Gyroscopic apparatus

Claim 2

In a gyroscopic apparatus including at least one two-degreeof-freedom gyroscope having an outer case, a sensitive element mounted in an inner gimbal rotatable about an axis and an outer gimbal rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the inner gimbal axis, an improved caging mechanism for said inner and outer gimbal comprising, a releasably operable plunger oriented within an attached to said outer case and movable along a line that passes through the inner gimbal axis and is parallel to the outer gimbal axis, and inner gimbal extension means positioned along the inner gimbal axis for coacting with said plunger whereby said plunger engages said extension means thereby accurately caging said inner and outer gimbals simultaneously in a specified position.

Claim 3

In a gyroscopic apparatus including an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 1, an inner gimbal extension means having a recess formed therein at a predetermined position for receiving said plunger whereby said inner and outer gimbal have a desired orientation in said caged position.

Claim 4

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 2 wherein said plunger includes a tapered portion for providing a lead-in for said plunger to engage said recess which has a correspondingly shaped taper whereby the degree of taper determines the desired angular range of relative displacement between said plunger and said recess over which caging may be effected.

Claim 5

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 20 further including housing means fixed with respect to said outer case, said plunger being in the form of a slide means disposed in said housing means, first resilient mounting means disposed between said slide means and said housing means for allowing movement of said slide means relative to said housing means, and actuator means coupled to said slide means for displacing said slide means relative to said housing means along a line passing through said inner gimbal axis and parallel to said outer gimbal axis to engage said extension means thereby caging said inner and outer gimbals.

Claim 6

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 4 in which said slide means further includes a movable member mounted within said slide means and coupled to said actuator means, and second resilient mounting means disposed between said slide means and said movable member for allowing said movable member to be displaced with respect to said slide means and said housing means whereby the caging pressure exerted upon said slide means engaged within said recess of said extension means is increased.

Claim 7

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 4 further including preloaded bearings disposed between said slide means and said housing means for eliminating backlash transverse to the direction of movement of said slide.

Claim 8

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 4 in which said actuator means includes a cam having a cam track and said slide means includes a projection which coacts with said cam track for serving as a cam follower to displace said slide means with respect to said housing means.

Claim 9

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 7 in which said cam includes a parallel-slided cam track.

Claim 10

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 8 in which said cam further includes a cam track having two spaced portions of true radius about the center of said cam, a stepped portion located between adjacent ends of said true radial portions and a remaining portion of said cam track disposed between opposite ends of said true radial portions having a constantly increasing radius.

Claim 11

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging Mechanism as recited in claim 4 in which said actuator means further includes drive means comprising a worm wheel, a worm gear cooperative with said worm wheel, a gear train coupled to said worm gear, and an electric motor coupled to said gear train for driving said cam through the co-action of said gear train, said worm gear and said worm wheel whereby said slide engages said extension means.

Claim 12

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 10 in which said electric motor means includes a stepper motor.

Claim 13

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 11 in which said stepper motor includes a permanent magnet type stepper motor.

Claim 14

In a gyroscopic apparatus including an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 1 in which said improved caging mechanism further includes an electrical switch means coupled to said releasably operable plunger comprising a first member including a pair of electrical contacts, a second member including an electrically conductive strip operable to short said pair of contacts in the switched closed position and biased to this latter position, and member being mounted, said second member being mounted on a third member for movement toward and away from said first member, whereby in moving from the switch closed to the switch open position, said third member moves relative to both said first and second members, subsequently engages said second member moving it away from said first member thereby opening the switch for providing a visual indication when said plunger means engages said extension means.

Claim 15

In a gyroscopic apparatus including an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 13 in which said pair of contacts includes a pair of arcuate shaped contacts.

Claim 16

In a gyroscopic apparatus including an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 13 in which the switch means is coupled to said plunger and said third member comprises a rod having a shoulder for engaging said second member to effect movement of said second member away from said first member.

Claim 17

In a gyroscopic apparatus including an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 15 in which said second member includes a disc shaped member and said electrically conductive strip is annular in shape.

Claim 18

In a gyroscopic apparatus including two two-degree-of-freedom gyroscopes having an outer case, wherein each gyroscope includes a sensitive element mounted in an inner gimbal rotatable about an axis and an outer gimbal rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the inner gimbal axis and the inner gimbal axes are aligned, an improved caging mechanism for said inner and outer gimbals comprising a pair of releasably operable plunger means each including housing means fixed with respect to said outer case, slide means disposed in said housing means, first resilient mounting means disposed between said slide means and said housing means for allowing movement of said slide means relative to said housing means, actuator means including a cam coupled to said slide means for displacing said slide means relative to said housing means along a line passing through said inner gimbal axis and parallel to said outer gimbal axis, and inner gimbal extension means positioned along said inner gimbal axis for coacting with said slide means whereby said slide means engages said extension means thereby accurately caging simultaneously said inner and outer gimbals of said respective gyroscopes in specified positions.

Claim 19

In a gyroscopic apparatus including two two-degree-of-freedom gyroscopes having an outer case, wherein each gyroscope includes a sensitive element mounted in an inner gimbal rotatable about an axis and an outer gimbal rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the inner gimbal axis and the inner gimbal axes are aligned, an improved caging mechanism for said inner and outer gimbals comprising a pair of releasably operable plunger means each including housing means fixed with respect to said outer case, slide means disposed in said housing means, first resilient mounting means disposed between said slide means and said housing means for allowing movement of said slide means relative to said housing means, actuator means including a cam coupled to said slide means for displacing said slide means relative to said housing means along a line passing through said inner gimbal axis and parallel to said outer gimbal axis, and inner gimbal extension means positioned along said inner gimbal axis for coacting with said slide means whereby said slide means engages said extension means thereby accurately caging simultaneously said inner and outer gimbals of said respective gyroscopes in specified positions.

Claim 20

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 17 wherein said cams associated with said respective gyroscopes are mounted in back-to-back relation and a common drive mechanism is employed to rotate said cams.

Claim 21

In a gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 18 in which said outer gimbal axes of said respective gyroscopes are mutually orthogonal, each of said cams includes a cam track having Two spaced portions of true radius about the center of said cam, a stepped portion located between adjacent ends of said true radial portions and a remaining portion of said cam track disposed between opposite ends of said true radial portions having a constantly increasing radius, and said cam tracks of said respective cams are 90* out of phase with each other.

Claim 22

In a gyroscopic apparatus having an improved caging mechanism as recited in claim 18 in which said cams are drivingly connected to each other and said common drive means includes a worm gear, a gear train, a worm wheel integral with one of said cams, and an electric drive motor for synchronously driving said cams through the co-action of said gear train, said worm gear and said worm wheel whereby said slides engage said respective extension means.