Abstract: A position detector is provided for detecting the relative movement of first and second members which are mounted for relative movement along a measuring path. One of the members comprises a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field and the other member comprises first and second conductors which are inductively coupled to said magnetic field generator. The arrangement of the first and second conductors and the magnetic field generator is such that output signals are generated in a first and second receive circuits whose position varies with the relative movement between the two members. In addition to carrying information relating to the relative position between the two members, the signals induced in the receive circuits also comprise information defining the relative orientation of the two movable members, and by suitable processing of the received signals the relative orientation of the two members can also be determined.

Abstract: A sensor head is provided for use in a apparatus for indicating the position of a movable member relative to a fixed member. It has two multi-turn sensor windings, each including repetitive pattern of series connected alternate sense loops of conductor. One sensor winding is in spatial phase quadrature with the other sensor winding, and the arrangement of the windings is such that the mid points of the sensor windings coincide. The sensor head is particularly suited for use in indicating the position of a movable member relative to a fixed member as it is relatively insensitive to longitudinal tilt relative to the other member.