Stabilization of multiple shaker systems

Claim 2

In the method of stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and drives therefor operatively connected with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the steps that include a. detecting the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive in response to said detection for controlling the amplitude of the output of said one shaker, c. furnishing a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, said furnishing being carried out with accompanying amplitude control and phase shift of said bias signal, and d. applying said signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via another of said shakers.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said bias signal is derived as an additive function of the drives applied to the load via multiple shakers including said one shaker.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said furnishing step includes deriving a summed version of multiple oscillatory drive signals transmitted from multiple drives to multiple shakers.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein said furnishing step includes inverting the phase of said summed version thereby to derive said bias signal.

Claim 6

In the method of stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and drives therefor connected with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the steps that include a. detecting the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive in response to said detection for controlling the amplitude of the output of said one shaker, c. furnishing and recording a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, and d. operating all of the shakers and playing back said recorded bias signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via said one shaker.

Claim 7

In the method of stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and drives therefor connected with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the steps that include a. detecting the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive in response to said detection for controlling the amplitude of the output of said one shaker, c. furnishing and recording a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, and d. operating all of the shakers and playing back said recorded bias signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via said one shaker.

Claim 8

In apparatus for stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and vibratory drives therefor operatively connEcted with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the improvement which comprises a. transducer means for detection of the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. feed-back means responsive to said detecting means for controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive for controlling the amplitude of the output of one shaker, c. primary means furnishing a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, said primary means including means to vary the amplitude of the bias signal and to effect a greater than 90* phase shift of the bias signal, and d. secondary means to apply said signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via another of said shakers.

Claim 9

In apparatus for stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and vibratory drives therefor operatively connEcted with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the improvement which comprises a. transducer means for detection of the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. feed-back means responsive to said detecting means for controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive for controlling the amplitude of the output of one shaker, c. primary means furnishing a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, said primary means including means to vary the amplitude of the bias signal and to effect a greater than 90* phase shift of the bias signal, and d. secondary means to apply said signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via another of said shakers.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said primary means includes a control network connected to sum versions of the drives applied to the load via multiple shakers.

Claim 11

In apparatus for stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and vibratory drives therefor connected with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the improvement which comprises a. transducer means or detecting the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. feed-back means responsive to said detecting means for controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive for controlling the amplitude of the output of one shaker, c. primary means furnishing and recording a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, d. secondary means to apply said recorded signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via said one shaker.

Claim 12

In apparatus for stabilizing a system of multiple shakers and vibratory drives therefor connected with a load and wherein the load couples energy delivery between the shakers acting to unstabilize the system, said drives including phase and amplitude control, the improvement which comprises a. transducer means or detecting the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said one shaker, b. feed-back means responsive to said detecting means for controlling one phase and amplitude control associated with one shaker drive for controlling the amplitude of the output of one shaker, c. primary means furnishing and recording a bias signal derived from the output of said one control, d. secondary means to apply said recorded signal to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via said one shaker.

Claim 13

The method of claim 3 wherein said furnishing step includes adjusting the phases of said drive signals prior to said derivation of said summed version, said bias signal being applied via a computer memory.

Claim 14

The method of claim 3 including a. controlling another phase and amplitude control associated with another shaker drive in response to the detection of the amplitude of load motion near the locus of force application to the load via said other shaker for controlling the amplitude of the output of said other shaker, b. furnishing another bias signal by deriving another summed version of multiple oscillatory drive signals transmitted from multiple drives to multiple shakers, and c. applying said other bias signal, via a computer memory, to bias the vibratory drive applied to the load via said one shaker.