Horsepower meter

Claim 2

Apparatus for monitoring the horsepower delivered by a rotatable shaft comprising first and second sensors disposed at axially spaced locations along the shaft for developing digital signals representative of the twist and speed of rotation of the shaft, digital counting means operatively connected with said first and second sensors for combining said twist and speed signals to provide a resultant output sigNal representative of horsepower, means operatively connected with said digital counting means for visually displaying the horsepower signal and a sequence generator operatively connected with said digital counting means and said display means for actuation thereof, said display means comprising means for storing the horsepower signal during the counting interval of said digital counting means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said digital counting means comprises first and second digital counters and a reference pulse generator, said first digital counter being operatively connected to said first and second sensors and said pulse generator for developing an output proportional to torque in the rotatable shaft, said second digital counter being operatively connected to receive the output of said first digital counter and one of said first and second sensors for developing the horsepower signal.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sequence generator is operative to energize said first and second digital counters in a two-step sequence.

Claim 5

Apparatus for monitoring the output of a power source comprising means for developing first and second binary signals continuously representative of the output of the power source, the signals having a frequency proportional to the speed of rotation of the power source and a phase shift therebetween proportional to the output torque, said signal developing means comprising a shaft interconnecting the power source with a load device driven thereby, a pair of binary output generators, and means for coupling said generators to said shaft at axially spaced locations thereon to provide a phase shift between the output signals of said binary generators proportional to the torque transmitted by said shaft, a reference pulse generator, first and second counters, and sequencing means operative to selectively interconnect said counters, said pulse generator and said signal developing means to develop a total count in said second counter proportional to a desired output characteristic of the power source.

Claim 6

Apparatus for monitoring the output of a power source comprising means for developing first and second binary signals continuously representative of the output of the power source, the signals having a frequency proportional to the speed of rotation of the power source and a phase shift therebetween proportional to the output torque, said signal developing means comprising a shaft interconnecting the power source with a load device driven thereby, a pair of binary output generators, and means for coupling said generators to said shaft at axially spaced locations thereon to provide a phase shift between the output signals of said binary generators proportional to the torque transmitted by said shaft, a reference pulse generator, first and second counters, and sequencing means operative to selectively interconnect said counters, said pulse generator and said signal developing means to develop a total count in said second counter proportional to a desired output characteristic of the power source.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said coupling means comprise timing belts for transmitting the rotation of said shaft to said binary generators.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sequencing means is operative in a first step to interconnect said first and said second counters with said pulse generator to develop a count in said first counter as a function of the count in said second counter, and in a second step to transfer the count in said first counter to said second counter.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 further including display means operatively connected with said second counter for visual display of the count therein at the completion of the second step.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sequencing means is operative in a first step to interconnect said first and second counters with said signal developing means to develop a count in said first counter as a function of the count in the second counter, and in a second step to develop a count in said second counter as a function of the count in said first counter and the signal of one of said signal developing means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 further including display means operatively connected with said second counter for visual display of the count therein at the completion of the second step.

Claim 12

Horsepower computer apparatus, comprising means for developing a train of pulses having frequency proportional to rate of rotation of a device being monitored and pulse width proportional to torque, a reference oscillator, a digital counter, a bidirectional digital counter, first gating means interconnecting said reference oscillator with said digital counter and interconnecting said pulse train developing means and said reference oscillator with said bidirectional counter for developing a count in the latter proportional to torque, second gating means interconnecting said reference oscillator with said bidirectional counter and interconnecting said pulse train developing means with said digital counter for developing a count in the latter proportional to horsepower, and sequence means for sequentially actuating said first and second gating means in response to predetermined counts in said digital counter and said bidirectional counter.

Claim 13

Horsepower computer apparatus, comprising means for developing a train of pulses having frequency proportional to rate of rotation of a device being monitored and pulse width proportional to torque, a reference oscillator, a digital counter, a bidirectional digital counter, first gating means interconnecting said reference oscillator with said digital counter and interconnecting said pulse train developing means and said reference oscillator with said bidirectional counter for developing a count in the latter proportional to torque, second gating means interconnecting said reference oscillator with said bidirectional counter and interconnecting said pulse train developing means with said digital counter for developing a count in the latter proportional to horsepower, and sequence means for sequentially actuating said first and second gating means in response to predetermined counts in said digital counter and said bidirectional counter.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 further including overflow detection means operatively connected with said digital counter for controlling said sequence means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further including zero count detection means operatively connected with said bidirectional digital counter for further controlling said sequence means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further including display means operatively connected with said digital counter, said display means being energized by said sequence means.