Automatic program for machine tools and the like

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A MOVABLE ELEMENT OF A MACHINE TOOL OR THE LIKE IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PROGRAM OF OPERATIONS WHICH REQUIRES THE MOVABLE ELEMENT TO MOVE A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE ALONG A PREDETERMINED COURSE IN THE EXECUTION OF EACH OPERATION: IMPULSE SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE MOVABLE ELEMENT FOR GENERATING A PRIMARY IMPULSE SIGNAL EACH TIME THE MOVABLE ELEMENT MOVES THROUGH A PREDETERMINED SMALL DISTANCE UNIT; A PLURALITY OF COUNTERS, CONNECTABLE WITH THE IMPULSE SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS TO RECEIVE PRIMARY IMPULSE SIGNALS THEREFROM, FOR GENERATING A SECONDARY IMPULSE SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO RECEIPT OF A PREDETERMINED MULTIPLE OF PRIMARY IMPULSE SIGNALS DENOTING THE TRAVERSE OF A LARGER DISTANCE UNIT BY THE MOVABLE ELEMENT, EACH OF SAID COUNTERS BEING RESPONSIVE TO A DIFFERENT MULTIPLE OF PRIMARY IMPULSE SIGNALS; MEANS FOR STORING INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING EACH OPERATION TO BE EXECUTED BY THE MOVABLE ELEMENT, SAID INSTRUCTION STORING MEANS COMPRISING AN INFORMATION CARRIER CONTAINING A SEQUENCE OF PARTIAL INSTRUCTIONS, EACH RELATING TO A DIFFERENT PORTION OF A DESIRED COURSE ALONG WHICH THE MOVABLE ELEMENT IS TO MOVE IN EXECUTION OF AN OPERATION, AND EACH OF SAID PARTIAL INSTRUCTIONS BEING IN THE FORM OF INDICIA ON THE INFORMATION CARRIER DESIGNATING ONE OF SAID MULTIPLES AND A COEFFICIENT DENOTING THE NUMBER OF THE LARGE DISTANCE UNITS CORRESPONDING TO THAT MULTIPLE WHICH CONSTITUTE THE LENGTH OF THE COURSE PORTION TO WHICH THE PARTIAL INSTRUCTION RELATES;