Abstract: In a position detection probe having a magnetostrictive wire stretched between a head and a reflective foot end termination, and a magnet displaceable along the probe and using the sonic pulse propagation time from the magnet to the foot end termination as a position detection parameter, compensation for thermal expansion and thermal change of propagation velocity is made by measuring the wire resistance and calculating a compensation from the resistance. The probe is excited by an electrical pulse having a known current. The voltage across the wire is measured at a time when the current has stabilized to a precise value, and resistance is determined from the current and voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically testing a safety light curtain used to protect to an unsafe moving part of an industrial machine. A combined beam splitter and photodetector is temporarily attached to the receiver of the light curtain with beam splitter in the path of one of the light beams. A portion of the light beam continues to a receiver of the light curtain and a diverted portion of the light beam illuminates a photodetector. Interruption of this particular light beam simultaneously triggers a safety system to initiate the stopping of the machine and triggers the photodetector. A motion detector temporarily coupled to a rotating part of the machine determines when the machine has stopped. This motion detector may include a d.c. tachometer coupled via a resilient friction wheel. A timer connected to the photodetector and the motion detector determines the duration of the interval between interruption of the one light beam and the stopping of the machine.

Abstract: A programmable limit switch employs high speed special purpose hardware and a general purpose microcontroller to achieve high speed limit switch operation. A state sequencer controls the high speed special purpose hardware in a fixed sequence. The state sequencer latches position data, and recalls position offsets from a memory. A hardware digital adder sums the position and offset with this summed offset position used as an address in output tables for selecting an output status word. The microcontroller operates asynchronously with respect to the state sequencer. The microcontroller initializes and updates the memories. The microcontroller calculates the velocity from repetitive position signals and writes the corresponding window offsets to memory. A selection circuit picks out the status bit of the particular output circuit. Thus unique ON/OFF offsets can be used for each circuit. The outputs are shifted together and latched to the output drivers.

Abstract: A damped sine wave detector for detecting the response of a magnetostrictive displacement transducer. A pretrigger comparator compares the signal to a predetermined negative threshold. A signal comparator compares the input signal to a predetermined positive threshold. The pretrigger comparator turns on a pretrigger flip-flop and starts a delay timer when the input signal falls below the predetermined negative threshold. The pretrigger flip-flop supplies the data input of a signal flip-flop. The signal flip-flop is clocked by the signal comparator when the input signal is above the predetermined positive threshold. The signal flip-flop turns on if clocked and the pretrigger flip-flop is on. The detector includes two timers for resetting the flip-flops. An inhibit timer resets both flip-flops upon expiration of an inhibit time longer than the maximum expected duration of the damped sine wave signal.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive linear displacement detector includes a dual pole magnet assembly. The displacement detector includes a magnetostrictive wire, a return wire and a magnet disposed for displacement along the magnetostrictive wire. A torsional strain sensor at the head end generates an electrical indication of the torsional strain within the magnetostrictive wire induced by passage of an electrical excitation by the position of the magnet. The magnet of this invention is a cylindrical magnetic bipole. The magnet includes two toroidal magnet sections. The first toroidal magnet section has radially disposed magnetic poles with the South pole directed inwardly and the North pole directed outwardly. The second toroidal magnet is a similar radial magnet except that it has its North pole directly inwardly and its South pole directly outwardly. The magnet assembly has a length preferably no more than one half inch. This length should be short in relation to the total length of the measurement range.

Abstract: The present invention is a combined magnetostrictive linear displacement detector and plural location temperature detector. The combined apparatus produces a composite signal for transmission on a 2 wire transmission line. The resistances of the temperature sensitive resistors as well as two reference resistors are measured in a predetermined sequence. The linear displacement is measured by the length of time required for a torsional strain to travel along the magnetostrictive wire to the position of the magnet. A pulse generator generates a predetermined number of pulses for each resistance measurement having pulse period corresponding to the measured resistance, with the minimum such pulse period preferably being greater than twice the maximum time required for a torsional strain to propagate the length of the magnetostrictive wire. An electrical signal is supplied to the transmission line when either said pulse generator generates a pulse or the induced electrical signal is detected.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive linear displacement detector with increased position resolution includes a magnetostrictive wire anchored at opposite head and foot ends with a reflection termination at the foot end and a damping termination at the head end. A return wire is connected to the foot end of the magnetostrictive wire. The magnetostrictive wire is electrically excited at its head end. A variable position to be detected is represented by a magnet disposed for displacement along the magnetostrictive wire. A torsional motion sensor at the head end generates an electrical indication of the torsional motion within the magnetostrictive wire induced by passage of the electrical excitation by the position of the magnet. The displacement is determined from the interval of time between the detection of the torsional motion traveling directly from the magnet and the detection of the torsional motion reflected from the reflection termination.

Abstract: An adaptive time period measurement technique which provides full speed for every measurement period with increased resolution afforded from repeated measurements. The time measure is produced by adaptively filtering a number of prior time measures. Each measurement includes a count and a fractional part from a controlled variable delay interposed in the measurement system. This variable delay is controlled over a number of measurements to cover the entire range of one clock cycle, preferably in accordance with a reversed binary progression algorithm. The adaptive filtering is preferably a self-modifying, classic low pass filter with a roll off which depends on the rate of change and direction of change of the measurerd time period. Thus the present invention provides all the resolution feasible based upon the rate of change of the measured quantity.

Abstract: A liquid level detector of the type in which a magnetostrictive wire extends through the liquid level measurement range and is captured in a tensioned vertical orientation within a stainless steel tube. Liquid level is measured as a function of the time required for a torsional disturbance imparted the wire near the top to travel along the wire to a magnet which is contained within a liquid level float which slides up and down along the tube. The torsional disturbances imparted to the wire by means of a piezoelectric crystal to which the wire is easily clamped. Accuracy is enhanced by measuring liquid level as a function of the elapsed time between an actuation signal and the first zero crossing of the voltage which is induced as the torsional strain passes through the area of influence of the sliding magnet.

Abstract: A variable radius cable/conductor carrier for supporting and guiding electrical, hydraulic and other conductors extending between a stationary position and a movable piece of machinery. The conductor is made up of two spaced apart parallel plate-link chains connected by support rods. The link assembly making up the chains comprises a series of individual links pivotally connected at each end so as to allow rotational movement between the links. A plurality of arcuate slots are formed in one of the links and when pinned to the adjacent link act to limit the rotation between the links. The arcuate slots are of differing lengths so each length results in a different radius of curvature for the carrier. Thus one of several radii of curvature of the carrier may be selected during assembly without changing any of the elements simply by selecting the position of the limiting pin.

Abstract: A liquid level detector of the type in which a magnetostrictive wire extends through the liquid level measurement range and is captured in a tensioned vertical orientation within a stainless steel tube. Liquid level is measured as a function of the time required for a torsional disturbance imparted the wire near the top to travel along the wire to a magnet which is contained within a liquid level float which slides up and down along the tube. The torsional disturbances imparted to the wire by means of a piezoelectric crystal to which the wire is easily clamped. Accuracy is enhanced by measuring liquid level as a function of the elapsed time between an actuation signal and the first zero crossing of the voltage which is induced as the torsional strain passes through the area of influence of the sliding magnet.