US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Aubrey Rodgers

Rayburn K Widner

Escar L Bailey

William G Robertson

A wide angle light intensity pickoff system, having a very fine signal reution of less than a degree, provides a linear range of about .+-.35 degrees with a total range of .+-.90 degrees. The pickoff system can be used with any angular measurement system. In a gyro system all of the active circuit components, an offset optical source and a detector, are mounted on the unstabilized housing structure. Only a fiber optic bundle is required on the stabilized gimbal for coupling optical signals to the detector. There is no mechanical contact between the stabilized gimbal and the unstabilized housing structure. This prevents gimbal/housing coupling torques while providing a wide angle pickoff capability.

Wide angle intensity pickoff

This invention disclosure describes a thin film plane-polarized electro magnetic energy pickoff system. The system provides a wide-angle linear range of .+-.40 degrees with a cosine nonlinear range of .+-.65 degrees. The design allows all active components to be mounted on the unstabilized housing structure, thus eliminating torque stabilization problems.

Thin film plane-polarized intensity pickoff

A two-degree-of-freedom gyro that uses a combination of fiber optics and iant energy sensors for low torque gimbal/housing position sensors. The mode of operation of the gyro is a sustained rotor displacement type instrument. The radiant energy type pickoffs eliminate gimbal wiring, slip rings, and wiper environmental problems.

Two-degree-of-freedom gyro with radiant energy pickoffs

A reaction-jet torquer system carried in a projectile to aim the projectile o a target. The torquer system uses the thrust of sonic nozzles to control a gyro rotor inertial frame of reference. The reaction force applied to the gimbal gives the rotor the capability of tracking the target. A sensor carried by the gyro provides logic which identifies and activates the appropriate nozzle or nozzles of the system to generate the required gimbal force.

Reaction-jet torquer

A high-g gimbal platform carried by a rocket projectile for supporting an tenna or other type of terminal homing sensors which are required to survive a high-g launch phase including a snap-lock mechanism for providing a rigid bearing assembly. The snap lock mechanism uses the deceleration (negative acceleration) of high velocity projectiles in conjunction with elastomeric bearing housing rings to lock the rotor and gimbal bearing assemblies of the gimbal platform into a rigid, stable position prior to stabilization and guidance phase.

Snap-lock mechanism for high-g platform

A gyro in which an elastomeric material is used as a spherical bearing suce in an air bearing type gyro to sustain 12,500 g set back acceleration level during gun launch and have the capability of surviving the launch phase in a non-functioning mode and then being operative in post-launch lower-g environments as a stabilized/torquing seeker capable of tracking laser illuminated moving target so as to enable the gyro to be used for guided projectile systems.

Semi-active laser seeker gyroscope

A platform carried by a rocket projectile for supporting an antenna or ot type of terminal homing sensors which are required to survive a high-g launch phase. The platform uses compliant suspension with modified hemispherical support gimbals for bearing protection during a 10,000-12,000 g projectile launch environment. Post-launch lower-g environments permit the compliant suspension to function as a two-degree-of-freedom stabilized platform that can be used for guided projectiles such as the anti-radiation projectile missile.

High-g gimbal platform

Apparatus of the present invention requires a very short spin-up wheel mot arm compared to a large wheel diameter. Such a requirement demands good wheel control during low rpm and excellent stability for high rpm in order to avoid uncontrollable wheel oscillations. Uncontrollable oscillations will prevent the wheel from either completing the spin-up cycle or it will destroy the gas bearing. Apparatus of the present invention uses a combination of a gas film bearing to control the alignment of the wheel during low rpm and a point contact configuration that uses the gyroscopic law of angular momentum to achieve wheel stability for the high rpm. The gyro law states that the angular momentum vector will precess into the torque vector. The spin-up control mechanism can be used to control and maintain stability of any wheel that has a large OD to small spin-up moment arm ratio requirement. An advantage of the structure of the present invention is that it utilizes the available angular momentum energy to capture and maintain wheel stability during the spin-up cycle. The higher the wheel rpm is, the better the control.

Ring-wing canard spin-up control mechanism

An electrofluid converter converts electrical energy into fluid energy by ntrolling the linear expansion of a wire that is used as a fluid control valve. Thermal linear expansion of the wire is brought about by passing an electric current through the wire thereby increasing or decreasing the portion of the wire within the fluid flow path. The converter can be used in applications that require converting electrical proportional or digital signals into corresponding fluid signals. The converter signal may be used to control fluid amplifiers or other fluid sensors.

Electrofluid converter

A transportation machine such as a ballistic missile disposed for operation n a linear path is provided with a chassis including an aerate atmosphere and a gyroscopic rotor for development therearound of a pressurized aerate ring and for axial orientation in the linear path. A stabilizer develops signals responsive to differences in pressures between the aerate atmosphere and the pressurized ring for rotation of the chassis to axial coincidence with the rotor responsive to the signals.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Aubrey Rodgers