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:
Aug. 16, 1988
Filed:
Dec. 19, 1986
James F Bedard, Schenectady, NY (US);
Walter Whipple, III, Amsterdam, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
An acoustic tool break detector monitors vibration caused by a cutting process and has an analog amplifier to condition the signal, then searches for a rapid sustained change in signal level indicative of a cutting tool break. An automatic gain control circuit dynamically controls the gain of the analog amplifier and adjusts the output cutting noise signal to a desired average level during an active cut while allowing use of such a break algorithm. The time rate at which the AGC changes gain is constant and independent of gain; it is set such that a gain change of 2:1, for instance, takes longer than the confirmation period for a tool break. The analog amplifier has a variable attenuator whose gain is set by the outputs of an up/down counter; these outputs are fed back to a variable clock whose rate is dependent on gain at any instant. The clock outputs drive the counter until the analog cutting noise signal is within a preselected window.