Sperry Corporation

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Sperry Rand Corporation

Damon H Duncan

Lawrence P Davis

David C Cunningham

Randy P Goettsche

Terrance V Littlejohn

Craig T Herdman

Martin S Klemes

A vibration isolation apparatus having a shaft with an axis therethrough. The shaft has a first and second end. A piston having an axial bore is coaxially positioned with the shaft to provide a damper by forming a damping path between the piston and the shaft. A flange extends radially from the piston for coupling the apparatus to a load. A first extension is coupled to and extends radially from the first end of the shaft and a second extension is coupled to and extends radially from the second end of the shaft. Secondary bellows extending from and secondary fluid paths extending through the first and second extensions provide a first volumetric stiffness in series with the damper. Primary bellows connect the flange to the first and second extensions and are coaxial with the shaft to provide a second volumetric stiffness parallel with the damper and the first volumetric stiffness.

Three parameter viscous damper and isolator

A two-degree of freedom, open loop, spring restrained rate gyro apparatus includes a motor mounted in a housing with a conductive device provided for conducting operating voltages into and out of the housing. A shaft is rotatably mounted in the housing and is connected to be driven by the motor. A ring, having a hub, is connected to the shaft. The ring and hub are interconnected by a torsion bar. A stop is connected to the shaft adjacent the ring so as to define an air gap between the ring and the stop. A pair of variable reluctance pickoffs are mounted in the housing adjacent the ring. The pickoffs also define an air gap between each of the pickoffs and the ring. An optical pickoff is also mounted adjacent the ring. A signal processor is connected to the pair of variable reluctance pickoffs and to the optical pickoff for measuring the rate of the gyro.

Two axis rate gyro apparatus

A damping mechanism for a two-degree-of-freedom rate gyroscope of the flexible disk type includes a pair of auxiliary disks, one mounted closely adjacent each side of the rotor disk to provide squeeze film type damping of any axial vibrations of the rotor at the resonant frequencies of the flexible rotor.

Damping mechanism for gyroscopes

A flexure assembly for a dynamically-tuned, free rotor, two axis gyroscopic sensor wherein coplanar, concentric, cylindrical inner and outer gimbals are coupled between corresponding cylindrical axially spaced, inner and outer cylindrical members, to which are secured respectively the gyroscopic rotor and the rotor spin shaft, by means of flexures which provide substantially rigid axial and radial support of the rotor relative to the drive shaft and relative angular freedom of tilt of the rotor about orthogonal axes perpendicular to the drive shaft axis, wherein the flexures comprise separate thin strips fabricated from high-strength, spring-quality sheet metal which bridge gaps formed between the gimbal members and the rotor and rotor shaft members and are secured at their ends as by brazing, welding, cementing, etc. in receiving slits machined in these members. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating such a flexure assembly wherein the method includes machining the gimbals from cylindrical blanks in a way to leave webs connecting all the members together until the slits are machined and the flexible strips are secured in place and the outer and inner members assembled and secured together, and then removing the connecting webs whereby to assure protection from assembly damage and to assure ultimate precision alignment of the gimbals, flexure blades and members relative to each other. Also included is an improved gimbal balancing and tuning arrangement.

Flexure assembly for a dynamically tuned gyroscope

A set of two two-degrees-of-freedom rate gyroscopes and three linear accelerometers are assembled in a single module adapted to be mounted within a single aircraft electronics control unit, the unit comprising a strapped-down attitude and heading reference system. The module base provides a common keyed support for the two pre-calibrated gyros and three accelerometers in intimate mechanical and thermal association. The two gyros are oriented in the base and the base oriented in the aircraft so that the spin axis of one gyro is oriented parallel to the aircraft Z axis and that of the other gyro parallel to the aircraft Y axis while the gyro pickoffs and torquers (input and output axes, respectively) are rotated or skewed forty-five degrees about the spin axes to positions such that the input and output axes lie along the slant heights of a forty-five degree half angle right circular cone, the axis of which lies along the aircraft X axis. Thus a single module provides greatly simplified rate sensing about the aircraft primary axes with correspondingly simplified fault detection of the rate sensors.

Strapped down attitude and heading reference system for aircraft

A magnetic disc memory characterized by a symmetrical configuration in which an electrical drive motor is located along the axis of symmetry and within the normally unuseable inner diameter of a magnetic disc. The disc is secured to the rotor assembly of the electrical drive motor which rotates around a fixed stator assembly. Additionally, the storage capacity and the reliability of the memory is improved by the use of both sides of the disc, incorporation of multi-track cores to increase the number of data tracks per core, and an improved pre-loading system to properly align the gas-bearing cores with the disc during operation.

Growing community of inventors

Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Damon H Duncan