# US 2008/0302194 A1 · Stabilising Means > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0302194 A1 - Document ID: US20080302194A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/064,253 - Filed: 2006-08-25 - Published: 2008-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2005-08-22 - Assignees: Technology Investment Company Pty Ltd - Inventors: Anthony Richard Elms - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080302194A1 ## CPC - B62D 37/06: using gyroscopes - B63B 39/04: to decrease vessel movements by using gyroscopes directly - G01C 19/16: Suspensions; Bearings - Y10T 74/1221: Multiple gyroscopes - Y10T 74/1225: with rotor drives - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A vehicle stabilising means comprising a cradle (23) supported from a mounting (17) to lie to one side of the mounting, a rotor (19) supported from the cradle between a pair of spaced supports (25) to be rotatably supported by the supports, a drive coupled to the rotor enabling the rotor to rotate at a substantially constant angular velocity, the rotor being rotatable about a first axis, the supports located to the side of the cradle remote from the mounting, the cradle further comprises a base (31) which is rotatably supported from the mounting to be rotatable around a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation of the rotor and which intersects the first axis of the rotor, the mounting intended in use to be fixed to the vehicle such that in operation the mean orientation of the first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to the direction of the axis of stabilisation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle stabilising means comprising a pair of cradles, each cradle supported from a mounting such that the cradles are in a generally side by side relationship with respect to each other, each cradle supporting a rotor by a pair of spaced supports, the rotor rotatably supported by the supports to rotate about a first axis, a drive supported from the cradle and coupled to the respective rotor enabling the rotor to rotate about the respective first axis at a substantially constant angular velocity, the rotation of the rotors being in opposite directions, each cradle rotatably supported from the mounting through a single bearing to be rotatable around a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation of the rotor, the mounting intended in use to be fixed to the vehicle such that when the rotors are rotating the mean orientation of the first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to the direction of the axis of stabilisation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein the cradles are supported in a side by side relationship with respect to each other and the control means comprises a control drive interconnecting the cradles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein in use the cradles are positioned to lie transversely side by side within the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 3 wherein the mean orientation of the first axes are substantially co-linear. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein in use the cradles are positioned longitudinally side by side within the vehicle with respect to the fore and aft axis of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 5 wherein the mean orientation of the first axes are substantially parallel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein in use the cradles are located in a side by side relationship along a mounting axis located any position between the fore and aft axis of the vehicle and transverse to the fore and aft axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein the cradles are supported from the mounting in opposed relation to each other to extend from the mounting to opposite sides of the mounting. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein said cradles are linked by a control means adapted to cause equal and opposite precession of the cradles with respect to each other on a precession moment being applied to one or both of the rotors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 9 wherein the control means comprises a gearing interconnection between the cradles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 10 wherein the gearing connection comprises a gear element on each cradle which is at least partially circular, said gear elements being meshingly interconnected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 11 wherein at least one cradle is associated with an second drive means adapted to overcome inertial and/or frictional forces applied to the cradle on a precession moment being applied to the cradle by the rotor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 12 wherein the second drive means comprises at a gear meshingly engaged with the gear element of at least one cradle and driven from a second drive, said second drive being controlled from a controller adapted to sense the induction and variation of the precession moment applied by the rotor to the cradle and to cause the second drive to cause corresponding movement of the cradle to overcome the inertia thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 13 wherein the gear comprises a pinion gear. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 13 wherein the gear comprises a worm gear. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 13 wherein the gear comprises a helical gear. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 13 wherein the second drive is adapted to be able to a apply a damping force to the cradle as result of activation from the controller ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 9 wherein the control means comprises a pulley cord extending around and between each cradle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 18 wherein the cord can be selected from any one or combination of a pulley belt, chain cable or like flexible elongate element. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 18 wherein at least one cradle is associated with a second drive means adapted to overcome inertial and/or frictional forces applied to the cradle on a precession moment being applied to the cradle by the rotor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 9) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 9 wherein the control means comprises a fluid drive drivingly interconnecting the cradles. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 19 wherein at least one cradle is associated with an drive means adapted to overcome inertial and/or frictional forces applied to the cradle on a precession moment being applied to the cradle by the rotor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 9) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 9 wherein at least one cradle is associated with a braking means adapted to provide a braking torque to the cradles on rotation of the cradles beyond a predetermined position displaced angularly from the mean position of the cradle. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 23 wherein the braking means comprises the second drive means. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 23 wherein the braking means is adapted to provide a braking torque to the cradle on the acceleration or deceleration of rotation of the cradle, as a result of the precession moment being applied to the cradle, exceeding a desired limit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 23 wherein the braking means comprises one or more linear actuators connected to one or more cradles. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein each bearing comprises a substantially co-planar slewing bearing capable of supporting radial, axial and tilting loads from a single bearing assembly lying substantially in a single plane. ### Claim 28 A vehicle stabilising means comprising a cradle supported from a mounting, a rotor supported from the cradle by a pair of spaced supports to be rotatably supported by the supports for rotation about a first axis, a drive coupled to the rotor enabling the rotor to rotate about the first axis at a substantially constant angular velocity, the cradle rotatably supported from the mounting through a single bearing assembly to be rotatable around a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation of the rotor, the mounting intended in use to be fixed to the vehicle such that when the rotor is rotating the mean orientation of the first and second axes are substantially perpendicular to the direction of the axis of stabilisation. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 28 wherein the cradle is associated with a second drive means adapted to overcome inertial and/or frictional forces applied to the cradle on a precession moment being applied to the cradle by the rotor. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 28 wherein the bearing comprises a substantially co-planar stewing bearing capable of supporting radial, axial and tilting loads from a single bearing assembly lying substantially in a single plane. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 29 wherein in use the second axes substantially comprises an upright axis of the vehicle. ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) A vehicle having a vehicle stabilising means of the form as claimed in claim 28. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) A vehicle as claimed at claim 1 wherein the vehicle comprises a waterborne vessel. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) A vehicle as claimed at claim 1 wherein the one side of the mounting is uppermost. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) A vehicle as claimed at claim 1 wherein the one side of the mounting is lowermost. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) A vehicle as claimed at claim 1 wherein the one side of the mounting is generally upright. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) A vehicle as claimed at claim 1 wherein the one side of the mounting is inclined. ### Claim 39 (depends on 12) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 12 wherein the second drive means comprises a gear engaged with a further gear element provide on at least one cradle and driven from a second drive, said second drive being controlled from a controller adapted to sense the induction and variation of the precession moment applied by the rotor to the cradle and to cause the second drive to cause corresponding movement of the cradle to overcome the inertia thereof. ### Claim 40 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein the bearing is located to one side of the first axis. ### Claim 41 (depends on 1) A vehicle stabilising means as claimed at claim 1 wherein the bearing comprises a composite bearing.