Numerical control system

Claim 2

A numerical control system comprising means for generating a command signal for tracing a curve offset from a main curve between the initial point and the terminal point of each segment of said main curve, said main curve being divided into a plurality of segments so that the curve portion of each said segment can be approximated by an arc or a straight line, means for generating offset circular variables whose initial offset values in a particular segment are the final offset values in the preceding segment and which vary or rotate on a circle, means operative, depending on the kind of the main curve portion in the particular segment to generate tangential values or a normal values representing the tangential direction or the normal direction at the initial point of the main curve portion in said particular segment given prior to the tracing operation, means for calculating the inner product of said offset circular variables and said tangential values or the scalar value of the outer product of said offset circular variables and said normal values, means for controlling the rotating direction of said offset circular variables on said circle in a manner to reduce said inner product or said scalar value of the outer product to zero, and means for giving an instruction for the starting of tracing operation along said offset curve by employing as initial offset values for said particular segment the values of said offset circular variables when said inner product or said scalar value of the outer product is rendered zero.

Claim 3

A numerical control system according to claim 1, having means for stopping the tracing of an offset curve for an arcuate segment of said main curve when the scalar value of the outer product of signals representing the position on said offset curve and normal values representing the normal direction at the terminal point of said main curve is rendered zero.

Claim 4

A numerical control system according to claim 1, having means for calculating the difference between the square of the initial offset values or final offset values and the square of the amount of offset in any one of the segments, means for distributing pulses in a positive or negative direction, depending on the sign of the above difference, of the vector of said initial offset values or final offset values, and means for stopping the pulse distribution when the sign of the above difference makes a change due to said pulse distribution.

Claim 5

In a numerical control system of the type wherein an offset curve to be traced and offset from a main curve is divided into a plurality of segments and the curve portion in each segment is approximated by an arc or a straight line so that output pulses of the system to follow the offset curve are distributed with relation to said arc or straight line; the improvement which comprises first means for producing variable signals indicating offset circular variables (x, y) which vary along the circumference of a circle having a center lying on a connection point connecting main curves in two adjacent segments and a radius equal to a distance between the center and a final offset point (xo yo) on the offset curve of the first segment and offset circular pulses ( Delta x, Delta y) to follow the offset circular variables; second means for calculating an outer product S'' yXo between the offset circular variables (x, y) and coordinates indicating an initial point (Xo, Yo) of the main curve in the second segment; gate means for controlling the direction of variation of the variable signals; control means for producing instruction signals (CW, ccW) determined in accordance with the outer product S'' and for supplying the instruction signals to the gate means so that the variable signals vary in the direction instructed by the instruction signals so as to make the outer product zero; whereby the offset circular variables at the time when the outer product becomes zero are used as coordinates (Xi, Yi) indicating an initial offset point of the offset curve of the second segment.

Claim 6

In a numerical control system of the type wherein an offset curve to be traced and offset from a main curve is divided into a plurality of segments and the curve portion in each segment is approximated by an arc or a straight line so that output pulses of the system to follow the offset curve are distributed with relation to said arc or straight line; the improvement which comprises first means for producing variable signals indicating offset circular variables (x, y) which vary along the circumference of a circle having a center lying on a connection point connecting main curves in two adjacent segments and a radius equal to a distance between the center and a final offset point (xo yo) on the offset curve of the first segment and offset circular pulses ( Delta x, Delta y) to follow the offset circular variables; second means for calculating an outer product S'' yXo between the offset circular variables (x, y) and coordinates indicating an initial point (Xo, Yo) of the main curve in the second segment; gate means for controlling the direction of variation of the variable signals; control means for producing instruction signals (CW, ccW) determined in accordance with the outer product S'' and for supplying the instruction signals to the gate means so that the variable signals vary in the direction instructed by the instruction signals so as to make the outer product zero; whereby the offset circular variables at the time when the outer product becomes zero are used as coordinates (Xi, Yi) indicating an initial offset point of the offset curve of the second segment.

Claim 7

In a numerical control system of the type wherein an offset curve to be traced and offset from a main curve is divided into a plurality of segments and the curve portion in each segment is approximated by an arc or a straight line so that output pulses of the system to follow the offset curve are distributed with relation to said arc or straight line; the improvement which comprises first means for producing variable signals indicating offset circular variables (x, y) which vary along the circumference of a circle having a center lying on a connection point connecting main curves in two adjacent segments and a radius equal to a distance between the ceNter and a final offset point (xo, yo) on the offset curve of the first segment and offset circular pulses ( Delta x, Delta y) to follow the offset circular variables; second means for calculating an inner product S xX + yY between the offset circular variables (x, y) and coordinates (X, Y) on the main curve in the second segment; gate means for controlling the direction of variation of the variable signals; control means for producing instruction signals (cw, ccw) determined in accordance with the inner product S and for supplying the instruction signals to the gate means so that the variable signals vary in direction instructed by the instruction signals so as to make the inner product zero; whereby the offset circular variables at the time when the inner product becomes zero are used as coordinates (xi, yi) indicating an initial offset point of the offset curve of the second segment.

Claim 8

In a numerical control system of the type wherein an offset curve to be traced and offset from a main curve is divided into a plurality of segments and the curve portion in each segment is approximated by an arc or a straight line so that output pulses of the system to follow the offset curve are distributed with relation to said arc or straight line; the improvement which comprises first means for producing variable signals indicating offset circular variables (x, y) which vary along the circumference of a circle having a center lying on a connection point connecting main curves in two adjacent segments and a radius equal to a distance between the ceNter and a final offset point (xo, yo) on the offset curve of the first segment and offset circular pulses ( Delta x, Delta y) to follow the offset circular variables; second means for calculating an inner product S xX + yY between the offset circular variables (x, y) and coordinates (X, Y) on the main curve in the second segment; gate means for controlling the direction of variation of the variable signals; control means for producing instruction signals (cw, ccw) determined in accordance with the inner product S and for supplying the instruction signals to the gate means so that the variable signals vary in direction instructed by the instruction signals so as to make the inner product zero; whereby the offset circular variables at the time when the inner product becomes zero are used as coordinates (xi, yi) indicating an initial offset point of the offset curve of the second segment.