Production monitoring system

Claim 2

A production monitoring system including a work station; first means issuing a production count for each occurrence of a given production function at said work station; a computer operatively coupled on a regular cycle to said first means and programed to issue production data in response to said production count, manually operated signal means at said work station selectively operable to issue any ''''help call'''' of a plurality of ''''help calls'''' from said work station to said central station; manually operated production status means for transferring the production status assigned to said work station; and means automatically responsive upon the operation of said manually operated means for said work station to apply production information to said computer of a scope broader than said production count issued by said first means and including any ''''help call'''' selected by operation of said signal means and any production status assigned by operation of said production status means.

Claim 3

A production monitoring system including a plurality of work stations; a production count device at each of a plurality of said work stations; a computer programed to issue production information and response to predetermined production conditions at said work stations; and a scanning means for repetitively coupling each of said production count devices to feed information to said computer, said scanning means having a scan frequency to scan any actuated production count device at least twice during a count operation of said device and said computer being responsive only to at least two successive scans of count operation for any count device.

Claim 4

A production monitoring system including a plurality of work stations; a production count device at each of a plurality of said work stations; a computer programed to issue production information and response to predetermined production conditions at said work stations; and a scanning means for repetitively coupling each of said production count devices to feed information to said computer, said scanning means having a scan frequency to scan any actuated production count device at least twice during a count operation of said device and said computer being responsive only to at least two successive scans of count operation for any count device.

Claim 5

A production monitoring system comprising a plurality of work stations related to each other in a line work product relationship; assignment transferring means for each of a plurality of said work stations for transferring assignment of said work station between a ''''run'''' and a ''''down'''' status; a central station for said line of work stations; a production indicator for said line at said central station; and means to actuate said production indicator to a ''''run'''' status in response to at least one work station of said line having a ''''run'''' production status and no work station of said line having a ''''down'''' production status.

Claim 6

A production monitoring system comprising a plurality of work stations related to each other in a line work product relationship; assignment transferring means for each of a plurality of said work stations for transferring assignment of said work station between a ''''run'''' and a ''''down'''' status; a central station for said line of work stations; a production indicator for said line at said central station; and means to actuate said production indicator to a ''''run'''' status in response to at least one work station of said line having a ''''run'''' production status and no work station of said line having a ''''down'''' production status.

Claim 7

A combination according to claim 3 wherein said assignment transferring means has an ''''off'''' status whereby said actuator means is not affected by the assignment of work status to an ''''off'''' status.

Claim 8

A combination according to claim 3 including an indicator at each of a plurality of said work stations; means actuating said indicator to indicate a ''''down'''' status for all stations of said line having said assignment transferring means set to a ''''run'''' or to a ''''down'''' status in response to any station of said line having said assignment transferring means set to a ''''down'''' status.

Claim 9

A combination according to claim 3 including means for each of a plurality of said work stations of said line adapted to be selectively set to any of a plurality of significant messages for issuing a ''''help call'''' for said station; and help call indicators at said central station common to each of a plurality of said work stations of said line for each of said messages.

Claim 10

A combination according to claim 6 including an indicator at each of a plurality of said work stations; means responsive to any station of said line having said assignment transferring means set to a ''''down'''' status for actuating said indicator at each of said work stations of said line having said assignment transferring means set to a ''''down'''' or ''''run'''' status to a ''''down'''' status indication; and means to actuate said indicator for a work station to a state characteristic of a ''''help call'''' when said means for setting a ''''help call'''' for said station is in each of a plurality of settiNgs.

Claim 11

A combination according to claim 6 including means responsive to a transfer of setting of said ''''help call'''' issuing means for actuating said indicators for said ''''help call'''' to a first mode of operation characteristic of a call which has not been acknowledged; and means at said central station for transferring said actuated indicators for said ''''help call'''' to a second mode of operation characteristic of a call which has been acknowledged.

Claim 12

A combination according to claim 8 wherein said ''''help call'''' indicators are illuminated, said first mode of operation is a varying brilliance of illumination and said second mode of operation is a steady illumination.

Claim 13

A combination according to claim 6 including means responsive to a transfer of setting of said ''''help call'''' issuing means for one station of said line to a ''''help call'''' corresponding to that set for another station of said line to actuate said production indicator at said central station to a condition characteristic of a duplicated and unacknowledged ''''help call;'''' and means at said central station for deactivating said actuated production indicator in response to acknowledgement of said second call.

Claim 14

A combination according to claim 10 wherein said ''''help call'''' indicators are illuminated, said production indicator is illuminated at a constant level to indicate a production status, and said production indicator is illuminated at a varying level to indicate a duplicated and unacknowledged ''''help call.''''

Claim 15

A combination according to claim 3 including a computer programmed to issue production information in response to predetermined conditions at said work stations, and means to institute the issuance of information from said line to said computer in response to the transfer of a work station between a ''''run'''' status and another production status.

Claim 16

A combination according to claim 12 wherein said actuated computer is responsive to said means to actuate said production indicator.

Claim 17

A combination according to claim 3 including means for each of a plurality of said work stations of said line adapted to be set to any of a plurality of significant messages for issuing a ''''help call'''' for said station; a computer programmed to issue production information in response to predetermined conditions at said work stations; and means to institute the issuance of information from said line to said computer in response to the transfer of the setting of said ''''help call'''' issuing means.

Claim 18

A combination according to claim 3 including a computer programmed to issue a ''''threshold'''' signal in response to predetermined conditions at one of said work stations; means responsive to said ''''threshold'''' signal for a work station to actuate said production status indicator for said line at said central station to a ''''threshold'''' indication.

Claim 19

A combination according to claim 15 including a production status indicator at said work station; and means responsive to said ''''threshold'''' signal for a work station to actuate said production status indicator at said work station to a ''''threshold'''' indication.

Claim 20

A production monitoring system including a plurality of work stations; a central station; means at each of a plurality of said work stations for selectively transmitting any of a plurality of ''''help calls'''' to said central station; means at said central station to visually display each of a plurality of ''''help calls'''' in response to said transmitting means, said central station visual display means being common to said plurality of ''''help call'''' transmitting means and selectively and simultaneously responsive to said ''''help call'''' transmitting means from said work stations; an alarm at said central station, said alarm including an auxiliary indicator actuated when a ''''help call'''' is imposed from one transmitting means which duplicates the ''''help call'''' from another transmitting means; and means responsive to a transfer between ''''help calls'''' on said transmitting means to actuate said alarm and said visual display.

Claim 21

A production monitoring system including a plurality of work stations; a central station; means at each of a plurality of said work stations for selectively transmitting any of a plurality of ''''help calls'''' to said central station; means at said central station to visually display each of a plurality of ''''help calls'''' in response to said transmitting means, said central station visual display means being common to said plurality of ''''help call'''' transmitting means and selectively and simultaneously responsive to said ''''help call'''' transmitting means from said work stations; an alarm at said central station, said alarm including an auxiliary indicator actuated when a ''''help call'''' is imposed from one transmitting means which duplicates the ''''help call'''' from another transmitting means; and means responsive to a transfer between ''''help calls'''' on said transmitting means to actuate said alarm and said visual display.

Claim 22

A production monitoring system comprising: a plurality of work stations; a plurality of groups of said work stations; a plurality of lines of said work stations within each group each line including a plurality of said work stations from each of which line related work product is derived; means for each of a plurality of work stations of a line to generate a production signal for each of a given productive operation at said work station; means at each of a plurality of said work stations of a line adapted to be set to any of a plurality of significant messages for issuing a ''''help call'''' for said station; means at each of a plurality of said work stations of a line for transferring assignment of said station between an ''''off,'''' a ''''run'''' and a ''''down'''' production status; indicator means at each of a plurality of work stations of a line to indicate the production status of said station; means to operate said indicator means at each of a plurality of work stations of a line in a distinct and characteristic mode responsive to the setting of said ''''help call'''' issuing means for said station to certain settings; means to operate said indicator means at each of said stations of a line having said indicator means to indicate a ''''down'''' production status when any one station of said line has said transfer means on a ''''down'''' production status; a central station; indicators for the production status of a line at said central station; means responsive to at least one work station of a line having a ''''run'''' production status and no work station of said line having a ''''down'''' production status for actuating to a ''''run'''' status said central station production status indicators for said line and said work station production status indicators of each of said stations set to a ''''run'''' status; indicators for the ''''help calls'''' from the stations of a line for said line at said central station; alarm means for actuating an indicator at said central station in a manner characteristic of a ''''help call'''' which has not be acknowledged from said central station; means at said central station for resetting said alarm means; a computer for issuing information pertinent to said plurality of work stations; means for scanning said production signal generators of each work station at a rate which scans each generator at least twice during each production responsive operation of said generator, said computer being responsive to a production operation indication only in response to the absence of a production indication followed by a production indication in at least two successive scans of a generator for a work station; means to alter the operation mode of a work station indicator in a manner characteristic of a production operation in response to a production operation signal for said work station; means for issuing a ''''threshold'''' signal for each of a plurality of work stations from said computer in response to a ''''threshold'''' condition related to production signals from said work stations; means for actuating an alarm indicator at said central station in response to said ''''threshold'''' signal from said computer; second means for scanning the production status and ''''help call'''' for each station of each like of a group of work stations in response to a change in production status of one of said work stations; and means for transmitting said information from said second scanning means to said computer.

Claim 23

A production monitoring system comprising: a plurality of work stations; a plurality of groups of said work stations; a plurality of lines of said work stations within each group each line including a plurality of said work stations from each of which line related work product is derived; means for each of a plurality of work stations of a line to generate a production signal for each of a given productive operation at said work station; means at each of a plurality of said work stations of a line adapted to be set to any of a plurality of significant messages for issuing a ''''help call'''' for said station; means at each of a plurality of said work stations of a line for transferring assignment of said station between an ''''off,'''' a ''''run'''' and a ''''down'''' production status; indicator means at each of a plurality of work stations of a line to indicate the production status of said station; means to operate said indicator means at each of a plurality of work stations of a line in a distinct and characteristic mode responsive to the setting of said ''''help call'''' issuing means for said station to certain settings; means to operate said indicator means at each of said stations of a line having said indicator means to indicate a ''''down'''' production status when any one station of said line has said transfer means on a ''''down'''' production status; a central station; indicators for the production status of a line at said central station; means responsive to at least one work station of a line having a ''''run'''' production status and no work station of said line having a ''''down'''' production status for actuating to a ''''run'''' status said central station production status indicators for said line and said work station production status indicators of each of said stations set to a ''''run'''' status; indicators for the ''''help calls'''' from the stations of a line for said line at said central station; alarm means for actuating an indicator at said central station in a manner characteristic of a ''''help call'''' which has not be acknowledged from said central station; means at said central station for resetting said alarm means; a computer for issuing information pertinent to said plurality of work stations; means for scanning said production signal generators of each work station at a rate which scans each generator at least twice during each production responsive operation of said generator, said computer being responsive to a production operation indication only in response to the absence of a production indication followed by a production indication in at least two successive scans of a generator for a work station; means to alter the operation mode of a work station indicator in a manner characteristic of a production operation in response to a production operation signal for said work station; means for issuing a ''''threshold'''' signal for each of a plurality of work stations from said computer in response to a ''''threshold'''' condition related to production signals from said work stations; means for actuating an alarm indicator at said central station in response to said ''''threshold'''' signal from said computer; second means for scanning the production status and ''''help call'''' for each station of each like of a group of work stations in response to a change in production status of one of said work stations; and means for transmitting said information from said second scanning means to said computer.

Claim 24

A production monitoring system including a plurality of work stations; a plurality of groups of said work stations; each group comprising a plurality of work stations having a production line relationship; first means for each plurality of said stations for issuing a production count for each occurrence of a given production function at Said work station; second means for each of a plurality of said stations for issuing production data of a broader scope than said production count; a computer operatively coupled on a regular cycle to said first means for each of a plurality of said stations, said computer being programmed to issue production data in response to the production count from said first means; production status assignment means controlled by manually operated means for each of a plurality of said stations for transferring the production status assigned to said station; and means automatically responsive upon the transfer of status by operation of said manually operated means for a work station to apply production information for each station of said group including said station of a scope broader than said production count from said second means to said computer.

Claim 25

A production monitoring system including a plurality of work stations; a plurality of groups of said work stations; each group comprising a plurality of work stations having a production line relationship; first means for each plurality of said stations for issuing a production count for each occurrence of a given production function at Said work station; second means for each of a plurality of said stations for issuing production data of a broader scope than said production count; a computer operatively coupled on a regular cycle to said first means for each of a plurality of said stations, said computer being programmed to issue production data in response to the production count from said first means; production status assignment means controlled by manually operated means for each of a plurality of said stations for transferring the production status assigned to said station; and means automatically responsive upon the transfer of status by operation of said manually operated means for a work station to apply production information for each station of said group including said station of a scope broader than said production count from said second means to said computer.