Variable position control system for material feeding apparatus and the like

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLABLY VARYING THE ROTATIONAL POSITION OF A MEMBER COMPRISING DRIVE MEANS, AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLUTCH HAVING ITS INPUT CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE MEANS, AN OUTPUT SHAFT DRIVE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID CLUTCH AND SAID MEMBER, CAM MEANS, MEANS INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE VARIABLE SPEED MEANS PROVIDING A DIRECT DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CAM MEANS AND SAID OUTPUT SHAFT TO CONTINUOUSLY ROTATE SAID CAM MEANS FROM A PREDETERMINED STARTING POSITION WHENEVER SAID CLUTCH IS SET IN CLUTCH-ENGAGED POSITION TO ROTATE SAID OUTPUT SHAFT, THE RATE OF ROTATION OF SAID CAM MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID OUTPUT SHAFT BEING DEPENDENT ON THE RATIO OF ADJUSTMENT OF SAID VARIABLE SPEED MEANS, BRAKE MEANS FOR ARRESTING ROTATION OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT AND OF SAID CAM MEANS THROUGH THE DRIVE CONNECTION PROVIDED BY SAID VARIABLE SPEED MEANS, AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR CONTROLLING ACTUATION OF SAID CLUTCH AND SAID BRAKE MEANS, AND SWITCH MEANS FORMING A PART OF SAID CIRCUIT AND BEING ACTUATABLE BY ROTATION OF SAID CAM MEANS THROUGH AN ANGLE DETERMINED BY THE RATIO ADJUSTMENT OF SAID VARIABLE SPEED MEANS TO DISENGAGE SAID CLUTCH AND TO ACTUATE SAID BRAKE MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ARRESTING ROTATION OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT AND SAID CAM MEANS TO THEREBY PROVIDE AN ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT DEPENDENT UPON THE RATIO ADJUSTMENT OF SAID VARIABLE SPEED MEANS.