GB1160528A - Gyroscopic Arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

1,160,528. Gyroscopic apparatus. BELL & HOWELL CO. Sept.28, 1966 [Sept.29, 1965(2)], No.43347/66. Heading G1C. [Also in Division G2] A gyroscope rotor 2, which may be used for stabilizing a lens of a camera by means of suitable linkwork or a selsyn system, is driven by a shaft 6 having a spherical ball 4 at its end, the ball having a circle of contact 54 with a plastics sleeve member 46 held in a hollow extension arm 10 of the rotor 2, the ball 4 being held in frictional contact with the circle 54 by a spring 62 acting on a plastics plug 56 which makes point contact with the ball 4. The rotor 2 spins in bearings 30, 31 and 32, 33 in a block 38 which is mounted on pins 14, 16 in a gimbal ring 12. A further gimbal ring (not shown) is also provided surrounding the ring 12 with a pivot axis at right angles to that defined by the pins 14, 16. The force exerted by the spring 62 is adjustable by means of a screw-threaded plug 58. The shaft 6 may be solid with the rotor of the driving motor which is provided with only one bearing so that this bearing and the rotor form the only supports for the shaft. Otherwise the shaft 6 may be coupled to the shaft of a conventional motor by a resilient sleeve surrounded by a metal cylinder to eliminate wobble. In use the gimbal mounted rotor tends to align its spin axis with that of the shaft 6, but sudden deflections of the shaft 6 will not be immediately transferred to the rotor 2. Thus when used in stabilizing a camera lens, the rotor will be unaffected by vibrations and the like but will be able to follow panning movements.