Automatic electrical control system for flame-cutting machines

Claim 1

IN A FLAME-CUTTING MACHINE HAVING A CUTTING NOZZLE CARRIED BY A CUTTING HEAD WHICH IS MOVABLE ALONG A TRANSVERSE BEAM BY A FIRST ELECTRIC MOTOR, THE BEAM BEING MOVABLE BODILY ALONG GUIDES BY A SECOND ELECTRIC MOTOR, WHEREBY SAID NOZZLE IS MOVABLE HORIZONTALLY IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR PROFILE-CUTTING OF A WORKPIECE, AND THE NOZZLE ALSO BEING MOVABLE VERTICALLY BY MOTOR MEANS TO ADJUST THE VERTICAL SPACING BETWEEN THE NOZZLE AND THE WORKPIECE, THE COMBINATION WITH A CODED SIGNAL TAPE, A SIGNAL DECODER, MEANS OPERATIVE TO MOVE THE TAPE PAST SAID DECODER, A FIRST ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INCLUDING AND CONTROLLING THE DECODER AND THE TAPE MOVING MEANS AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRIC MOTORS FOR ENERGISING SAID MOTORS IN RESPONSE TO SAID CODED SIGNAL TAPE FOR MOVING SAID NOZZLE OVER A PREDETERMINED PATH OF MOVEMENT, OF INSTRUMENTALITIES WHICH COLLECTIVELY PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CUTTING FLAME AT SAID NOZZLE, INCORPORATING ELECTRICAL SPACING SENSING MEANS ADJACNET SAID NOZZLE FOR CONTROL OF SAID MOTOR MEANS IN THE SENSE TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED SPACING BETWEEN THE NOZZLE AND THE WORKPIECE, CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PREHEAT GAS TO SAID NOZZLE, ON-OFF VALVE MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS, FIRST ELECTRICAL ACTUATING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID ON-OFF MEANS, ELECTRICAL GAS IGNITION MEASN ADJACENT SAID NOZZLE TIP, CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING CUTTING OXYGEN TO SAID NOZZLE, ON-OFF VALVE MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS, SECOND ELECTRICAL ACTUATING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID ON-OFF VALVE MEANS, PHOTO-ELECTRIC FLAME-RESPONSIVE SENSING MEANS ADJACENT SAID NOZZLE, AND A SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT WHICH INCLUDES EACH OF SAID SPACING MEANS, FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRICAL ACUTATING MEANS, ELECTRICAL GAS IGNITION MEANS, PHOTO-ELECTIRC FLAME-RESPONSIVE SENSING MEANS AND SAID DECODER, BUT IS OTHERWISE SEPARATE FROM SAID FIRST ELECTIRCAL SYSTEM, THE SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT ALSO INCLUDING ELECTRICAL RELAY MEANS AND ELECTRICAL TIMER MEANS FOR EFFECTING SEQUENTIAL OPERATION OF SAID INSTRUMENTALITIES, AND THE ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST ELECTRRICAL SYSTEM AND THE SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT VIA SAID DECODER BEING OPERATIVE FOR FULLY AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONING OF SAID FLAME-CUTTING MACHINE IN THE SENSE THAT SIGNALS DERIVED FROM THE CODED SIGNAL TAPE ARE EFFECTIVE TO DEACTIVATE THE TAPE MOVING MEANS TO CAUSE STOPPAGE THEREOF AND TO INITIATE AUTOMATIC SEQUENTIAL OPERATION OF SAID INSTRUMENTALITIES BY MEANS OF SAID ELECTRICAL RELAY MEANS AND TIMER MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A CUTTING FLAME AT SAID NOZZLE WHILE CODED TAPE IS STATIONARY, FOLLOWED AT THE CONCLUSION OF SAID SEQUENCE BY REACTIVATION OF SAID TAPE MOVEING MEANS, SAID SEQUENCE COMPRISING LOWERING OF THE CUTTING NOZZLE TOWARDS THE WORKPEICE BY ENERGISATION OF SAID MOTOR MEANS, AND ENERGISATION OF SAID SPACING SENSING MEANS, ACTIVATION OF SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL ACTUATING MEANS FOR PROVIDING PREHEAT GAS SUPPLY TO SAID NOZZLE, ACTIVATION OF SAID GAS IGNITION MEANS, SENSING OF THE FLAME BY SAID PHOTO-ELECTRIC FLAME-RESPONSIVE SENSING MEANS AND THE TIMING OF A PREHEAT PERIOD DURING WHICH IGNITED PREHEAT GASES HEAT THE WORKPIECE TO CUTTING TEMPERATURE, ACTIVATION OF SAID SECOND ELECTRICAL ACTUATING MEANS FOR PROVIDING CUTTING OXYGEN SUPPLY TO SAID NOZZLE, AND REACTIVATION OF THE TAPE MOVING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNAL FROM SAID PHOTO-ELECTRIC FLAEM-RESPONSIVE SENSING MEANS INDICATIVE OF SATISFACTORY FLAME-CUTTING CONDITIONS AT SAID NOZZLE, AND ADDITIONAL RELAY MEANS IN SAID SECOND CONTROL CIRCUIT GOVERNED BY THE PHOTO-ELECTRIC FLAME-RESPONSIVE SENSING MEANS, AND AN ELECTRICAL ALARM AND CONTROL DEVICE GOVERNED BY SAID ADDITIONAL RELAY MEANS FOR ENERGISATION THEREOF TO PROVIDE AN ALARM SIGNAL IN THE ABSENCE OF A PREDETERMINED OUTPUT FROM SAID PHOTO-ELECTRIC FLAMERESPONSIVE MEANS.