Bethlehem Steel Corporation

Duane T Jones

John C Clymer

Tom L Galanis

Joel L Hoffner

Nikolai Eberhardt

Richard S Hostetter, Jr

Ronald W Yerkes

A continuously measuring on-line production gage calibrated to indicate bar weight per foot and unaffected by typical reinforcing bar shape variability utilizes two radiation gages with their measuring axes separated by 90 degrees and offset by 45 degrees from the rib plane of the reinforcing bar. Each gage is equipped with a shutter which may be adjusted electrically to simulate any required weight per foot standard and with the gage zeroing on a predetermined shutter setting, the shutter automatically opens and radiation detector signal variations from the zero point are amplified, linearized, averaged, and scaled electronically to produce a percent weight per foot output signal. Summation of detected radiation is also performed through use of optical fibers.

Dual head measuring techniques for radiation gaging of reinforcing bar

Computerized electro-optical system gages dimension of a moving hot bar. Back-lighted electronic camera head generates high-speed bar shadow pulses which represent the bar dimensions. Bar pulses are processed by way of camera electronics and a digital computer. CRT and printing terminals, interacting with the computer, indicate and/or record cold-size bar diameter measurement, with respect to commercial tolerance references and a gaging system histogram. Camera head electronics includes camera AGC circuit, a digital type one-axis bidirectional linear sweep, bar pulse edge-detection with an autocorrelator to remove noise and enhance the bar pulse, and a digital accumulator of digital bar size signals and digital bar position-in-field-of-view signals. The digital computer assimilates bar size and bar position signals bar temperature, aim size, and other data signals. The computer is programmed to: (a) compensate bar size signal for field-of-view errors and other optical and electronic nonlinearities, bar temperature and other sources of error; (b) calibrate the gage off-line and automatically recalibrate the gage on-line to correct for drift and slope errors; (c) perform a gaging system histogram; and (d) communicate with the CRT and printing terminals and an exterior control system.

Electro-optical gaging system

Computerized electro-optical system gages two orthogonal dimensions of a moving hot bar at various peripheral positions. Dual back-light electronic camera heads mounted 90.degree. apart on a scanner generate high-speed bar shadow pulses which represent the bar dimensions. Bar pulses are processed by way of individual camera electronics and a digital computer. CRT and printing terminals, interacting with the computer, indicate and/or record each cold-size bar diameter measurement, a plot of bar profile deviation from aim gage overlaid on full- and half-commercial tolerance references with a data header, and a gaging system histogram. Each camera head electronics includes camera AGC circuit, a digital type one-axis bidirectional linear sweep, bar pulse edge-detection with an autocorrelator to remove noise and enhance the bar pulse, and a digital accumulator of digital bar size signals and digital bar position-in-field-of-view signals. The digital computer assimilates each bar size and bar position digital signal along with scanner position, bar temperature and other data signals. The computer is programmed to: (a) compensate each bar size signal for field-of-view errors and other optical and electronic nonlinearities, bar temperature and other sources of error; (b) calibrate the gage off-line and automatically recalibrate the gage on-line to correct for drift and slope errors; (c) automatically drive the scanner and implement incremental digital storage of corrected bar size signals for bar profile plotting; (d) perform gaging system histograms; and (e) communicate with the CRT and printing terminals and an exterior control system.

Growing community of inventors

Coopersburg, PA, United States of America

Duane T Jones