US3633087A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electronic tracer method and apparatus for monitoring the path of a numerically controlled machine
Assignee: Rohr Inc
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Filing: 1970-03-16
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Granted: 1972-01-04
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Expires: 1990-03-16
Abstract
Abstract Machine path pulses produced by X, Y and Z slide movements of a numerically controlled machine are compared with pulses derived from the programmed data independently of those which produced the slide movements on command, extra temporary storage being employed to delay the production of the tracer path pulses to compensate for the machine position lag behind the electronic position produced by the command generator. Gated X, Y and Z updown counters, each counting up on its machine path pulses and down on its tracer path pulses, tend to establish a null condition within up and down count limits to either side of an initially set value. A gating network generates an off null signal when any of the counters exceeds the null limits. Clock signals modulated by the off null signal change the rate of generation of the tracer path pulses to thereby restore the counters to the null condition. When the off null signal persists longer than a predetermined interval, an error signal is produced to stop the machine operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Verne E Vawter
- 👤 William D Wilson
- 👤 Kyle W Leake
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 04:07
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/406; G05B19/4068; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/35; G05B2219/35353; G05B2219/41; G05B2219/41363
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
An electronic tracer method of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine to programmed data which comprises the steps of generating from the programmed data a first series of data pulses for producing incremental machine movements therefrom, directing the machine movements in response to said data pulses, sensing said machine movements and generating a series of position pulses indicative thereof, generating from the programmed data a second series of data pulses corresponding to said first series of data pulses and coincident with said position pulses at the start of the machine operation, comparing said position pulses with said second series of data pulses to measure any difference therebetween, and stopping operation of the machine when said difference excEeds a predetermined value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
An electronic tracer method of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine to programmed data which comprises the steps of generating from the programmed data a first series of data pulses for producing incremental machine movements therefrom, directing the machine movements in response to said data pulses, sensing said machine movements and generating a series of position pulses indicative thereof, generating from the programmed data a second series of data pulses corresponding to said first series of data pulses and coincident with said position pulses at the start of the machine operation, comparing said position pulses with said second series of data pulses to measure any difference therebetween, and stopping operation of the machine when said difference excEeds a predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
The electronic tracer method as in claim 1 and including the further step of generating an off null signal whenever the position pulses are generated at a different rate than said second series of data pulses by a predetermined number of pulses, and responsive to said off null signal changing the rate of generation of said second series of data pulses until a null is established thereby with respect to said position pulses.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The electronic tracer method as in claim 2 and including the further step of producing an error signal when the off null signal persists for a period of time longer than a predetermined interval.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electronic tracer method as in claim 3 and including the further step of stopping the machine operation in response to the error signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as in claim 1 and including the step of generating the second series of data pulses in predetermined time delayed relation to the generation of the first series of data pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as in claim 5 and including the step of setting the time delay in proportion to the machine velocity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electronic tracer method of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine which comprises the steps of producing machine movements along a path in response to programmed data, generating an electronic tracer path from said programmed data, setting said machine and tracer paths electronically at the same starting point at the start of the machine operation, comparing the tracer path with the machine path to measure any difference therebetween, changing the rate of generation of the tracer path in accordance with any said measured difference to reduce the same to within predetermined limits, and stopping the machine operation when said difference exceeds said limits.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electronic tracer method of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine which comprises the steps of producing machine movements along a path in response to programmed data, generating an electronic tracer path from said programmed data, setting said machine and tracer paths electronically at the same starting point at the start of the machine operation, comparing the tracer path with the machine path to measure any difference therebetween, changing the rate of generation of the tracer path in accordance with any said measured difference to reduce the same to within predetermined limits, and stopping the machine operation when said difference exceeds said limits.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
175 words
Electronic tracer apparatus for monitoring the machine path of a numerically controlled machine comprising, in combination, means operative from programmed data for producing machine movements along a path, means responsive to said machine movements for producing a series of pulses indicative incrementally of machine positions along the machine path, means operative from said programmed data for generating initially concurrently with said machine position pulses a series of pulses which constitute an electronic tracer path, means normally in a null condition for comparing said machine and tracer path pulses to produce an off null signal when the tracer path pulses are being produced at a different rate by a predetermined number of pulses than said machine path pulses, means responsive to said off null signal for changing the rate of generation of said tracer path pulses to restore said comparing means to its null condition, and means responsive to said off null signal and effective when the same has persisted for a period of time in excess of a predetermined interval for producing an error signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
175 words
Electronic tracer apparatus for monitoring the machine path of a numerically controlled machine comprising, in combination, means operative from programmed data for producing machine movements along a path, means responsive to said machine movements for producing a series of pulses indicative incrementally of machine positions along the machine path, means operative from said programmed data for generating initially concurrently with said machine position pulses a series of pulses which constitute an electronic tracer path, means normally in a null condition for comparing said machine and tracer path pulses to produce an off null signal when the tracer path pulses are being produced at a different rate by a predetermined number of pulses than said machine path pulses, means responsive to said off null signal for changing the rate of generation of said tracer path pulses to restore said comparing means to its null condition, and means responsive to said off null signal and effective when the same has persisted for a period of time in excess of a predetermined interval for producing an error signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 8 and additionally comprising means responsive to said error signal for stopping said machine movements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 8, said tracer path generating means including means for setting said machine and tracer paths electronically at the same starting point at the time of the start of the machine operation whereby the machine and tracer pulses are initially coincident and said comparing means is in said null condition thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 10, said means for generating said machine path comprising temporary storage for receiving said programmed data, and said means for setting the machine and tracer paths at the same starting point comprises temporary storage in excess of said temporary storage of the machine path.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
73 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 11, said machine path producing means comprising active storage for receiving said programmed data from temporary storage and a command generator operative on position information received from active storage for genErating a series of position pulses for producing said machine movements, said machine path producing means comprising clock controlled means modulated by rate information derive from said programmed data for controlling the rate of said position pulses.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 8, said means for increasing the rate of generation of said tracer path pulses comprising clock controlled means modulated by said off null signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
100 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 8, said means for comparing said machine and tracer path pulses comprising up-down pulse counter means which counts upwardly in response to the machine pulses and counts downwardly in response to the tracer path pulses, and gate means responsive to said up-down counter means for producing said off null signal when the counter means is set to a number outside a null band of numbers which includes a predetermined number to which the counter is initially set and a predetermined number of up and down numbers on either side respectively of the set number.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
84 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 14 and wherein said machine movements comprise X, Y and Z slide movements of the machine, said position pulses are generated for each of said slides and comprise X, Y and Z position pulses, said tracer path pulses constitute X, Y and Z pulses corresponding respectively to the X, Y and Z position pulses, and said counter means comprises X, Y and Z up-down counters for respectively receiving the X, Y and Z machine and tracer path pulses.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
134 words
An electric tracer system of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine to programmed data which comprises the combination of means for generating from the programmed data a first series of data pulses for producing incremental machine movements therefrom, means for directing the machine movements in response to said data pulses, means for sensing said machine movements and generating a series of position pulses indicative thereof, means for generating from the programmed data a second series of data pulses corresponding to said first series of data pulses and coincident with said position pulses at the start of the machine operation, means for comparing said position pulses with said second series of data pulses to measure any difference therebetween, and means for stopping operation of the machine when said difference exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
134 words
An electric tracer system of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine to programmed data which comprises the combination of means for generating from the programmed data a first series of data pulses for producing incremental machine movements therefrom, means for directing the machine movements in response to said data pulses, means for sensing said machine movements and generating a series of position pulses indicative thereof, means for generating from the programmed data a second series of data pulses corresponding to said first series of data pulses and coincident with said position pulses at the start of the machine operation, means for comparing said position pulses with said second series of data pulses to measure any difference therebetween, and means for stopping operation of the machine when said difference exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
117 words
An electronic tracer system of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine which comprises the combination of means for producing machine movements along a path in response to programmed data, means for generating an electronic tracer path from said programmed data, means for setting said machine and tracer paths electronically at the same starting point at the start of the machine operation, means for comparing the tracer path with the machine path to measure any difference therebetween, means for changing the rate of generation of the tracer path in accordance with any said measured difference to reduce the same to within predetermined limits, and means for stopping the machine operation when said difference exceeds said limits.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
117 words
An electronic tracer system of monitoring the response of a numerically controlled machine which comprises the combination of means for producing machine movements along a path in response to programmed data, means for generating an electronic tracer path from said programmed data, means for setting said machine and tracer paths electronically at the same starting point at the start of the machine operation, means for comparing the tracer path with the machine path to measure any difference therebetween, means for changing the rate of generation of the tracer path in accordance with any said measured difference to reduce the same to within predetermined limits, and means for stopping the machine operation when said difference exceeds said limits.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
Electronic tracer apparatus as in claim 14 and wherein said machine movements comprise at least one slide movement, said position pulses are generated for said slide, said tracer path pulses correspond to said slide position pulses, and said counter means comprises an up-down counter for receiving the slide position pulses and tracer path pulses.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-03 | 1975-07-05 | 1976-01-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-03 | 1979-07-05 | 1980-01-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-03 | 1983-07-05 | 1984-01-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |