Electromagnetic pick-off control handle

Claim 1

A joystick mechanism generating output signals corresponding to the X and Y components of manual command, comprising, in combination; a handle controllable by an operator and rotatable in X and Y axes, a housing with a top plate, wherein said top plate includes means supporting said handle, a transducer for sensing the displacement of said handle relative to said housing, said transducer comprising a ferromagnetic vane member attached to the bottom side of said handle and a stator member attached to the bottom side of said housing, said stator member including a ferromagnetic core comprising nine parallel legs extending from a common base disposed in a 3 by 3 rectangular array wherein the edges of said array are parallel to said X and Y axes; at least one electrically excited primary winding wound around the leg at the center of said array; a first secondary winding wound around three legs along a first side of said array parallel to the X-axis; a second secondary winding wound around three legs along a second side of said array parallel to the X-axis; a third secondary winding wound around a third side of said array parallel to the Y-axis; and a fourth secondary winding wound around a fourth side of said array parallel to the Y-axis; wherein said first and second secondary windings define an X-axis and said third and fourth secondary windings define a Y-axis; said secondary windings being inductively coupled to said primary windings and generating voltages depending on the position of said vane member.