Abstract: In order to eliminate the day-to-day gyro drift phenomena which result from interaction of the magnetic pole position of the synchronous motor typically used to drive the gyro and the gyro wheel, an induction motor controlled by a phase locked loop referenced to an appropriate control frequency is utilized to drive the gyro.

Abstract: A system for cancelling lock-in in a spring suspended ring laser gyroscope by dithering it at a rate which is a function of measured optical phase and dither rate.

Abstract: In order to provide high accuracy shaft angle to linear DC voltage conversion using low accuracy devices, a linear synchro is excited by a 2.5 KHZ square wave which is power buffered, the square wave also used to synchronously demodulate the output of the wound component by sampling and a demodulated voltage then filtered and scaled to the required levels using commonly available operational amplifiers.

Abstract: In a ring laser gyroscope which has a triangular block configuration, and which incorporates a triangular shaped laser resonant cavity defined by three corner mirrors, including an output mirror, the gyroscope is sinusoidally dithered to reduce lock-in effects at low angular rotational rates and the gyroscope output is corrected for error caused by lock-in at the extremities of each oscillation when the dither velocity is equal to zero by accumulating the ac voltage outputs of a photodiode measuring the light intensity of the interference pattern at each zero dither velocity and when the accumulated phase error reaches 2.pi. an overflow or borrow pulse is generated and added to the normal gyroscope output thereby correcting for the accumulated errors caused by lock-in at zero dither velocity.

Abstract: A device for converting ternary-coded electrical pulse trains into binary-coded pulse trains, by interrupting a binary zero-rate data stream, representing one ternary condition, to supply an output voltage or no output voltage, representing the other ternary conditions.

Abstract: A system for offsetting lock-in in a spring-suspended ring laser gyroscope by dithering it by means of a torquer whose input is controlled by the sum of an analog positive-feedback signal for cancelling out losses due to damping and a piecewise-constant signal for adjusting the effective dither angular velocity phase in each cycle.

Abstract: The adaptation of a heat pipe as a turbo-generator or other power output device for a reliable, quiet, light-weight high-endurance power source is shown. The device requires input thermal energy from a burner radioisotope (or solar heat) and also forced or natural heat rejection from condenser surfaces. Thermal energy conversion to a suitable power output is accomplished by encapsulating a turbine wheel within a heat pipe shell, located in an appropriately geometrical contoured section. Flow work extracted from the kinetic energy of the vapor flow provides rotary shaft power output. The shaft power can drive an electrical generator, pump, compressor, or similar device, also mounted within the heat pipe shell structure. A completely self-contained enclosed unit is provided which requires only external power connection at attachment terminals.

Abstract: A circuit for converting serial binary coded ternary information received on one line into ternary signals for transmission on two lines. The presence or absence of a pulse in a first interval is compared with the presence or absence of a pulse in the succeeding interval and a voltage representing one ternary condition is transmitted on one line if pulses are present, on another line, if pulses are absent, and no signal is transmitted if alternating pulses are received.

Abstract: A piezo-electric crystal vibrating in several modes controls several frequencies generated by voltage controlled oscillators simultaneously. The output of each voltage controlled oscillator is fed to a summing amplifier which drives the crystal. The output of the crystal is fed to individual phase detectors; each phase detector is also supplied with the output of a voltage controlled oscillator and generates a voltage proportional to the phase difference between the voltage controlled oscillator and the crystal output for correcting the output frequency of each oscillator.

Abstract: In order to more efficiently transmit optical data on an optical data bus to a number of members of an optical data transmission community, an electronic active star element which receives signals from each of a plurality of remote terminals, converts the optical signals to electrical signals, amplifies them, and transmits them to the remaining remote terminals is provided.

Abstract: In order to correct errors in a synchro control transmitter, the error in the transmitter is measured at equal angular increments, the magnitude and phase of the maximum error of the second harmonic determined and resistors placed across two pairs of the three transmitter outputs selected such as to establish a second harmonic load unbalance which is approximately equal in magnitude and opposite in phase to the measured error.

Abstract: A kinematic inertial sensor is provided for measuring angular velocity and position relative to inertial space about one or more measurement axes. The kinematic inertial sensor includes an angular rate sensor having a ring of conducting fluid contained in a housing, a set of gimbals for supporting the angular rate sensor, signal generating means, torque applying means, angle measuring means, resolver means, component processing means, and signal applying means.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flexure suspension assembly which includes forming four quadrantally and radially disposed single axis flexure joints in a first cylindrical member and four quadrantally and radially disposed single axis flexure joints in a second cylindrical member. The longitudinal axes of the flexure joints in the first cylindrical member are substantially parallel to the longitudinal cylinder axis which is coincident with the spin axis of the suspension assembly and the longitudinal axes of the joints in the second cylindrical member are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the second member. The first and second members are integrally joined together in concentric relationship with the bending axes of the four joints in each cylinder in radial alignment to form a composite cylindrical member. The composite cylindrical member is then separated by electro discharge machining into the foregoing components of the flexure suspension assembly.