Other

The Coe Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Sun Studs, Inc.

John C Nosler

Robert R Bennett

A light-weight, low-aerodynamic-drag disk bicycle wheel is disclosed wherein, bonded to the wheel's tire-carrying rim is a thin, light-weight, aerodynamic drag-reducing structure in the form of a heat-strunk plastic film protected against tearing by an inner, adhered, rip-stop backing fabric.

Low-weight, low-aerodynamic-drag disk wheel cover

Apparatus for counting conveyor-transported articles, such as newspapers. The apparatus employes a laser which projects a beam to create reflections from such articles, which reflections are imaged onto a linear photodetector array. The array is scanned recurrently to detect the presence and location of such an image, and related, successive output signals from the array are fed to a data-processing circuit which confirms the occurrence of each passing article. Such confirmation is based on the pre-known manner in which the successive leading-edge profiles of passing articles cause multiple output signals of a certain character to be produced by the array.

Edge-responsive apparatus for counting conveyor-transported articles

An electro-optical position-monitoring system including a tracking detector whose position is interpretable to indicate the spatial location of a monitored object. In one embodiment, the detector includes a beam-splitting prism, and in the other includes two arrays of fiber-optic elements--both arrangements being designed to divide reflected, received light into two optical paths. Interposed in these paths are photodetectors which each produce an output signal directly indicative of the intensity of light received along the associated path. Circuitry which responds to such signals effects tracking movement of the prism (or the arrays) so as to equalize signals produced by the photodetectors. When equalization occurs, tracking stops, and the repositioned location of tracked parts is directly readable as an indication of the spatial location of the monitored object.

Electro-optical position-monitoring apparatus with tracking detector

Electro-optical apparatus for locating the surface of an object. A laser projects a beam along one axis. Light from the beam which is reflected by an impinged object is viewed along another axis, and is transmitted to a linear (straight-line) photodetector array. The array is specially oriented angularly relative to the viewing axis and to the laser beam axis, whereby, within the selected dynamic range of the apparatus, reflected light transmitted to the array is, under all circumstances, in sharp focus along the plane of the array.

Electro-optical distance-measuring system

Circuitry for locating the mid-point of a spot of illumination on a time-base-scanned linear photodetector (photodiode) array. With each scan, the array produces, from the illuminated photodiodes, a pulse made up of individual 'pixils' having different discreet DC voltage levels. This pulse is filtered to smooth it, and is then compared with a DC reference to produce a related square-wave pulse whose length depends on the time that the level of the filtered pulse exceeds that of the reference. Clock pulses at two different frequencies are provided, and are counted (at different times) from the beginning of each scan until the end of such a square-wave pulse. The desired mid-point is determined from the total count obtained during a scan.

Linear array signal processing circuitry for locating the midpoint of a

An electro-optical ranging system for taking rapid measurements of the distance to a moving target object, such as a rotating log whose cross-sectional configuration is to be determined prior to the performance of a processing operation thereon. An electro-optical transceiver illuminates a small portion of the target object with a narrow beam of light modulated by a reference R-F signal. Light reflected from the target object is received by a telescope in the transceiver and focused upon a photodetector for demodulation to generate a detected R-F signal. The distance to the object is then determined by measuring the relative phase of the reference and detected signals. First, a preliminary measurement is made by adjusting the relative phase of the two R-F signals, using a calibrated, digitally-controlled phase shifter, until the output of a comparator circuit is as nearly null as possible without exceeding a digital input word to the phase shifter corresponding to a distance less than or equal to the target object. The average amplitude of the comparator output signal corresponding to the aforementioned preliminary digital word is determined, and the average comparator output corresponding to the preliminary digital word as modified by the arithmetic addition of one bit thereto is next determined. The actual distance to the surface of the target object is then calculated by interpolating between the two resulting digital words to find an equivalent digital word corresponding to a null phase-comparator output. Parallax error is minimized and the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected signal is maximized by transmitting and receiving the light along a coaxial path. Errors due to changes in the D-C offset of the comparator output are eliminated by A-C coupling the comparator's input and output utilizing a chopper stabilization circuit. Automatic calibration of the system is accomplished by an electro-mechanical shutter, which upon command cuts off the transmitted beam to zero the transceiver, and an electro-mechanical mirror which upon command deflects the transmitted beam through a fiber-optic tube of known optical length to the photo-detector for enabling a calibration factor to be calculated. Control of the operation of the transceiver and calculation of the measured distance to the object is accomplished by a digital computer.

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Eugene, OR, United States of America

John C Nosler