Abstract: In a magnet wire fabrication process in which the drawing of wire is "in-line" with the enameling process, it is often a requirement that the drawing machines be supplied with electrical power from the utility grid rather than relying on an "in-house," closely regulated supply of electrical power. In such cases, during voltage dips on the grid, the drawing machine motors will slow down while the wires continue to be pulled from the drawing machine at the same speed as before. A wire accumulator is interposed between the drawing machines and the enameling oven to prevent breakage of wire by providing an accumulation of wire to be used in the event of such a voltage dip. The present invention discloses an apparatus for controlling the various channels of the accumulator so as to provide roughly equivalent amounts of wire in each channel so that the integrity of all channels during a power dip is assured. A central operator control station for effecting the desired control is disclosed.

Abstract: The fabrication of magnet wire in an "in-line" drawing-enameling process is monitored by a local operator control station having an alarm display format screen stored therein for operator call-up via a remote controller for displaying a plurality of alarmed parameters in a time ordered sequence. The local operator station includes a local signal processor, a keyboard, a display and an input/output port. The remote controller includes a remote signal processor, a digital input/output device, and a plurality of modular cassette tape players. The first to occur alarm is sensed and is verbally annunciated while, at the same time, the alarm signal is stored and time tagged. If one or more alarms subsequently occur, an operator may wish to determine the nature of these later occurring alarms and the exact sequence in which the alarms occurred.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring a rod mill and flexible wire drawn and annealed from a stiff coil of rod in the rod mill are disclosed. The fault signals provided by an eddy-current tester are counted on a per unit time basis in order to permit the detection of rod mill problems before serious deterioration of the mill occurs. This is accomplished by direct observation of an increasing rate of fault signal occurrence. A totalized fault signal count is also provided to aid in detecting low quality wire. This is accomplished by direct observation of uniformly high levels of fault signals. A control function is disclosed whereby the rod mill is shutdown in the presence of a high rate of increase in fault signal occurrences. A "change coil" message may be sent upon detecting uniformly high levels of faults. Fault signals are stored and identified for purposes of traceability.

Abstract: A high efficiency current limit circuit comprises a current sensor, a control unit responsive to the current sensor for providing a control signal to a solid-state series pass element which limits load current. A thermal safety circuit provides overtemperature circuit protection. Together, the current limit circuit and thermal safety circuit provide continuous short circuit protection (of indefinite time duration) with automatic recovery upon removal of the short.

Abstract: A wire prebreak/break sensor is disclosed for use in a low cost verbal annunciator system for use in monitoring a wire fabrication process. Wire exiting a drawing machine is accumulated and has its tension controlled by a dancer arm. According to the present invention, a wire accumulator having a plurality of channels is used as a wire prebreak/break sensor. The accumulator comprises a plurality of rods having sheaves on a end of each supported on a support structure to which each rod is pivoted on an axis. A plurality of position sensors are responsive to the positions of the various rods and provide a position signal having a magnitude indicative thereof. An operator input device is responsive to operator initiated input action for providing input signals indicative of wire gauge. A signal processor is responsive to the position signals and to the operator input signals and retrieves a pair of boundary signals in response to the magnitude of the gauge size input signals.

Abstract: A Power-On-Reset (POR) Circuit compares a logic supply voltage to a reference voltage and provides a logic voltage validity signal if the logic voltage is greater than the reference voltage; the circuit delays, on startup, the validity signal for a selected period and then provides a drive signal for driving a solid-state switch which provides an open circuit on the presence of the drive signal, indicating logic voltage validity, and a short circuit in its absence, indicating invalidity; and the circuit immediately disables the drive signal if the logic voltage falls below the reference voltage. The selected start-up delay period is independent of the supply voltage magnitude.

Abstract: The insulation of a plurality of grounded wires may be tested subsequent to fabrication and prior to spooling by use of a corresponding plurality of modular circuit boards installed in a continuity tester. Each modular circuit board has its own on board DC power supply and clock generator for enhancing isolation, thereby decreasing crosstalk between channels and reducing spurious "sympathetic" faults. AC or DC high voltage testing may be selected. Isolation is also enhanced by using a sheaves separated by teflon insulators, all mounted on a common rod.

Abstract: A method for phase biasing a fiber-optic SAGNAC rotation sensor is disclosed comprising the inclusion near one end of the sensing coil of a phase modulator consisting of a second coil of fiber free to rotate independently of the sensing coil. The modulator coil is made to oscillate and the desired phase difference modulation is produced by means of the SAGNAC effect in the oscillating coil. Two novel modulator drivers are disclosed. Both have a rigid support hub having radially extending spokes which bend in mechanical synchronism in response to a piezoelectrically induced motive force. The optical fiber is wrapped like a rim around the outside of the spokes for being rotated in an oscillatory manner to effect the desired phase difference modulation.

Abstract: A printed circuit board heat sink retainer is disclosed comprising a mating pair of sawtoothed bars with slidably engaging teeth. The bars are laterally spread apart and held by a forcing device, which may be a screw or a spring, in order to push against and hold a heat sink in a channel. The distance between successive teeth may be constant in both bars or may be constant in one bar and may decrease in a direction toward the forcing device in the second bar.

Abstract: A high optical efficiency dual spectra pyrometer for measuring the temperature of a target includes an optical guide for collecting and guiding a target optical beam to a detection module which comprises an interference filter and photodetectors adjustably positioned to provide efficient coupling of the target optical beam thereto. The pyrometer additionally includes a signal processor which receives the signals from the photodetectors, as well as signals indicative of an estimated fireball equivalent black body temperature and the spectral width difference between the two detector signals, and provides a compensated temperature signal.

Abstract: A plurality of redundant channels in a system each contain a global image of all the configuration data bases in each of the channels in the system. Each global image is updated periodically from each of the other channels via cross channel data links. The global images of the local configuration data bases in each channel are separately symmetrized using a voting process to generate a system signal configuration data base which is not written into by any other routine and is available for indicating the status of the system within each channel. Equalization may be imposed on a suspect signal and a number of "chances" for that signal to "heal" itself are provided before excluding it from future votes. Reconfiguration is accomplished upon detecting a channel which is deemed invalid. A reset function is provided which permits an externally generated reset signal to permit a previously excluded channel to be reincluded within the system.

Abstract: A miscomparison between a channel's configuration data base and a voted system configuration data base in a redundant channel system having identically operating, frame synchronous channels triggers autoequalization of the channel's historical signal data bases in a hierarchical, chronological manner with that of a correctly operating channel. After equalization, symmetrization of the channel's configuration data base with that of the system permits upgrading of the previously degraded channel to full redundancy. An externally provided equalization command, e.g., manually actuated, can also trigger equalization.

Abstract: An elevator monitoring apparatus and method are disclosed in which an elevator is modeled as operating in a closed loop chain of normal operating states from which message initiating transitions to abnormal states causes the latest to occur of a selected number of monitored events are recovered from a storage buffer as an aid to an analysis of an abnormal state. Door and motion closed loop chain state machines are disclosed as effective tools for abnormal event detection, especially for a state machine approach implemented within an elevator controller.

Abstract: A capacitance pressure measuring circuit includes a pressure sensitive capacitive transducer and a reference capacitor that are configured in a differential mode to alternately charge and discharge in response to square wave signals. An integrator receives signals from the capacitors and outputs two voltage levels. These voltage levels are provided to a synchronous clock driven selectable sample and hold stage and then to a differential amplifier. The amplifier provides a linear voltage signal proportional to the change in the difference in capacitance of the transducer divided by the capacitance of the integrator.

Abstract: The insulation of a plurality of grounded wires may be tested subsequent to fabrication and prior to spooling by use of a corresponding plurality of modular circuit boards installed in an AC/DC continuity tester having enhanced isolation features including on board DC power supplies and clock generators. A signal processor gathers fault data from each board and provides a fault count signal for each wire which may be printed out on a printer within the tester. Isolation between channels is enhanced by using a simple and compact test head having a plurality of rollers or sheaves separated by teflon spacers, all mounted on a common rod.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for winding an advancing strand onto a spool having a barrel and a pair of end flanges utilizing a strand traverse guide reciprocated relative to the spool at a linear speed proportional to the relative rotational velocity of the spool. The spool may have flat end pieces or tapered ends. The barrel of the spool may be cylindrical or tapered. The end limits of reciprocation of the strand guide are established in relation to the spool base and are determined based on the rotational speed of the spool, the linear speed of the strand and the known geometry of the spool.

Abstract: Apparatus and method is disclosed for determining position with light by providing input light at an input light port of an optical cavity having a variable length dimension and detecting light which has traversed the variable length dimension at an output light port of the optical cavity and determining the present length of the variable length dimension using the detected light as a measure.

Abstract: The power required for a helicopter to hover is generated (14, 82) as the ratio of current operating power in forward flight (12, 77) determined (10, 73) from data relating operating power in forward flight to power required for hover for the aircraft. The power required to hover is compared (18, 83) with the maximum power available developed (16, FIG. 2; FIG. 3) by an engine model algorithm utilizing actual engine parameters. The comparison of maximum power to power required for hover is utilized to provide an indication (22) to the pilot. The viability of the indication is indicated by a "ready" indication (26).

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor utilizing the Coriolis effect on a fluid jet employs a metal diaphragm impulse jet pump with no valves to reduce temperature sensitivity. The pump anvil, the nozzle block and the sensor plug may all be fabricated of the same material to further reduce temperature sensitivity. The thickness of the sensing elements is selected to reduce temperature sensitivity still further.

Abstract: A high fault coverage, instruction modeled self-test for a signal processor in a user environment is disclosed. The self-test executes a sequence of sub-tests and issues a state transition signal upon the execution of each sub-test. The self-test may be combined with a watchdog activity monitor (WAM) which provides a test-failure signal in the presence of a counted number of state transitions not agreeing with an expected number. An independent measure of time may be provided in the WAM to increase fault coverage by checking the processor's clock. Additionally, redundant processor systems are protected from inadvertent unsevering of a severed processor using a unique unsever arming technique and apparatus.