Automatic electronic system for the control of sliver ruptures in roving frames

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR DETECTING A RUPTURE OF A MATERIAL ON A ROTATING SPINDLE, SAID CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE POSITIONED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID MATERIAL, SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE BEING SENSITIVE TO CHANGES IN INCIDENT LIGHT THEREON; A LIGHT SOURCE POSITIONED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID MATERIAL IN A MANNER WHEREBY SAID LIGHT SOURCE DIRECTS A BEAM OF LIGHT TO SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE TANGENTIAL TO SAID MATERIAL SO THAT WHEN SAID MATERIAL IS IN A WHOLE CONDITION SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE RECEIVES A BEAM OF LIGHT FROM SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND PRODUCES A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT CURRENT AND WHEN SAID MATERIAL IS RUPTURED IT BUNCHES AROUND SAID ROTATING SPINDLE IN A BUNDLE AND INTERRUPTS THE BEAM OF LIGHT FROM SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE PRODUCES A PLURALITY OF CURRENT PULSES OF A NUMBER, DURATION AND SEPARATION DEPENDENT UPON THE RATE OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTATING SPINDLE AND THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE BUNDLE OF MATERIAL; CONVERTING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE FOR CONVERTING THE CURRENT PULSES PRODUCED BY SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE TO A CONTROL PULSE AFTER A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, SAID CONVERTING MEANS COMPRISING AMPLIFIER MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE FOR AMPLIFYING THE PULSES PRODUCED BY THE SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE, RECTIFIER MEANS COUPLED TO SAID AMPLIFIER MEANS FOR PASSING AMPLIFIED PULSES OF ONE POLARITY AND BLOCKING AMPLIFIED PULSES OF THE OTHER POLARITY, PEAK CLIPPER MEANS COUPLED TO SAID RECTIFIER MEANS FOR CLIPPING THE PEAKS OF PULSES PASSED BY SAID RECTIFIER MEANS, AND INTEGRATOR MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PEAK CLIPPER MEANS FOR PRODUCING A CONTROL PULSE FROM THE CLIPPED PULSES PROVIDED BY SAID PEAK CLIPPER MEANS, SAID INTEGRATOR MEANS HAVING A TIME CONSTANT ADJUSTABLE TO DETERMINE SAID PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME DURING WHICH A PREREQUISITE CONDITION OF SAID CLIPPED PULSES MUST BE MAINTAINED BEFORE SAID CONTROL PULSE IS PRODUCED; AND OPERATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID INTEGRATOR MEANS, SAID OPERATING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PERFORM A PREDETERMINED OPERATION UNDER THE CONTROL OF SAID CONTROL PULSE AND INCLUDING RELAY MEANS AND RELAY DRIVING MEANS COMPRISING A THYRATRON CONTROLLED BY SAID CONTROL PULSE.