Paras, Jessie Jay BSMT 12 – A5

Principle of a Gyro Compass

Gyrocompass is working with the highspeed gyro rotor (gyroscope) to accurately

seek the direction of true north. It operates by seeking an equilibrium direction

under the combined effects of the force of gravity and the rotation of earth.

Gyro Compass is a navigational compass containing gyroscope motor that registers

the direction of true north along the surface of the earth and it does not depend on

magnetism.

A compass with a motorized gyroscope whose angular momentum interacts with

the force produced by the earth’s rotation to maintain a north-south orientation of

the gyroscopic spin axis, by providing a stable directional reference.

 GYRO COMPASS

INNER GIMBAL PIVOT - The inner gimbal is mounted in the outer gimbal so
as to pivot about an axis in its own plane, which axis is always perpendicular to the
pivotal axis of the outer gimbal.
GIMBAL RING - A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an
object about a single axis. For example, on a ship, the gyroscopes, shipboard
compasses, stoves, and even drink holders typically use gimbals to keep them
upright with respect to the horizon despite the ship's pitching and rolling.
OUTER GIMBAL PIVOT - The outer gimbal or ring is mounted so as to pivot
about an axis in its own plane determined by the support.
SUPPORT BRACKET - In mechanical engineering a bracket is any intermediate
component for fixing one part to another, usually larger, part. To enable the
outstretched arm to support a greater weight, a bracket will often have a third arm
running diagonally between the horizontal and vertical arms, or the bracket may be
a solid triangle.
CARD SYNCHRONISING GEAR - A synchronization gear (also known as a
gun synchronizer or interrupter gear) was a device used by a single-engine tractor
configuration aircraft to fire its forward-firing armament through the arc of its
spinning propeller without bullets striking the blades. This allowed the aircraft,
rather than the gun, to be aimed at the target.
COMPASS BOWL - That part of a compass in which the compass card is
mounted.
PRISM - in optics, a piece of translucent glass or crystal used to form a spectrum
of light separated according to colors. Its cross section is usually triangular. The
light becomes separated because different wavelengths or frequencies are refracted
(bent) by different amounts as they enter the prism obliquely and again as they
leave it (see refraction). The shorter wavelengths, toward the blue or violet end of
the spectrum, are refracted by the greatest amount; the longer wavelengths, toward
the red end, are refracted the least. The Nicol prism is a special type of prism made
of calcite; it is used for polarization of light.
LUBBERS LINE - a fixed line on the compass of a ship or airplane that is aligned
with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle
RELATIVE BEARING RING - In nautical navigation the relative bearing of an
object is the clockwise angle from the heading of the vessel to a straight line drawn
from the observation station on the vessel to the object.
COMPASS CARD - A freely pivoting circular disk carrying the magnetic needles
of a compass and marked with the 32 points of the compass and the 360 degrees of
the circle.
AZIMUTH CIRCLE - a device for measuring azimuths, consisting of a graduated
ring equipped with a sighting vane on each side, which fits concentrically over a
compass.
SHADE GLASS - A darkened transparency that can be moved into the line of
sight of an optical instrument, such as a sextant, to reduce the intensity of light
reaching the eye.