Abstract: A multiple-purpose, closed-loop, automatic control system comprising:a system controlled;a detecting means for detecting a controlled variable output from the system controlled and converting the controlled variable into an electrical feedback signal;a signal converting means for receiving the feedback signal and converting said signal into an angular displacement corresponding to the feedback signal;a comparing means for comparing the controlled variable with a preset desired value and selectively opening or closing a forward or a reverse controlling circuit;a controlling means including the forward and the reverse controlling circuit selectively opened or closed by said comparing means, a braking control circuit and a driving mechanism responsive to said forward and reverse control circuits and said braking control circuit for automatic control over the system controlled to keep the controlled variable within the preset desired value.

Abstract: A processing system for delinting cotton has a delinter driven by an AC drive motor. The delinter is fed by a feeder/cleaner driven by a DC feed motor. A visual display ammeter measures the current drawn by the drive motor and produces a given load voltage corresponding to the measured current. The load voltage is then translated into a feed voltage to the feed motor, thereby regulating the feed into the delinter at a predetermined rate responsive to the load on the drive motor.

Abstract: An impending kickback condition in the operation of a power tool or machine tool system is sensed and used to control or eliminate the kickback. The ability to sense an impending kickback condition can be used in all categories of power driven tools. The change in force applied to the power driven tool or other implement is monitored with a microcomputer by measuring the rate of change of current. If the current is increasing, the microcomputer compares the rate of change of current with a threshold value which may be either preset or computed by the microcomputer. If this threshold value is exceeded, an output control signal is generated by the microcomputer which inhibits the coupling of power to the tool or other implement and/or applies a brake to stop the tool or implement. In order for power to once again be coupled to the tool or implement, the start switch must be opened and then reclosed or some other signal provided by the operator or another predetermined condition must be fulfilled.

Abstract: The control system uses shaft angle controlled synchro resolver devices for producing reversible polarity signals related to the variable shaft angle position and independent of variations in the amplitude of the electrical carrier excitation of the synchro resolver and of spurious phase shifts seated therein.

Abstract: The commutator or commutators of a DC motor are uniquely arranged with a plurality of peripherally spaced, current carrying segments separated by relatively large, electrically dead, non-conducting spaces, each of the dead spaces being at least as wide in a peripheral direction as the corresponding width dimension of the brushes positioned adjacent thereto. A silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) is arranged in the circuit between the negative pole of the voltage source and the commutator input terminal and acts as a switch to automatically cut off current flow therethrough each time a brush leaves a commutator segment. The current is not re-established until the SCR is again gated, which time may be varied by a variable resistor/capacitor gating circuit.To prevent stoppage of the motor with the brushes of the commutator in a dead space a plurality of commutators are provided with the segments thereof staggered with relation to the first.

Abstract: A laser generating tube and associated optical system is mounted on a laser support which is mounted to pivot relative to a cradle about a first axis. The cradle is mounted to pivot about a second axis (transverse to the first) relative to a frame. First and second levelling motors control the angle of the support relative to the cradle and of the cradle relative to the frame. Thus the slope of the laser beam emitted from the optical system is controlled in two planes. Fixed to the laser support is a grade control device consisting of a base and a grade plate which is tripod mounted relative to the base, two of the three support points being on screws which are driven by first and second grade motors so that the slope of the grade plate relative to the base (and then to the laser support) may be adjusted in two planes. First and second potentiometers are arranged to adjust as the screws are turned.

Abstract: A control system is disclosed for acquiring and maintaining a register condition for successive repeat lengths of a moving web relative to a cut-off apparatus or the like in a web operating apparatus of the type which includes an adjustment means for advancing or retarding the web relative to the cut-off apparatus. The system operates in manual and automatic modes and while in the manual mode, an operator manipulates the adjustment means to obtain the register condition and then switches to the automatic mode which maintains the register condition.

Abstract: A servo system includes a servo loop incorporating an articulated mechanical arm or other controllable element, resolved motion rate control apparatus or other coordinate transformation apparatus, and an accommodation branch. The transfer characteristics may be readily adjusted to constrain the controllable element to accomplish a desired task, and the accommodation branch transfer characteristics may be readily modified to accomplish the performance of many different tasks without modifications to other portions of the system.

Abstract: An electrical vehicle is propelled by a constant speed motor receiving current from a storage battery. An alternator, driven by the vehicle power train through a differential while the vehicle is in motion, is associated with the drive train such that it controls the velocity of the vehicle. Dynamic braking through increasing field current of the alternator is provided. The alternator is used to recharge the storage battery during periods of less than maximum vehicle velocity and also during deceleration of the vehicle.

Abstract: A first signal representative of the position of a movable member, such as a machine tool slide, is generated. A plurality of second signals each representative of one or more positions and one of a plurality of actuatable output switches is stored in an addressable memory. The first signal is compared with each of the plurality of second signals stored in the memory. Responsive to the comparison, the output switch represented by one of the plurality of second signals is actuated when the one or more positions represented by such one of the plurality of second signals coincides with the position represented by the first signal.

Abstract: An electronic circuit with an output that may be used, for example, to control a servo system which positions grinders of a tire grinding machine to correct tires with large cleats is disclosed. The electronic circuit is responsive to an analog electrical signal to detect whether or not the rate of change in amplitude of the analog electrical signal equals or exceeds a preselected limit. If the rate of change in amplitude of the analog electrical signal does not equal or exceed the preselected limit, the output of the electronic circuit has a characteristic that is similar to the analog electrical signal. If the rate of change in amplitude of the analog electrical signal equals or exceeds the preselected limit, the output of the electronic circuit preferably remains constant at an amplitude which the analog electrical signal attained prior to the change in amplitude at a rate equal to or in excess of the preselected limit.

Abstract: A single velocity unit is provided in the control unit of an industrial robot, which control unit has a plurality of motors for driving the arm of the industrial robot and a plurality of detectors for detecting the position of the arm. By the operation of the central processing unit, the digital output unit selects one of the axis position control units and one of the motors to be connected to the velocity unit, in accordance with an axis selecting instruction read out from the memory.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a control method, and a shift register for carrying out the control method, for use with an intermittently moving mechanism designed to automatically perform various inspections and operations with respect to a product, wherein the inspection result signals and/or operation instruction signals are placed in correspondence to a plurality of successively fed products, and wherein exterior instruction signals may be entered at suitable times, and wherein a plurality of different inspection result signals and/or operation instruction signals may be issued by a single device. These inspection result signals and operation instruction signals may or may not be shifted to other inspection and operation positions to thereby use the mechanism in a variety of modes.

Abstract: A rotatable transformer field excitation system for an armature converter-fed variable speed self-controlled brushless polyphase synchronous motor wherein the armature converter is energized from an alternating current voltage source having one or more phases, and wherein the motor includes a rotor having a wound field winding and a rectifier circuit mounted on the rotor and rotatable therewith to energize the field winding with direct current from the rectifier circuit, and wherein the rotatable transformer includes a primary winding having a number of phases equal to the phases of the alternating current voltage source and having a plurality of coils located in slots on the inner periphery of and defining at least two poles of a rotatable transformer stator, the slots being spaced a predetermined distance from the center of the rotor axis, and a separate rotatable secondary winding, the number of phases of which equals the phases of the rotatable transformer, the secondary winding being formed by a pluralit

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing sections of accurate weight or volume which includes the providing of a computer which receives various signals including the length, weight and density of a sheared off section and in response to such conditions varies the position of a length stop to insure that sections of accurate weight and volume are continuously obtained. The length stop mechanism is regulated by controlling the movement of a plurality of clamping devices which operate in conjunction with the axial movement of the material to be severed. The clamping devices are hydraulically operated.

Abstract: The switch of the invention is a double deck type rotary switch having a position deck for detecting a home position and means for determining each position of the switch relative to the home position. A switching deck, rotated together with the position deck, selectively applies operating voltage to a plurality of operative devices, such as sprinkling valves.The system incorporates a microprocessor to control a motor for driving the rotary switch to a commanded position. The position deck signals the microprocessor as the deck reaches the predetermined position and the processor provides a delay before applying voltage to the switching deck, insuring that good load contact is made, so that arcing is avoided. The switching deck makes its load contact a few degrees ahead of the position deck in order that the load contacts for the work voltage are in the center of their terminal spring clips before the microprocessor is signaled that the predetermined position has been attained.

Abstract: A digital servo system for maintaining a detection device, such as a light beam, centered as closely as possible over an information track, such as an optical track on a video recording disc. The servo system includes circuitry for detecting when the light beam traverses a switching line, which, in the illustrative embodiment, is the track centerline, for applying a constant-magnitude acceleration force to deflect the beam to a corrected position, and for reversing the polarity of the acceleration force when the beam traverses the switching line.

Abstract: A digital servo system for maintaining a detection device, such as a reading beam, as nearly as possible centered with respect to an information track, such as an optical track on a video recording disc. In each of the embodiments disclosed, circuitry is provided to process a signal obtained from the reading beam, to obtain timing signals indicative of transitions of the beam across noncentral switching lines parallel with the track. In one embodiment, a constant-magnitude acceleration signal is applied to a beam position transducer, and is reversed in polarity each time a switching line is crossed after first crossing the centerline. In another embodiment, the polarity of the constant-magnitude acceleration signal is reversed after crossing a switching line a second time and after applying an additional acceleration impulse of relatively short duration.

Abstract: A servo-system includes a high-gain direct-coupled direct current (dc) differential amplifier to which a dc input signal is fed. An adder adds the dc amplifier output to a comparison voltage, and the adder output is applied through a filter circuit to a second input of the differential dc amplifier. A servo-amplifier drives a servo-motor in accordance with the dc amplifier output. Means are provided for zero-balancing the dc amplifier output while varying the comparison voltage by the servo-motor.

Abstract: A direct current obtained by rectifying an alternating current voltage by means of a diode bridge circuit is applied to a direct current motor connected to the diode bridge circuit. Use is made of the fact that the voltage developed across the diode bridge circuit varies, depending on the magnitude of the induced voltage across the motor. To that end, the interjunction of a capacitor series circuit coupled to the bridge circuit is connected through a voltage responsive bidirectional switching device, such as a diac, to a control electrode of a voltage controlled bidirectional switching device, such as a triac, for phase control of the alternating current voltage. One electrode of the voltage responsive bidirectional switching device is coupled to a variable resistor provided in a gang fashion with a controller, such as a foot controller pedal, so that the voltage obtainable from the variable resistor is superposed on the voltage in the switching device, such as a diac.