Abstract: The electronic device for controlling gas turbine engines includes a plurality of transducers which will generate electrical signals proportional to speed, temperature and pressure to indicate instantaneous operational conditions of the engine. These signals are processed in an electronic circuit and compared with optimum signals to provide an output signal for controlling a servo valve in the fuel feed circuit for the engine.

Abstract: The invention comprises apparatus and methods for controlling and monitoring most of the energy systems used by man. An energy level to be maintained is predetermined and electronically established as a time interval. Sensing means are exposed to the actual energy level for influencing the parameter value of the sensing means in accordance with the sensed energy level. The parameter value is converted to a digital pulse train with the time period between pulses being proportional to the parameter value being sensed. A reference or standard time base is generated, from which a measure of time for the period is obtained. This measure of time is compared against the time interval to determine if energy need be applied to reach the predetermined energy level, if alarm is required and to display a digital or numerical representation of the actual energy level.

Abstract: There is disclosed a typewriter using a single element print head wherein the tilt and rotate positions for character selection are obtained by servo systems driving tilt and rotate shafts. The system utilizes a digital multiplexing system whereby common elements in the servo channels are time shared. One common element is a binary arithmetic unit which compares binarily represented actual and desired position values of the shafts to fetch from a memory desired velocity information. The fetched velocity information in binary form is compared with the binarily represented actual velocity of the shafts to generate signals for energizing the servo motors which drive the shafts.

Abstract: An automaton includes a work part supporting and manipulating system having sensors which provide signals indicative of the position of the work holder in a first coordinate system and a television system which can observe a part and generate signals representative of the position of the part in the television system's coordinate system. A subsystem for generating conversion factors used to translate positions in the vision system coordinates into the manipulating system coordinates receives the output of both the manipulator sensors and the vision system while the manipulator moves a target through a series of points along a line. The subsystem determines the angle of rotation between the two coordinate systems and the distance from the origin of one system to the origin of the other system through calculations involving lines drawn through the points in the vision system and manipulating system coordinates.

Abstract: Electronic calculators generally employ discharge type indication tubes, fluorescence type indication tubes, plasma tubes, light-emitting diodes, liquid-crystal units, etc., as read-out devices therefor. In particular, the liquid crystal indication units are different from the other type units in that they can not emit light themselves and need impingement of light beams thereon. A window or transparent portion is provided at a portion of a hood plate movably affixed on the calculator in order that ambient light beams and more specifically light beams at the rear of the calculator are caused to be incident on the liquid-crystal indication units therethrough. With such arrangement contrast of indication patterns may be emphasized.

Abstract: In an automatic assembly control system, a flexible coupling mechanism deformable in accordance with the relative positions of an object and a hole to receive the object therein and a detector to detect the displacement or the deformation of the coupling mechanism in the direction of insertion in excess of a certain value are provided so that in the process of inserting the object into the hole the distance between the object and the hole in the direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion is controlled in accordance with the output of the detector.

Abstract: Disclosed is a digital computer memory system which coordinates between plural memories such that information recall from memories having different inherent access times results in a flow of only relevant data to the processor; this is accomplished in, for instance, a dual memory system, by synchronizing the operation of the memories such that the normal clock pulse of the computer strobes the output register of the faster (i.e., "normal") memory but a delayed clock pulse strobes the output register of the slower memory. Thus, because of the delayed strobe, the latter, as well as the former, has time to complete an access requested by the processor, and, consequently, transfer to the processor of incorrect or meaningless information is avoided.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for generating a circle on a television raster display utilizing digital techniques. An x coordinate counter, a y coordinate counter, a radius number, and a radius +.delta. number, in parallel to each other, are connected to the input terminals of a multiplex switch. The multiplex switch selectively provides an output signal of the above number generators to a programmable read only memory (PROM). The memory in turn sequentially provides an output signal representing the square of the input number, i.e., x.sup.2, y.sup.2, r.sup.2 and (r + .delta.).sup.2. The numbers x.sup.2 and y.sup.2 are added by an adder and the number x.sup.2 + y.sup.2 is compared by a first comparator, with the number r.sup.2 and an output is provided if x.sup.2 + y.sup.2 .gtoreq. r.sup.2. The numbers x.sup.2 + y.sup.2 is also compared by a second comparator, with the number (r+.delta.).sup. 2 and an output signal is provided if x.sup.2 + y.sup.2 < (r+.delta.).sup.2.

Abstract: A controller for instructing a knitting machine or the like to make a patterned fabric stores data representing stitch types comprising a subpart of the pattern. The controller determines the location of each stitch on the fabric and relates each such stitch to an equivalent location on the pattern subpart. Data representing the stitch type for the equivalent location is retrieved and instructions issued based thereon which cause the machine to form the retrieved stitch type at the determined location.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a machine tool which includes a measuring head for measuring a dimension (i.e. a diameter) of a workpiece, a detector for detecting and holding the maximum dimension measured by the measuring head, a circuit for determining the mean dimension of a plurality of measurements, a circuit for determining the dispersion between the measured dimensions and the mean, and a counter for inhibiting the control operation until a predetermined minimum number of workpieces have been measured.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining the proportion of defective wire in a length of wire moving along an established path. The apparatus comprises a first detection means for providing a first signal indication of the rate of travel of said wire, a first summing means for providing a second signal representative of the length of said wire, a second detection means for providing a third signal indicative of defective portions within said wire, a second summing means for providing a fourth signal representative of the length of said defective portions, and a computation means for providing an output indication representative of the proportion of said length of said defective portions to the length of said wire.

Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining a constant surface speed of a rotating work piece being cut by a moving cutting tool, comprising means for storing a first signal representing a binary coded decimal number which is further representative of the product of the desired constant surface speed of the work piece and a conversion constant. The apparatus is further comprised of a shift register for receiving a second signal representing a binary coded decimal number which is further representative of the current radial dimension of the work piece being cut, and means for storing a third signal representing a binary coded decimal number initially representative of an assumed rotational speed of the work piece.

Abstract: Apparatus for presenting information held in locations of a storage and display device providing selection of locations along at least one selection coordinate comprises, according to the invention, an input unit, a control unit connected to the input unit, an instruction storage device connected to the control unit and including locations for holding instructions, each location of the instruction storage device corresponding to a location of the storage device and holding an instruction which is a binary number containing at least one additional address of the same location, with the number of additional location addresses equal to the number of location selection coordinates in the storage device.

Abstract: Structure for and method of compensating for a mechanical frequency response structure induced phase shift of an alternating electrical command signal in a closed loop control circuit so that magnitude errors independent of phase errors may be utilized in the control circuit. The structure includes a mechanical structure to be controlled having a mechanical frequency response to the cyclic command signal, an electronic frequency response circuit for producing a phase shift in the command signal substantially the same as that produced by the mechanical frequency response structure over the frequency range of the command signal, and structure for summing the error signal from the mechanical frequency response structure and from the electronic frequency response circuit to provide a magnitude error only signal, and means for providing an output signal when the selected error signal is outside of a permissible error signal range.

Abstract: A digitizing system for programmably digitizing a control apparatus which provides control information to a machine having a work member movable through a plurality of axes with respect to a work surface. Thus, the control apparatus may adopt the form of a numeric control apparatus which operates a tape placement machine having a shiftable gantry or carriage and which, in turn, carries a tape placement head. This tape placement head would move with respect to a receiving surface such as a mandrel in a plurality of axes in order to deposit a composite tape on the work receiving surface. A digitizing head is replaceable for a tape placement roller on the tape placement head. A tracing member is disposed on the work surface and the digitizing head contains several sensing members, such as photoelectric sensing members, to follow the tracing member. Control signals are then generated to the control apparatus informing the control apparatus of the positional movements of the digitizing head.

Abstract: A computer controlled machine tool contouring system having a cutting element which is positioned relative to a workpiece support table. An actuating means controls the workpiece support table to synchronously rotate about a first axis and slide along a second axis in response to a set of control signals. The actuating means further controls the cutting element to translate along a third axis (the third axis being parallel to the first axis and perpendicular to the second axis) in response to a further set of control signals. The control signals are generated by a control means from stored data signals which are representative of the coordinates of points on the desired workpiece contour, the desired pressure angle of the cutting element at each contour point, the current radius of the cutting element, and the desired cutting element motion along the third axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a combustion engine. Means are provided for controlling the energy conversion function of the engine. Adjustments of these control means are obtained by sensing at least one engine operating condition, developing an electrical signal indicative of such condition, and, with a digital computer, calculating repetitively values corresponding to settings of the means used to control the energy conversion function of the engine. The digital computer is programmed to calculate these values or settings arithmetically from an algebraic function or functions describing a desired relationship between settings of the energy conversion control means and the sensed condition.

Abstract: An improvement in torque control systems for reaction wheel assemblies and the like used primarily for stabilizing space vehicles such as satellites including means for integrating the torque command signal and combining the integrated torque command signal with a feedback signal proportional to the angular speed of the rotor of the reaction wheel assembly thereby producing an error signal proportional to the difference between the integrated torque command signal and the angular speed signal. The error signal is coupled to the rotor spin motor which produces a resultant output torque that has been compensated for disturbance torques and other anomalies whereby the resultant torque applied to the rotor and consequently to the satellite is substantially equal to the commanded torque.

Abstract: A mechanical-electrical transducer for the simultaneous contact-free and reaction free determination of a plurality of translatory and/or rotary components of the motion or position of an object coupled to the transducer, with a computer circuit which generates signals corresponding in sign and magnitude to the components of the deviation of the object from a predetermined initial position.

Abstract: A console with a keyboard and visual display means is employed for setting or adjusting various controller circuit parameters such as control mode adjustments of the gain, integral and derivative times, set point, dead zone, high and low limit control and alarms, and the like, depending upon which such circuits are included in the controller. The parameters so set may be displayed by use of the display means under control of the keyboard. In addition, other circuit operating conditions such as the values of the process signal, error or deviation signal, manipulated variable or output signal, and the like, may be displayed by the display means under keyboard control. Furthermore manual controller operation under keyboard control also is provided.