Inclination and direction responsive apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Inclination and direction responsive apparatus comprising:
- a source of periodially fluctuating electrical current;
a support movable between a predetermined position of zero inclination in which an axis fixed relative to the support extends directly vertically and positions in which the axis is inclined at different angles;
a flux gate assembly carried by said support and subjected to an ambient magnetic field and energized by said current and acting to produce an output which varies in response to changes in directional orientation of said support relative to the field;
said assembly including magnetic core means mounted for leveling movement relative to said support to remain level in differently inclined positions of the support, and periodically driven to magnetic saturation by said current, with the time of saturation being altered by said ambient field; and
coil means flux linked to said core means in a relation producing said output varying with directional orientation;
an inclination coil carried by said support for movement therewith and flux linked to said flux gate assembly and energized to produce a magnetic field which extends essentially along said axis of the location of the flux gate assembly and tilts to differently inclined positions with the support and produces an output from the flux gate assembly which varies in response to changes in inclination;
means for selectively energizing or de-energizing said inclination coil in a relation producing a signal representing both direction and inclination when said inclination coil is energized, and producing a signal representing only direction when the inclination coil is de-energized; and
processing means for combining said signals representing both direction and inclination with said signal representing only direction to produce an output representing only inclination.
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Abstract
An inclination responsive device including a coil energized to produce a magnetic field extending along a normally vertical axis of the device, and a flux gate assembly adapted to respond to a horizontal component of that field upon tilting movement of the axis to an inclined non-vertical position, and to thereby produce an output which varies in response to changes in inclination. The flux gate assembly is desirably also responsive to the earth'"'"'s magnetic field or another ambient field to also produce an output representing directional orientation of the device with respect to the ambient field.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Inclination and direction responsive apparatus comprising:
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a source of periodially fluctuating electrical current; a support movable between a predetermined position of zero inclination in which an axis fixed relative to the support extends directly vertically and positions in which the axis is inclined at different angles; a flux gate assembly carried by said support and subjected to an ambient magnetic field and energized by said current and acting to produce an output which varies in response to changes in directional orientation of said support relative to the field; said assembly including magnetic core means mounted for leveling movement relative to said support to remain level in differently inclined positions of the support, and periodically driven to magnetic saturation by said current, with the time of saturation being altered by said ambient field; and
coil means flux linked to said core means in a relation producing said output varying with directional orientation;an inclination coil carried by said support for movement therewith and flux linked to said flux gate assembly and energized to produce a magnetic field which extends essentially along said axis of the location of the flux gate assembly and tilts to differently inclined positions with the support and produces an output from the flux gate assembly which varies in response to changes in inclination; means for selectively energizing or de-energizing said inclination coil in a relation producing a signal representing both direction and inclination when said inclination coil is energized, and producing a signal representing only direction when the inclination coil is de-energized; and processing means for combining said signals representing both direction and inclination with said signal representing only direction to produce an output representing only inclination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20)
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18. Inclination and direction responsive apparatus comprising:
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a source of periodically fluctuating electrical current; a support movable between a predetermined position of zero inclination in which an axis fixed relative to the support extends directly vertically and positions in which the axis is inclined at different angles; a flux gate assembly carried by said support and subjected to an ambient magnetic field and energized by said current and acting to produce an output which varies in response to changes in directional orientation of said support relative to the field; said assembly including magnetic core means mounted for leveling movement relative to said support to remain level in differently inclined positions of the support, and periodically driven to magnetic saturation by said current, with the time of saturation being altered by said ambient field; and
coil means flux linked to said core means in a relation producing said output varying with directional orientation;an inclination coil carried by said support for movement therewith and flux linked to said flux gate assembly and energized to produce a magnetic field which extends essentially along said axis at the location of the flux gate assembly and tilts to differently inclined positions with the support and produces an output from the flux gate assembly which varies in response to changes in inclination; means for automatically and intermittently energizing and de-energizing said inclination coil in a relation producing a signal representing both the direction and inclination outputs combined when said inclination coil is energized, and producing only a direction indicating output when the inclination coil is de-energized; and means for subtracting said direction indicating output from said combined output which represents both inclination and direction, to produce an output representing only inclination.
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19. Inclination and direction responsive apparatus comprising:
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a source of periodically fluctuating electrical current; a support movable between a predetermined position of zero inclination in which an axis fixed relative to the support extends directly vertically and positions in which the axis is inclined at different angles; a flux gate assembly carried by said support and subjected to an ambient magnetic field and energized by said current and acting to produce an output which varies in response to changes in directional orientation of said support relative to the field; said assembly including magnetic core means mounted for leveling movement relative to said support to remain level in differently inclined positions of the support, and periodically driven to magnetic saturation by said current, with the time of saturation being altered by said ambient field; and
coil means flux linked to said core means in a relation producing said output varying with directional orientation;an inclination coil carried by said support for movement therewith and flux linked to said flux gate assembly and energized to produce a magnetic field which extends essentially along said axis at the location of the flux gate assembly and tilts to differently inclined positions with the support and produces an output from the flux gate assembly which varies in response to changes in inclination; said source including an oscillator delivering alternating current to said flux gate assembly; said coil means including input coil means and two output coils flux linked to said core and offset 90 circular degrees from one another; circuitry timed by said oscillator and acting to intermittently energize and de-energize said inclination coil; a first pair of output circuits connected to said two output coils when said inclination coil is energized and producing outputs representing both inclination and direction in combination; a second pair of output circuits connected to said output coils when said inclination coil is de-energized and producing outputs representing direction alone; and means for subtracting said second outputs from said first outputs to produce third outputs representing inclination alone.
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Specification