March 26, 1957 :1. |_.

RUSSELL 2,786,361
GIMBAL MECHANISMS
Filed Dec. 28, 1953

—34
United States Patent 0 1C6 2,786,361
i-ir’atentecl Mar. 26, 1957

A ?exible wire 17 is secured to gimbal member 10

at 18 and is wrapped around the outside surface of gim
2,786,361 bal member 10 to pass between this member and roller
14. It then passes around a further roller 19 and has
GllVlBAL MECHANISMS its other end secured to the frame at a point 20.
James Langley Russell, Luton, England, assignor to The A similar ?exible wire 21 is secured to the other end
English Electric Company Limited, London, England, of gimbal member 10 at point 22 and passes between
a British Company the gimbal member and roller 15, around roller 23 to
Application December 28, 1953, Serial No. 400,729 an anchorage on the frame at point 24.
10 Roller 19 is secured to a piston 25 by a piston rod
Claims priority, application Great Britain January 9, 1953 26. Piston 25 works in a hydraulic cylinder 27 to force
3 Claims. (Cl. 74—-95) roller 19 away and apply tension to wire 17. Roller 23
is similarly forced by a corresponding piston 28 and hy
draulic cylinder 29 to apply tension to wire 21.
This invention relates to a gimbal mechanism; i. e. 15 By application of pressure ?uid through the port 31
a mechanism comprising a gimbal member upon which to cylinder 27 at higher pressure than ?uid applied
a device is pivotally mounted, a gimbal member itself through the port 32 to cylinder 29, the tension in wire
being mounted on a frame pivotally about an axis per 17 may be increased above that in wire 21. Piston 25
pendicular to a plane containing the pivotal axis of the will then move outwards expelling ?uid through the port
device in the gimbal member. 20 33 while piston 28 moves inwards and ?uid is admitted
According to a feature of the present invention, a through the port 34 and gimbal member 10 will be turned
mechanism comprises a gimbal member having two co between rollers 14, 15 and 16 in the direction which ap
extensive part~circular opposed concentric surfaces, pears anti-clockwise in the drawing. The ports 33 and
means to support the gimbal member comprising two 34 may be connected together.
rollers both bearing upon one of the surfaces and at 25 Rotation of re?ector 13 about the axis of its bearings
least one other roller bearing upon that part of the other 11 and 12 is independently effected by a motor diagram
surface corresponding to the minor arc between said matically indicated at 30.
two rollers, and means to move the gimbal member cir It will be seen that the mechanism shown in the draw
cumferentially between the rollers. ing can be constructed to occupy a space of small over
According to a further feature of the invention, said 30 all width, which in some applications is a great advantage.
means to move the gimbal member comprises a pair of What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by
?exible rope-like members fastened one near each end Letters Patent is:
of an outwardly facing surface of the gimbal member 1. A mechanism comprising a gimbal member having
and passing around this surface over each of a pair of two co-extensive part-circular opposed concentric sur
adjacently disposed pulleys to a means for applying and 35 faces, means to support the gimbal member comprising
controlling tension in the rope-like members. Said rope two rollers both bearing upon one of the surfaces and at
like members may be lengths of cord, wire-rope, chain least one other roller bearing upon that part of the other
or tape, etc. surface corresponding to the minor are between said two
According to another feature of the invention, the rollers, and means to move the gimbal member circum
means for applying and controlling tension comprises 40 ferentially between the rollers.
a pair of ?uid pressure-controlled piston and cylinder 2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said
units in which the rope-like members are each fastened means to move the gimbal member comprises a pair of
to a piston attachment. ?exible rope-like members fastened one near each end
According to a preferred feature of the invention the of an outwardly facing surface of the gimbal member
means for applying and controlling tension comprises a 45 and passing around this surface over each of a pair of
pair of ?uid pressure-controlled piston and cylinder units adjacently disposed pulleys to a means for applying and
in which the rope-like members each pass over a pulley controlling tension in the rope-like members.
mounted on a piston attachment and have the ends which 3. A mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said
are not fastened to the surface of the gimbal member pair of adjacently disposed pulleys is formed by grooves
50 in the two rollers which bear upon the surface of the
fastened to a ?xed point in the mechanism.
According to a still further feature of the invention gimbal member.
said pair of adjacently disposed pulleys is formed by
grooves in the two rollers which bear upon the surface References Cited in the ?le of this patent
of the gimbal member. 55 UNITED STATES PATENTS
A gimbal mechanism which embodies the invention in 667,312 Hetlesaeter ___________ __ Feb. 5, 1901
preferred form is diagrammatically illustrated in plan 1,204,527 Wood _______________ __ Nov. 14, 1916
view in the accompanying drawing. 1,266,474 Hunt _______________ __ May 14, 1918
A semi-circular gimbal ring 10 supports, through 1,579,900 Trimbath ____________ __ Apr. 6, 1926
pivotal bearings 11 and 12, the axis of which lies in the 60 1,938,027 Kidder ______________ __ Dec. 5, 1933
plane of the ?gure, a re?ector dish 13 for a radar aerial.
2,134,557 Hilbish ______________ __ Oct. 25, 1938
The gimbal member 10 is in turn supported from a
2,512,636 Flynt ________________ __ June 27, 1950
frame (not shown) by passing between two rollers 14
and 15 which are carried by the frame and bear upon FOREIGN PATENTS
the outside surface of gimbal member 10, and a further 65 20,095 Great Britain ________ .. May 23, 1912
roller 16 which bears on the inside surface and is also
carried by the frame.