Patents Examined by Walter Stolwein
  • Patent number: 3963919
    Abstract: A motion monitor apparatus includes a monitoring housing with a projecting encoder shaft having an encoding disc on the inner end. The outer peripheral portion of the disc is imprinted with equicircumferentially distributed opaque sections. A pair of photo detectors are mounted with U-shaped arms having a light emitting diode to one side of the disc and a phototransistor to the opposite side. A signal processing circuit within the housing includes a pair of channels. Each channel includes a dual input gate connected to a resettable monostable multivibrator having a pulse width resistor-capacitor network have a variable resistor to adjust the output pulse width. The monostables have inhibit inputs and the outputs interconnected for various response conditions including dual directional response, single direction response or indicated opposite direction response. The processed pulse signals are impressed on an integrating capacitor which is coupled to drive a transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1976
    Assignee: National Controls Corporation
    Inventor: Fred E. Sells
  • Patent number: 3963918
    Abstract: Apparatus for identifying which of a plurality of moulds moulded a particular container includes such moulded containers with coded combinations of lens members in their bottom, the lens members being illuminated to focus light to an optical system terminating at a photosensitive device which emits pulses as the lens members are sequentially scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1976
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget Platmanufaktur
    Inventors: Claes-Goran Jensen, Lars Olof Hansson
  • Patent number: 3961182
    Abstract: The present invention relates in general to methods for making pick-up screens for X-ray image intensifier tubes and, more particularly, to an improved method wherein the X-ray fluorescent phosphor screen element is formed by evaporation of an alkali metal halide material in vacuum and condensing the evaporated material on an X-ray transparent portion of the X-ray intensifier tube, whereby a curved X-ray image pick-up screen is formed which has improved quantum efficiency and resolution. Such improved X-ray image intensifier tubes are especially useful for, but not limited in use to, X-ray systems and for intensifying gamma ray images obtained in applications of nuclear medicine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1972
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: Varian Associates
    Inventor: William E. Spicer
  • Patent number: 3961184
    Abstract: Apparatus for photoelectric measurements of a parameter of a movable part such as the rotary speed thereof wherein the part is provided with constrast marks thereon and the light source and the light receiver of the apparatus are not separated by the movable part. The light source and the light receiver are commonly housed in a scanner unit arranged at one end face of a light conductive member, the other end face being positioned proximate to the contrast marks on the movable part such that the light conductive member forms a light beam path for directing light from the light source onto the movable part and for directing reflected light from the movable part to the light receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1972
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg AG
    Inventor: Josef Schurrer
  • Patent number: 3961185
    Abstract: Apparatus for measuring displacement between two bodies one of which is provided with a light reflecting target area having a sharply delineated boundary. The other body has two fiber optic bundles one of which has a light emitting end adjacent the boundary of the light reflecting target area. The other bundle has a light receiving end adjacent the light reflecting area adapted to receive light reflected from the area. The arrangement permits use of the transducer in a hazardous or inconveniently accessible area with an output which may be located remote from the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: The Detroit Edison Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Brokenshire, Robert G. Pratt
  • Patent number: 3961198
    Abstract: An optical sensor wand is disclosed which is designed to be optically aligned by an operator through use of visible light but which excludes the visible light utilized for alignment from the sensing optical channel whereby the sensing optical system operates in the "dark".
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Jack D. Aungst
  • Patent number: 3961178
    Abstract: An image sharpness detecting system employing two photoconductive cells of different geometry which permits detection of an optimum degree of sharpness of an image formed thereon regardless of variation in the direction of light distribution of the image relative to the electrodes of the cells. Differences between light response characteristics of these two cells due to the different geometry thereof are compensated for by providing optical means such as filter arranged between the cells, whereby the system is made accurately and reliably responsive to variation of light distribution even at low total light levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Hosoe, Hiroshi Aizawa, Seiichi Matsumoto, Hideo Yokota
  • Patent number: 3960451
    Abstract: Means for measuring and correctively changing the thickness of a film of water on the plate of an offset printing press which includes a light source forming a spot of light on the plate with light pick-up means including a photocell producing an output signal in response to remitted light. A disc carrying two filters in symmetrically spaced sectors is interposed in the path of the light reaching the photocell. The first filter is a band pass filter which passes a wavelength slightly separated from a maximum light absorption band of water. The second filter passes a wavelength which is well separated from the maximum light absorption band of water and which lies in a region of where there is minimum change of absorption as a function of film thickness. As a result the photocell is subjected to an alternating series of "measuring" light pulses and "reference" light pulses through the respective filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignees: Grapho Metronic GmbH & Co., Roland Offsetmaschinenfabrik Faber & Schleicher AG.
    Inventors: Burkhardt Wirz, Peter Decker
  • Patent number: 3961180
    Abstract: A luminaire duration control which, in combination with a photocell, electrically activates an associated luminaire in response to the amount of light received by the photocell. A predetermined time after the luminaire is activated, and prior to its normal deactivation by the photocell, the luminaire is deactivated thereby reducing to a predetermined level the burning hours of the luminaire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Inventor: Frank H. Schultz
  • Patent number: 3959646
    Abstract: An avalanche photodiode whose avalanche voltage is relatively low, comprises a detector region, which is p-type doped to sufficiently small depth at its central region in order for the reverse voltage applied across its terminals to develop a field strength in the order of the avalanche field strength there.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1976
    Assignee: Thomson-CSF
    Inventor: Baudouin DE Cremoux
  • Patent number: 3958117
    Abstract: A primary lens, which forms a primary image of an object on an image plane, is arranged to be positioned by a lens focusing motor. First and second auxiliary optical elements, which may be lenses or mirrors, produce respective first and second detection images of the object on respective first and second arrays of light sensors. One of these elements is reciprocated in continuously repeated periods or cycles to move its image back and forth continuously on the corresponding array. A signal processing circuit receives the outputs of the light sensors and produces a correlation pulse each time that the cycling element occupies the correlation position at which it brings the light distributions of the images into best correspondence on the respective arrays. The time and element position in each cycle at which this occurs are measures of the object distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1976
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Norman L. Stauffer
  • Patent number: 3958127
    Abstract: An automatically calibrated flying spot web inspection system adapted to detect transverse (or roll mark) defects and discriminate these defects from other defect types. Electronic circuit means responsive to a beam of radiation in either the reflection mode or the transmission mode detect and discriminate these defects from the other types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1976
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Mark E. Faulhaber, Edmund H. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 3958129
    Abstract: Apparatus for automatically controlling, by stationary optical means, the diameter of a crystal from seed to final taper in a Czochralski crystal pulling method is disclosed. The diameter control has a feed back loop including diameter sensing means which controls a motor for moving the pulled crystal up faster or slower. The diameter, at any value, is sensed by two closely adjacent photocells receiving radiation from spaced points on the solid-liquid interface and a voltage value corresponding to that diameter is developed.When a constant diameter is being maintained and the diameter increases, the magnitudes of the sensed radiation change and a difference signal voltage in one direction is generated causing the crystal pull rate to increase. When the diameter decreases the magnitudes of the sensed radiation change in the reverse and a difference signal voltage in the opposite direction is generated causing crystal pull rate to decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1976
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald R. Clement, Carl A. Helber, Lawrence D. Mason
  • Patent number: 3956628
    Abstract: A photoelectric detection system for a printer that is particularly useful for accurately detecting the position of type bearing or printing elements of known width and spacing as they pass a predetermined location. An output signal is generated that substantially corresponds to the light and dark periods created as the elements pass between a light source and detector. This output signal is integrated and compared with a reference signal that represents the ratio of the width of the elements to the spacing therebetween and the error is used to modify the light source and thereby adjust the output signal to accurately correspond with the dimensional criteria of the elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William A. Hanger
  • Patent number: 3956636
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for inspecting and sorting buttons and the like. The inspection means includes a main chamber having a first aperture opening with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the buttons to be inspected and a center on the optical axis of said chamber. The inspection means and/or the sorting means of the invention includes means for aligning each button in a rapid succession of buttons at the first aperture opening. A light source is positioned to direct a beam of light through a button stationed at the aperture and along the optical axis of the chamber. Positioned within the main chamber and on the optical axis thereof is a light reflecting means for reflecting the transmitted beam of light. Preferably, four light receiving members, each member having a first and second end and being spaced apart 90.degree. from two other members, are positioned in a plane normal to said optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: Koppers Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles H. Williams
  • Patent number: 3956629
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for inspection similar articles by first passing an ideal sample article through the field of view of a scanning array, generating a train of pulses corresponding to the image falling on the scanning array by sequentially interrogating each sensor in the array in response to a clock frequency, selecting discrete pulses from the train of pulses which are indicative of the characteristics of the sample article, and preferably pulses indicating perturbations, storing data identifying the selected pulses in a sample memory, sequentially passing other articles to be inspected past the scanning array and similarly generating and storing the identification data for selected characteristics pulses in an object memory, and comparing the stored data in the sample and object memories for correspondence between the data within preselected tolerances to determine correlation, or the absence of correlation, between the same article and each article to be inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: Inex, Inc.
    Inventors: Thiel J. Gomm, Stephen E. Price
  • Patent number: 3952192
    Abstract: Thermal switch assembly for photoelectric control device to switch loads such as street lighting luminaires on and off in response to ambient light levels. Housing having a portion integral with base of photocontrol unit and having a removable cap contains a bimetal relay assembly and positive temperature co-efficient resistor (PTCR) connected to a photocell for actuating the electrical contacts of the relay assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charlie B. Turner, Clifford M. Laughter
  • Patent number: 3952208
    Abstract: An accurate and reliable device for controlling the position of a first body, of which the devices forms part, relative to a second body is described. The edge of the image of the second body is periodically moved over a row of radiation-sensitive detectors in a manner such that at most two detectors receive modulated radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1976
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Francois Desvignes, Marcel Georges Hebert
  • Patent number: 3950652
    Abstract: A roll microfilm having a plurality of consecutive frames. Each frame has a border therearound with a plurality of small sized marks located within the border and being unequally spaced apart with respect to each other for detection by a plurality of corresponding detecting elements having the same spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1976
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ricoh
    Inventor: Hajime Yamashita
  • Patent number: 3949233
    Abstract: A linear direct current amplifier with automatic gain control system for regulating the peak-to-peak amplitude of the signal output that is acquired by scanning a coded label with a hand-held photo optical scanner is disclosed. The gain is set primarily by the white background on the coded label and it is further adjusted at the black bar as the pen passes over the label surface on which the code is imprinted. Control circuit feedback compensates for input amplitude and contrast variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1976
    Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, Inc.
    Inventor: Julius Gluck