Rapid Air LLC

Jeffery S MacDonald

Richard D Nordlof

Gary D Reding

A stock feed apparatus for feeding strips of stock to or from a stock processing machine to maintain a loop in the stock. The feed means is arranged to feed stock to or from the loop at speed correlative with the amplitude of a control voltage applied to the motor control. The stock loop sensor produces a first digital signal when the loop exceeds a first limit and a second digital signal when the loop exceeds a second limit. A loop control circuit is operative in response to the first digital signal to apply a control voltage of a first preselected amplitude to the motor control to drive the feed apparatus at a first speed until the loop moves away from the first limit and responsive to the second digital signal to apply a control voltage of a second preselected amplitude to drive the feed apparatus at a second speed until the loop moves away from the second limit. The loop control circuit also includes an up/down counter device and an analog switch device that is for applying a variable control voltage to the motor controller, when the loop is intermediate its first and second limits, and which is operative in response to the first digital signal to change the amplitude of the variable control voltage a step towards the first amplitude and operative in response to the second digital signal to change the amplitude to the variable control voltage a step toward the second preselected amplitude.

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Cherry Valley, IL, United States of America

Jeffery S MacDonald