Rate-of-turn indicator

Claim 2

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having amplitudes indicative of the angular position of the rotor in said transmitter, said indicator comprising metering means, means to convert each of said carrier waves into a d.c. voltage having a magnitude representative of the magnitude of the corresponding carrier wave, logic means to select the d.c. voltage having a magnitude intermediate the remaining two d.c. voltages at any given time, means to provide differential signals indicative of the rate-of-change and the inverted rate-of-change of each of said d.c. voltages, and switching means responsive to the d.c. voltage selected by said logic means for actuating said metering means with a differential signal derived from said selected d.c. voltage.

Claim 3

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having modulation envelopes that vary with rotation of the rotor of said transmitter in a manner resembling a three-phase voltage wave, said indicator comprising metering means, phase sensitive rectifying means for producing d.c. voltages having instantaneous magnitudes representative of the modulation envelopes of said carrier waves whereby said d.c. voltages reach their maximum values in a predeterMined first sequence as the rotor rotates in a first direction, differentiating means to produce a time differential voltage corresponding to each of said d.c. voltages, inverter means to provide the inverted differential of each of said d.c. voltages, logic means, means in said logic means to determine the relative magnitude of said d.c. voltages, means in said logic means to select the d.c. voltage having a magnitude intermediate the magnitudes of the remaining two d.c. voltages, means in said logic means to couple the differential voltage corresponding to said intermediate voltage to said metering means when the instantaneous relative magnitudes of said remaining d.c. voltages decrease in the order of said first sequence, and means in said logic means to couple the inverted differential voltage corresponding to said intermediate voltage to said metering means when the instantaneous relative magnitudes of siad remaining d.c. voltages decrease in the order opposite to said first sequence.

Claim 4

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having modulation envelopes that vary with rotation of the rotor of said transmitter in a manner resembling a three-phase voltage wave, said indicator comprising metering means, phase sensitive rectifying means for producing d.c. voltages having instantaneous magnitudes representative of the modulation envelopes of said carrier waves whereby said d.c. voltages reach their maximum values in a predeterMined first sequence as the rotor rotates in a first direction, differentiating means to produce a time differential voltage corresponding to each of said d.c. voltages, inverter means to provide the inverted differential of each of said d.c. voltages, logic means, means in said logic means to determine the relative magnitude of said d.c. voltages, means in said logic means to select the d.c. voltage having a magnitude intermediate the magnitudes of the remaining two d.c. voltages, means in said logic means to couple the differential voltage corresponding to said intermediate voltage to said metering means when the instantaneous relative magnitudes of said remaining d.c. voltages decrease in the order of said first sequence, and means in said logic means to couple the inverted differential voltage corresponding to said intermediate voltage to said metering means when the instantaneous relative magnitudes of siad remaining d.c. voltages decrease in the order opposite to said first sequence.

Claim 5

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having modulation envelopes that vary with rotation of the rotor of said transmitter in a manner resembling a three-phase voltage wave, said indicator comprising metering means, phase sensitive rectifying means for producing voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, said voltages having instantaneous magnitudes representative of the modulation envelopes of said carrier wave, differentiating means to produce time differential voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, inverting means to provide the inverted differentials -VA-VB and -VC respectively, logic means, means in said logic means to determine the relative magnitudes of said d.c. voltages, and means in said logic means to switch appropriate differential signals to said metering means in accordance with the following table: Condition Differential Used VC > VA > VB VA VB > VA > VC -VA VA > VB > VC VB VC > VB > VA -VB VB > VC > VA VC VA > VC > VB -VC

Claim 6

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having modulation envelopes that vary with rotation of the rotor of said transmitter in a manner resembling a three-phase voltage wave, said indicator comprising metering means, phase sensitive rectifying means for producing voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, said voltages having instantaneous magnitudes representative of the modulation envelopes of said carrier wave, differentiating means to produce time differential voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, inverting means to provide the inverted differentials -VA-VB and -VC respectively, logic means, means in said logic means to determine the relative magnitudes of said d.c. voltages, and means in said logic means to switch appropriate differential signals to said metering means in accordance with the following table: Condition Differential Used VC > VA > VB VA VB > VA > VC -VA VA > VB > VC VB VC > VB > VA -VB VB > VC > VA VC VA > VC > VB -VC

Claim 7

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having modulation envelopes that vary with rotation of the rotor of said transmitter in a manner resembling a three-phase voltage wave, said indicator comprising metering means, phase sensitive rectifying means for producing voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, said voltages having instantaneous magnitudes representative of the modulation envelopes of said carrier waves, differentiating means to produce time differential voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, inverting means to provide the inverted differentials -VA, -VB and -VC respectively, logic means, first, second and third comparators in said logic means connected to compare VA with VB, VA with VC and VB with VC respectively, individual inverter means coupled to the output of each of said comparators so that direct and inverted signals may be obtained from said comparators, first gating means connected to provide switch actuating signals when direct signals are received from said first and third comparators, second gating means connected to provide a switch actuating signal when a direct signal is received from said second comparator and an inverted signal is received from said first comparator, third gating means connected to provide a switch actuating signal when a direct signal is received from said first comparator and an inverted signal is received from said second comparator, fourth gating means connected to provide a switch actuating sIgnal when a direct signal is received from said second comparator and an inverted signal is received from said third comparator, fifth gating means connected to provide a switching actuating signal when a direct signal is received from said third comparator and an inverted signal is received from said second comparator, sixth gating means connected to provide a switch actuating signal when inverted signals are received from said first comparator and said third compartor, a bank of six switching means, each arranged to connect a different one of said differential and inverted differential voltages to said metering means in response to different ones of said switch actuating signals.

Claim 8

A turn rate indicator for use with a synchro control transmitter of the type that produces three carrier waves having modulation envelopes that vary with rotation of the rotor of said transmitter in a manner resembling a three-phase voltage wave, said indicator comprising metering means, phase sensitive rectifying means for producing voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, said voltages having instantaneous magnitudes representative of the modulation envelopes of said carrier waves, differentiating means to produce time differential voltages VA, VB and VC respectively, inverting means to provide the inverted differentials -VA, -VB and -VC respectively, logic means, first, second and third comparators in said logic means connected to compare VA with VB, VA with VC and VB with VC respectively, individual inverter means coupled to the output of each of said comparators so that direct and inverted signals may be obtained from said comparators, first gating means connected to provide switch actuating signals when direct signals are received from said first and third comparators, second gating means connected to provide a switch actuating signal when a direct signal is received from said second comparator and an inverted signal is received from said first comparator, third gating means connected to provide a switch actuating signal when a direct signal is received from said first comparator and an inverted signal is received from said second comparator, fourth gating means connected to provide a switch actuating sIgnal when a direct signal is received from said second comparator and an inverted signal is received from said third comparator, fifth gating means connected to provide a switching actuating signal when a direct signal is received from said third comparator and an inverted signal is received from said second comparator, sixth gating means connected to provide a switch actuating signal when inverted signals are received from said first comparator and said third compartor, a bank of six switching means, each arranged to connect a different one of said differential and inverted differential voltages to said metering means in response to different ones of said switch actuating signals.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first and second of said switching means are connected to couple differential and inverted differential voltages corresponding to VA to said metering means in response to signals from said third and second gating means respectively, wherein the third and fourth of said switching means are connected to couple differential and inverted differential voltages corresponding to VB to said metering means in response to signals from said first and sixth gating means respectively, and wherein the fifth and sixth switching means are connected to couple differential and inverted differential signals corresponding to VC to said metering means in response to signals from said fifth and fourth gating means respectively.