US2581846A - Gyrostatic stabilizer - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1952 ERIKSSQN 2,581,846

GYROSTATIC STABILIZER Filed Jan. 21, 1947 J /NVE/YTOR HER ERTfR/ 5/ hwwm Patented Jan. 8, 1 952 UNITED STATES PATENT '0F;FICE I 2,581,846,] 1 I GYRosTA'rIo srmm'uzsn Herbert Erilrsson, -Vasteras, Sweden, ,as'si gnor to Allma'nna .Svenjska Elektriska Aktiebol'age't, Vasterasy Sweden, a corporation'of Sweden Application January 21, mam-swarm. 728,379 In Sweden January 25, 1946 J- The present invention refers to a gyrostatic stabilizer of the kind comprising one or more rapidly rotating bodies (gyroscopes) which are journa'lled in a frame or the like on which they .exert'a. torque when its 'posi'tionfis altered, and aservo motor which 'is started at an angular displacement of the frame withrespect to its surroundin'gs and which adjusts a heavier structure which may support the object, for instance an instrument or a gun, the position of which shall be made independent of certain movements of its surroundings for instance of the rolling of a ship on which it is mounted. .In the hitherto known constructions of such apparatus, it has been necessary to provide the servo-motor with a rather complicated compensating mechanism, which has interrupted its adjusting motion when the heavier structure had been brought into the desired position. According to the present invention, the compensation is effected in a much more simple way of mounting the operating device of the servo-motor in such way on the heavier structure that the adjusting movement of the said structure effects the compensation.

Three forms of the invention are diagrammatically illustrated in perspective views in Figs. 1-3 of the accompanying drawing.

In all the forms illustrated, the gyro-stabilizer is intended to compensate only the movements around a horizontal axis, for instance the longitudinal axis of a ship (rolling), while the movements around a horizontal axis at right angles thereto (pitching) are not compensated. A compensation of such movements may of course be effected in an entirely analogous way. Said lastmentioned axis is supposed to be substantially parallel to the plane of the drawing.

In Fig. 1 the gyroscope I rotates around a vertical axis 2 journalled in a vertical frame 3. The latter is pivoted by means of a pair of horizontal transverse journals 4 in a frame 5 which in its turn is pivoted by means of longitudinal journals 5.

The movements now described are utilized for influencing the controlling member of a servomotor which moves a heavier structure so as to prevent its partaking in the tilting in the transverse direction, for instance the rolling of a ship. According to the present invention, the controlling member of the servomotor is carried by the said heavier structure I in such manner that a compensation of the servomotor is automatically obtained as soon as the said heavier structure has occupied its desired position, for instance parallel to the frame 5, so that the controlling 3 Claims. (or 71-522) member is then restored to itsinactive position. TheJcon'trolling member; for instance a rotatable slide inside the cylinder 8 is moved from the frame 5 for instance by means'o f a link rod 9 and an arm .I'll'in such manner that the passage through the cylinder is opened as soon as the parallelism between the frame 5 and the structure 1 is disturbed but i'sclosed again as soon as the said parallelism hasfb'eenrestored.

j Conduits jll lead from the control cylinder 8 to the servom'oitor whichconsists of a cylinder I2 with .pis o sfl r t ta l he e n. O e b t m foff the' cylinder is, removed in] the" figure to show the pistons." 'Thelatter are mounted on a shaft M which is stationary with respect to the surrounding body, for instance a ship, while the cylinder is rotatable together with the structure I which is also rotatable together with a journal I5.

In the construction illustrated, the journals 6 of the frame 6 are directly mounted in the heavier structure I. This is generally the most simple way of mounting, but the frame 5 may also be mounted in another structure while a compensation is still obtained as soon as the frame 5 and the structure I are in their normal mutual position.

Fig. 2 differs from Fig. 1 essentially in two respects. First, two vertical frames 3 are mounted in the frame 5, each frame 3 having a gyroscope I rotating about a vertical axis 2. The gyroscopes I are intended to rotate in opposite directions, and are therefore also inclined in opposite directions around their transverse axis when the frame 5 is tilted around its longitudinal axis. Their transverse journals 4 are connected by means of toothed arcs It so as to cooperate when inclined.

Further, in Fig. 2, the frame 5 is connected to the heavier frame or structure 1 by an elastic device consisting of bars I! hinged to the structure I and held together by a spring I8, said bars embracing the frame 5. The structure 1 therefore is forced to partake in the movements of the frame 5 by a force limited by the initial cal frame 3 are directly mounted in the heavier frame or structure I, and the light frame is theresensitive to such a tilting movement than the apparatus according to Fig. 1, but it is not suitable for stabilizing structures of so large moments of inertia as the apparatus of Fig. 1. The properties of the form shown in Fig. 2 are in this respect intermediary between Figs. 1 and '3.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gyrostatic stabilizer comprising a gimbal said gimbal frame and tiltable about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said gimbal frame, a heavy structure tiltableabout an axis parallel to. the axis of said light frame, a servo-motor carried by said heavy structure and serving to tilt said structure, and means for operating said servo-motor under the influence of the tilting motion of said gimbal frame.

2. A gyrostatic stabilizer comprising a gimbal frame tiltable about an axis, a gyroscope rotatingly mounted therein, a light frame carrying said gimbal frame and tiltable about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said gimbal frame, a heavy structure tiltable about an axis parallel to the axis of said light frame, a servo-motor carframe tiltable about an axis, a gyroscope rotatingly mounted therein, a light frame carryinggimbal frame.

ried by said heavy structure, means for operating said servo-motor under the influence of the tilting motion of said gi-mbal frame, a fixed support, said servo-motor comprising a cylinder secured to said heavy structure, and pistons angularly displaceable therein and secured to said fixed support. V

3. A gyrostatic stabilizer comprising a gimbal frame tiltable about an axis, a gyroscope rotatingly mounted therein, a heavy structure tiltable about an axis perpendicular to that of said gimbal frame, a servo-motor carried by said heavy structure, andmeans comprising a closed hydraulic system for operating said servo-motor under the influence of the tilting motion of said HERBERT Enmsson.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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