Paul W Whaley

US Patent:

49585193, Sep 25, 1990

Filed:

Mar 31, 1986

Appl. No.:

6/845490

Inventors:

Paul W. Whaley - Lincoln NE

Assignee:

The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln NE

International Classification:

G01C 1956

US Classification:

73505

Abstract:

To measure low-level angular vibrations such as 10. sup. -6 radians at frequencies from zero to 10 kHz in a small device two embodiments of vibrators are used: one having two parallel spaced-apart steel plates connected at their bottom end to a platform through a magnetic path and aligned with the direction of an axis of rotation of the plate and the other having a tuning fork. Between the steel plates at their upper end in the first embodiment is mounted a source of magnetic flux which, when energized, pulls the two upper ends of the plates together and releases them at a resonant vibrating frequency which is at least ten times the frequency of the highest angular velocity of the platform about the axis. In the second embodiment, a piezoelectric driver is mounted to the tuning fork at a location creating vibration at the required frequency in the tines of the tuning fork. The dimension of the plates or tunes in the direction of measurement is sufficient to prevent bending from the forces of reaction from Coriolis acceleration.