Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Eja Limited

Derek Sawyer

Julian Poyner

Derek William Jones

Francis Lawrence Leard

Burt Sacherski

Michael Scharnick

William E Anderson

Anthony Day

David Howard Kerr

Stephen Zbytowski

David T Williams

Geoffrey Alan Talbot

Gillian P Parker

Anthony C Day

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for controlling access to a restricted area containing machinery. The method comprises receiving from a communications device a location identifier associated with said restricted area and a further identifier, verifying said location identifier and said further identifier, and controlling access to said restricted area based upon said verifying. Controlling access to said restricted area comprises providing a control signal to a controller associated with said restricted area. The controller is arranged to control said machinery in response to said control signal.

Access control

A safety arrangement for use with a piece of equipment. The safety arrangement includes a signal generating unit for generating an optical signal, an elongate element, and a signal detecting unit. The elongate element is disposed along, about, around or through the piece of equipment and is capable of transmitting an optical signal. The signal detecting unit detects an optical signal. The signal generating unit is connected to the signal detecting unit by the elongate element such that the signal detecting unit is in optical communication with the signal detecting unit. The signal detecting unit is arranged to detect a change in the optical signal transmitted by the elongate element as a consequence of movement of the elongate element and, upon detection of the change in the signal, the detecting unit is configured to effect a change in the operation of the piece of equipment.

Safety arrangement

A safety switch for affecting the operating state of equipment to which the safety switch is at least indirectly connected. The safety switch includes a configuration, such as a number of contacts, that is arranged to change from a first condition to a second condition depending on whether or not an actuator has been engaged with or disengaged from the safety switch. The safety switch includes an arrangement for determining information that is at least indicative of an operational property of the configuration, and for storing information that is at least indicative of the obtained information.

Safety switch

A safety switch configured to determine whether a magnetically operated switch which forms part of the safety switch has been welded closed. The safety switch is configured to establish a first magnetic field in the vicinity of the magnetically operated switch. The magnetic field is arranged to move the magnetically operated switch from a first configuration to a second configuration. The safety switch monitors the state of the magnetically operated switch to determine if the magnetically operated switch has been moved by the first magnetic field, thereby determining if the magnetically operated switch has been welded closed.

There is provided a safety switch having a housing configured to receive a removable key, and a mechanism arranged to be operated when the key is moved from an engaged position to a partially disengaged position, the mechanism being arranged to cause a signal to pass to a separate apparatus, wherein the safety switch further comprises a lock which is controlled by the separate apparatus and is arranged to prevent the key from being fully disengaged from the safety switch until a signal has been received in response from the separate apparatus.

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Granada, Spain

Derek Sawyer