Title:
【発明の名称】重力測定装置を水平化するための装置及び方法
Document Type and Number:
Japanese Patent JPH02504317
Kind Code:
A
Abstract:
Apparatus and method for establishing a level plane and with respect to the level plane, vertically aligning an acceleration sensitive axis of a gravity measurement device (10). The gravity measurement device includes an accelerometer (68), which is rotatably mounted on a gimbal shaft (62) within a gimbal frame (54). The gimbal frame is also rotatable about a longitudinal axis that is preferably oriented at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the gimbal shaft. A stepping motor (20) is connected through an antibacklash gear (30), an idler gear (32) and an antibacklash gear (48) to a drive shaft (50). Rotation of this drive shaft causes the accelerometer to rotate about the gimbal shaft. In a similar fashion, a stepping motor (22) is drivingly connected to a drive shaft (56), used to rotate the gimbal frame. A control (140) selectively energizes the stepping motors, so that the acceleration sensitive axis of the accelerometer is rotated until an output signal from the acceleometer indicates that the acceleration of gravity is zero and thus that the sensitive axis is level at two cross axis positions, thereby determining a level reference plane. The control then causes the accelerometer to be rotated 90 DEG relative to the reference plane, so that the acceleration sensitive axis is vertically aligned, thereby enabling the accelerometer to measure the local acceleration of gravity with minimal error due to vertical alignment.
Inventors:
Harushin, Land H
Application Number:
JP50625389A
Publication Date:
December 06, 1990
Filing Date:
April 14, 1989
Export Citation:
Assignee:
McGoogan, Douglas Campbell
International Classes:
G01P15/00; G01P15/18; G01V7/00; G01V7/02; G01V13/00; (IPC1-7): G01P15/00; G01V7/02; G01V13/00
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Mitsuteru Soga (4 outside)