Patent US3408941A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3683684A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Measuring apparatus employing variable frequency transducer
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1970-10-08
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Granted: 1972-08-15
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Expires: 1990-10-08
Abstract
Abstract Torsion, horsepower, and specific fuel rate measuring apparatus includes vibrating wire transducers secured about the periphery of a coupling shaft. Digital apparatus is provided to generate a pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of the vibrating wire frequency to develop torsion information. The digital torsion wave train is then employed together with a pulse sequence characterized by a rate dependent upon the rotational shaft speed to generate an asynchronous pulse train having a frequency proportional to the horsepower coupled by the shaft. A fuel flow transducer generates pulse information which is combined with the horsepower signal to provide a figure of merit characterizing a composite power plan, viz., specific fuel rate defined by the ratio of the useful horsepower output of the plant to the rate at which fuel is consumed by the plant to develop that power.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen B Judlowe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:55
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L3/00; G01L3/24; G01L3/242; G01L3/02; G01L3/04; G01L3/045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
245 words
In combination in apparatus for measuring physical parameters associated with a stressed body having a vibrating wire transducer mounted thereon for providing an output signal which varies in frequency with the applied stress, means for providing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of the transducer frequency, said frequency square proportional means comprising a first counter having a plurality of stages, means connected to each of said first counter stages for producing an output pulse responsive to a predetermined voltage transition for said counter, a plural stage second counter, means for supplying a measure of the transducer frequency to each of said first and second counters, a plural stage data register, means for periodically gating the contents of said second counter into said data register, means for periodically resetting said second counter after data is transferred from said second counter to said register, a plurality of coincidence logic gates each having inputs connected to a different one of said pulse generating means and to a different stage of said register, said connections for the inputs to the coincidence gates being of an inverse order of significance with respect to the stages of said first counter and the stages of said register, and disjunctive logic means for providing an output pulse responsive to an output signal from any of said coincidence gates, said disjunctive logic means thereby providing a pulse rate of frequency proportional to the stress obtaining in the stressed body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
245 words
In combination in apparatus for measuring physical parameters associated with a stressed body having a vibrating wire transducer mounted thereon for providing an output signal which varies in frequency with the applied stress, means for providing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of the transducer frequency, said frequency square proportional means comprising a first counter having a plurality of stages, means connected to each of said first counter stages for producing an output pulse responsive to a predetermined voltage transition for said counter, a plural stage second counter, means for supplying a measure of the transducer frequency to each of said first and second counters, a plural stage data register, means for periodically gating the contents of said second counter into said data register, means for periodically resetting said second counter after data is transferred from said second counter to said register, a plurality of coincidence logic gates each having inputs connected to a different one of said pulse generating means and to a different stage of said register, said connections for the inputs to the coincidence gates being of an inverse order of significance with respect to the stages of said first counter and the stages of said register, and disjunctive logic means for providing an output pulse responsive to an output signal from any of said coincidence gates, said disjunctive logic means thereby providing a pulse rate of frequency proportional to the stress obtaining in the stressed body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A combination as in claim 1 further comprising frequency-to-voltage converting means connected to the output of said disjunctive logic means for producing an output analog signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A combination as in claim 1 wherein said counter stages each comprise active, low impedance output driver means for the zero to one state transition, and wherein said pulse producing means connected to each of said first counter stages comprises a differentiator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A combination as in claim 1 wherein the input of said second counter is connected to the output of one of the stages of said first counter, such that the transducer output information is averaged for an extended period of time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
110 words
In combination in means for measuring parameters associated with a rotating shaft, vibrating wire transducer means secured to said shaft for generating an output signal characterized by a frequency which varies with the torsion present in the shaft, frequency squaring means for producing a pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of said transducer output frequency, means for developing a pulse train proportional to the rate of rotation of the shaft, and frequency multiplying means for producing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the product of said revolution rate pulse train frequency and the frequency of the output pulses generated by said frequency squaring means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
110 words
In combination in means for measuring parameters associated with a rotating shaft, vibrating wire transducer means secured to said shaft for generating an output signal characterized by a frequency which varies with the torsion present in the shaft, frequency squaring means for producing a pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of said transducer output frequency, means for developing a pulse train proportional to the rate of rotation of the shaft, and frequency multiplying means for producing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the product of said revolution rate pulse train frequency and the frequency of the output pulses generated by said frequency squaring means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A combination as in claim 5, further comprising frequency-to-voltage converting means connected to the output of said frequency multiplying means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
A combination as in claim 5 wherein said frequency multiplying means includes register means for storing one input frequency variable in parallel binary form, and further comprising digital-to-analog converter means connected to said register means of said frequency multiplying circuit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
142 words
A combination as in claim 5 wherein at least one of said frequency squaring means and said frequency multiplying means comprises first and second counters each having a plurality of stages, plural pulse generating Means each connected to a different stage of said first counter for generating an output pulse responsive to each zero to one level transition for the associated stage of said first counter, a plural stage latch having a plurality of inputs connected to said second counter, timing means for periodically transferring data from said second counter to said latch and for resetting said latch, plural coincidence logic gates, each having first and second inputs connected to said pulse generating means and to said latch stages in an inverse order of significance, and disjunctive logic means including plural inputs connected to the outputs of each of said coincidence gates.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
109 words
A combination as in claim 5 further comprising additional transducer means secured to the shaft and circumferentially aligned with said transducer means for providing an output signal frequency which varies from a quiescent frequency in a direction opposite to said transducer means, additional frequency squaring means for producing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of the output frequency of said additional transducer means, and means for providing a horsepower signal comprising means for computing the product of said shaft rate of revolution and the difference in frequencies of the output pulse trains generated by said frequency squaring means and said additional frequency squaring means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
A combination as in claim 9 wherein said computing means includes additional frequency multiplying means for producing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the product of the frequencies of said revolution rate and the output of said additional frequency squaring means, first and second frequency-to-voltage converters respectively connected to the outputs of said frequency multiplying means and said additional frequency multiplying means, and a difference amplifier connected to the outputs of said frequency-to-voltage converter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
A combination as in claim 5 further comprising a fuel flow meter, and divider means having inputs connected to said fuel flow meter and to the output of said frequency multiplying means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
A combination as in claim 11 wherein said divider comprises a feedback network including a frequency comparator, frequency multiplying network, and voltage controlled oscillator connected intermediate by said comparator and said frequency multiplying network.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
66 words
In combination in torque metering apparatus, transducer means for generating an output digital signal having a frequency proportional to the square root of torque, and digital wave frequency squaring means coupled to said transducer means for producing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of said frequency generated by said transducer means, said digital wave frequency squaring means including rate multiplication means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
66 words
In combination in torque metering apparatus, transducer means for generating an output digital signal having a frequency proportional to the square root of torque, and digital wave frequency squaring means coupled to said transducer means for producing an output pulse train having a frequency proportional to the square of said frequency generated by said transducer means, said digital wave frequency squaring means including rate multiplication means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
A combination as in claim 13 further comprising plural stage register means, repetitive time interval signaling means, and means including plural stage counter means responsive to signaling from said time interval signaling means for storing a measure of the digital pulses from said wave frequency squaring means, occurring during each timed interval, in said register means.
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) | 1975-08-15 | 1976-02-14 | 1976-08-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-15 | 1980-02-14 | 1980-08-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-15 | 1984-02-14 | 1984-08-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |