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:
May. 25, 1982
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1980
Alfred Batzdorff, Lansdale, PA (US);
American Electronic Laboratories, Inc., Lansdale, PA (US);
Abstract
An electro-mechanical digital feed apparatus is provided with an optical encoder control unit. The control unit comprises a system of photocells and LED light sources, separated by program discs having precisely spaced holes therein. The discs are mounted on rotating shafts which are linked to a shaft of the processing machine, so that the disc shafts rotate at a constant fraction of the rotational speed of the processing machine shaft. As a disc hole passes between an LED and a photocell, the photocell produces a pulse of electrical energy which is amplified to provide input power for an electrical stepping motor. Means are provided for selectively varying the number of pulses generated per revolution of the processing machine shaft. The discs are provided with a plurality of programs in the form of concentric circular bands containing different numbers of holes. Some of the discs are mounted on shafts that run at higher speeds than others and have a uniform zero position where no holes are contained. Pulses from the regular speed shafts are generated during zero positions of the higher speed shafts and may be added in selectable numbers to the pulses produced by the higher speed shafts. By selecting the discs which input pulses to the pulse train, a pulse train containing a selectable number of uniformly spaced pulses per revolution of the machine shaft can be input to the stepping motor, providing a smooth and selectable feed control.