Stabilized antenna arrangement
AssigneeThe Marconi Company Limited
InventorsRichard W. Crook, Ian Coghill, David R. James
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stabilized ship borne antenna arrangement is provided with an antenna which is stabilized against pitching and rolling motions of the ship on which it is mounted. The antenna is intended to rotate in azimuth about a stabilized vertical axis and it is mounted on a rotatable member which rotates about an unstabilized axis, which is fixed relative to the ship. Linear actuators link the antenna to the rotatable member with the lengths of the actuators being adjusted so as to maintain the vertical axis of the antenna as it rotates. The stabilized portion of the antenna arrangement is relatively light with a low center of gravity.
Claims10
A stabilised ship borne antenna arrangement comprising:
- a rotatable member arranged to rotate about an unstabilised axis which, in use, is fixed relative to the ship;
- a directional antenna mounted on said rotatable member so as to be rotatable therewith;
- an azimuth drive linkage arranged to transfer rotational motion from said rotatable member to said antenna, said linkage including at least two pin joints each rotatable about one of two mutually perpendicular axes, one of said at least two pin joints coupling said linkage to said rotatable member, and another of said at least two pin joints coupling said linkage to said antenna;
- a multi-axis joint mounting said antenna, the weight of said antenna being substantially wholly transmitted to said rotatable member via said multi-axis joint and said multi-axis joint permitting rotational movement about at least said two mutually perpendicular axes;
- two controllable actuators coupled between said rotatable member and said antenna for stabilising the azimuth axis of said antenna against pitch and roll motions of the ship, said actuators being positioned so that when they act in the same sense they cause movement of said antenna about a first predetermined axis, and when said two actuators act in mutually opposite senses they cause movement of said antenna about a second predetermined axis that is perpendicular to said first predetermined axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.