April 22, 1952 ' J, WEST 2,593,509 NAVIGATION INSTRUMENT " Filed D80. 8, 1948

GYRO-COMPASS" ROTATES COMPASS CARDIZ ON CENTER 25 kI?

RUDDER CONTROL ‘ ROTATES POINTER !4 ON CENTER 25 (.5;

‘ INVENTOR. JUSTON_ w. WEST

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1952 2,593,509

UNITE, STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,593,509 NAVIGATION INSTRUMENT .lustcn W. West, Jenkintown, Pa. Application December 8, 1948, Serial No. 64,064 1 Glaim. (Cl. 116—129) 1 . 2 , The invention described herein may be manu exposed, the portions of the several scales I8 and factured and used by or for the Government of I9 exposed by windows 2I and 22 respectively the United States of America for governmental being on respective opposite sides of the center purposes without the payment of any royalties 25 of compass card I2. The Window 2| comprises thereon or therefor. '. . t the pointer I-B which is positioned on the housing The present invention pertains to the art of I I to indicate the, heading of the aircraft, and navigation, and it is embodied in an instrument is positioned with reference to the compass card for navigating a navigable vehicle. More par I2 to sweep the scale I8. The pointer I6 being ticularly, the disclosed embodiment of the inven fixed with, reference to the vehicle, and the “0” tion may be used in an aircraft, and comprises 10 mark‘ of the scale I8 being always directed to a ?ight control instrument by means of which .wards the geographic north, the indicium of the navigator or pilot of the vehicle is guided in scale ' I8 to which the pointer I6 is directed indi a turn when he desires to change the course of cates the geographic heading of the vehicle. the aircraft, and thereby is better able to direct Within casing II is a rate-of-turn indicator the ?ight of the aircraft on the desired course.v hand or pointer I4, ‘which is rotatable on the An object of the invention is to provide an center 25 of the compass card I2, and of the scale indicating instrument that combines the ‘indi I8 which it sweeps, the pointer-I4 being driven cating features of a gyro-compass and a rate to rotate with reference to the pointer I6. Drive of-turn indicator. . of vthe pointer I4 is by whatever apparatus is con Another object of the invention is to provide tained; in the vehicle to navigate it and steer it a ?ight instrument in which the indicator hand along the desired course. In the case of the dis of a rate-of-turn indicator is mounted for regis~ closed aircraft navigation for example, pointer tration with the compass card of a gyro-compass. I4~is connected with the rudder and the rudder The single ?gure of ‘the drawing is a frontal control, as is indicated diagrammatically at I5. view of a preferred embodiment of an‘instrument The compass I‘! that operates the compass that constitutes the invention, the View being card I2, and mechanism I5 that drives the rotat partially schematic. - ~ able pointer I4, may be in close proximity to the The instrument of the disclosure comprises instrument housing I I, or may be positioned at a a casing II which 'may be installed in any con remote location of the aircraft, and connected ventional manner in a navigable vehicle such as respectively with the compass card I2 and the an aircraft for example, and preferably the cas movable pointer I4 in conventional manner for ing II is mounted on the instrument panel of remote operation. ' the aircraft. The casing II houses the compass Pointer I-‘lv positioned to register with the ?xed card I2, which is rotatable on center 25 in ac- pointer I6 indicates that the aircraft is headed cordance with conventional practice to main as desired on ‘a straight course, and that there is tain a position in which it points towards and no rudder control. Pointer I6 is "operated under indicates north. According to conventional rudder control‘to rotate by an amount that indi modern practice the compass card I2 is driven to cates themagni-tude of rudder control that is ap rotate by means of a gyro-compass I3, illustrated pliedby'the’ pilot‘to-make a turn for the desired diagrammatically in the drawing at IT. - 40 change of course.~i "j > ~ - » - ~ » ‘ Rotation of the compass card I2 is with refer In operation with 'an aircraft in‘?ight, pointer ence to the vehicle in which the gyroec'ompass I1 It points to anindicium of the scale I8 of the is installed, and with reference to the casing or compass card I2 which indicates the heading of housing II for the compass card, the housing I I the aircraft. If the aircraft is ?ying astraight being secured in the vehicle. as usaul in fixed po- ' 45 course and is not ‘turning, the rate-of-‘turn in sition on the instrument panel. The compass dicator hand I4 is in registration. with ?xed card I2 comprises an arcuate scale of iridica I8 pointer I6. ‘For example, as shown in the draw divided into angular increments. In the instru ing, ?xed pointer l6 registers with compass card ment speci?cally disclosed, which is familiar to I2 to indicate a heading of 30° to the east of pilots, navigators and the like personnel engaged north. Rate-of-turn indicator hand I4, as in the operation of aircraft, there are two similar shown in its solid line position, is in registration and corresponding arcuate scales I8 and I 9 of in with pointer I6, and indicates that the aircraft dicia, which are concentric and are radially dis is ?ying a straight course and is not turning. placed with reference to each other, the scales I 8 In the event that the pilot of the aircraft de and I9 being coaxial with the axis 25 of rotation , sires to execute a turn, be operates the rudder of the compass card. control in the usual manner for the desired turn. The housing II comprises the face 28 which The rate-of-turn indicator hand I 4 thereby ,is masks arcuate portions of the two scales I3 and angularly displaced away from pointer I6 in the I9, and comprises windows 2! and 22 that leave direction corresponding to the direction of turn a portion only of each of the scales I8 and I9 60 instituted by the pilot. The pilot sets the mag HWIW

2,593,509 nitude of rudder control for making a turn in ac— to compass card l2 corresponding with the new cordance with the rate of turn he desires for the course. For example, referring to the drawing, particular navigation undertaken. If the pilot assume that the aircraft is ?ying a straight wishes to turn sharply, he sets a greater magni course along a heading of 30” and it is desired tude of rudder control than when he desires a to turn the aircraft into a new heading of 60°. slower turn. The degree of displacement of The original course of 30° is indicated by the pointer l4 from the pointer It varies in accord pointercompass I6card registering l2, and withthe factthe 30°that marking a straight ance with the magnitude of turn control insti tuted by the pilot, and therefore the angular dis course is ‘being ?own is indicated by the rate-of placement of the pointer l4 away from the ?xed 10 turnindicatortion of the drawing hand l4in being registry in thewith full pointer line it. pointer I6 is a measure of the rate of turn of the aircraft. For example, as shown in the drawing, To execute the turn and bring the aircraft into the dotted line position of rate-of-turn indicator the desired new course, the aircraft is given right hand l4 shows that the aircraft is executing a rudder su?iciently so that rate-of-turn indicator turn to the right, and the fact that rate-of-turn hand I4 is displaced angularly onto the dotted indicator hand [4 is angularly displaced away line position of registration with the 60° marking from ?xed pointer Hi to a relatively great degree of compass card 12, and the rudder control is indicates that a relatively rapid turn is ‘being held to maintain the movable pointer if! in this executed. . position. As the aircraft gradually turns into As the turn instituted by the pilot progresses, 20 the new heading, the compass card. l2 rotates the compass card l2 rotates relative to the case counter-clockwise and the pointer it progresses H, and relative to the ?xed pointer It, in ac in a clockwise direction with respect to compass cordance with the changing direction of ?ight, card l2 until it is in registration with the 60° and the direction of ?ight currently at any time marking of compass card [2. While the turn pro during the execution of the turn is thereby indi- \' gresses towards and approaches the desired 6%” cated on the scale It! by the pointer Hi. When ‘heading, as indicated by ?xed pointer Hi ap~ the pointer Iii approaches the new direction @of proaching the 60° marking of compass card 52, ?ight desired by the pilot for which ‘he executed the ‘pilot applies rudder control towards in ier the turn, the pilot changes the turn control to position of straight course that operates to s 5 wards straight course, and he so navigates the 30 the pointer I4 counter-clockwise, and he times aircraft until the ?xed pointer It indicates the this straightening rudder control to bring the desired new direction of ?ight. By operating the pointers I4 and It in registry with each other at turn controls towards straight course, the rate the same time when pointer It indicates the de of-turn pointer M rotates away from its dotted sired new 60° course on the compass card i line position towards registry with ?xed pointer which indicates straight ?ight on the desired l6, and the pilot operates the rudder control to new heading. bring the pointer l4 into registry with the ?xed I claim: pointer [6 at the same time when the pointer 16 In a ‘navigation instrument for a navigable indicates the desired new direction of ?ight on vehicle, a compass card rotatable to hold a posi the compass card I2. tion ‘that indicates north and comprising a co The ?ight instrument of the present invention axial arcuate scale of indicia divided into angular may be used to maintain ?ight along a straight increments, a pointer positioned with reference to course by keeping the rate-of-turn indicator the compass card to sweep the scale of indicia hand M in registration with pointer it through and positioned ?xed with reference to the ve rudder action. If the aircraft yaws, the rate-of lat hicle to indicate its heading, a pointer rotatable turn indicator hand M and the compass card 12 relative to the compass card on an axis coaxial move out of registration with ?xed pointer H5 in therewith to sweep the scale, the rotatable point opposite directions, and correction for the yaw to er ‘being rotatable relative to the ?xed pointer in bring the aircraft back on proper course is easily accordance with the magnitude of turning con effected by applying rudder control that operates trol imposed upon the vehicle to steer it to a new to bring the rate-of-turn indicator ‘hand 14 ‘back course. into registration with the proper course. With JUSTON ‘W. ‘WEST. this procedure the proper course is regained or retained by the pilot’s single action and thought REFERENCES CITED of keeping the indicator hand 14 on the proper The following references are of record in the course indication of the compass card 12. file of this patent: If it is desired to change the course of ‘the air craft, a properly executed turn may be made UNITED STATES PATENTS through rudder action ‘by angularly displacing Number Name Date rate-of-turn indicator hand M from registration CO 1,900,709 Henderson ______Mar. 7, 1933 with pointer l5 and the original course marking 2,276,717 Codebecq ______Mar. 17, 1942 of compass card [2 to a new position with respect 2,413,214 Carlson ______Dec. 24, 1946