Abstract: A joystick control unit. The control unit includes a controller, such as a handle, transmitting coil, plurality of receiving coils, and plurality of substrates. The handle may be subjected to spring forces which bias the controller toward a neutral position. The transmitting coil is made of electrically conducting paths on one substrate, and the receiving coils are made of electrically conducting paths on another substrate. One of the substrates is connected to the controller and, together with the controller, is movable in relation to the other substrate, which is located in a substantially fixed position. The controller and interconnected substrate may be moved in a variety of positions such that the controller and attached substrate have at least two degrees of freedom.

Abstract: The relative displacement of two bodies is measured by moving an electrically conducting, non-ferromagnetic wall means in proportion to the relative movement of the bodies in order to increase its overlapping, telescoping relationship to a first current conducting coil while simultaneously decreasing its overlapping, telescoping relationship to a second current conducting coil. Each of the coils are excited with an AC signal at a frequency which is at least high enough that the skin depth of the wall means is less than the physical depth of the wall means. A signal is detected which is proportional to the difference in the amplitude of the voltages across the two coils which results in improved sensitivity while improving linearity and substantially reducing temperature dependence.

Abstract: A two-wire linear transducer comprised of a high permeability finite length core that is positioned with respect to a continuously wound variable pitch coil. The cores is displaced from the initial stroke position at one end of the coil to the opposite end thereof to produce an output signal which varies with displacement. The coil is energized by a constant alternating current source and has a winding configuration that produces an alternating output voltage. The imaginary component of the alternating output voltage varies linearly and continously in amplitude in proportion to the movement of the ferrite core from its initial stroke position to its end stroke position.

Abstract: On a circumferential side surface of a single cylindrical member constituting a main body of a rotor section are disposed, in parallel, a first pattern which repeats change in the circumferential direction with a predetermined pitch and a second pattern which has a change of one cycle with respect to one circumference. A detection head section which is provided in proximity to the rotor section changes its relation of correspondence to the respective patterns in accordance with rotational position of the rotor section and produces output signals corresponding to the relation of correspondence. A relatively rough absolute value of a rotational position within one rotation is established by an output signal produced in response to the second pattern and its accuracy is established with a high resolution by an output signal produced in response to the first pattern.

Abstract: A proximity sensor includes an electrical circuit formed by a slot in an elongate conductive strip. The strip carries a magnet having a pole piece protruding through the strip at one end of the slot. At the other end of the slot pass laminations which magnetically couple the electrical circuit and a multi-turn coil arranged on a form attached to the strip. The coil is terminated at a pair of output leads. A ferrous object passing in the vicinity of the pole piece of the magnet modifies the flux pattern at the pole face. The resultant flux changes, being tightly coupled to the electrical strip, induce a low voltage high current emf into the strip, which forms the primary turn of a current transformer. The secondary of the current transformer is formed by the close-coupled coil, which has multiple turns, dependent upon the output voltage required at the output leads.

Abstract: A variable reluctance magnetic speed sensor senses the speed of a rotating gear (12). A ferrous outer cylindrical shell (22) extends axially and has a magnet (14) at one axial end and a coil (16) at the other axial end. An inner pole piece (4) in the coil (16) directs magnetic flux across a gap to the gear teeth (10), which flux is returned by the outer pole piece shell (22) to the magnet (14). Particular pole piece gap spacings are disclosed together with various pole piece constructions.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of an object has an outer fixed field winding extending along an axis, a source for energizing the field winding with alternating current and thereby creating a magnetic field, and an inner coreless detecting winding displaceable coaxially in the field winding. Thus the field induces a voltage in the inner winding. A link displaces the detecting winding axially in the field winding with the object and thereby changes the voltage induced by the field in the detecting winding. An equalizing winding coaxial between the field winding and the detecting winding is fixed in the field winding. The field also induces a voltage in the equalizing winding. An electronic unit divides the voltages induced in the detecting and equalizing windings into each other and derives a detection signal corresponding to the position of the object and inner winding relative to the outer winding.

Abstract: To determine the relative position of two objects, for example pistons (16, 22) respectively responsive to the deflection of a brake pedal (10) and actual braking pressure of a wheel of a wheel brake (18) in an automotive power assisted braking system, a core having salient poles, such as an H or E core, has windings wound on the core, coupled to sensing circuits which determine the inductance of the winding, upon placement of short-circuit rings, or coupling magnets on, or adjacent to the core to affect the magnetic circuit, and hence the inductance of the winding. The inductance of the winding can be sensed by connecting the core in an oscillatory circuit (FIG. 3B), applying alternating current thereto, respectively inversely phased (FIG. 4B) and determining phasing of output, or connecting the coils in a multivibrator circuit (FIG.

Abstract: A device is provided for the indirect contactless electrical measuring of short distances, particularly for measuring the stroke and/or the position of nozzle needles for injection nozzles of internal combustion engines. A coil having a solid core of a soft-magnetic alloy is used as magnetic field sensor and a low-mass permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is rigidly connected to a moving control element. The nozzle needle is fixed to the control element. Movement of the permanent magnet in relation to the coil causes a change in the magnetic flux density in the core of the coil and, via the nonlinear function B=f(H) of the mangetization curve, effects a change in the dynamic permeability and consequently in the inductance of the coil. The change in inductance of the coil is converted by a suitable electronic evaluating circuit into a path-analogue signal to determine the distance between the fixed coil and the movable permanent magnet.

Abstract: An angular position sensor comprising a generator coil driven by an oscillator to provide an alternating magnetic field which is symmetrical about an axis, an annular rotor of electrically-conductive or magnetic material such that it distorts the magnetic field around it and arranged so that it is asymmetrical about its axis of rotation and lies outside the equatorial plane of the magnetic field and two sensing coils disposed within the magnetic field. As the rotor 16 rotates about its axis the emfs induced in the sensing coils vary in dependence upon the angular position of the rotor relative to the axis of the undistorted magnetic field.

Abstract: A method of adjusting for a shift of the position of a stylus tip and a deviation of the zero point of a displacement detector which are caused by an exchange of a stylus of a tracer head. The shift of the position of the stylus tip and the deviation of the zero point of the displacement detector are electrically or mechanically read out as displacement. In accordance with the displacement, the tracer head assembly is moved relative to a machine frame to adjust the tip of the stylus to its reference position.

Abstract: A sensor which conveys a displacement of an object into a change of inductance with which associated circuitry can be used for monitoring the displacement of the object. The sensor includes a coil maintained about a housing in which is disposed a ferromagnetic core about which is disposed a sleeve made of a conductive material and movable between the core and the coil with the induction of the coil variable in accordance with a predetermined relationship to the displacement of the sleeve with respect to the core with the monitoring of the change in induction indicative of displacement of the object. The sensor can be designed for determining both axial or rotational displacements of an object.

Abstract: A thermodetector including a ferromagnetic sensor placed on an object to be measured having a magnetic permeability which changes in relation to the temperature, and made of a ferrite material having a measurable change of magnetic permeability in a measuring temperature range. A magnetic flux generator is disposed to apply a magnetic field to the ferromagnetic member and may be a permanent magnet. A magnetically soft member made of a laminated core of thin sheets of amorphous magnetic material is placed within the magnetic field of the magnetic field generator to cooperate with at least the magnetic flux generator to form a magnetic path. An electric coil including a bobbin surrounds the magnetically soft member. The change of magnetic permeability alters the magnetic flux in the magnetically soft member and is sensed by the electric coil to give an indication of temperature.

Abstract: A high temperature pressure transducer for measuring the total pressure adjacent the exit orifice of a crucible containing molten metal used in a continuous casting operation is disclosed. The pressure sensed includes a pressure head of the molten metal as well as the gas gauge pressure in the crucible above the metal. The transducer includes a sensor rod assembly having an immersible sensor rod fabricated of fused quartz and having a sensing surface, a sensor rod extension, an intermediate shaft, and a load cell connected to the intermediate shaft. A bellows provides a gas tight seal for the internal gas pressure in the crucible. The bellows is characterized by folds projecting inwardly and outwardly and providing equal volume in the two directions.

Abstract: The variable inductor and the comparison inductor of a semi-differential variable inductance both have a pair of coils magnetically coupled together. The output current of an amplitude-controlled oscillator flows through the series combination of one coil of each pair and the other coil of the comparison inductor is used to supply a signal which is rectified in order to regulate the amplitude of the oscillator. The remaining coil, the other coil of the variable inductor, is connected in reverse polarity and in series with the coil last previously mentioned to provide, through a rectifier, an ouptut signal representative of the difference between the variable and comparison inductances normalized to (divided by) the comparison inductance. The output variation corresponds to the displacement of the short-circuiting ring of the variable inductance, which is mechanically linked to the control rod of a fuel injector of a diesel engine as required for a system controlling the fuel injector.

Abstract: A linear variable phase transformer directly converts mechanical displacement information to phase information capable of varying fully over preferably more than a 120.degree. period of a typical AC cycle and up to 360.degree. or more phase variation. Three or more linearly arranged primary windings produce respective AC magnetic fluxes that are phase separated by equal amounts over such full period. A core, which is movably positioned relative to the primary windings, receives and/or combines one or more of such fluxes to produce an output flux that induces in a secondary winding an output AC electrical signal having a phase corresponding to that of the output flux and, thus, the positional relationship of the core and the primary windings. The output AC electrical signal is a time-based signal that can be utilized directly in analog applications or readily demodulated for digital use.

Abstract: A linear variable phase transformer position to phase transducer produces a linear phase change in an output signal with respect to displacement. Moreover, the magnitude of such output signal remains relatively constant while such displacement occurs. The transducer includes two primaries which are specially wound according to sine and cosine functions and are excited out of phase, a secondary, and a core that combines the primary signals and induces the output signal in the secondary according to the core position relative to the primaries.

Abstract: A linear variable phase transformer directly converts displacement to phase information. In one form the relationship of such displacement and such phase information is substantially linear or directly proportional. Moreover, a circuit is provided for directly converting such phase information to digital information which is preferably provided in a binary format.

Abstract: An arc welder has a transformer comprising a pair of flat aligned primary coils of aluminum strip wound on opposite parallel legs of a rectangular open frame core and a pair of aligned secondary coils of the same strip material wound on the same opposite parallel core legs in lateral spaced relationship with the primary coils, a flexible strip encircles each pair of aligned coils tightly banding them against lateral distortion, a flux shunting core encapsulated in molded plastic material is slidably movable through the core between the pairs of aligned coils, and mechanism for slidably moving and locking the shunting core in adjusted positions is operated by a single handle. One secondary coil of the pair comprises two windings, one wound over the other to provide two output ranges. In a modification, the addition of an outboard choke coil of round wire provides a third output range.

Abstract: This invention is in connection with a sliding shunt type of welder wherein the improvement consists of the shunt being moveable relative to the core of the welder by the use of a single hand of the operator, the shunt being carried by a pair of channel members, the channel members being moveable by a single handle which by axial movement positions the shunt in a desired operating position and which by rotation operates a simple latching mechanism.

Abstract: An electrical component such as a base loading coil assembly for a fixed length mobile radio antenna is disclosed featuring an electrical coil having a series of windings and an adjustable shorting screw disposed in line with the longitudinal axis of the coil and being rotatable on at least a portion of the windings so as to translate along the longitudinal axis of the coil to vary the inductance thereof.