Saab-scania Aktiebolag

Lennart K Nordstrom

Tommy Savstrom

A control device for producing electrical signals which correspond to manual movements of a stick part and which are used for adjustment of a controlled element has a relatively stationary body part with a hand supporting surface and a stick projecting outward from that surface to be embraced by an operator's hand. The stick comprises a laterally swingable outer stick part end-to-end with an inner stick part fixed to the body. A rod-like spring element in a chamber in the stick has an end portion fixed to each stick part to swingably connect the outer stick part of the inner one and bias the outer one to a neutral position. A signal emitting device in the chamber is mounted alongside the spring element and is operatively connected with it.

Control device

In a system for controlling a servo actuated controlled device, an input signifying the position of displacement of an aircraft stick or similar manipulatable unit is processed to provide a variable gain to the controlled device. In a predetermined range of positions of the stick in which it is spaced to one side of neutral (or in such a range at each side of neutral) the system operates with low gain during displacement of the stick through a predetermined distance in either direction from a turning point to which the stick had been brought by displacement in the opposite direction. For all other displacements in that range the system operates with high gain. The method thus provides for fast, positive response to coarse stick movements but fine response to small trimming movements.

Method of varying response fineness in a control system

In a control system having a manipulatable unit, such as an aircraft stick, which is biased toward a neutral position to provide control 'feel', an input which at each instant signifies the position of displacement of the stick from its neutral position is processed to provide an output signifying the magnitude of the biasing force to be applied to the stick. In a range of positions spaced to one side of its neutral position (or in such a range at each side of neutral) the output provides for a steep biasing force gradient as the stick is moved through a predetermined distance in either direction from a turning point to which the stick had been brought by movement in the opposite direction. For all other movements of the stick within that range the biasing force has a low gradient. The higher gradient of bias for small trimming movements provides better feel for trimming without requiring stick bias to be unduly stiff during coarser stick displacements.

Control system having variably biased manipulatable unit

A device for individually controlling multiple control functions with one hand comprises a base member movable back and forth and a stick member mounted on the base member to move back and forth with it and swing relative to it. The base member has one portion shaped like a pistol butt, with opposite upright front and rear surfaces and a top surface, and has another column-like upright portion, spaced in front of said front surface, defining an outer side surface. In one gripping position, a hand has its palm against said rear surface, thumb and forefingers overlying the top surface, and other fingers either curled around the butt portion to actuate pushbuttons or the like on its front surface or extended for actuating pushbuttons or the like on said outer side surface. In a second gripping position, for swinging the stick member, the hand has its lower edge on said top surface, and fingers are either curled around the stick member or are extended to actuate pushbuttons on an upward extension of the column-like portion.

Control stick unit

Attitude-director indicator

A controller for producing electrical control signals has a relatively stationary supporting section providing an upwardly facing hand supporting surface and an upward projection, and has a stick-like control section mounted on a first gimbal joint on top of the projection, to swing about pitch and roll axes. A second gimbal joint is spaced along the roll axis from the first one and rotates about said roll axis and about a gimbal axis parallel to the pitch axis. A gimbal ring of the first joint is rigidly connected to a gimbal member of the second joint for unison rotation about the roll axis. A second gimbal member of the second joint is caused to rotate about said gimbal axis in unison with swinging of the control section about the pitch axis by a linkage connection between them. A signal generator for each of the pitch and roll axes and a stick force generating means for each of those axes are connected with respective gimbal members of the second joint.

Controller

The invention relates to an aircraft attitude indicator having a gyro controlled spherical display with delineations of regularly spaced meridians that maintain a vertical orientation and spaced parallels transverse to the meridians, one of which is an equator that divides the sphere into upper and lower hemispheres and corresponds to a horizon. The lower hemisphere has triangular pointer indicia, each symmetrical to a delineated meridian and with a base on a parallel and an apex proximal to the equator. The pointer indicia cooperate with a reference delineation that is relatively fixed with respect to the aircraft and substantially centered on the display. The pointer indicium nearest the reference designates the 'up' direction; those adjacent to it provide information about changes in aircraft attitude relative to 'up' that will result from possible maneuvers from the existing attitude.

Growing community of inventors

Linkoping, Sweden

Lennart K Nordstrom