Abstract: A torque-sensing rotary tool for use in bottle-capping, and other such applications. The tool (10) is characterized by independent motors (30 and 40) means for gripping and rotating bottles or the like and a rotation-counter which forms means, with associated circuitry (FIG. 9), to determine when an object, e.g. a bottle cap, may be safely lifted by automatic machinery, e.g. by robot means.

Abstract: The control of the longitudinal or pitching stability of aircraft is imprd by providing a corrected control characteristic for the correction adjustment drive which is interposed between the pilot operated control stick and the main control drive, for example for the blade angle adjustment in a helicopter or for the elevator adjustment in fixed wing aircraft. A control linkage (2) is connected on one end to a main control drive (4) for the elevator or rotor blade adjustment and at its other end to the control stick (1). The correction adjustment drive (3) is interposed in the control linkage (2). A displacement pickup (5) measures the control displacement of the control linkage (2) and a flight speed pickup (6) measures the flight speed.

Abstract: Control force errors are automatically eliminated in aircraft, especially licopters. Such errors may occur because of disturbing forces that act on a control stick (1) for the elevator and/or rotor blade adjustment. The following features are combined. A main control drive (3) for the adjusting of the elevators and/or rotor blades is connected through a control linkage (2) with the control stick (1). A spring box (5) with a pretensioned spring (17) is connected through a control rod (14) to the control stick (2) and to one end of the spring box (5). A trimming rod (15) of a trimming motor (4) is operatively connected to the other end of the spring box (5). To compensate the disturbing forces caused by the inertial mass forces acting upon the control stick (1) as much as possible there are further provided two displacement pickups (6) and (7) or a single displacement difference forming pickup (16). A first summing circuit (8) receives the output signals from the two pickups (6, 7).

Abstract: A direct-current electric motor (29) used for, for example, positioning a printing device in an office machine, is controlled by an arrangement comprising a microprocessor (40) which causes the motor digitally to perform accelerations and/or decelerations to maintain it close to a desired speed programmed in relation to the distance to be completed. Control between the actual speed of the motor and the desired speed is effected utilizing the timing signals (FTA, STB) generated by a transducer (35) connected to the motor. During a first phase, the microprocessor compares the times taken to complete a series of angular steps of rotation, the steps following a schedule of decreasing size with stored reference times and effects accelerations and decelerations of durations proportional to any discrepancies.

Abstract: A feedpath deviation preventive NC path-controlled machining system in which a plotting unit is used, in a preliminary operation in advance of a machining operation, to produce on a record medium a continuous plot equivalent to a programmed machining feed path to be followed by relative displacement between the tool member and the workpiece during the machining operation. In the latter, a sensing head is disposed in sensing relationship with the plotted record medium for relative displacement to the latter jointly with the relative displacement between the tool member and the workpiece. The sensing head continues to trace the continuous plot as long as the actual machining relative displacement proceeds along the programmed machining path to produce an OK signal.

Abstract: A prescaling device and method including a timer for generating a timing signal at the end of each of a plurality of timing periods and an integrator for integrating an input signal to generate an integrator output signal proportional thereto. The integrator can hold the integrator output signal in response to hold signal. A comparator is responsive to the integrator output signal for generating a signal when the integrator output exceeds a predetermined level. Control logic generates the hold signal in response to the comparator signal and the timing signal whereby integration is halted at the end of one of the timing periods. A counter counts the timing signals to thereby determine the number of timing periods elapsing prior to the halt of integration. The number of timing periods is indicative of an integration timing range which in turn is indicative of a scaling factor which may be applied to the held output of the integrator.

Abstract: The user of a remotely controlled, powered manipulator is provided with audible feedback signals which provide useful information relating to the force and speed of the motor. An audio tone is generated and is frequency modulated by a signal which corresponds to motor speed. The tone is amplitude modulated by a signal corresponding to motor force thus providing the user with an intuitively interpretable feedback signal having a speed-proportional pitch and force-proportional volume. In the case of an electric motor, voltage and current can be monitored to provide speed and force signals respectively. Additional modulation means are disclosed for introducing a force-proportional warble component to said tone.

Abstract: A control system for manipulator apparatus having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes utilizes resolved compliant motion control to improve servo response characteristics. The position and velocity of the manipulator arm are controlled using load modeling to account for compliance in the arm and to synthesize feedback signals representing movement of a remote point of the arm to provide a loop bandwidth greater than is possible using feedback signals from inner less remote points of the manipulator that are closer to the drive points. The feedback signals are derived using predetermined combinations of force related feedback signals from the axis drive arrangements and position and velocity feedback signals of the manipulator apparatus at points closer to the main drive and support structure of the manipulator and before certain compliant portions of the manipulator arm.

Abstract: A plurality of path patterns (MCR.sub.1 -MCR.sub.3), in which at least data specifying tracing areas serve as variables, are registered in a memory (102) beforehand, tracer machining data including call instructions (MCC.sub.1 -MCC.sub.3) for calling a predetermined path pattern, as well as actual numbers, are stored in a memory (101) in advance, and tracer machining data are read block-by-block to perform tracer control. When a path pattern call instruction is read, the predetermined path pattern is read out of the memory (102), the variables are replaced by actual numbers to obtain a tracing area, and tracing is performed in the tracing area on the basis of the read path pattern.

Abstract: A method of measuring a coordinate value of a prescribed point on an object, and an apparatus for practicing the method which, includes a step of generating a signal when a measuring element contacts the object at the prescribed point. In response to the signal, a pulse distribution operation based on a commanded amount of movement is suspended. The difference between a commanded position and a positional deviation is computed by arithmetic means. The deviation is the difference between a number of commanded pulses and a number of feedback pulses. The positional deviation is cleared from the contents of an error counter, thereby stopping the measuring element. The difference computed by the arithmetic means is the coordinate value of the prescribed point on the object.

Abstract: A position control system having dual controllers, each capable of operating in either a proportional or a proportional plus integral gain mode, is normally operated with one controller in the proportional plus integral mode and the other in the proportional mode, each controller contributing its proportionate part of the output position control signal to the position controlled device, and each controller capable of operating alone in the proportional plus integral mode in the event of a failure.

Abstract: A group-controlled elevator in which each hall is provided with destination buttons that will be manipulated by passengers and that produce signals corresponding to destination floors desired by the passengers, and in which destination calls produced by the manipulated destination buttons are automatically registered for predetermined cages. When a cage other than the cage for which the destination call is automatically registered, has arrived at the floor where said destination buttons are manipulated, the destination call is also registered even for this non-allotted cage. Therefore, whichever cage the passengers are on board, they are brought to their desired floors without the need of registering again the calls in the cage.

Abstract: An electromagnetic position control apparatus including a rotary sphere having a permanent magnet. The rotary sphere is rotably supported within a spherical hole formed at a crossing portion of a cross-shaped yoke. Coils are used to create magnetic fields at the rotary sphere. The position of rotation of the rotary sphere is controlled in three dimensions by means of changing the intensity of the direct current supplied to the coils or the duty cycle of the pulse current supplied to the coils to change the intensity of the magnetic fields.

Abstract: An electrical encoding device for generating a coded input to an electrical apparatus, which coded input can indicate direction and speed of movement of an actuator associated with an electrical encoding device. The device is cheaper to manufacture since the layout of certain aspects of the device is greatly simplified, the simplified layout of certain aspects of the device reducing cost of manufacture of the device. The device is designed to easily accommodate various encoding parameters so that it may be manufactured in a family-program fashion with families of the device being capable of addressing a range of encoding parameters.

Abstract: A mask feed method and apparatus for deeding and setting with a high degree of positional accuracy a circuit pattern printing mask in a proximity exposure replicate system for printing integrated circuit patterns on a semiconductor wafer. Arranged on the same stage but separated from a wafer chuck is a mask station on which a mask is set a position different from the exposure position and fed to a mask holder at the exposure position for mask feeding purposes. The mask station is provided with its own displacing means for aligning purposes.Thus, the required movements for mask feeding and alignment purposes are effected by a wafer transfer mechanism.

Abstract: In a grinder, the table carrying the workpiece to be ground reciprocates to carry it past a grinding wheel. The table moves armatures oppositely into and out of respective coils, inducting voltage therein for driving the reversible motor that moves the table. Remote coils with manually settable armatures therein oppose the first coils for determining the range of movement of the table. A control circuit includes right and left halves corresponding to the directions of movement of the table. Right and left SCR's control the current from first coils to the drive motor, transistors control the gating current to the SCR's; triacs control the current from the transistors, and other triacs control the current from the main source to the drive motor.

Abstract: A phase detection control apparatus is disclosed for detecting any variable where the phase is discretely measured, as for example, in a motor having a tachometer of an optical type. The phase detection apparatus eliminates direction sensitivity and does not suffer from the misposition of any upper and lower limits. The apparatus achieves a phase lock without excessive overshoot and eliminates the possibility of reverse run away under any condition. Moreover, the circuitry is easily implemented with a relatively few number of circuit components and therefore accomplishes the desirable functional capabilities at relatively low cost.

Abstract: A linear motor separates the functions of commutating into a first function for enabling a subset of coils in a linear stator which are within the magnetic influence of permanent magnets in the movable element and a second function for applying the drive power to the enabled subset. One pair of sensors produces sine and cosine signals to maintain a controd coils, the fiabout the phase of power which should be applied to the enabled subset. Another sensor produces a proportional signal which varies linearly between zero and one over each electrical quadrant with a short non-changing interval at maximum and minimum. The control system employs the sine, cosine and proportional signals to synthesize a pair of quasi-sinusoidal waveforms for application to alternate coils in the enabled subset of coils. The short non-changing intervals in the proportional signal are employed to ensure that polarity changeover to the enabled coils takes place at zero volts for bumpless drive.

Abstract: A light valve has a pair of rotating vanes for controlling the cross section of a light beam passing between the vanes. The vanes rotate on corresponding shafts, each controlled by its own integral motor. Separate feedback control systems produce electrical control signals to each motor for rotating each shaft independently of the other to control the desired phase angles of the vanes. In one embodiment, both motors are permanent magnet direct current servo motors in which the wound armature is an integral part of each shaft. A stationary magnetic field generated by permanent magnets is common to both motors. Power is supplied to each armature by a pair of thin, parallel, flexible, electrically conductive strips extending from an end of each shaft. The conductive strips reduce the torque on the shaft when twisted during operation. In one embodiment, the control system produces a calibrated digital control signal from a PROM representing the desired phase angles of the rotating blades.

Abstract: A servomotor speed control system includes a ROM table which stores a minimum distance suited for each motor speed. When the minimum distance corresponding to the current motor speed becomes shorter than the current distance from the current motor position to a positioning target point, the instructed speed is reduced to decelerate the servomotor rotation. In a preferred form, the unit of the distance is identical with an interval of a position indicating signal developed from a rotary encoder associated with the servomotor.