With Support For Article Patents (Class 324/261)
  • Patent number: 5223793
    Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a spherical object, which includes suspension means for supporting a spherical object in a fixed position relative to its center. The suspension means holds the sphere by simultaneously contacting its surface with contacting elements at at least four points spatially independent of each other on the surface. Each of the contact elements is of regular shapes, such as, spheres, cylinders, cones or other shapes having symmetry about an axis of rotation. At least one of the contact elements is rotationally driven by a rotating drive means. The rotating drive means is rotated at a fixed or time-varying speed to impart controlled movement to the sphere about an axis through its center. The speeds or time-varying functions thereof cause the resultant controlled rotational motion of the sphere by manipulating an axis of rotation through its center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Intex Inc.
    Inventors: Roy J. Ricci, Gordon C. Oehler, Donald M. Caldwell
  • Patent number: 5126669
    Abstract: Apparatus for characterizing the magnetic field of a device under test includes a device for nullifying the ambient magnetic field in a test environment area with a constant applied magnetic field, a device for rotating the device under test in the test environment area at least nearly through a complete circle, a device for sensing the magnetic field at a sensor location which is along the circumference of rotation as a function of the rotation angle for successive ones of a set of predetermined orientations of the device under test to obtain a profile of the magnetic field at the sensor location as a function of the rotation angle for each one of the predetermined orientations, a memory for storing the profiles, and a processor coupled to the memory for characterizing the magnetic field of the device from the magnetic field profiles thus obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Shawn B. Honess, Pablo Narvaez, James M. McAuley
  • Patent number: 5089776
    Abstract: A magnetic defect detector having a pair of rotatable cylinders made of nonmagnetic material which pinch a running steel strip therebetween, two pairs of bearings being engaged with the end parts of the pair of cylinders. A pair of stationary shafts are respectively housed in the cylinders, the end parts of which are engaged with the bearings. A yoke is housed in one of the cylinders, the free ends of which are placed near to the pinched strip, and a magnetizing coil surrounds the yoke. At least one sensor is housed in the other of the cylinders, and it is placed near to the pinched strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Takato Furukawa, Kenichi Iwanaga, Atsuhisa Takegoshi
  • Patent number: 5038104
    Abstract: Pickup coils for imaging magnetometers are formed from plural turns of a conductor with varying spacing between turns selected so that the Fourier transform of the coil turns function which is the filter function of the coil, has no zeroes within the spatial frequency bandwidth of the magnetic field generated by a two or three dimensional current to be imaged. Various exemplary coil configurations are presented including a Gaussian distribution for the turns of a planar coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: John P. Wikswo, Jr., Bradley J. Roth
  • Patent number: 4907007
    Abstract: A magnetic field probe is secured to a probe capsule at a probe carrier which can be lowered into the body of a motor vehicle by the probe carrier. The probe carrier is preferably a telescoping element having an additional antenna function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Druecker, Heinz-Georg Burghoff, Peter Haeussermann, Gero Wuttke, Torsten Schlemmer
  • Patent number: 4788504
    Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the residual magnetization vector in cylindrical coordinates of a geological core sample. It comprises a carriage carrying a solenoid made to longitudinally vibrate for determining the longitudinal component of the vector and ferromagnetic transducers which determine the radial component and the phase of the radial component of the vector by rotating the core sample. The measurements are automatically integrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Roland Blanpain, Patrick Le Masson, Jacques Pocachard, Bertrand Sichler
  • Patent number: 4641092
    Abstract: A flaw detection apparatus for detecting flaws at the outer surface of a product, such as a steel bar, wire or steel pipe, which is round in section and produced by the hot rolling, by use of a probe of non-contact type and rotating around the product to be inspected, the apparatus providing a means for suppressing vibrations of an object to be inspected, a means for measuring a distance (lift-off) between the object to be inspected and the probe, and a means for carrying out positional control on the basis of the detection result of the lift-off measurement so that the axis of rotation of probe is allowed to be coincident with the axis of object to be inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahide Sakamoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima, Noriyuki Matsubara, Kenichi Miyata
  • Patent number: 4584529
    Abstract: There is disclosed a paper money discriminating method comprising the steps of scanning and detecting magnetism contained in a print portion in a predetermined area of paper money, and checking number of pulses in a pulse signal converted from a magnetism detection signal. An apparatus for carrying out this method is also disclosed, which comprises a magnetic head, a pulse output means, and counters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: Bill Checker Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Aoyama
  • Patent number: 4468620
    Abstract: A system for in situ checking of turbine engine blades consists of a frame bearing on its two opposite large sides two hooks and a stop that can cooperate with the edges of the airfoil portion. Parallel to these sides, the system is provided with two elements serving to guide a carriage which is driven by means of a notched belt and two pinions, of which one is connected to a motor. The carriage supports an elastic element at the end of which is attached a shoe housing the probe. On the side of the shoe is an inclined plane cooperating with an identical inclined plane formed in one of the hooks. The motor is reversible and is controlled by end-of-stroke contacts in the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: S.N.E.C.M.A.
    Inventor: Jean F. Vaerman
  • Patent number: 4465975
    Abstract: There is disclosed a technique for measuring the magnetic field of a sample, such as sheet material having one or more magnetic poles, including effecting relative movement between a magnetically responsive transducer and the sample to scan the magnetic field while controlling the distance between the transducer and sample. Apparatus is provided to practice such technique, including control of the relative scanning movement, and of the transducer/sample spacing. A breakaway support for the transducer prevents damage in case an obstruction is struck, and a circuit operates on the analog signal produced by the transducer to provide useful output information representative of the magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1984
    Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company
    Inventor: John P. Porter
  • Patent number: 4287809
    Abstract: An electromagnetic system for determining the orientation including position of a helmet worn by a pilot is disclosed, having a transmitting antenna for transmitting electromagnetic field vectors, a receiving antenna for sensing the electromagnetic field vectors, a control apparatus responsive to the sensed electromagnetic field vectors and the transmitted electromagnetic field vectors for determining the orientation including location of the helmet, the control apparatus having a first output for supplying the orientation to a utilization apparatus and a second output, a driver for supplying driving energy to the transmitting antenna coils, and a selector switch connected to the second output of the control apparatus and to the driver for sequentially energizing the coils of the transmitting antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: Werner H. Egli, Dennis Kuhlmann, Jack E. Wier
  • Patent number: 4270087
    Abstract: Apparatus for testing permanent magnets such as in a generator or alternator embodied in a fly wheel. The apparatus includes a testing head on which the fly wheel is placed for the purpose. The fly wheel has a circular series of permanent magnets, and the head has a corresponding circular series of electro magnets, with Hall Generators between the electro-magnets, the Hall Generators having an element (bismuth) the resistence of which is affected by a magnetic field. The apparatus includes an electrical circuit embodying the Hall Generators, and the electro-magnets are charged, and the voltage set up through the Hall Generators indicates the voltage condition of the permanent magnets and is the voltage which is tested by the apparatus. The apparatus can also be used for motors as well as generators and alternators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Inventor: Arthur K. Littwin
  • Patent number: 4185265
    Abstract: Coded binary signals are coupled to an automotive vehicle by a magnetic signpost embedded in a traversed roadway lane. The signpost includes polarity coded magnetic pole faces having vertically directed flux lines at differing spaced longitudinal regions along the lane. Pole faces are arranged so a flux null is between adjacent longitudinal regions. Differing signals are coupled to vehicles going in opposite directions in adjacent lanes by unambiguously coding the signpost in opposite directions and arranging the pole faces so that magnetic flux continuously extends across a majority of both lanes. A detector on a vehicle includes a magnetic field concentrator including a pair of vertically extending and aligned low reluctance magnetic pole pieces having an air gap between them, in which a Hall plate is positioned. The pole piece closest to the road has shorter length than the pole piece remote from the roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1980
    Assignee: Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Noel J. Griffin, Larry D. Miller, Gerald K. Squire, Carl E. Knochelmann, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4113609
    Abstract: Sidewalls of cans from one filling and closing line are magnetized to provide each with a north pole oriented toward the can top. Sidewalls of cans from another filling and closing line are magnetized to provide each with a south pole oriented toward the can top. These tagged cans are randomly merged into one line for further processing without mixing up can top orientations, for instance, for cooking in a conveyor-fed continuous cooker in order to keep the cooker operating nearer full capacity. Then, each can passes a magnetic sensing station where one (top) end of each can is investigated by a probe which senses whether that end is a north pole or a south pole. The sensing station commands a diverter downstream which shunts the cans sensed as having north pole ends into a different line from the cans sensed as having south pole ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1978
    Assignee: General Kinetics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles A. King, Robert P. Gutterman