DEVICE FOR MEASURING ACCELERATIONS

• US 3,713,343 A
• Filed: 07/30/1957
• Issued: 01/30/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1957
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy R. Segerdahl, Theodor Erb
• Original Assignee: Roy R. Segerdahl, Theodor Erb
• Inventors: Segerdahl, Roy R., Erb, Theodor
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Benjamin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jordan, C. T.
• Application Number:
  US03/675,800
• Time in Patent Office: 5,663 Days
• Field of Search: 244/77,77A,77B,77C 264/1AS 33/204 73/180,65,503,504,514,515,516,517,518
• US Class Current: 73/514.33
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/121 by potentiometers

Abstract

1. An accelerometer for providing the acceleration of a vehicle at a first point therein, comprising a first means for yielding the acceleration A1 of the vehicle at a second point disposed at a distance r1 from the first point, a second means for yielding the acceleration A2 of the vehicle at a third point disposed at a distance r2 from the first point, and computing means connected to said first and second means for yielding the acceleration A of the vehicle at the first point in accordance with the formula A1 being equal to A + e1, A2 being equal to A + e2 and e2 being equal to e1(r2/r1) where e1 is the acceleration of the second point about the first point and e2 is the acceleration of the third point about the first point.

Claims

1. An accelerometer for providing the acceleration of a vehicle at a first point therein, comprising a first means for yielding the acceleration A1 of the vehicle at a second point disposed at a distance r1 from the first point, a second means for yielding the acceleration A2 of the vehicle at a third point disposed at a distance r2 from the first point, and computing means connected to said first and second means for yielding the acceleration A of the vehicle at the first point in accordance with the formula A1 being equal to A + e1, A2 being equal to A + e2 and e2 being equal to e1r2/r1 where e1 is the acceleration of the second point about the first point and e2 is the acceleration of the third point about the first point.

2. An accelerometer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said computing means includes a first subtracter connected at its input side to said first and second means, a second subtracter connected at its input side to said first means and said first subtracter and a multiplier connected between said first and second subtracters, said multiplier being adapted to multiply the information from said first subtracter by the factor 1/1-r2/r1.

3. An accelerometer as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means comprises a mass, means for resisting the displacement of said mass from the second point by applying in accordance with said displacement a force to the said mass along each of three mutually perpendicular axes intersecting at the center of gravity of said mass, said resisting means including an element disposed substantially in parallel with each of the three mutually perpendicular axes, each element having a variable electrical characteristic controlled by the displacement of said mass, and vector solving means connected to the said elements for yielding the acceleration of said vehicle at the second point in accordance with the formula Square Root x2 + y2 + z2, wherein x, y and z are the respective changes in the electrical characteristics of each of the said elEments.

4. An accelerometer as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of said elements is a variable resistor.

5. An accelerometer as claimed in claim 3 wherein said resisting means includes a pair of springs disposed along each of the axes, one end of each spring in each pair of springs being connected to opposite sides of said mass, the other ends of said springs being connected to the vehicle so as to provide suspension for said mass.

6. An accelerometer as claimed in claim 5 wherein there are provided a plurality of balancing bridge networks, each of said networks having one of said elements in its bridge arms and being connected on its output side to the input side of said vector solving means.

7. An accelerometer for providing the acceleration e1 of a vehicle at a first point about a second point in the vehicle with said first point being displaced at a distance r1 from said second point, comprising a first means for yielding the acceleration A1 of the vehicle at the second point, a second means for yielding the acceleration A2 of the vehicle at a third point disposed in the vehicle at a distance of r2 from the second point, and computing means connected to said first and second means for yielding the acceleration e1 of the vehicle at the first point about the second point in accordance with the formula

8. An accelerometer as claimed in claim 7 wherein said computing means includes a subtracter connected at its input side to the said first and second means, and a multiplier connected at its input side to said subtracter, said multiplier being adapted to multiply the output of said subtracter by the factor 1/1-r2/r1.