Apparatus for automatically stabilizing the attitude of a nonguided vehicle

Claim 2

Apparatus for automatically stabilizing the attitude of a nonguided body with its flight trajectory comprising: at least one control surface rotatably mounted on said body, resilient biasing means coupled between said body and said control surface, said control surface adapted to align itself with the airstream produced by the trajectory of said body and when the attitude of said body is not in line with its trajectory then such alignment being incomplete due to said biasing means to provide a restoring moment on said body, one-way damping means coupled between said body and said control surface to dampen the movement of said control surface toward alignment with the longitudinal axis of said body, and means coupled to said control surface and said body to prevent the rotation of said control surface unless the attitude of said body is out of line with its trajectory by a predetermined amount.

Claim 3

Apparatus for stabilizing the attitude of a nonguided vehicle with its trajectory comprising: a vehicle having astable position when its attitude is in line with its trajectory, a rotatable control surface having a stable position when it is in line with the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, a spring coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, a damper coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, deviations of said vehicle attitude from said trajectory causing the control surface to be rotatable in one direction by the airstream and rotatable in the opposite direction by said spring such that the alignment of the control surface with the airstream is incomplete to impart a restoring moment to said vehicle, said damper causing the control surface to lag the rotational movement of said vehicle back to its stable position such that the attitude of the vehicle is stabilized with its trajectory, and means coupled to said control surface and adapted to prevent the control surface from rotating unless the angle of attack of said vehicle with respect to the airstream exceeds a predetermined amount.

Claim 4

Apparatus for stabilizing the attitude of a nonguided vehicle with its trajectory comprising: a vehicle having astable position when its attitude is in line with its trajectory, a rotatable control surface having a stable position when it is in line with the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, a spring coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, a damper coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, deviations of said vehicle attitude from said trajectory causing the control surface to be rotatable in one direction by the airstream and rotatable in the opposite direction by said spring such that the alignment of the control surface with the airstream is incomplete to impart a restoring moment to said vehicle, said damper causing the control surface to lag the rotational movement of said vehicle back to its stable position such that the attitude of the vehicle is stabilized with its trajectory, and means coupled to said control surface and adapted to prevent the control surface from rotating unless the angle of attack of said vehicle with respect to the airstream exceeds a predetermined amount.

Claim 5

Apparatus for stabilizing the attitude of a nonguided vehicle with its trajectory comprising: a vehicle having a stable position when its attitude is in line with its trajectory, a rotatable control surface having a stable position when it is in line with the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, a spring coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, a damper coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, said damper including a one-way dashpot, deviations Of said vehicle attitude from said trajectory causing the control surface to be rotatable in one direction by the airstream and rotatable in the opposite direction by said spring such that the alignment of the control surface with the airstream is incomplete to impart a restoring moment to said vehicle, said damper causing the control surface to lag the rotational movement of said vehicle back to its stable position such that the attitude of the vehicle is stabilized with its trajectory, and means coupled to said control surface and adapted to prevent the control surface from rotating unless the angle of attack of said vehicle with respect to the airstream exceeds a predetermined amount.

Claim 6

Apparatus for stabilizing the attitude of a nonguided vehicle with its trajectory comprising: a vehicle having a stable position when its attitude is in line with its trajectory, a rotatable control surface having a stable position when it is in line with the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, a spring coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, a damper coupled between said vehicle and said control surface, said damper including a one-way dashpot, deviations Of said vehicle attitude from said trajectory causing the control surface to be rotatable in one direction by the airstream and rotatable in the opposite direction by said spring such that the alignment of the control surface with the airstream is incomplete to impart a restoring moment to said vehicle, said damper causing the control surface to lag the rotational movement of said vehicle back to its stable position such that the attitude of the vehicle is stabilized with its trajectory, and means coupled to said control surface and adapted to prevent the control surface from rotating unless the angle of attack of said vehicle with respect to the airstream exceeds a predetermined amount.