The Singer Company

John L Evans

Bart J Zoltan

Walter J Krupick

Jay Hoffman

Donald R Boerner

A gyro seeker which is capable of use in a cannon launched missile. The gyro seeker is enclosed in a housing mounted in the nose section of the missile. The platform of the gyro seeker supports an optical assembly, a detector, a gyro assembly, and a cryostat for cooling the detector. Means are provided on the outer gimbal of the platform for withstanding the extreme acceleration induced by cannon launching. The platform is torqueable along two axes by a plurality of pole pieces located around its base. A platform caging device is provided to cage the platform during transport and serves a dual function as a means to furnish spin-up gas to the gyro element and cooling gas to the cryostat.

Cannon launched platform

A torquer system for a gyro device that has a spherically shaped rotor divided into upper and lower hemispheres. The rotor of the gyro is mounted on a gas bearing over a spherically shaped stator and supports an optical assembly positioned parallel to the spin axis of the gyro. The torquer is positioned on the base of the gyro beneath the lower hemisphere of the rotor so as to permit the maximum angular freedom of the rotor and optical assembly. The torquer comprises four pole pieces separated 90.degree. from each other. Each torquer has two pole faces and coils located between pole faces. The coils contain separate windings for bias and control of the torquer. A current flow through the windings of the torquers causes magnetic flux lines emanating from the pole faces to pass through magnetically permeable material affixed to the lower hemisphere of the gyro rotor closing the magnetic circuit. The rotor will be attracted towards the pole face and the magnitude of the force of attraction is indicative of the current passing through the torquer windings.

Wide angle torquing scheme

A caging mechanism for a gyro in which a flat split ring lying in a plane perpendicular to the gyro rotor spin axis is deformable so that its inside diameter is enabled to capture the gyro rotor. A gas activated piston separates tabs formed on the split ring causing it to cage or uncage the rotor.

Two axis caging system

A rate sensor comprising a glass annulus filled with an electrolytic fluid. A plurality of electrodes in contact with the electrolyte have an electrical field established between them which in turn starts a flow of ions between the electrodes. When the device is rotated about a predetermined axis the flow of ions between certain electrodes is increased. Electronic means connected to output electrodes senses the change in ion flow and determines the rotational rate of the vehicle upon which the sensor is mounted.

Growing community of inventors

Oakland, NJ, United States of America

John L Evans