Summa Corporation

Theodore B Edwards

Robert G Hunt

An inertial sighting system for slaving the axis of a craft mounted movable member such as an armament system, camera, spotlight or the like to the axis of a hand held sight including two sets of inertial sensors in the form of a pair of gyroscopes for each set. One pair of gyroscopes, fixed to the craft and responsive to changes in craft attitude, provides pitch, azimuth, and roll information regarding craft attitude. The other pair of gyroscopes, fixed to the sighting device and responsive to changes in sighting device attitude, provides pitch and azimuth information regarding sight device attitude. The spin axes of the gyroscopes are initially aligned by a caging mechanism provided on a sight stowing bracket mounted on the craft and a cooperating caging mechanism on the sight. Alignment of the axes establishes a reference system, and when the sight is removed from the bracket, at the start of a tracking mission, the gyroscopes are uncaged to provide azimuth and elevation information to slave the axis of the movable member to the sight member.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Ana, CA, United States of America

Theodore B Edwards