US3566138A — Photoelectric tape reader having plurality of int…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 170 words

Sensing arrangement for record carrier tapes, comprising, in combination, a plurality of magazine units, each including a first support, two output rollers, a predetermined number of guide rollers, and an endless record carrier tape looped about selected guide rollers and passing between said pair of output rollers to form a free readout loop, said endless record carrier tapes having different lengths and being associated with different operations of a machine, said readout loops of all said magazine units having the same length between said output rollers, said output rollers having the same positions on all first supports; and a readout unit including a second support to which said first support of a selected magazine unit is detachably attached, transporting rollers mounted on said second support and engaging said readout loop of said selected magazine unit for transporting the same and thereby the respective endless record carrier tape, and sensing means for reading out recordings on successive transported portions of said readout loop and generating corresponding impulses for controlling the machine.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 170 words

Sensing arrangement for record carrier tapes, comprising, in combination, a plurality of magazine units, each including a first support, two output rollers, a predetermined number of guide rollers, and an endless record carrier tape looped about selected guide rollers and passing between said pair of output rollers to form a free readout loop, said endless record carrier tapes having different lengths and being associated with different operations of a machine, said readout loops of all said magazine units having the same length between said output rollers, said output rollers having the same positions on all first supports; and a readout unit including a second support to which said first support of a selected magazine unit is detachably attached, transporting rollers mounted on said second support and engaging said readout loop of said selected magazine unit for transporting the same and thereby the respective endless record carrier tape, and sensing means for reading out recordings on successive transported portions of said readout loop and generating corresponding impulses for controlling the machine.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said machine is a circular knitting machine having needles controlled by said impulses; and wherein each of said endless tapes is associated with a different number of revolutions of said knitting machine.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first supports has a central cutout; and wherein said readout unit is located in said cutout of said first support of said selected magazine unit.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 57 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said readout unit includes means for illuminating said transported and readout portion of said readout loop; wherein said sensing means include a plurality of phototransistors; and wherein each of said endless record carrier tapes has a plurality of tracks respectively read out by said phototransistors, and having light-permeable recordings.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 68 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said readout unit includes a support roller for supporting said successive transported portions of said readout loop, and being mounted on said second support for free rotation, and opposite said sensing means; and wherein said transporting rollers include two driven transporting rollers respectively leading and trailing said support roller so that the same is rotated by the transported readout loop.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 124 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said readout unit includes a shaft means fixedly secured to said second support; wherein said support roller includes two roller portions mounted for free rotation spaced from each other on two spaced journal portions of said shaft means for supporting the longitudinal marginal portions of said readout loop; wherein the portion of said shaft means between said journal portions includes transparent optical means; wherein said sensing means is located in front of said support roller and of the transported portion of said readout loop thereon; wherein said readout unit includes illuminating means mounted on said second support in the rear of said support roller so that said transported portion is illuminated through said transparent optical means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 6 wherein said transparent optical means include a filter for heat radiation and a planar-convex cylindrical lens; and wherein said illuminating means include a lamp nd a condenser.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 46 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said magazine units includes means for driving said pair of output rollers for transporting said endless tape at the speed at which said readout loop is transported by said driven transporting rollers of said readout unit.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 74 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means for driving includes two output gears respectively secured to said output roLlers, and coupling gear means mounted on said first support for movement between an inoperative position and a drive position; and wherein said readout unit includes two drive gears secured to said transporting rollers and an intermediate gear meshing with said two drive gears and with said gear means in said drive position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 101 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 9 wherein said first support is a first support plate, and said second support is a second support plate lower than said first support plate of said selected magazine unit; and wherein said coupling gear means includes a journal secured to said first support plate, a coupling gear mounted on said journal for axial movement between said inoperative and drive positions, and a spring biassing said coupling gear into said drive position meshing with said intermediate gear and said output gears, said coupling gear in said inoperative position meshing only with said two output gears.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 54 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each endless second carrier tape has marginal transporting portions and a central recording portion for recordings; and wherein said guide rollers, output rollers, and transporting rollers have transporting end portions cooperating with said marginal transporting portions, and central smaller portion spaced from said central recording portion.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 98 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 11 wherein said readout unit includes a support roller freely rotatably mounted on said second support opposite said sensing means and being rotated by said readout loop; wherein said transporting rollers include a pair of transporting rollers leading and trailing said support roller, respectively, in the direction of movement of said endless tape; wherein said trailing transporting roller and the trailing output roller have driven central portions, and marginal transporting portions rotatable on said driven central portions, and include spring means connecting said driven central portions with said marginal transporting portions, respectively.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 63 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first supports has a central cutout; wherein said second support is located in the cutout of said first support of the selected magazine unit; and wherein said readout unit includes a slide supporting said sensing means and being mounted on said second support for movement toward and away from said transporting rollers.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 148 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said readout unit includes a support roller for supporting said successive transported portions of said readout loop, and being mounted on said second support for free rotation, and opposite said sensing means; wherein said transporting rollers include two driven transporting rollers respectively leading and trailing said support roller so that the same is rotated by the transported readout loop; wherein each of said first supports has a central cutout; wherein said second support is located in the cutout of said first support of the selected magazine unit; wherein said readout unit includes a slide supporting said sensing means and being mounted on said second support for movement toward and away from said support roller; wherein said support roller, said two drive rollers and two output rollers are disposed symmetrically to a plane; and wherein said slide moves in said plane.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 44 words

Sensing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each magazine unit includes a pressure roller mounted on said first support for movement between an operative position abutting said two output rollers for holding said endless tape on the same, and a retracted inoperative position.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 137 words

Record carrier tape magazine arrangement, comprising, in combination, a plurality of endless record carrier tapes having different lengths, each endless tape being formed into differently shaped and positioned magazine loops and into a readout loop having the same length in all said endless tapes; and a magazine including a support, and a Plurality of guide rollers and two output rollers mounted on said support for rotation, said guide rollers being disposed for supporting said differently positioned magazine loops of any selected one of said endless record carrier tapes, and said readout loop of said selected endless record carrier tape projecting between said output rollers in a position adapted to be read out whereby the same magazine can be used for a plurality of endless record carrier tapes of different lengths having information of different length recorded thereon.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 137 words

Record carrier tape magazine arrangement, comprising, in combination, a plurality of endless record carrier tapes having different lengths, each endless tape being formed into differently shaped and positioned magazine loops and into a readout loop having the same length in all said endless tapes; and a magazine including a support, and a Plurality of guide rollers and two output rollers mounted on said support for rotation, said guide rollers being disposed for supporting said differently positioned magazine loops of any selected one of said endless record carrier tapes, and said readout loop of said selected endless record carrier tape projecting between said output rollers in a position adapted to be read out whereby the same magazine can be used for a plurality of endless record carrier tapes of different lengths having information of different length recorded thereon.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-02-22	1974-08-24	1975-02-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-02-22	1978-08-24	1979-02-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-02-22	1982-08-24	1983-02-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Photoelectric tape reader having plurality of interchangeable magazines each containing a tape of different lengh

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