Electro-pneumatic hydraulic control systems

A roll control system comprising:

• electrolytic pickoff means (174) for sensing the roll of a vehicle in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction and for providing a corresponding DC voltage;
• first (160) and fourth (168) valves connected to receive DC voltage and to be operated if said vehicle rolls in a clockwise direction;
• second (158) and third (170) valves connected to receive a DC voltage and to be operated if said vehicle rolls in a counter-clockwise direction;
• first (62) and second (90) pistons hydraulically connected to said respective first (160) and fourth (168) valves, and first (62) and second (90) pistons hydraulically connected to said respective third (170) and second (158) valves;
• negative hydraulic pressure means connected to said first (160) and second (158) valves for providing negative hydraulic pressure to said first (62) and second (90) pistons upon operation of said respective first (160) and second (158) valves;
• positive hydraulic pressure means connected to said third (170) and fourth (168) valves for providing positive hydraulic pressure to said first (62) and second (90) pistons upon operation of said respective third (170) and fourth (168) valves;
• and
• first and second impeller rotation means for increasing the speed of said first impeller rotation means and decreasing the speed of said second impeller rotation means upon operation of said first (160) and fourth (168) valves and for decreasing the speed of said first impeller rotation means and increasing the speed of second impeller rotation means upon operation of said second (158) and third (170) valves.

A pitch control system comprising:

• electrolytic means (198) for sensing the pitch of a vehicle in both the upward and downward direction and providing a corresponding DC voltage;
• first (204) and second (206) valves connected to receive a DC voltage and to be operated if said vehicle commits a pitching error in the upward direction;
• third (202) and fourth (208) valves connected to receive a DC voltage and to be operated if said vehicle commits a pitching error in the downward direction;
• first (100) and second (106) pistons hydraulically connected to said respective first (204) and second (206) valves, and first (100) and second (106) pistons hydraulically connected to said respective third (202) and fourth (208) valves;
• negative hydraulic pressure means connected to said first (204) and fourth (208) valves for providing negative hydraulic pressure to said first (100) and second (106) pistons upon operation of said respective first (204) and fourth (208) valves;
• positive hydraulic pressure means connected to said second (206) and third (202) valves for providing positive hydraulic pressure to said first (100) and second (106) pistons upon operation of said respective second (206) and third (202) valves;
• and
• upper and lower opening and closing means including respective upper and lower hatches, each connected to one of said respective first (100) and second (106) pistons for simultaneously closing said upper hatch and opening said lower hatch if said vehicle commits a pitching error in the downward direction and for simultaneously opening said upper hatch and closing said lower hatch if said vehicle commits a pitching error in the upward direction.

An azimuth control system comprising:

• a vehicle;
• a magnetic north (178) seeking device contained in said vehicle, said magnetic north seeking device being rotated by a change in angular position of said vehicle, said north seeking device converting angular position to a linearly variable DC voltage of predetermined polarity;
• an azimuth selection potentiometer (180) adapted to provide a preselected DC voltage that is equal and of opposite polarity than the DC voltage generated by said magnetic north seeking device for like angles;
• comparator means (182 and 184) for receiving DC voltage from said magnetic north seeking device and said azimuth selection potentiometer, said comparator means having two output terminals for providing an error signal to a selected one of said two output terminals, said selected one being determined by the comparative magnitude of said magnetic north seeking device DC voltage and said azimuth selection potentiometer DC voltage;
• first (186) and second (188) valves connected to receive a DC voltage and to be operated if said magnetic north seeking device DC signal is of a larger magnitude than said azimuth selection potentiometer DC signal;
• third (194) and fourth (196) valves connected to receive a DC voltage and to be operated if said azimuth selection potentiometer DC signal is of a larger magnitude than said magnetic north seeking device DC signal;
• first (190) and second (192) pistons hydraulically connected to said respective first (186) and second (188) valves, and said first (190) and second (192) pistons hydraulically connected to said respective third (194) and fourth (196) valves;
• positive hydraulic pressure means connected to said second (188) and third (194) valves for providing positive hydraulic pressure to said first (190) and second (192) pistons upon operation of said respective second (188) and third (194) valves;
• negative hydraulic pressure means connected to said first (186) and fourth (196) valves for providing negative hydraulic pressure to said first (190) and second (192) pistons upon operation of said respetive first (186) and fourth (196) valves;
• and
• port and starboard opening and closing means including respective port and starboard hatches, each connected to one of said respective first (190) and second (192) pistons for simultaneously closing said port hatch and opening said starboard hatch to turn vehicle toward the port and simultaneously opening said port hatch and closing said starboard hatch to turn said vehicle toward the starboard.