Jump to content

Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 75.djvu/43

From Wikisource
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
GYROSTATIC ACTION
39

carried in two smaller frames ff and f'f' which are free to turn about the precession axles P and P'. The axles of spin of the gyrostat wheels are ss and s's', and these axles project as shown at A and A'. The two gyrostat wheels spin in the direction of motion of the hands of a clock as seen from the outer ends of the axles of spin A and A', respectively. The precession axles P and P' are geared together by sectors of gear wheels G and G'. The frame FFFF is hindered from turning about the rocker-axis by the tables H, L, H' and L'; the tables H and L' extend backwards from the plane of the paper, and the tables L and H' extend forwards from the plane of the paper.

Fig. 37.

The action of this mechanism is as follows: Suppose side B' of the car body to be the heavier. The pull of gravity on this heavier side produces spin-momentum about the rail W as an axis, and this spin momentum is absorbed by the precessional motion of the gyrostat wheels, causing both ends of the axles of spin A and A' to move away from the reader in the figure. The unbalanced car, however, in tending to tip over (side B' overloaded), brings the projecting axle A into contact with the table H, the rolling action of the axle A upon the table H hastens the precessional motion, and this hastened precession raises the side B' and lowers the side B of the car-frame, as explained