The Gyroscopic Compass: A Non-Mathematical Treatment

From our description of the cause of the quadrantal error it should be clear that it is of a variable erratic nature, or at least that, unlike the latitude and north steaming er...

A plan and sectional elevation of the modern form of Anschütz compass are given in Figs. 50 and 51. The casings of the three gyros K L M hang by vertical stalks below a triangul...

Let a stone be tied to the end of a string and be flung forward while the free end of the string is held in the hand. Let the hand holding the free end be moved forward at first...

Reviewing what we have already established, we see that a gyroscopic system possessing “three degrees of freedom” and having a pendulum weight fixed below the wheel manifests a...

Let us now suppose that the gyroscopic system shown in Fig. 1--without the weight W--is placed on the equator as represented at P (Fig. 7), and that the axle is set pointing due...

The source of error which we have just discussed affects the gyro-compass whether it is on land or on a ship. We have now to discuss certain errors which are only met with when...

In the preceding chapter we demonstrated the necessity for damping the horizontal oscillatory movement of the gyro-compass axle and discussed the nature of damped vibrations in...

Let a wheel A (Fig. 1) be mounted on an axle B C journalled within a horizontal ring D. Let this ring in turn be mounted on journals E F within a vertical ring G and, further, l...

Having considered the effect of the ship’s speed upon the readings of the gyro-compass, we have next to discuss the effect of the conditions which arise when the speed is change...

In addition to the “kicks” of the pendulous weight, which during quadrantal rolling, as we have seen, react gyroscopically upon the compass and tend to make the axle deviate fro...

Having explained the necessity for damping the horizontal vibrations of the gyro-compass axle and how the damping force is generated and applied in the Anschütz, Sperry, and Bro...

In the Sperry gyro-compass the damping system adopted is mechanically of a very different nature from that used in the early Anschütz, although the theoretical principle of acti...

The Brown compass is the invention of Mr. S. G. Brown, F.R.S., of North Acton, with Professor John Perry, F.R.S., in association as technical adviser and co-patentee. It has bee...

In both the Sperry and the early Anschütz compass the natural oscillation of the sensitive element about the vertical axis is damped by applying a retarding moment to the elemen...

A general view of the Sperry compass as removed from the binnacle is given in Fig. 45. This view depicts the compass as it would be seen looking forward on a vessel steaming tow...

Some few words of description fall to be made regarding certain mechanical and electrical features of the principal types of gyro-compass--features, that is, which, not being pr...

At this date it is, or should be, unnecessary to open an account of the gyroscopic compass with a discussion of the defects of the ordinary magnetic compass. These defects are t...