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:
Oct. 09, 1984
Filed:
Mar. 27, 1981
James V Motsinger, Austin, TX (US);
Ramsey Engineering Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for monitoring and indicating the amount of material in a hopper or a bin includes self-test circuitry for automatically testing both a material level sensor and circuitry for storing the output signal generated by the sensor. During the normal operation of the monitoring apparatus, the value of the sensor output signal is compared with the values of predetermined maximum and minimum reference signals. If the sensor output signal is greater than the predetermined maximum value or less than the predetermined minimum value, the test circuit generates a failure indication to the operator of the apparatus. In order to test the sensor output signal storage circuitry, the test circuit disables the sensor and generates a simulated sensor output signal to the storage circuitry. The test circuit then compares the stored signal with the simulated signal and generates a failure indication if they are different.