Can you help identifying these parts?

I am wondering if anyone can help me identify the part shown in the pictures attached.
I only have the following information from the box as follows:

Resolver Ball 2"
Single No 2 Mark 1

Manufacted by G.E.C
August 1955
D.O/6/insts/7904/cb32b
PKD S.E.1. FC/misc/647H

Any help in identifying this part and it's use would greatly appreciated, so that I can find the right home for it and hopefully the 6 (sealed and boxed) others I also have.

thanks in advance.

That's a good one. Never heard of a Ball Resolver. A quick internet search shows that it's part of an analog computer used as part of a Nav Instrument package, probably used for polar or oceanic flight. Being 50s vintage and apparently primarily used in military applications, it almost cries out B-47 StratoJet. A description of the function can be read at http://terry-kidd.blogspot.com/2009/...computers.html.

More data is available at http://www.moog.com/literature/MCG/M...erAppGuide.pdf. In part it says: Resolvers provide accurate position and velocity
feedback as well as commutation in precision equipment, without the structural or temperature restrictions imposed by other electronic feedback devices. They are resistant to the shock and vibration levels often encountered in military and aerospace applications.

Last on the list from searching, I found a military handbook about ball resolvers dated 1962. The URL is pretty lengthy, but try this from a google search: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.aWw&cad=rja

Sorry I can't be of more help. You do have something that's pretty unique and new to me.

-Cub Builder

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Originally Posted by cub builder

That's a good one. Never heard of a Ball Resolver. A quick internet search shows that it's part of an analog computer used as part of a Nav Instrument package, probably used for polar or oceanic flight. Being 50s vintage and apparently primarily used in military applications, it almost cries out B-47 StratoJet. A description of the function can be read at http://terry-kidd.blogspot.com/2009/...computers.html.

More data is available at http://www.moog.com/literature/MCG/M...erAppGuide.pdf. In part it says: Resolvers provide accurate position and velocity
feedback as well as commutation in precision equipment, without the structural or temperature restrictions imposed by other electronic feedback devices. They are resistant to the shock and vibration levels often encountered in military and aerospace applications.

Last on the list from searching, I found a military handbook about ball resolvers dated 1962. The URL is pretty lengthy, but try this from a google search: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.aWw&cad=rja

Sorry I can't be of more help. You do have something that's pretty unique and new to me.

-Cub Builder

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thanks so much for the info, as you can probably tell the more info I can get the better.

I got curious too and did some web research. This appears to be an analog computer used to solve fire control calculations. The best source I could uncover was a document from MIT with a short history, but unfortunately no information on where or how this was used.

http://web.mit.edu/STS.035/www/PDFs/Newell.pdf