Abstract: A motor speed control apparatus which is provided with means for performing the control to always apply to a motor a driving force smaller than a frictional load of a driving system which is driven by the motor and to apply to the motor a driving force larger than the frictional force of the driving system when the motor is accelerated.

Abstract: A nonlinear control system adapted to drive and control the speed, stroke, phase and center position of a reciprocating linear motor by means of phase locked loop techniques and the electromechanical filtering properties of linear motors. The control system comprises a tri-state switching amplifier in conjunction with 3 distinct feedback control loops to accurately determine the amplitude, center position and phase of the motor. The first feedback control loop includes a low pass averaging circuit and compares the motor position with a reference signal to achieve the desired motor position. The second feedback control loop includes a peak detector and determines the stroke of the reciprocating motor. The third feedback control loop operates as a phase locked loop to control the phase of the motor. The control system provides high efficiency, high reliability and low cost.

Abstract: A m-phase semiconductor electric motor comprises an rotary transformer to excite a rotor; a shaft and a bearing for rotatably supporting the rotor; an exciting coil for exciting the rotor magnetic poles; the rotary transformer includes a first and a second soft-ferrite core having magnetic paths and arranged to rotate relative to each other, the first core is coupled to the rotor shaft, the second core is fixed to the motor housing, a primary and a secondary coil are mounted on the second and first cores, respectively; the motor further comprises an oscillator for supplying the primary coil with a high frequency current; an electric circuit for rectifying the output of the secondary coil to energize the exciting coil; a fixed armature having m-phase coils; position detecting means for generating rotor position signals, each of the rotor position signals having positive and negative portions alternating every 180 degrees electrical angle; means for providing a reference voltage for commanding output torque; a

Abstract: A positioning device comprising a first and a second support (9, 11) which are interconnected by a parallelogram mechanism of elastically deformable rods (17), the first and the second support (9, 11) together being displaceable in horizontal planes with a maintained position of the first support (9) in vertical direction, while with a maintained position of the first support (9) in a horizontal plane that support (9) is displaceable in vertical direction by means of a substantially frictionless relative displacement in horizontal direction of the second support (11) with respect to the first support (9).The positioning device is particularly suitable for displacements of an object in the submicron range, such as, for example, in optical lithographic devices.

Abstract: The hoist, lifting apparatus or the like of our invention comprises at least one hoist motor, a protective controller for the hoist motor, and an overload safety device operating on the protective controller, wherein the overload safety device has a cable load force pick-up with a tension measuring bridge, an analyzer, and a mechanism for suppression of load peaks in periodic load fluctuations. The tension measuring bridge is connected with two connecting conductors to a bridge supply generator and has two output conductors for transmission of the output signal of the tension measuring bridge. The analyzer acts on the protective controller for the hoist motor. Between the analyzer and the tension measuring bridge is a frequency converter with associated frequency generator which changes the output signal of the measuring bridge into a periodic signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for locating a carrier, such as a lens carrier in a process camera unit, exactly at a desired position, the apparatus collecting data of the inertia acting upon the driving system including a motor and a shifting means, and obtaining a mean value from the collected measured values so as to correct the data of inertia in the driving system with the mean value. From the corrected data of inertia an information about the control of the driving system is derived, and applied to locate the carrier at a desired position.

Abstract: A monocular and binocular spinning optics device for use by doctors, researchers, etc., that creates a specific visual phenomenon in front of one or both eyes of the person wearing the device wherein the lenses are constructed by cutting out and affixing stick-on type lens material, such as fresnel prisms, polarizing material, colored filters, cylinder prisms, reflective material, etc., to a plano-plastic disc. A drive motor rotates the rotating lens, which is held in registry with a stationary, non-spinning lens by spectacle frames. The direction and speed of the motor and therefore the rotating lens, along with any pauses or repetitions, are controlled by a digital computer containing the visual training program, and the visual training program, as well as the construction of the lenses, can be devised by the orthoptic practitioner.

Abstract: A power interface circuit periodically which receives test pulses to test the operation and connections thereof. Voltage and current sensors detect the result of the testing and may be used for zero-crossing detection when AC powered devices are controlled by the power interface circuit. Preferrably, asymmetrical pulses, such as those representing an ASCII character, are used as the test pulses. Three input signals are received by the power interface circuit which performs two out of the three voting on the input signals to generate a control signal for two power switches. The power switches may be connected in parallel or in series to provide additional fault tolerance.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the angular displacement of a rotating shaft, and for commutation of a brushless motor. At least two analog sensors, mounted near the shaft, generate phase-displaced analog signals responsive to the angular position of the shaft. A logic circuit produces a digital code indicating the region of the cycle in which the shaft is instantaneously located. An analog multiplexor selects a unique pair of analog signals from the group of the original analog signals and their analog complements, according to the value of the digital code. An analog to digital converter then generates a digital signal proportional to the quotient of the analog signals produced by the multiplexor, and this digital signal, together with the digital code, is used to activate an address in a memory device. The memory device, such as an EPROM, is programmed with a large number of binary digits, which define a train of pulses.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle has a horn which is mounted on the vehicle chassis. The horn is connected with the vehicle battery by a first conductor. A switch for the horn is mounted on the steering wheel and is connected with the horn via a second conductor. The second conductor is divided into two sections of which one is rotatable with the steering wheel and the other is fixed on the chassis. A control system for controlling electrical components of the vehicle other than the horn has a transmitting unit which is mounted on the steering wheel. The transmitting unit has an output which is connected with the rotatable section of the conductor leading from the horn switch to the horn. The control system further includes a receiving unit which is mounted on the vehicle chassis and has an input connected with the fixed section of this conductor. When the operator of the vehicle presses a switch in order to activate an electrical component, input signals are delivered to the transmitting unit.

Abstract: The present invention reduces the resonance amplitude of the rotational frequency-synchronous unbalance vibration of a rotor supported by an electromagnetic bearing.To this end, the invention disposes an X-direction control servo circuit and a Y-direction control servo circuit each of which detects the deviation of the rotor from a desired position in the radial direction thereof and controls the rotor so as to be held at the desired position on the basis of the detection signal, and a tracking filter which is synchronous with the rotational frequency. Outputs from the filter are crossed to supply the Y-direction control servo circuit with the X-directional output and to supply the X-direction control servo circuit with the Y-directional output signal.

Abstract: In a stepping motor of the type having one or more sets of four phase windings on respective stator poles, with the four phase windings being excited sequentially to cause the rotation of a rotor having magnetic poles, a drive method and system are disclosed for stopping the rotor in exact angular positions required. Since the stator can less magnetically control the rotor when the latter is positioned with its magnetic poles in axact alignment with the stator poles, the stator windings are sequentially excited in such a manner that upon termination of the sequential excitation, the rotor comes to a stop in a position angularly displaced to a predetermined degree in a predetermined direction from a position of exact alignment with the stator poles. Basically, for stopping the rotor in such angular positions, at least two of the four phase windings are excited at a time with currents of predetermined different magnitudes.

Abstract: Prior generating systems utilizing electrically-compensated constant speed drives (ECCSD) have typically required a separate starter motor for starting a prime mover which supplies motive power to the ECCSD, thereby increasing the size and weight of the system. In order to overcome this problem, a generating system is provided with circuitry coupled to the electrical power windings of a permanent magnet machine (PMM) forming a part of the ECCSD for causing the PMM to develop motive power which causes an output shaft of a differential of the ECCSD to rotate at increasing speeds. When the output shaft of the differential reaches a predetermined speed, a generator coupled to the output shaft of the differential is supplied external or ground power which in turn causes the generator to operate as a motor and return motive power through the differential to the prime mover to start same and bring it up to operating speed.

Abstract: A system for connecting sensor devices to actuating devices, the system substantially comprising a cable having a given number of signal conducting lines, a number of interface units each designed for assembly between the lines of the aforementioned cable and a respective sensor device or actuating device, and processing means designed to circulate, in the aforementioned cable, signals enabling data to be transmitted between the devices and the processing means.

Abstract: A time interval measuring apparatus includes a single main counter, and a plurality of latch circuits each for latching the count content of the main counter every time a plurality of different pulses are supplied thereto. In this apparatus, one of the count contents, corresponding to two pulses to be measured, is substracted from the other thereof, thereby measuring the interval between the two pulses. This apparatus includes a circuit for stopping the count operation of the main counter before the count content of the main counter is latched, when a pulse is supplied, a circuit for storing the number of stop operations of the main counter performed within the time interval between the two pulses to be measured, and a circuit for correcting the time interval by a value corresponding to the count stop time, in accordance with the stored data representing the number of counter stop operations, when the time interval is obtained by subtracting the counter content from the latched content.

Abstract: A multi-function circuit controller provides auxiliary control functions for an existing single-pole, single-throw toggle switch by counting the number of changes of state of the switch that occur within predesignated delay periods from one state change to the next. An encoder responsive to a sequencer counter develops control functions such as dimming and timing functions which attenuate the power delivered to the load and regulate the on-off time of the load. The invention may be used in conjunction with a household lighting circuit to provide these functions for an existing wall-mounted switch, thereby providing dimmer and programmable timing for the lighting normally controlled by the switch.

Abstract: An energy management system for controlling a plurality of electrical loads having assigned priorities of use employs electronic relays to sense the flow of current in the loads. Signals from the electronic relays are used by power relays or by a combination of control relays and power relays to disable selected electrical loads. An additional control relay can be employed to prevent disabling of a selected load. A repeat cycle time delay relay can be employed to alternate disabling of selected loads.

Abstract: An electrically-compensated constant speed drive according to the present invention includes a speed summer having first and second input shafts and an output shaft at which constant speed motive power is developed wherein the first input shaft is coupled to a prime mover output shaft. A speed-compensating permanent magnet machine includes a motive power shaft coupled to the second input shaft of the speed summer and electrical power windings. A control permanent magnet machine includes a motive power shaft coupled to either of the first or output shafts of the speed summer and also includes electrical power windings.

Abstract: A starter drive for an internal combustion engine in which the starter drive is mounted within the starter housing, and an ignition key activated solenoid for energizing the motor of the starter drive is contained in a solenoid housing that is attached to the starter housing and is integral therewith. The solenoid has a solenoid coil and an annular armature, and upon the energization of the solenoid coil by the connection of such solenoid coil to the battery through the ignition key, the annular armature, which is normally spring biased away from the solenoid coil, is magnetically attracted thereto. This movement of the annular armature establishes an electrical contact between a first terminal, which is connected to the battery, and a second contact which is connected to the starter motor.

Abstract: A variable speed wind turbine includes a frequency converter which converts variable frequency AC from a turbine driven AC generator to fixed frequency AC for delivery to a power grid. The frequency converter is typically an electronic cycloconverter or rectifier-inverter and is also used to control the power flow from the AC generator to the grid which thereby controls the air gap torque between the generator stator and rotor. The turbine speed is maneuvered to increase efficiency by precisely controlling the air gap torque according to a schedule defining sensed generator speed versus sensed generated power.