Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Eja Limited

Sensia LLC

Burt Sacherski

Suresh Ramanujan Nair

Brian J Taylor

Timothy P Wolfe

Yongyao Cai

Steven Robert Tambeau

Wayne R Foster

James Edward Dogul

Rebecca R Jaeger

Lee A Lane

Michelle L Poublon

Ashley M Killian

Linxi Gao

Julian Poyner

Kevin M Zomchek

Todd Bubar

Andrew L Tsang

Roberto S Santos

Arvind Ananthanarayanan

Derek William Jones

Girish S Mali

Francis Lawrence Leard

Scott H Wakefield

Elik I Fooks

Derek Sawyer

Michael Flannery

Rudolf Papenbreer

Richard Galera

Thomas Lloyd Botker

Martin Hardegger

Frederic Boutaud

David Main-Reade

Christopher Burke

Ian James Murgatroyd

Jonathan B Johnson

David T Williams

Linda A Freeman

James Dogul

Arvid Ananthanarayanan

Xinli Lin

Susan Stuebe

Matthew R Kuenzi

Todd M Bissell

Usha R Kolukula

Kevin Zomchek

Ryan Copeland

David M O'Brien

Kentaro Sugimoto

Mali S Girish

A safety design system assists in the development of compliant industrial safety systems. User interfaces provided by the design system guide the user through an intuitive workflow for carrying out risk assessment analysis on industrial assets and designing safety functions for mitigating risks associated with the industrial assets. These user interfaces offer multiple views of safety system design aspects, including a layout view and a table view that offer alternative views of hazard and safety function data. The system also guides the user to the selection of suitable input, logic, and output devices for each safety function based on results of the risk assessment and local industrial safety standards.

Safety automation builder—integrator

For motion transformation an apparatus includes a key and a plunger. The key moves along a first axis in a linear key displacement direction and along the first axis in a linear key return direction that is opposite the key displacement direction. The key includes a motivating arm on a distal end. The motivating arm includes a displacement cam surface disposed on a ventral side of the motivating arm and a return cam surface disposed on a dorsal side of the motivating arm. The plunger moves along a second axis. The plunger includes a displacement interface that is motivated by the displacement cam surface in response to the key moving in the key displacement direction to motivate the plunger in a plunger displacement direction. The plunger further includes a return interface.

Motion transformation

A mobile clamp attaches to a steam pipe and converts thermal energy to electric energy. One side of the clamp is generally open to allow for insertion of the steam pipe. During insertion, opposing blocks on either side of the clamp are deflected apart. Each block includes a curved channel extending along the length of the block to receive the steam pipe. Fitting the steam pipe within the channel aligns the clamp on the steam pipe. A biasing force applied to the blocks to return each block to an initial position provides a clamping force on the steam pipe to positively retain the clamp on the pipe. Thermoelectric devices are mounted on the blocks to convert the thermal energy into electrical energy. Thermal energy is transmitted from the steam, through the steam pipe, through the block pressed against the steam pipe, and to the thermoelectric device.

Clamp apparatus for energy harvesting

A method for monitoring machine operation for various machine speed and loads includes measuring vibration information at a sensor associated with a machine and an associated machine speed. The machine is a rotating machine. The method includes performing an operational frequency analysis of the vibration information and comparing results from the operational frequency analysis with a vibration signature for the machine. The vibration signature is for a machine speed that matches the machine speed of the measured vibration information. The vibration signature is one of several vibration signatures for the machine where each is for a different machine speed. The method includes identifying a potential failure mode based on a frequency range where the frequency analysis of the measured vibration information exceeds, by a threshold amount, the vibration signature of the plurality of vibration signatures that matches the machine speed, and transmitting an alert comprising the identified potential failure mode.

Monitoring machine operation for various speed and loading conditions

A method includes sending a first safety instruction to a machine in response to, within an entry window of time, receiving an open alert that a movable barrier is in an open state, where the movable barrier is at an entry point of an enclosure protecting personnel from the machine, receiving tag information of a person from a reader at the movable barrier, and confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The method includes sending a second safety instruction to the machine in response to, within the entry window of time, receiving the open alert, and without receiving tag information or confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The first and second safety instructions are different and the first safety instruction is less restrictive than the second safety instruction in terms of actions to prevent injury.

Radio frequency identifier apparatus for access control and user identification

A method for predicting end-of-life for a component includes determining a baseline lifetime model for a component connected to a machine functional safety system. The component is part of a system with physical devices. The method includes monitoring environmental conditions and usage conditions of the component and modifying the baseline lifetime model based on the monitored environmental and usage conditions to produce a modified lifetime model for the component. The method includes tracking a lifetime progress of the component with respect to the modified lifetime model and sending an alert in response to lifetime progress of the component reaching a lifetime threshold associated with the modified lifetime model.

Predicting end of life for industrial automation components

A method for derivation of a machine signature includes receiving sensor information from a primary sensor, where the primary sensor is positioned to receive information from a portion of an industrial operation, and receiving sensor information from one or more secondary sensors. The secondary sensors are arranged to provide additional information about the industrial operation indicative of current operating conditions of the industrial operation. The method includes using the sensor information from the secondary sensors and machine learning to determine if the portion of the industrial operation is operating in a normal condition and, in response to determining that the portion of the industrial operation is operating normally, using sensor information from the primary sensor during the normal operating condition to derive a primary sensor signature for the sensor information from the primary sensor.

Monitoring machine operation with different sensor types to identify typical operation for derivation of a signature

An industrial locking switch comprises multiple locking tongue entry slots formed on adjacent sides of the locking switch housing, thereby supporting receipt of the corresponding locking tongue from multiple directions of approach without the need to mechanically modify the switch's head or to reorient the switch itself. The locking switch houses locking bolt detection circuity comprising multiple series connected RFID coils configured to detect an RFID tag mounted on the locking tongue when the locking tongue is inserted into any of the entry slots.

Guard locking switch with three concurrent directions of approach

A component includes a housing mounted at an entry point of an enclosure protecting a machine. The component includes a first RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a first RFID tag in close proximity to the first RFID sensor indicating a closed status of a movable barrier of the enclosure at the entry point. Opening of the movable barrier allows entry to the enclosure. The component includes a second RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a second RFID tag of an authorized person. The component includes a barrier access module that sends an open alert that the movable barrier is in an open state in response to the first RFID sensor not being close enough to read the first RFID tag, and an identification module that sends tag information unique to a person from the second RFID tag.

A component for light curtain alignment includes a light intensity receiver that receives a plurality of light intensity signals from beam receivers of a receiver unit of a light curtain. The light curtain includes a transmitter unit with beam transmitters arranged linearly on the transmitter unit. The light curtain includes the receiver unit with the plurality of beam receivers arranged linearly. Each beam receiver is configured to receive light from a corresponding beam transmitter. The component includes a light intensity transmitter configured to transmit, from the light curtain, the plurality of light intensity signals received by the light intensity receiver, where each light intensity signal is from one or more beam receivers, and a trip transmitter that transmits a trip signal in response to determining that a light intensity signal from a beam receiver of the plurality of beam receivers is below a trip threshold.

Light curtain alignment using beam intensities

A cable pull switch includes a polychotomous sensor configured to provide a reading of at least one of a plurality of values, the reading corresponding to a tension on a pull cable or a linear displacement of an end of a pull cable. A processor coupled to the polychotomous cable pull sensor configured to determine a rate of change of the value of the reading from the sensor and determine an occurrence of a cable pull event, the determination based on the determined rate of change of the value, and determine whether the rate of change of the value of an electrical resistance through the polychotomous cable pull sensor is below a threshold rate of change value, and adjust an upper pull threshold value to a new upper pull threshold value that is based on a present reading of the value of the electrical resistance through the strain gauge.

Safety switch and associated methods

A housing for an industrial sensor comprises integral U-shaped pockets configured to engage with attachment features of a complementary mounting bracket. The bracket comprises an overhang feature on a second end and a snap feature on an opposing first end. The housing can be mounted to the bracket by inserting a mounting boss formed within one of the U-shaped pockets underneath the overhang feature of the bracket, and pressing the housing against the bracket to cause the snap feature to engage with another mounting boss formed in the other U-shaped pocket. These mounting features allow the housing to be mounted easily and quickly without the use for additional tools. The housing can also be quickly removed from the bracket by pressing an extended tab near the snap feature to facilitate disengagement of the housing from the bracket.

Housing and complementary snap-fit bracket

An apparatus for an imbalance test includes a strain measurement module that measures a strain voltage across terminals of a strain gauge. The strain voltage is representative of an amount of force on the strain gauge. The apparatus includes a test measurement module that measures a test voltage across the terminals of the strain gauge while a test resistor is connected in parallel with a resistor of the strain gauge. The test resistor is connected while the test measurement module measures the test voltage and is disconnected while the strain module measures strain voltage. The apparatus includes an average module that calculates an average strain voltage from two strain voltage measurements. The strain voltages are measured preceding and after the test voltage measurement. The apparatus includes a difference module that determines a difference voltage. The difference voltage is a difference between the average strain voltage and the test voltage.

Safety switch with imbalance test

Growing community of inventors

Nashua, NH, United States of America

Burt Sacherski