Automatic saw control assembly for a linecasting machine

Claim 2

A saw assembly of the type for use in a linecasting machine, said assembly comprising; saw means movable between various cutting positions for cutting slugs, first drive means for moving said saw means, control means for activating and deactivating said first drive means, manually operable drive means for moving said saw means independently of said first drive means, said means including a support, a mount slidably supported on said support, a saw rotatably disposed on said mount, a lead screw threadedly coacting with said mount for moving said mount along said support upon rotation thereof, a first bevel gear connected to said lead screw for rotating the latter, and wherein said manually operable drive means includes a second bevel gear in meshing engagement with said first bevel geaR for rotating the latter, and wherein said first drive means includes a third bevel gear in meshing engagement with said first bevel gear for rotating the latter, a gear train including said clutch means and drivingly interconnecting said motor and said third bevel gear, said gear train including a first gear rotated by said motor, a second gear rotated by said first gear, a third gear rotated with said second gear, a fourth gear rotated by said third gear, a fifth gear rotated with said fourth gear, a sixth gear rotated by said fifth gear, and said third bevel gear being rotated with said sixth gear, said second gear being larger in diameter than said first gear, said fourth gear being larger in diameter than said third gear, said sixth gear being larger in diameter than said fifth gear, said second and third gears being coaxially supported on a first shaft, said fourth and fifth gears being coaxially supported on a second shaft, said sixth gear and said third bevel gear being coaxial, and wherein said clutch means transmit forces between said fourth and fifth gears, and said control means having a second gear train driven with said firstmentioned gear train for determining the position of said saw.

Claim 3

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second gear train includes a seventh gear coaxial and rotated with said sixth gear, an eighth gear rotated by said seventh gear, a ninth gear rotated with said eighth gear, a tenth gear rotated by said ninth gear, and an eleventh gear rotated by said tenth gear, said eighth gear being larger in diameter than said seventh gear, said tenth gear being larger in diameter than said ninth and eleventh gears respectively.

Claim 4

A saw assembly control system for use in connection with a linecasting machine having saw means movable between various cutting positions for cutting slugs comprising a drive means for moving the saw means and control means for activating and deactivating said drive means including a decoder means for developing digital output signals; register means for storing the signals from said decoder means representative of a command cutting position of said saw; encoder means for developing digital signals representative of the actual position of said saw, parallel comparator digital logic means adapted for developing first and second drive means control signals; means for controlling said drive means to drive said saw in a first direction in response to said first signal and in a second direction in response to said second signal, and wherein said output signals of said decoder means are in BCD form and said register means is adapted for storing signals in BCD form and includes four registers, a pica tens register for storing the pica tens digit, a pica units register for storing the pica units digit, a point tens register for storing the point tens digit, and a point units register for storing the point units digit of a command cutting position, and further wherein said encoder means develops at least a pair of signals in BCD form representative of the actual pica tens position, at least four signals in BCD form representative of the pica units position, at least one signal representative of the actual point tens digit, and at least four signals in BCD form for indicating the actual point units position; and wherein said parallel comparator means includes at least four gates adapted for receiving the pica tens signals from said pica tens register and said encoder, at least eight gates for receiving the pica units signals from said pica units register and said encoder, at least two gates for receiving the point tens signals from said point units register and said encoder, and at least eight gates for receiving the point units signals from said point units register and said encoder.

Claim 5

A saw assembly control system for use in connection with a linecasting machine having saw means movable between various cutting positions for cutting slugs comprising a drive means for moving the saw means and control means for activating and deactivating said drive means including a decoder means for developing digital output signals; register means for storing the signals from said decoder means representative of a command cutting position of said saw; encoder means for developing digital signals representative of the actual position of said saw, parallel comparator digital logic means adapted for developing first and second drive means control signals; means for controlling said drive means to drive said saw in a first direction in response to said first signal and in a second direction in response to said second signal, and wherein said output signals of said decoder means are in BCD form and said register means is adapted for storing signals in BCD form and includes four registers, a pica tens register for storing the pica tens digit, a pica units register for storing the pica units digit, a point tens register for storing the point tens digit, and a point units register for storing the point units digit of a command cutting position, and further wherein said encoder means develops at least a pair of signals in BCD form representative of the actual pica tens position, at least four signals in BCD form representative of the pica units position, at least one signal representative of the actual point tens digit, and at least four signals in BCD form for indicating the actual point units position; and wherein said parallel comparator means includes at least four gates adapted for receiving the pica tens signals from said pica tens register and said encoder, at least eight gates for receiving the pica units signals from said pica units register and said encoder, at least two gates for receiving the point tens signals from said point units register and said encoder, and at least eight gates for receiving the point units signals from said point units register and said encoder.

Claim 6

A saw assembly control system as defined in claim 3 wherein said comparator means includes means for providing a third signal and wherein said drive means reduces the speed of said saw in response to said third signal.

Claim 7

A saw assembly control system for use in connection with a linecasting machine having saw means movable between various cutting positions for cutting slugs comprising a drive means for moving the saw means and control means for activating and deactivating said drive means including a decoder means for developing digital output signals representative of a command position of said saw; register means for storing the digital signals from said decoder means representative of the command position of said saw; encoder means for developing digital signals representative of the actual position of said saw, comparator means for comparing said signals in said register with said encoder signals for developing first and second output signals for controlling said drive means, said drive means including first and second solid state power amplifier means, said first amplifier being responsive to said first output signal and said second amplifier being responsive to said second output signal of said comparator and wherein said drive means includes a motor having at least two terminals whose speed and direction is determined by the polarity and magnitude of the potential applied across said terminals, one of said terminals being coupled to ground through a first switching transistor and being coupled to a source of potential through a second switching transistor, the other of said terminals being coupled to ground through a third switching transistor and coupled to a source of potential through a fourth switching transistor, wherein said first amplifier means controls the state of said first and third switching transistors and wherein said second power amplifier means controls the state of said second and fourth transistors for determining the polarity of the potential applied across said terminals.

Claim 8

A saw assembly control system for use in connection with a linecasting machine having saw means movable between various cutting positions for cutting slugs comprising a drive means for moving the saw means and control means for activating and deactivating said drive means including a decoder means for developing digital output signals representative of a command position of said saw; register means for storing the digital signals from said decoder means representative of the command position of said saw; encoder means for developing digital signals representative of the actual position of said saw, comparator means for comparing said signals in said register with said encoder signals for developing first and second output signals for controlling said drive means, said drive means including first and second solid state power amplifier means, said first amplifier being responsive to said first output signal and said second amplifier being responsive to said second output signal of said comparator and wherein said drive means includes a motor having at least two terminals whose speed and direction is determined by the polarity and magnitude of the potential applied across said terminals, one of said terminals being coupled to ground through a first switching transistor and being coupled to a source of potential through a second switching transistor, the other of said terminals being coupled to ground through a third switching transistor and coupled to a source of potential through a fourth switching transistor, wherein said first amplifier means controls the state of said first and third switching transistors and wherein said second power amplifier means controls the state of said second and fourth transistors for determining the polarity of the potential applied across said terminals.

Claim 9

A saw control assembly of the type defined by claim 5 wherein said comparator means includes means for providing a third signal, and wherein said second and fourth transistors are coupled to said source of potential through a fifth switching transistor and a resistor arranged in parallel; and additionally including a third power transistor means controlled by said third signal adapted to control said fifth switching transistor.