Franklin Electric Company, Inc.

John A Whitney

Richard Rosenbrock

August L Streater

Daniel T Dwyer

Linda M Reinhard

Stephen R Genheimer

Peter F Sorenson

This apparatus is for use in measuring a weight, or force, and it is particularly useful as a scale. The apparatus includes a single vibrating wire and wire supports that rigidly clamp the two ends of the wire. A weight to be measured is applied to the wire in substantially the direction of its length, and the applied weight changes the tension in the wire. The apparatus includes a wire drive circuit that causes the wire to vibrate at essentially its natural resonant frequency. The frequency varies as a known cubic equation with respect to the applied weight, and a computer, operating in accordance with the equation, converts the measured frequency to a weight signal. The apparatus further includes vibration dampers and isolators for reducing the effects of sympathetic vibrations and of externally induced vibrations, and means to correct for external influences such as disturbing frequencies and ambient temperature.

Weight or force measuring apparatus

Apparatus for controlling the air flow from a register of a forced air heating system. The apparatus includes walls forming a housing or cover that is adapted to be fastened to and enclose an air outlet register. The walls also form an outlet opening, and a pivotable flapper valve or wall is provided that is movable to close the opening. The valve is pivotable between an open position where the opening is not closed, and a closed position where the opening is obstructed, the valve being biased to the open position. The valve is located to be subjected to the force of air moving out of the register and through the housing, this force being such as to urge the valve to the closed position. The apparatus further includes a latch for holding the valve in the open position against the force of the moving air, and an electric control for disabling the latch in the presence of the flow of air. The electric control may be manually operated or it may be responsive to the ambient temperature conditions.

Air flow and condition responsive damper

This disclosure relates to a system for processing a plurality of random weight commodity packages in a supermarket utilizing a series of labels having nonrepretitive machine readable symbols thereon. The system includes a computer-scale having a data entry unit, a central computer including a memory bank, and a symbol scanner at a checkout station. Commodity-related data including the commodity identification and the price per unit weight are entered into the entry unit, most or all of the data usually being entered manually. The computer-scale includes means for serially weighing the packages, a price computer for computing the total package cost, and a printer for printing human readable data on a label. The system further includes means for applying a machine readable code symbol to each package, the symbol being located either on the above-mentioned label or on a separate label that is also attached to the package. The commodity related data, the weight, the total cost and the code symbol form a group of package-related data, and the data groups for the plurality of packages are transmitted to and stored in the central computer. The code symbols on the packages are scanned as the packages pass the checkout station in order to retrieve the commodity identification and the total cost of each package from the stored data groups. The groups of data may also be withdrawn from the central computer for data analysis purposes.

Data processing system

This disclosure relates to control apparatus and particularly to a triggered switch connected in a first or controlled circuit and a trigger device connected in a second circuit. AC currents flow through the first and second circuits and there is a changing phase angle between the currents. Further, the current level in the second circuit changes. When the phase angle is greater than a certain value and the current level in the second circuit is above a certain level, the trigger device triggers the switch and energizes the first circuit. At angles below the value and current levels below the certain level, the switch is not triggered. Thus, the changing phase angle may be utilized to control the first circuit. The triggered switch is a thyristor type of device such as a triac, and the trigger device is preferably a reed switch. The control apparatus is particularly useful in controlling the start winding of a single phase AC motor.

Control arrangement for single phase AC systems

This disclosure relates to apparatus and method for controlling and protecting an electric motor. A transmitter is coupled to the motor and to the power lines for generating pulses on the power lines in certain circumstances such as during an overheated motor condition. A control unit is coupled to the power lines and senses the pulses and monitors the power current magnitude in the lines. The unit compares the current level with previously established upper and lower limits. If the current level is outside the limits for a preset length of time, a fault condition exists and the motor is turned off for a length of time that depends upon the severity of the fault. The unit also turns off the motor upon the receipt of pulses from the transmitter when a certain number of pulses regularly recur. The unit includes indicators for displaying the nature of the fault. The unit may be adjusted for automatic operation wherein it will turn the motor on again after a time interval, or for manual operation wherein the motor can only be restarted manually.

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Fort Wayne, IN, United States of America

John A Whitney