Numerically controlled machine toolslide-position-indicating system

Claim 2

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis, a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train comprising feedback pulses wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and pulses from said reference frequency source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for indicating the present location along each axis of a slide comprising: means for each axis for detecting the phase difference between the count of said feedback counter and the count of said reference counter; means for converting said phase difference into a count representative of said phase difference; and means for displaying said count.

Claim 3

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for converting said phase difference into a count includes means for generating clock pulses responsive to said reference frequency signals, means for converting said phase difference into a phase difference pulse having a width representative thereof, and counter means for counting the number of pulses occurring during the width interval of said phase difference pulse.

Claim 4

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein there is included means for each axis for indicating the distance a slide has to travel to a commanded end point comprising: means for each axis for detecting the phase difference between said feedback counter and said command counteR, and means for applying said phase difference to said means for converting said phase difference into a count representative of said phase difference.

Claim 5

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and the pulses from said reference source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for indicating the present location of a slide along an axis comprising: means for each axis for generating a phase difference pulse having a width equal to the difference between a count of said feedback counter and count of said command counter, means for generating clock pulses, counter means, means for enabling said counter means to count pulses from said clock pulse source only during the interval of said phase difference pulse, storage means connected to said counter means for storing the count of said counter means, means responsive to the occurrence of said trailing edge of said phase difference pulse for generating a storage entry pulse, means for applying said storage entry pulse to said storage means to enable it to store the count of said counter means, and indicator means coupled to the output of said storage means for indicating the count stored therein.

Claim 6

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and the pulses from said reference source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for indicating the present location of a slide along an axis comprising: means for each axis for generating a phase difference pulse having a width equal to the difference between a count of said feedback counter and count of said command counter, means for generating clock pulses, counter means, means for enabling said counter means to count pulses from said clock pulse source only during the interval of said phase difference pulse, storage means connected to said counter means for storing the count of said counter means, means responsive to the occurrence of said trailing edge of said phase difference pulse for generating a storage entry pulse, means for applying said storage entry pulse to said storage means to enable it to store the count of said counter means, and indicator means coupled to the output of said storage means for indicating the count stored therein.

Claim 7

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein there is included means for measuring the velocity of a slide along each axis comprising: means for generating clock pulses, counter means, means for applying the output of a feedback transducer to said counter means only during the interval provided by one of said clock pulses, and means for displaying the count in said counter means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for detecting the phase difference between said feedback and said reference counter comprises a first inverter circuit, a second inverter circuit, a first AND gate, a second AND gate, and a NOR gate circuit, means for applying a predetermined count of said feedback counter to said first inverter circuit and one input of said second AND gate, means for applying a predetermined count of said reference counter to said second inverter circuit and to one input of said first AND gate, means for applying said first inverter output to a second input of said first AND gate to enable said second AND gate, means for applying said second inverter output to a second input of said second AND gate to enable said second AND gate, and means for applying the outputs of said first and second AND gates to said NOR circuit input whereby the output of said NOR circuit is a pulse having a width determined by the phase difference between said feedback and reference counter.

Claim 9

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and the pulses from said reference source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for inDicating the present location of a slide along an axis comprising: means for each axis for generating a phase difference pulse having a width equal to the difference between a count of said reference counter and said feedback counter; means for generating clock pulses; counter means; means for enabling said counter means to count pulses from said clock pulse source only during the interval of said phase difference pulse; storage means connected to said counter means for storing the count of said counter means; means responsive to the occurrence of said trailing edge of said phase difference pulse for generating a storage entry pulse; means for applying said storage entry pulse to said storage means to enable it to store the count of said counter means; and indicator means coupled to the output of said storage means for indicating the count stored therein.

Claim 10

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and the pulses from said reference source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for inDicating the present location of a slide along an axis comprising: means for each axis for generating a phase difference pulse having a width equal to the difference between a count of said reference counter and said feedback counter; means for generating clock pulses; counter means; means for enabling said counter means to count pulses from said clock pulse source only during the interval of said phase difference pulse; storage means connected to said counter means for storing the count of said counter means; means responsive to the occurrence of said trailing edge of said phase difference pulse for generating a storage entry pulse; means for applying said storage entry pulse to said storage means to enable it to store the count of said counter means; and indicator means coupled to the output of said storage means for indicating the count stored therein.

Claim 11

In a numerical control system as recited in claim 7 wherein said means for generating a phase difference pulse having a width equal to the difference between a count of said reference counter and said feedback counter includes a first inverter circuit, a second inverter circuit, a first AND gate, a second AND gate, and a NOR gate circuit, means for applying a predetermined count of said feedback counter to said first inverter circuit and one input of said second AND gate, means for applying a predetermined count of said reference counter to said second inverter circuit and to one input of said first AND gate, means for applying said first inverter output to a second input of said first AND gate to enable said first AND gate, means for applying said second inverter output to a second input of said second AND gate to enable said second AND gate, and means for applying the outputs of said first and second AND gates to said NOR circuit input whereby the output of said NOR circuit is a pulse having a width determined by the phase difference between said feedback and reference counters.

Claim 12

In a numerical control system as recited in claim 7 wherein there is included means for each axis for indicating the distance a slide has to travel to a commanded end point comprising: means for each axis for detecting the phase difference between said feedback counter and said command counter, and means for enabling said counter means to count pulses from said clock pulse source only during the interval of the phase difference between said feedback counter and said command counter.

Claim 13

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis, a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train comprising feedback pulses wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and pulses from said reference frequency source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for indicating the present location along each axis of a slide comprising: means for each axis for detecting the phase difference between the count of said feedback counter and the count of said command counter, means for converting said phase difference to a plurality of pulses representative thereof, means for counting said plurality of pulses, and means for indicating the count in said means for counting.

Claim 14

In a numerical control system of a type wherein for each axis, a reference counter provides a count indication of the starting position of a slide for that axis, there is introduced into a command counter a count indicative of a desired end location for the slide, a feedback transducer provides an output pulse train comprising feedback pulses wherein each pulse is indicative of an increment of motion moved by said slide, said feedback counter having entered thereinto the initial location of said slide, and a reference frequency source supplies pulses to said reference counter, to said command counter, and pulses from said reference frequency source are combined with the feedback pulses and the resultant is applied to said feedback counter, a system for indicating the present location along each axis of a slide comprising: means for each axis for detecting the phase difference between the count of said feedback counter and the count of said command counter, means for converting said phase difference to a plurality of pulses representative thereof, means for counting said plurality of pulses, and means for indicating the count in said means for counting.