SOLID STATE CONTROLLER THREE-AXES CONTROLLER

• US 3,771,037 A
• Filed: 03/15/1973
• Issued: 11/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles L. Bailey Jr
• Original Assignee: Charles L. Bailey Jr
• Inventors: Bailey, Charles L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dobeck, B.
• Application Number:
  US05/341,662
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 318/580,628,2 244/83
• US Class Current: 318/580
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0421 control sticks for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/223 to joystick controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

Disclosed is a controller principally for a flight craft and utilizing a single control element which can be manipulated for control of motion relative to pitch, roll, and yaw axes, these axes being mutually perpendicular to one another. The control element is mounted in a base member for pivotal movement about a longitudinal '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'yaw'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' axis extending through the control element and the degree of pivotal movement controls a yaw function. The base member is mounted for pivotal movement about a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'roll'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' axis, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'yaw'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' axis and the degree of pivotal movement controls a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'roll'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' function. The control element has a handle pivotally mounted on it for pivotal movement about a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'pitch'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'yaw'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' axis and to the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'roll'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' axis. The handle can be manipulated to provide pivotal movmeent about any one or more of the axes individually or contemporaneously. Spring biased centering mechanisms are provided for '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'zero'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' settings of the handle and control element. The mountings for pivotal movement include shafts along the respective axes which are part of a solid state transducer so that pivotal rotation about any of the axes directly couples rotation of a shaft to an electrical transducer for a direct read-out of the pivotal position. Each transducer includes three Hall Effect generators equiangularly spaced about an axis and a six pole magnetic plate coupled to the rotational shaft for producing the direct electrical read out. The use of multiple generators provides triple redundancy as a safety factor.

Claims

1. A controller for producing control functions relative to three mutually perpendicular axes comprising a support member, a housing rotatively mounted on said member for pivotal movement about a first axis, first transducer means including a shaft control element extending along said first axis and coupled to said housing, a control element rotatively mounted on said housing for pivotal movement about a second axis, said second axis being perpendicular to said first axis, second transducer means including a shaft control element extending along said second axis and coupled to said control element, a hand grip rotatively mounted on said control element for pivotal movement about a third axis, said third axis being perpendicular to said first and second axis, third transducer means including a shaft control element extending along said third axis and coupled to said hand grip, and said transducers respectively including a magnetic rotor with a plurality of pole pieces attached to said shaft control element and a fixed member having at least one Hall Effect generator for producing an electrical output signal proportional to the degree of rotation of a rotor relative to the plate member.

2. The controller as defined in claim 1 and further including means for directly coupling said shaft control elements for said transducers in axial alignment with the respective first, second, and third axes.

3. The controller as defined in claim 2 wherein there are at least three Hall Effect generators equiangularly spaced about said shaft control element and said magnetic rotor includes at least 6 pole pieces.

4. The controller as defined in claim 2 and further including resilient force means respectively coupled relative to the shaft control element for each of said transducers and to each of said housing, said control element and said hand grip for provide a neutral force location for said housing, said control element and said hand grip relative to said transducer means, said housing, said control element, and said hand grip being rotatable about their respective axes against the effect of said resilient force means.

5. The controller as defined in claim 4 and further including means for limiting the respective relative rotation of said housing, said control element and said hand grip.

6. The controller as defined in claim 4 wherein said control element is pivotally mounted in said housing for rotation about said second axis which is a longitudinal axis extending through said control element, said housing is pivotally mounted in said support member for rotation about said first axis which is an axis transverse to and intersecting said second axis, said hand grip is pivotally mounted on said control element for rotation about said third axis which is an axis transverse to and intersecting said second axis.

7. The controller as defined in claim 6 wherein said hand grip has a hollow interior which receives one end of said control element and said pivotal mounting is within the interior of said hand grip, said hand grip having interior surfaces and said interior and exterior surfaces being arranged to limit pivotal rotation of said hand grip relative to said control element.

8. The controller as defined in claim 7 wherein said housing has first means thereon defining spaced-apart stop surfaces and said control element has a projecting part disposed between said stop surfaces for limiting the rotation of said control element relative to said housing.

9. The controller as defined in claim 8 wherein said housing has second means defining spaced-apart stop surfaces and said support member has a projecting part disposed between said stop surfaces for limiting the rotation of said housing relative to said support member.

10. The controller as defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second means having stop surfaces are a recessed plate member secured to said housing.