The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 20, 1978
Filed:
Nov. 08, 1976
Ronald Alfred Mancini, Ridgeway, VA (US);
Douglas Kile Thomson, Greensboro, NC (US);
Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company, Greensboro, NC (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for converting the revolutions of a shaft into pulses including a disc having devices such as slots or reflectors radially spaced around its periphery and light-transmitting and light-receiving fiber optic cables aligned for sensing the devices as the disc rotates. A light source, such as a light-emitting diode, is positioned at the outer end of a light-transmitting cable for providing light, and at least one phototransistor at the outer end of a light-receiving cable converts the light signals into electric pulses. Preferably, the light-transmitting and light-receiving cables are paired, giving successive signals as a slot or reflector is sensed for activating a counting circuit. A single light-transmitting cable is preferably split near the disc to provide two light sources from a single light-emitting diode. The apparatus has special utility in the atmosphere of a gasoline pump, or other metering device, requiring intrinsic safety in that the fiber optic cables convey light signals developed within the potentially explosive area to electric circuitry safely barriered from exposure to explosive gases.