Rate multiplier

Claim 2

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, radiant energy source means, code wheel means coupled to the input shaft for rotation, said code wheel means being responsive to rotation for converting said radiant energy into a plurality of coded pulses, and selector means adjustable to represent different multiplier values for decoding said pulses and passing essentially only that number of said pulses which represents the desired product.

Claim 3

A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said code wheel means includes a plurality of code wheels, one for each digit of the multiplier, driven collectively at turn ratios differing one from another by the base number of the counting system.

Claim 4

A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said code wheels are coupled to each other through an intermittent motion drive mechanism whereby one or more of said code wheels are rotated in steps.

Claim 5

A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said code wheel means is coupled to the input shaft through a continuous motion drive mechanism.

Claim 6

A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said code wheel means is a single code wheel coupled to the input shaft and having a plurality of rows of coded apertures formed therein for the passage of radiant energy, and said selector means includes a photosensor for each said row of coded apertures, and multicontact switch means electrically coupled to each said photosensor for selecting various combinations of said rows to establish desired multiplier values.

Claim 7

A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said code wheel is a drum.

Claim 8

A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said code wheel is a disk.

Claim 9

A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said switch means includes a plurality of switches, one for each multiplier digit.

Claim 10

A device as defined in claim 8 wherein said plurality of switches are each adjustable to 10 different positions representing multiplier values 0 through 9.

Claim 11

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, a source of radiant energy, detector means spaced from said source of radiant energy and defining a plurality of radiant energy paths therebetween, at least one code wheel coupled to the input shaft for rotation and having a plurality of rows of coded apertures formed therein transversely intersecting said paths to produce a plurality of coded pulses, and selector means passing only that number of said pulses which represent the desired product, said selector means being adjustable to establish different multiplier values.

Claim 12

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, a source of radiant energy, detector means spaced from said source of radiant energy and defining a plurality of radiant energy paths therebetween, at least one code wheel coupled to the input shaft for rotation and having a plurality of rows of coded apertures formed therein transversely intersecting said paths to produce a plurality of coded pulses, and selector means passing only that number of said pulses which represent the desired product, said selector means being adjustable to establish different multiplier values.

Claim 13

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, a source of radiant energy, detector means spaced from said source of radiant energy and defining at least one radiant energy path therebetween, a code wheel for each path coupled to said shaft for rotation and having a plurality of radiant energy apertures formed therein, said code wheel being positioned to transversely intersect said path so that said apertures periodically cross said path in a desired code pattern to produce a plurality of coded pulses, selector means adjustable to represent different multiplier values for decoding said pulses and passing essentially only that number of said pulses which represents the desired product, and means responsive to said detector means for counting said pulses.

Claim 14

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, a source of radiant energy, detector means spaced from said source of radiant energy and defining at least one radiant energy path therebetween, a code wheel for each path coupled to said shaft for rotation and having a plurality of radiant energy apertures formed therein, said code wheel being positioned to transversely intersect said path so that said apertures periodically cross said path in a desired code pattern to produce a plurality of coded pulses, selector means adjustable to represent different multiplier values for decoding said pulses and passing essentially only that number of said pulses which represents the desired product, and means responsive to said detector means for counting said pulses.

Claim 15

A device as defined in claim 11 wherein a plurality of code wheels are provided, one for each digit of the multiplier, with the several code wheels being coupled to exhibit turn ratios differing one from another by the base number of the counting system.

Claim 16

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, means defining at least one path for the flow of radiant energy, code wheel means interposed in said path and coupled to the input shaft for rotation, said code wheel means having an aperture code formed therein, selector wheel means having a plurality of segments with decode apertures formed therein representing different multiplier values, said selector wheel means being movable to position selected segments thereof into said path to index with said code wheel apertures for forming a quantity of radiant energy pulses representing the product of the multiplier, and output means for counting said pulses.

Claim 17

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is an input shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, means defining at least one path for the flow of radiant energy, code wheel means interposed in said path and coupled to the input shaft for rotation, said code wheel means having an aperture code formed therein, selector wheel means having a plurality of segments with decode apertures formed therein representing different multiplier values, said selector wheel means being movable to position selected segments thereof into said path to index with said code wheel apertures for forming a quantity of radiant energy pulses representing the product of the multiplier, and output means for counting said pulses.

Claim 18

A device as defined in claim 13 wherein said code wheel means includes a plurality of code wheels, one for each digit of the multiplier, driven collectively at turn ratios differing one from another by the base number of the counting system.

Claim 19

A device as defined in claim 14 wherein said code wheels are coupled to each other through an intermittent motion drive mechanism whereby one or more of said code wheels are rotated in steps.

Claim 20

A device as defined in claim 13 wherein said code wheel means is coupled to the input shaft through a continuous motion drive mechanism.

Claim 21

A device as defined in claim 16 including gating means operated synchronously with said drive mechanism for producing pulses of substantially constant width at the output of the multiplier.

Claim 22

A device as defined in claim 14 wherein said code wheels each have nine apertures arranged in a 1-2-4-2 code at four different radii and at nine of 10 different equiangular positions on the face thereof.

Claim 23

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is a shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, a source of radiant energy, detector means spaced from said source of radiant energy and defining at least one radiant energy path therebetween, a code wheel for each path coupled to said shaft for rotation and having a plurality of radiant energy apertures formed therein, said code wheel being positioned to transversely intersect said path so that said apertures periodically cross said path in a desired code pattern, a selector wheel positioned to transversely intersect said path, said selector wheel having a plurality of segments at least some of which contain decode apertures formed therein representing different multiplier values, said selector wheel being movable on its axis to selective positions for aligning a desired segment thereof in said path for indexing periodically with apertures in said code wheel whereby radiant energy may pass to said detector means only in the form of a pulse train in which the total number of pulses represents the product.

Claim 24

A rate multiplier wherein the multiplicand is a shaft rotation, said rate multiplier comprising, a source of radiant energy, detector means spaced from said source of radiant energy and defining at least one radiant energy path therebetween, a code wheel for each path coupled to said shaft for rotation and having a plurality of radiant energy apertures formed therein, said code wheel being positioned to transversely intersect said path so that said apertures periodically cross said path in a desired code pattern, a selector wheel positioned to transversely intersect said path, said selector wheel having a plurality of segments at least some of which contain decode apertures formed therein representing different multiplier values, said selector wheel being movable on its axis to selective positions for aligning a desired segment thereof in said path for indexing periodically with apertures in said code wheel whereby radiant energy may pass to said detector means only in the form of a pulse train in which the total number of pulses represents the product.

Claim 25

A device as defined in claim 19 employing a plurality of code wheels, one for each digit of the multiplier, driven collectively at turn ratios differing one from another by the base number of the counting system.

Claim 26

A device as defined in claim 20 wherein said code wheels are coupled to each other through an intermittent motion drive mechanism whereby one or more of said code wheels are rotated in steps.

Claim 27

A device as defined in claim 20 wherein said code wheels are coupled to each other through a continuous motion drive mechanism.

Claim 28

A device as defined in claim 22 including shutter means operated synchronously with said drive mechanism for gating the radiant energy so as to limit the width of those pulses forming said pulse train.

Claim 29

A device as defined in claim 23 wherein said code wheels are maintained in a relative phase relationship with respect to each other so as to produce nonoverlapping pulses.

Claim 30

A device as dEfined in claim 20 wherein said code wheels each have nine apertures arranged in a 1-2-4-2 code at four different radii and at nine of 10 different equiangular positions on the face thereof.

Claim 31

A device as defined in claim 25 wherein a selector wheel is employed for each code wheel and each said selector wheel has 10 equiangular segments on the face thereof with nine of the 10 segments having one to four apertures therein at four different radii corresponding to the radii for the code wheel apertures whereby multiplication values 0 through 9 may be selected for each digit of the multiplier.

Claim 32

A device as defined in claim 26 wherein said code wheels are maintained in a relative phase relationship with respect to each other so as to produce nonoverlapping pulses.