Angular direction recorders

Claim 2

An angular direction sensing device having rotatably mounted on a support member a circular motion potentiometer having electrical power supply connections and input and output connections thereto and a plurality of tapping points, a magnet rotatably mounted so that it can align itself substantially freely with the earth''s magnetic field, a rotor driven by rotation of the magnet and operable to connect said tapping points in accordance with its angular position to an output electrical connection, whereby the angular position of the rotor in relation to a given tapping point of the potentiometer, and hence any electrical output signal thereof, is proportional to the angle between said given tapping point and the magnet independent of the orientation of said support member, said device having a fin rotatably mounted so that it can align itself with an ambient fluid flow, and means for rotating the potentiometer tapping points with said fin so that the tapping points are rotated relative to the rotor in accordance with the angular position of said fin.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 having an encasement which encloses the potentiometer, magnet and rotor for protection thereof, the fin being mounted on the encasement.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2 in which the fin, encasement and potentiometer are rotatable together on a common mounting.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1 in which the electrical connections to the potentiometer include slip-rings and coacting brushes intermediate the potentiometer and the support member.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1 having means for producing an oscillatory angular movement between the rotor and the potentiometer tapping points.

Claim 7

An angular direction sensing device having rotatably mounted on a support member a circular motion potentiometer having electrical power supply connections and input and output connections thereto and a plurality of tapping points, a magnet rotatably mounted so that it can align itself substantially freely with the earth''s magnetic field, a rotor driven by rotation of the magnet and operable to connect said tapping points in accordance with its angular position to an output electrical connection, whereby the angular position of the rotor in relation to a given tapping point of the potentiometer, and hence any electrical output signal thereof, is proportional to the angle between said given tapping point and the magnet independent of the orientation of said support member, the angular range of said device being arranged to be greater than 360* by the provision in said circular motion potentiometer of an element having dual supply positions, a two-state device operative to apply a voltage to either one of said supply positions, a trigger device operative to actuate the two-state device to change the voltage from one of said supply positions to the other at a predetermined relative angular position of the rotor and the given tapping point, and means for simultaneously bridging the position to which the voltage is not applied.

Claim 8

An angular direction sensing device having rotatably mounted on a support member a circular motion potentiometer having electrical power supply connections and input and output connections thereto and a plurality of tapping points, a magnet rotatably mounted so that it can align itself substantially freely with the earth''s magnetic field, a rotor driven by rotation of the magnet and operable to connect said tapping points in accordance with its angular position to an output electrical connection, whereby the angular position of the rotor in relation to a given tapping point of the potentiometer, and hence any electrical output signal thereof, is proportional to the angle between said given tapping point and the magnet independent of the orientation of said support member, the angular range of said device being arranged to be greater than 360* by the provision in said circular motion potentiometer of an element having dual supply positions, a two-state device operative to apply a voltage to either one of said supply positions, a trigger device operative to actuate the two-state device to change the voltage from one of said supply positions to the other at a predetermined relative angular position of the rotor and the given tapping point, and means for simultaneously bridging the position to which the voltage is not applied.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 6 having electrical low-pass filtering means through which any output signal from the potentiometer is fed, whereby any fluctuations in said output signal are substantially removed.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 6 having means for producing an oscillatory angular movement between the rotor and the potentiometer tapping points.