| 摘要 |
587,438. Automatic steering control systems. BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION. June 4, 1942, No. 7647. Convention date, May 15, 1941. [Class 38 (iv)] [Also in Group XXXVIII] A device for ascertaining the direction of a source of sound comprises directional and non-directional microphones, and means energized by the microphones to turn the support of the device in that direction. The device may be used to steer a projectile towards a source of sound such as an aeroplane.. In the arrangement shown a directional microphone 10, which may be of the ribbon type, is carried by a vertical shaft 20 that rotates a pointer 31 over a scale 32 and is also geared to a shaft 23. A non-directional microphone 27 is mounted above and close to the microphone 10. The output of the microphone 10 is connected through an amplifier 15 to windings on two opposite poles 18 of an indication motor 17, and the microphone 27 is similarly connected to poles 19 which are at right angles to the poles 18. The rotor 26 of this motor is geared to the shaft 23 and is thus able to rotate the microphone 10 about its vertical axis. The difference in the outputs from the microphones causes the microphone 10 to be turned by the shaft 23 until it faces the direction of the sound, which also will be indicated by the pointer 31. The same result can be obtained by using three stationary directional microphones instead of the single movable directional microphone 10. The three microphones are arranged one above the other and closely adjacent, the ribbon of each being displaced 120 degrees with respect' to the others. The microphones are separately connected to three pole-windings of an indication motor the rotor of which having a winding that is connected to opposite polewindings of another motor, similar to the motor 17. The other windings of this motor are connected to a non-directional microphone. The rotors of the two motors are geared to one another and to an indicating pointer. In each case, the arrangement may be mounted on an aircraft to give the pilot some indication of the position of an enemy aircraft. A similar arrangement may be used for steering a selfsteering glider-projectile which, when dropped from an aeroplane in the path of approaching enemy aircraft, glides downwards and is steered towards the enemy aircraft by the noise of the engine. The glider-projectile may be provided with a suitable relay which explodes it when the noise of the target aircraft reaches a predetermined volume. Means may be provided also for exploding the projectile before it reaches the ground should it miss its target. |
