the directed light energy.

Claim 11

The device of claim 2 further including a mirror providng an annular reflective surface adapted to receive directed light energy, said selector being positioned above said compass within a housing means, means within said housing means providing rotatable vertically extending mirror surfaces diametrical with respect to said compass and said indicator, said reflective surface transmitting the reflected light energy to one of said vertically extending mirrors which in turn reflects the energy to said selector.

Claim 12

The device of claim 10 wherein said diametrical mirror surfaces are provided by two mating half cylinders of transparent material with the mating surfaces provided with mirror coatings.

Claim 13

The device of claim 10 wherein said means providing said vertical mirror surfaces is rotatable at one half the rate of said indicator.

Claim 14

The device of claim 10 wherein said diametrical surfaces are aligned with magnetic East and West when a course of magnetic North is selected and achieved.

Claim 15

The device of claim 10 further including differential means between said indicator and said diametrical mirror providing means, so that said providing means rotates at one half the rate of said indicator when said indicator is rotated to select a course.

Claim 16

A course selector comprising a source of energy, a plurality of energy receiving means disposed in an annular array, compass means including magnetic means rotatably mounted coaxial of said receiving means, energy directing means arranged to direct energy from said source to said receiving means radially aligned with a reference position of said compass means, a rotatable course selector, a plurality of energy receptive course indicating means annularly arranged on said selector, and energy transmitting means coupling each of said receiving means to a corresponding one of said indicating means.

Claim 17

A course selector comprising a source of energy, a plurality of energy receiving means disposed in an annular array, compass means including magnetic means rotatably mounted coaxial of said receiving means, energy directing means arranged to direct energy from said source to said receiving means radially aligned with a reference position of said compass means, a rotatable course selector, a plurality of energy receptive course indicating means annularly arranged on said selector, and energy transmitting means coupling each of said receiving means to a corresponding one of said indicating means.

Claim 18

The selector of claim 15 wherein an optical fiber rod provides a corresponding receiving means, transmitting means and indicating means.

Claim 19

The selector of claim 15 wherein said source of energy is an oscillator, said indicating means are a multiplicity of electrical discharge devices, said receiving means are a multiplicity of electrical conductors, an annular conductor positioned coaxial with said compass means, said receiving means being substantially co-planar with said conductor, said compass means carrying a conductor between said annular conductor and said multiplicity of conductors, and means connecting said oscillator between said multiplicity of discharge devices and said annular conductor.

Claim 20

The selector of claim 15 wherein opposite ends of said transmitting means are connected in reverse rotational order between said receiving means and said indicating means.

Claim 21

The selector of claim 15 wherein said reference position is magnetic North.

Claim 22

A course selector and indicator comprising a compass having magnetic means adapted to orient said compass toward magnetic North, a course selector rotatable to select a course adjacent a reference marker, course indicating means coupled to said selector, an energy source responsive to said compass means for providing energy at a Position radially aligned with magnetic North, and energy transmitting means adapted to transmit energy from said position to a discrete position on said indicating means corresponding to the selected course when the course is achieved.

Claim 23

A course selector and indicator comprising a compass having magnetic means adapted to orient said compass toward magnetic North, a course selector rotatable to select a course adjacent a reference marker, course indicating means coupled to said selector, an energy source responsive to said compass means for providing energy at a Position radially aligned with magnetic North, and energy transmitting means adapted to transmit energy from said position to a discrete position on said indicating means corresponding to the selected course when the course is achieved.

Claim 24

A course selector and indicator comprising a source of energy, rotatably mounted compass means, energy directing means arranged to direct energy from said source to a reference position of said compass means, a rotatable course selector coaxial with said compass means, a plurality of energy receiving and transmitting means equi-angularly carried by said selector and arranged to receive energy from said source and directing means, and a plurality of course indicating means arranged to sequentially indicate a plurality of points of the compass, each of said indicating means being arranged to accept energy from one of said receiving and transmitting means to indicate the orientation of the compass with respect to the selected course.

Claim 25

A course selector and indicator comprising a source of energy, rotatably mounted compass means, energy directing means arranged to direct energy from said source to a reference position of said compass means, a rotatable course selector coaxial with said compass means, a plurality of energy receiving and transmitting means equi-angularly carried by said selector and arranged to receive energy from said source and directing means, and a plurality of course indicating means arranged to sequentially indicate a plurality of points of the compass, each of said indicating means being arranged to accept energy from one of said receiving and transmitting means to indicate the orientation of the compass with respect to the selected course.

Claim 26

The device of claim 21 wherein said energy receiving transmitting and indicating means comprise a plurality of optical fiber rods.

Claim 27

A course selector and indicator comprising a source of energy, rotatably mounted compass means, energy directing means arranged to direct energy from said source to a reference position of said compass means, a course selector, energy receiving and transmitting means carried by said selector and arranged to receive energy from said source and directing means, course indicating means arranged to indicate a plurality of points of the compass, said indicating means being arranged to accept energy from said receiving and transmitting means to indicate the orientation of the compass with respect to the selected course, said energy receiving and transmitting means comprising a first plurality of energy conductors each having one end positioned to receive energy from said reference position, said indicating means comprising a second plurality of energy conductors having one end thereof positioned to receive energy from said first conductors and the other ends thereof positioned to provide a visual indication of received energy, the other ends of said first conductors and the one ends of said second conductors being arranged such that the first ends of said second conductors may receive energy from said first conductors, said course selector being movable to align various ones of said first conductors with said second conductors.

Claim 28

A course selector and indicator comprising a source of energy, rotatably mounted compass means, energy directing means arranged to direct energy from said source to a reference position of said compass means, a course selector, energy receiving and transmitting means carried by said selector and arranged to receive energy from said source and directing means, course indicating means arranged to indicate a plurality of points of the compass, said indicating means being arranged to accept energy from said receiving and transmitting means to indicate the orientation of the compass with respect to the selected course, said energy receiving and transmitting means comprising a first plurality of energy conductors each having one end positioned to receive energy from said reference position, said indicating means comprising a second plurality of energy conductors having one end thereof positioned to receive energy from said first conductors and the other ends thereof positioned to provide a visual indication of received energy, the other ends of said first conductors and the one ends of said second conductors being arranged such that the first ends of said second conductors may receive energy from said first conductors, said course selector being movable to align various ones of said first conductors with said second conductors.

Claim 29

The device of claim 23 wherein said first and second conductors are optical fiber rods and said energy source is a source of light energy.

Claim 30

The device of claim 24 wherein said light source is disposed to radially direct a beam of light toward a reference position of the compass.

Claim 31

The device of claim 25 wherein said one ends of said first fiber rods are equi-angularly arranged with respect to each other and adapted to receive light energy from said source.

Claim 32

The device of claim 26 wherein said one ends of said second fiber rods are equi-angularly arranged to receive light energy from the other ends of said first fiber rods.

Claim 33

The device of claim 27 wherein the other ends of said second fiber rods are arranged in side-by-side relation.

Claim 34

A course selector and indicator comprising a plurality of light indicating means linearly positioned and each indicating a predetermined number of degrees of the compass, course selector means, a source of light energy, compass means including light directing means arranged to direct a beam of light energy toward a reference position, said selector means including light transmission means effective to direct light to a predetermined one of said indicating means when the selected course is achieved, and to direct light energy to different ones of said indicating means is proportion to a departure and direction of departure from the selected course.

Claim 35

A course selector and indicator comprising a plurality of light indicating means linearly positioned and each indicating a predetermined number of degrees of the compass, course selector means, a source of light energy, compass means including light directing means arranged to direct a beam of light energy toward a reference position, said selector means including light transmission means effective to direct light to a predetermined one of said indicating means when the selected course is achieved, and to direct light energy to different ones of said indicating means is proportion to a departure and direction of departure from the selected course.

Claim 36

The course selector and indicator of claim 29 wherein said indicating means and said transmission means are optical fiber rods.

Claim 37

The course selector and indicator of claim 30 wherein the fiber rods of said selector means have first and second ends, said first ends being equi-angularly disposed to receive light energy from said directing means, said second ends being equi-angularly disposed with respect to each other and angularly progressively spaced from said first ends in a predetermined angular progression in reverse rotational order with respect to the rotational order of said first ends.

Claim 38

The selector and indicator of claim 31 wherein the fiber rods comprising said indicating means have first ends angularly disposed to receive light energy from said second ends of said first fiber rods, the second ends of said second fiber rods being arranged in a linear array corresponding in order to the position of said first ends of said second fiber rods.