Temperature measuring method and apparatus

Claim 2

Temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a thermally conductive reference body having an operative face adapted for association in conductive-convective heat exchange relation with a moving external body; a heat flow sensor mounted to said reference body in said operative face and reactive to heat flow adjacent said face to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature difference between said reference body and the external body; means for producing an air layer adjacent said heat flow sensor having a temperature distribution dependent upon the temperatures of said heat flow sensor and said moving external body only; spacing means locating and maintaining said heat flow sensor in constant distance, closely spaced relation to said external body whereby said heat flow sensor is subjected to substantially more conductive-convective heat transfer than radiant heat transfer; a temperature sensor mounted to said reference body in thermal exchange relation and adapted to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature of said reference body; and means for calibrating said output signal of said heat flow sensor to provide an output signal representing temperature difference between said reference body and said external body.

Claim 3

Temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a thermally conductive reference body having an operative face adapted for association in conductive-convective heat exchange relation with a moving external body; a heat flow sensor mounted to said reference body in said operative face and reactive to heat flow adjacent said face to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature difference between said reference body and the external body; means for producing an air layer adjacent said heat flow sensor having a temperature distribution dependent upon the temperatures of said heat flow sensor and said moving external body only; spacing means locating and maintaining said heat flow sensor in constant distance, closely spaced relation to said external body whereby said heat flow sensor is subjected to substantially more conductive-convective heat transfer than radiant heat transfer; a temperature sensor mounted to said reference body in thermal exchange relation and adapted to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature of said reference body; and means for calibrating said output signal of said heat flow sensor to provide an output signal representing temperature difference between said reference body and said external body.

Claim 4

Temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a thermally conductive reference body having an operative face adapted for association in conductive-convective heat exchange relation with a moving external body; a heat flow sensor mounted to said reference body in said operative face and reactive to heat flow adjacent said face to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature difference between said reference body and the external body; means for producing an air layer adjacent said heat flow sensor having a temperature distribution dependent upon the temperatures of said heat flow sensor and said moving external body only; spacing means locating and maintaining said heat flow sensor in constant distance, closely spaced relation to said external body whereby said heat flow sensor is subjected to substantially more conductive-convective heat transfer than radiant heat transfer; a temperature sensor mounted to said reference body in thermal exchange relation and adapted to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature of said reference body; and means for calibrating said output signal of said heat flow sensor to provide an output signal representing temperature difference between said reference body and said external body.

Claim 5

Temperature measuring apparatus according to claim 1 and including temperature change means operative to maintain the temperature of said reference body at a predetermined temperature.

Claim 6

Temperature measuring apparatus according to claim 1 and including a radiant heat reflective coating over said operative face and said heat flow sensor whereby said heat flow sensor is not reactive to radiant heat flow.

Claim 7

Temperature measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said spacing means comprise a pair of guide means for spacing said moving body a constant distance from said operative face, whereby said external body moves in a path generally parallel to the surface of said operative face for a distance which is substantially greater than the distance between said moving body and said operative face, said heat flow sensor in said operative face thereby being subjected to heat flow resulting essentially only from any temperature difference existing between said operative face and said moving body.

Claim 8

Temperature measuring apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said operative face comprises a groove in said reference body; and said external body in an elongated moving element passing through said groove.

Claim 9

Temperature measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said heat flow sensor is a thermopile.

Claim 10

Temperature measuring apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein the output signal of said heat sensor is calibrated to the output signal of said temperature sensor, and said output signal of said heat flow sensor is coupled to said output signal of said temperature sensor whereby the resulting signal is proportional to the absolUte temperature of said external body.

Claim 11

Temperature measuring apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said temperature sensor is a thermocouple.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 9 and including the step of measuring the temperature of said reference body and algebraically adding a signal corresponding to said temperature and a signal corresponding to said temperature difference, after calibrating said signals in terms of corresponding sensitivity, whereby a resulting signal is obtained which is proportional to the temperature of said moving body.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 9 and including the step of rendering said reference body reflective to radiant heat whereby emissivity of said moving body does not significantly affect the measured rate of heat flow between said moving body and said reference body.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 9 wherein said moving body is an elongated fiber-like element and including the step of passing said element through a groove in said reference body and measuring said rate of heat flow in said groove to thereby reduce extraneous environmental affects.

Claim 17

Temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a thermally conductive reference body having an operative face adapted for association in conductive-convective heat exchange relation with an elongated moving element; spacing means for locating and maintaining said operative face and said moving element in spaced relation whereby their proximate surfaces are out of engagement, but spaced sufficiently close whereby any heat transfer therebetween is substantially all attributable to conductive-convective heat transfer and only a minor portion if any is attributable to radiant heat transfer; a heat flow sensor mounted to said reference body in said operative face; means for producing between said operative face and said moving element an air layer having a temperature distribution which is dependent upon the temperatures of said operative face and said moving element only, said heat flow sensor being reactive to the conductive-convective heat transfer due to said temperature distribution to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature difference between said reference body and said moving element; a temperature sensor mounted to said reference body in heat exchange relation and adapted to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature of said reference body; and means for calibrating said output signal of said heat flow sensor to provide an output signal representing the temperature difference between said reference body and said moving element.

Claim 18

Temperature measuring apparatus comprising: a thermally conductive reference body having an operative face adapted for association in conductive-convective heat exchange relation with an elongated moving element; spacing means for locating and maintaining said operative face and said moving element in spaced relation whereby their proximate surfaces are out of engagement, but spaced sufficiently close whereby any heat transfer therebetween is substantially all attributable to conductive-convective heat transfer and only a minor portion if any is attributable to radiant heat transfer; a heat flow sensor mounted to said reference body in said operative face; means for producing between said operative face and said moving element an air layer having a temperature distribution which is dependent upon the temperatures of said operative face and said moving element only, said heat flow sensor being reactive to the conductive-convective heat transfer due to said temperature distribution to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature difference between said reference body and said moving element; a temperature sensor mounted to said reference body in heat exchange relation and adapted to generate an output signal proportional to the temperature of said reference body; and means for calibrating said output signal of said heat flow sensor to provide an output signal representing the temperature difference between said reference body and said moving element.