Strand break detector

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE WITH A WINDING MACHINE HAVING A ROTATING WINDING HEAD, SAID APPARATUS BEING ADAPTED TO DETECT A BROKEN STRAND IN A MULTISTRANDED CABLE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) SENSING MEANS TO DIRECT THE PRESENCE OF AND TO EMIT A PULSE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL STRAND PASSING SAID SENSING MEANS; (B) TIMING MEANS TO INDICATE ONE COMPLETE REVOLUTION OF THE WINDING HEAD; (C) COUNTING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SENSING MEANS AND ARRANGED TO ADD THE PULSES EMITTED BY SAID SENSING MEANS, SAID COUNTING MEANS HAVING A PRESET UPPER LIMIT OF PULSES EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF STRANDS IN THE CABLE AND MEANS TO EMIT A CONTROL PULSE WHEN SAID PRESET UPPER LIMIT IS REACHED AND MEANS TO RESET ITSELF TO ZERO AFTER EACH REVOLUTION OF THE WINDING HEAD; AND (D) CONTROL MEANS COUPLED TO SAID TIMING MEANS AND SAID COUNTING MEANS, FOR RECEIVING SAID CONTROL PULSE, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT TO A UTILIZATION DEVICE WHEN, AFTER ONE REVOLUTION OF THE WINDING HEAD, THE NUMBER OF PULSES IN SAID COUNTING MEANS IS LESS THAN THE PRESET UPPER LIMIT OF PULSES.