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:
Nov. 02, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 05, 1997
Patrick William Gibson, Northville, MI (US);
Robert Cary Haase, Southfield, MI (US);
David Andrew Franchock, Livonia, MI (US);
Bradley Dean Riedle, Northville, MI (US);
Charles William Suter, South Lyon, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus is provided to determine the speed and direction of a rotating shaft, including a rotor with three circumferentially spaced teeth connected to the shaft. The spacing of the center of the second rotor tooth is wider than the spacing of the center of the first tooth and the spacing of the center of the third tooth is wider than the spacing of the center of the second tooth. A sensor detects the center of each tooth and produces a signal in response thereto. The signal is received by a computer. The computer determines the speed and direction of rotation of the shaft by determining a first time period to reach the center of the first tooth, a second time period to reach the center of the second tooth and a third time period to reach the center of the third tooth.