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US3668677A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Alarm system for consistometer

Assignee: Texaco Inc
•
Filing: 1970-12-30
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Granted: 1972-06-06
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Expires: 1990-12-30
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Abstract

Abstract An alarm system for indicating whether or not a valid signal is being recorded, as distinguished from spurious signals occurring outside of selected time intervals when valid signal information should normally be passed through a noise gate. The alarm circuit comprises an exclusive-OR circuit having its respective input terminals coupled to opposite sides of the noise gate for providing an alarm pulse at its output only when a spurious signal is applied to the input of the noise gate at times when it is not passed through the gate. The output of the exclusive-OR circuit is coupled to the set input of an alarm latch circuit comprising a bistable multivibrator for producing an output signal which is employed to activate an indicator. The output of the noise gate is also coupled to the reset input of the alarm latch circuit in order to reset the alarm circuit automatically when normal signal pulses are passed through the noise gate. It applies to consistometer apparatus of the type wherein the consistency of a stream of material such as grease is measured by measuring the deflection of a flexible resilient member located in the stream and rotated at a constant rate about an axis which is parallel to the direction of flow of the stream by measuring any time delay of the resilient member due to such deflection as compared to a rigid reference member rotated in synchronism with the resilient member. Means are provided for periodically detecting the resilient member and rigid reference member as they are rotated past respective magnetic sensors. Means are coupled to the respective magnetic sensors for generating respective electric pulses, the first of which has a leading edge corresponding to the time when the reference member crosses the center of the reference sensor, and the second of which has a leading edge corresponding to the time when the resilient detector member crosses the center of the detector sensor. The first pulse is supplied through a noise gate to the set input of an RS flip-flop circuit for initiating a third pulse and the second pulse is supplied to the reset input of the RS flip-flop for terminating the third pulse after a time duration corresponding to the interval between the respective leading edges of the first and second pulses. The noise gate is controlled by a latch circuit having its set and reset inputs coupled to means including the reference and detector sensors, respectively, for controlling the gate so that it passes pulses to the set input of the RS flip-flop only during selected time intervals when the rotating members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kenneth O Higgs

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 12:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N11/00; G01N11/10; G01N11/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 351 words
Apparatus for continuously measuring the consistency of a stream of material comprising a rotatable resilient detector member located in the path of said stream so that the opposite surfaces about which said member is flexible are substantially parallel to the direction of flow in said stream, means for rotating said resilient detector member at a constant rate about an axis which is parallel to the direction of flow in said stream, means for sensing the condition of flexure of said member in order to provide a measurement of the reaction forces exerted by said material on said resilient member substantially entirely in a direction normal to said direction of flow of said material, comprising a reference member, means for rotating said reference member in synchronism with said resilient member, and means for substantially continuously measuring time displacement between said reference member and said resilient member due to deflection of said resilient member by said material, thereby providing a measurement indicating the consistency of the material substantially independently of the rate of flow of said material in said stream, said means for measuring the displacement of said resilient detector member comprising means for measuring the time difference between the passage of the reference member and the resilient member past respective sensor devices, said means for measuring said time difference comprising means for producing first and second electric pulses having leading edges corresponding, respectively, to the times at which said reference and resilient members pass predetermined portions of their respective sensors, means for determining the time difference between the leading edges of the respective first and second electric pulses, means for selectively gating said first electric pulse to said means for determining said time difference between said leading edges of said first and second electric pulses only during a predetermined time when said reference and resilient members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors, and means for generating an alarm signal when a spurious signal appears at the input of said gating means outside of said predetermined time when said reference and resilient members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 351 words
Apparatus for continuously measuring the consistency of a stream of material comprising a rotatable resilient detector member located in the path of said stream so that the opposite surfaces about which said member is flexible are substantially parallel to the direction of flow in said stream, means for rotating said resilient detector member at a constant rate about an axis which is parallel to the direction of flow in said stream, means for sensing the condition of flexure of said member in order to provide a measurement of the reaction forces exerted by said material on said resilient member substantially entirely in a direction normal to said direction of flow of said material, comprising a reference member, means for rotating said reference member in synchronism with said resilient member, and means for substantially continuously measuring time displacement between said reference member and said resilient member due to deflection of said resilient member by said material, thereby providing a measurement indicating the consistency of the material substantially independently of the rate of flow of said material in said stream, said means for measuring the displacement of said resilient detector member comprising means for measuring the time difference between the passage of the reference member and the resilient member past respective sensor devices, said means for measuring said time difference comprising means for producing first and second electric pulses having leading edges corresponding, respectively, to the times at which said reference and resilient members pass predetermined portions of their respective sensors, means for determining the time difference between the leading edges of the respective first and second electric pulses, means for selectively gating said first electric pulse to said means for determining said time difference between said leading edges of said first and second electric pulses only during a predetermined time when said reference and resilient members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors, and means for generating an alarm signal when a spurious signal appears at the input of said gating means outside of said predetermined time when said reference and resilient members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for determining the time difference between the leading edges of the respective first and second electric pulses comprise means for producing a third electric pulse Having a time duration corresponding to the time difference between said leading edges.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, comprising means for producing an analog signal whose amplitude varies in accordance with the time duration of said third electric pulse.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the respective sensor devices comprise magnetic sensors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the respective sensor devices comprise magnetic sensors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the beginning points of the respective electric pulses correspond to the zero time crossings at which the respective members pass the magnetic centers of their respective magnetic sensors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the beginning points of the respective electric pulses correspond to the zero time crossings at which the respective members pass the magnetic centers of their respective magnetic sensors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 94 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for generating an alarm signal comprises an Exclusive-Or Circuit having an output for producing an alarm pulse, said Exclusive-Or Circuit having first and second input terminals coupled respectively to the input and output terminals of said gating means for producing an alarm pulse only when a spurious signal is applied to the input of said gating means at times outside of said predetermined time when said gating means gates said first electric pulse through its output terminal to said means for determining said time difference.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 94 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for generating an alarm signal comprises an Exclusive-Or Circuit having an output for producing an alarm pulse, said Exclusive-Or Circuit having first and second input terminals coupled respectively to the input and output terminals of said gating means for producing an alarm pulse only when a spurious signal is applied to the input of said gating means at times outside of said predetermined time when said gating means gates said first electric pulse through its output terminal to said means for determining said time difference.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 96 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for generating an alarm signal comprises an alarm latch circuit for producing said alarm signal and wherein said alarm latch circuit comprises a bistable multi-vibrator having a set input coupled to the output of said Exclusive-Or Circuit and a reset input coupled to said output terminal of said gating means for resetting said alarm circuit when normal signal pulses are passed through said gating means to its output terminal during said predetermined time when said reference and resilient members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 96 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said means for generating an alarm signal comprises an alarm latch circuit for producing said alarm signal and wherein said alarm latch circuit comprises a bistable multi-vibrator having a set input coupled to the output of said Exclusive-Or Circuit and a reset input coupled to said output terminal of said gating means for resetting said alarm circuit when normal signal pulses are passed through said gating means to its output terminal during said predetermined time when said reference and resilient members are in the vicinity of their respective sensors.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3181348A Cited
US3589178A Cited
US3545265A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-06-06 1975-12-06 1976-06-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-06-06 1979-12-06 1980-06-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-06-06 1983-12-06 1984-06-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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