Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Patrick S. Yoder
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Patent number: 5685650Abstract: A bearing assembly includes an improved clamping arrangement for securement to a shaft. The inner ring of the bearing assembly includes a tapered inner surface generally complementary to a tapered outer surface of a tapered adapter. Each of the tapered adapter and the inner ring member include an axial extension portion which are situated to be proximate one another during use. A nut is provided interconnecting the extension portions such that relative axial movement may be effected between the inner ring member and the tapered adapter. As a result, the bearing assembly may be secured to or removed from the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1996Date of Patent: November 11, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventors: Howard M. Martinie, Roman M. Wajda
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Patent number: 5685910Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for coating an electromagnetic coil, particularly stator coils for an electric motor, with an insulating catalyzed resin material. The catalyzed resin material is a two component material comprising an epoxy resin and a catalyst. The catalyzed resin material is a free flowing liquid at a first temperature and begins to cure rapidly at a second elevated temperature. The stator coils are first heated by supplying current to the stator coils to raise the temperature of the stator coils to the first temperature. The free flowing liquid catalyzed resin material is dispensed through nozzles onto the stator coils as the stator coils and the nozzles move relative to each other. After the liquid catalyzed resin material has been dispensed in a predetermined amount, at predetermined locations, for predetermined times, the catalyzed resin material is allowed to penetrate the stator coils.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 1995Date of Patent: November 11, 1997Assignee: Reliance Electric Industrial CompanyInventors: James L. Thigpen, Walter G. Stiffler, James B. Keys, David T. McKinney, Sidney Bell
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Patent number: 5684374Abstract: A method and apparatus for tuning an external velocity loop servo drive of the type including a controller, a command device, an external velocity servo amplifier, an actuator and a position feedback device. The tuning technique include the use of three unidirectional motion events of descending duration. In the first motion event the controller applies a control signal of known amplitude to the actuator and monitors the actuator velocity based upon the position feedback signals. The controller determines the actuator steady state velocity during the motion event and uses this value to determine a scaling factor for the servo amplifier. In a second motion event, the controller drives the actuator in acceleration and deceleration in response to a control signal of known amplitude. Based upon the times at which the actuator reaches certain anticipated velocities, the controller determines system dynamic characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 1995Date of Patent: November 4, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Mark A. Chaffee
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Patent number: 5684375Abstract: A tuning method and apparatus are provided for tuning gain values in a motion control system. The system is of the type including an input device for generating position command signals, an actuator for displacing a physical element to a desired location in response to control signals, a sensor for generating feedback signals representative of the position of the physical element and a controller coupled to the input device, the sensor and the actuator for processing the command and feedback signals and generating control signals for driving the actuator in response to the command and feedback signals. The controller multiples at least one parameter error signal derived from the command and feedback signals by a gain value to generate the control signals. The technique includes the steps of accelerating and decelerating the actuator and monitoring the feedback signals during the acceleration and deceleration phases of motion.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1995Date of Patent: November 4, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventors: Mark A. Chaffee, Thomas J. Rehm
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Patent number: 5657194Abstract: A reset circuit for an overload relay includes a timing circuit coupled to a switching circuit for automatically resetting the relay a predetermined time after a trip. The timing circuit includes a capacitor and a resistor in parallel with a reset coil. The capacitor is charged during normal operation and begins to discharge through the resistor following a trip at a first rate determined by the size of the resistor. The switching circuit includes a pair of transistors, a pair of capacitors and a pair of resistors. When the capacitor in the timing circuit has discharged a predetermined amount following a trip, the switching circuit is triggered and couples the capacitor to ground through one of the transistors, causing a rush of current through the reset coil sufficient to reset the relay.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1995Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Richard W. Waltz
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Patent number: 5623191Abstract: A controller for driving an AC motor includes a rectifying circuit, an inverting circuit coupled to the rectifying circuit via a DC bus, a control circuit for commanding operation of the inverting circuit, a logic circuit for directing operation of the control circuit in accordance with a predetermined control routine and a power supply circuit for powering the logic and drive circuitry. At least the rectifying circuit and the inverting circuit are supported on a power substrate module, while the control circuit is supported on a separate control circuit board. The control circuit board is mounted on and coupled to the power substrate module via conductors. Incoming AC power and control signals are transmitted to and controlled AC power is transmitted from the power substrate module via the conductors through the control circuit board. Separation of the circuitry between the power substrate module and the control circuit board permits significant reduction in the footprint of the controller.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1995Date of Patent: April 22, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Christopher J. Wieloch
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Patent number: 5610453Abstract: A frequency slider circuit for reducing power dissipation in the form of switching losses in a switching device when the switching device is near its desired maximum temperature limit is disclosed herein. The switching device controls an electric load, such as a motor. The frequency slider circuit samples a current of the switching device. The frequency slider circuit then uses a current transducer to convert the current to a signal level. The signal level is then processed by a model of the thermal response of the switching device. The output of the thermal model is compared to a reference signal, and if the output of the thermal model is greater than the reference signal, the switching frequency of the switching device will be lowered gradually to keep the power generated during the switching periods to be below a predetermined value. A minimum frequency clamping circuit is included to ensure that the switching frequency never drops below a minimum value, to ensure stable operation of the switching device.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 1995Date of Patent: March 11, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Enoch P. Smith
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Patent number: 5610493Abstract: A controller for driving an electric motor includes a rectifying circuit for converting AC power from a source to DC power, an inverting circuit coupled to the rectifying circuit via a DC bus for converting the DC power to controlled AC power in response to control signals and control circuitry for generating control signals for driving the inverting circuit in accordance with a preset control routine. The rectifying and inverting circuits are included in a power substrate module, while the control circuitry is included on a control circuit board separate from the power substrate module. The control circuit board is coupled to the power substrate module via a plurality of conducting pins and the controller circuitry is housed in an enclosure. A plurality of terminal conductors are supported on the control circuit board for transmitting power to and from the power substrate module via the conducting pins through the control circuit board.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1995Date of Patent: March 11, 1997Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Christopher J. Wieloch
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Patent number: 5587861Abstract: A method for interrupting electrical power between two conductors is provided, including biasing an electrically conductive element into a conducting position between two contact regions of the conductors. The contact regions are preferably portions of arc runners coupled to the conductors. The conductors surround a magnetic core that generates an electromagnetic field due to current in the conductors. The conductive element is repelled to a non-conducting position by the electromagnetic field in response to an overcurrent condition in the conductors. A secondary response mechanism is moved in response to the overcurrent condition to maintain the conductive element in the non-conducting position. For more gradually occurring overcurrent conditions, the secondary response mechanism is attracted toward the core, displacing the conductive element to the non-conducting position.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1995Date of Patent: December 24, 1996Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Wieloch, Mark A. Kappel, Jeffrey R. Annis, David J. Benard, Ellen Boehmer, Gernot Hildebrandt
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Patent number: 5583412Abstract: A motor drive particularly suited for decelerating an AC motor includes a signal converting circuit, a monitoring circuit and a control circuit. The signal converting circuit is coupled to a source of DC power via a DC bus and a capacitive circuit is coupled across the DC bus to store energy produced by the motor during deceleration of a primarily inertial load. The signal converting circuit produces and applies drive signals to the motor based on control signals from the control circuit. The control circuit produces control signals for generating an output waveform duty cycle for the drive signals suitable for maintaining a predetermined voltage-to-frequency relationship. The frequency of the output signals is selectable to control the output speed of the motor. During deceleration, the monitoring circuit detects rises in the DC bus voltage, indicating that the motor is tending to slow at a rate less than the desired deceleration rate.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1995Date of Patent: December 10, 1996Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Henrik B. Nielsen
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Patent number: 5579198Abstract: A circuit interrupter provides a conducting path between two conductors and interrupts the conducting path in response to overcurrent conditions in the conductors. The interrupter includes a magnetic core around which the conductors are disposed. Each conductor is electrically coupled to an arc runner and a spanner is biased into contact with the arc runners to compete a conducting path between the conductors. A secondary response mechanism is provided adjacent to the core and includes arms extending around the core and a magnetic body. In response to overcurrent conditions of a first magnitude the body of the secondary response mechanism is attracted to the core causing the arms to displace the spanner out of contact with the arc runners. In response to overcurrent conditions of a second magnitude, such as due to direct short circuits, the spanner is repelled rapidly to a non-conducting position and the secondary response mechanism is attracted to the core to hold the spanner in the non-conducting position.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1995Date of Patent: November 26, 1996Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Wieloch, Mark A. Kappel, Jeffrey R. Annis, David J. Benard, Ellen Boehmer, Gernot Hildebrandt
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Patent number: 5567994Abstract: A hybrid active filter shunts three-phase power with passive elements tuned to have low impedance at a frequency of harmonic distortion. The passive elements are in series with controlled voltages sources providing cancelling currents to the harmonic currents. Rapid determination of the harmonic currents is provided in real-time through the use of a Park transformation reducing the variables which need to be manipulated. Measured currents as transformed are used to model undistorted current based on an average power consumed by the load. When the undistorted current is subtracted from the actual current, a harmonic current signal is produced that may be used to drive the voltage sources. The time domain method requires rapidly computed running averages and thus may be performed in-between the acquisition of the measured current samples.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1995Date of Patent: October 22, 1996Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventors: Gerald W. Davis, Shiping Huang, Peter J. Unsworth
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Patent number: 5525777Abstract: A point-to-point soldering apparatus applies solder to predetermined points on a workpiece in response to control signals from a control circuit. The apparatus includes a heat source moveable to first locations adjacent to the solder points in response to control signals from the control circuit and a solder material source moveable to second locations adjacent to the solder points independently of the heat source in response to control signals from the control circuit. The heat source is mounted on a first robotic positioner and the material source is mounted on a second robotic positioner for independent movement and positioning. A user-programmable controller executes preset soldering routines in which the heat source and material source are positioned adjacent to solder points and commanded to apply heat and solder in accordance with the soldering routines.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1994Date of Patent: June 11, 1996Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.Inventor: Z. Val Kukuljan