US3722265A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Engine performance computing arrangement
Assignee: Conoflow Corp
•
Filing: 1971-03-15
•
Granted: 1973-03-27
•
Expires: 1991-03-15
Abstract
Abstract A computing arrangement is described in which the fuel horsepower of an engine under test is calculated and displayed. A programmable network generates a pulse output when a preselected RPM is reached by the engine under test. A control means in response to the output pulse permits time clocking pulses to be applied to a register to sense the time required for a predetermined number of fuel input pulses to be generated. A fuel consumption meter counting means is coupled to sense the predetermined number of fuel input pulses, and a storage means stores the total time required to sense the fuel pulses. A programmed calculating arrangement is coupled to the storage means and programmed for computing the fuel horsepower of the engine and to display in a digital readout the results of the calculation.
Inventors
- 👤 T Metz
- 👤 E Holben
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 21:09
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L3/00; G01L3/24; G01F; G01F9/00; G01F9/001; G01L3/26; G06; G06F; G06F7/00; G06F7/60; G06F7/62
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A system for computing engine performance comprising: first means responsive to a source of engine RPM signals for detecting a selected engine RPM; second means responsive to a source of fuel consumption signals for registering and storing an indication of the quantity of fuel per unit time being consumed at said RPM; third means coupled to said first and second means to enable said second means when said first means detects said RPM; and fourth means coupled to said second and third means and programmed for computing the engine performance.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
90 words
A system for computing engine performance comprising: first means responsive to a source of engine RPM signals for detecting a selected engine RPM; second means responsive to a source of fuel consumption signals for registering and storing an indication of the quantity of fuel per unit time being consumed at said RPM; third means coupled to said first and second means to enable said second means when said first means detects said RPM; and fourth means coupled to said second and third means and programmed for computing the engine performance.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
67 words
A system for determining the fuel horsepower of an engine means for generating a first pulse indicating a predetermined RPM of said engine; means for generating a second pulse representing a predetermined number of fuel consumption pulses; means to store the time to accumulate said predetermined number of fuel pulses; and means coupled to said storage means and programmed to calculate the fuel horsepower of said engine.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
67 words
A system for determining the fuel horsepower of an engine means for generating a first pulse indicating a predetermined RPM of said engine; means for generating a second pulse representing a predetermined number of fuel consumption pulses; means to store the time to accumulate said predetermined number of fuel pulses; and means coupled to said storage means and programmed to calculate the fuel horsepower of said engine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
104 words
An engine computating arrangement comprising: a programmable RPM selector network to generate a pulse output when a predetermined engine RPM is reached; control and register means, said control means responsive to said output pulse to enable time pulses to be accumulated by said register; meter counting means responsive to a source of fuel pulses to sense a predetermined number of fuel pulses and to inhibit further time pulses from being accumulated by said register; storage means coupled to said register to store the accumulated time pulses; and programmable means coupled to said storage and register means for computing the fuel horsepower of said engine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
An engine computating arrangement comprising: a programmable RPM selector network to generate a pulse output when a predetermined engine RPM is reached; control and register means, said control means responsive to said output pulse to enable time pulses to be accumulated by said register; meter counting means responsive to a source of fuel pulses to sense a predetermined number of fuel pulses and to inhibit further time pulses from being accumulated by said register; storage means coupled to said register to store the accumulated time pulses; and programmable means coupled to said storage and register means for computing the fuel horsepower of said engine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The arrangement of claim 3 including means coupled to said storage means for indicating the calculated fuel horsepower.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
The computing arrangement of claim 3 wherein said computing means includes: a programmable meter factor generator means; first and second programmable frequency dividers, said first divider coupled to provide an input to said second divider; and a pulse multiplier means having inputs coupled from said programmable generator means and second frequency divider to couple fuel horsepower totalizinG pulses to said register means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
The arrangement of claim 5 including a clock source and wherein said first programmable frequency divider provides a signal proportional to a clock signal input from said clock source divided by a programmed engine factor of the engine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The arrangement of claim 6 wherein said second programmable frequency divider divides said proportional signal by the time stored in said storage means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The arrangement of claim 7 wherein said programmable meter factor generator means produces in response to another clock signal input a displacement signal whose frequency is proportional to said fuel meter displacement.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The arrangement of claim 7 wherein said programmable meter factor generator is programmed to produce in response to another selected clock signal a displacement signal whose frequency is proportional to said fuel meter displacement.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computing arrangement of claim 3 wherein said control means includes: a control flip-flop responsive to said programmable network and to said meter counting means; and a control gate coupled to one output of said control flip-flop to permit said time pulses to be coupled to said register.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The computing arrangement of claim 10 including switch gate means coupled to said one output of said control flip-flop and to said storage means to cause the storing of said timing pulses.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
The computing arrangement of claim 3 including a source of engine tachometer pulses and input gating means to enable in one condition RPM input pulses from said engine tachometer source to be applied to said programmable RPM network, and in another condition to enable said input gating means to couple fuel meter input pulses to said meter counting means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The computing arrangement of claim 12 wherein said meter counting means includes a meter revolution selector to produce an inhibit pulse when said fuel meter has completed a preset number of revolutions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
69 words
The computing arrangement of claim 3 wherein said control means further comprises: a control flip-flop responsive to said programmable network and to said meter counting means; a control gate coupled to one output of said control flip-flop to enable said timing pulses to be coupled to said totalizing register; and switch gate means coupled to said one output of said control flip-flop to enable storing in said storage means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
The computing arrangement of claim 14 including input gating means responsive to another output of said control flip-flop to permit in one condition RPM input pulses to be applied to said programmable network, and in another condition to enable said input gating means to couple fuel meter input pulses to said meter counting means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computing arrangement of claim 15 wherein said meter counting means includes a meter revolution selector programmed to produce said inhibit pulse when the predetermined number of pulses have been sensed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The arrangement of claim 16 wherein said first programmable frequency divider provides a signal proportional to a selected clock signal divided by programmed engine factor of the engine.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The arrangement of claim 17 wherein said second programmable frequency divider divides said proportional signal by the time stored in said storage means.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
96 words
A system for computing engine performance comprising: first means responsive to a source of engine RPM signals for detecting and generating a first signal indicating the RPM of an engine; second means responsive to a source of fuel consumption signals for determining the quantity of fuel per unit time being consumed by said engine; third means coupled to store a representation of the fuel consumed; fourth means coupled for controlling and timing the operation of said first, second, and third means; and fifth means programmed to utilize said stored representation and to compute the engine performance.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
96 words
A system for computing engine performance comprising: first means responsive to a source of engine RPM signals for detecting and generating a first signal indicating the RPM of an engine; second means responsive to a source of fuel consumption signals for determining the quantity of fuel per unit time being consumed by said engine; third means coupled to store a representation of the fuel consumed; fourth means coupled for controlling and timing the operation of said first, second, and third means; and fifth means programmed to utilize said stored representation and to compute the engine performance.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
68 words
Portable apparatus for calculating fuel consumptioN of an engine comprising: means for generating a first pulse indicating a predetermined RPM of said engine; means for generating a second pulse representing a predetermined number of fuel consumption pulses; means to store the time to accumulate said fuel pulses; and means coupled to said storage means and programmed to calculate the fuel consumption of said engine at said predetermined RPM.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
68 words
Portable apparatus for calculating fuel consumptioN of an engine comprising: means for generating a first pulse indicating a predetermined RPM of said engine; means for generating a second pulse representing a predetermined number of fuel consumption pulses; means to store the time to accumulate said fuel pulses; and means coupled to said storage means and programmed to calculate the fuel consumption of said engine at said predetermined RPM.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
132 words
Engine performance computing arrangement comprising: a programmable network programmed to sense engine RPM input pulses and to generate a first pulse at a predetermined engine RPM; a clock source and a totalizing register; control means responsive to said first pulse to enable said clock source to couple timing pulses to said totalizing register; meter counting means programmed to sense a predetermined number of fuel meter input pulses and to inhibit further timing pulses into said register; storage means coupled to said register to store the accumulated timing pulses, said pulses representing the time required to sense said predetermined number of fuel input pulses; calculating means coupled to said storage and register means for computing the fuel horsepower of said engine; and decoding and display means coupled for displaying the computed fuel horsepower.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
132 words
Engine performance computing arrangement comprising: a programmable network programmed to sense engine RPM input pulses and to generate a first pulse at a predetermined engine RPM; a clock source and a totalizing register; control means responsive to said first pulse to enable said clock source to couple timing pulses to said totalizing register; meter counting means programmed to sense a predetermined number of fuel meter input pulses and to inhibit further timing pulses into said register; storage means coupled to said register to store the accumulated timing pulses, said pulses representing the time required to sense said predetermined number of fuel input pulses; calculating means coupled to said storage and register means for computing the fuel horsepower of said engine; and decoding and display means coupled for displaying the computed fuel horsepower.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
65 words
The computing arrangement of claim 15 wherein said calculating means includes: a programmable meter factor generator means; first and second programmable frequency dividers, said first divider coupled to provide an input to said second divider; and a pulse multiplier means responsive to said second frequency divider to couple pulses representing fuel horsepower to said register until stopped by an output from said meter generator means.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of engine performance analysis comprising: selecting a desired RPM at which the engine is to be analyzed; indicating when the selected RPM is reached; counting a predetermined number of fuel consumption pulses; totalizing and storing the time required to accumulate said pulses; and calculating the performance of said engine utilizing the stored time, and a meter and engine factor to form a quantity representing the fuel horsepower of said engine, according to the formula:
Claim 30
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of engine performance analysis comprising: selecting a desired RPM at which the engine is to be analyzed; indicating when the selected RPM is reached; counting a predetermined number of fuel consumption pulses; totalizing and storing the time required to accumulate said pulses; and calculating the performance of said engine utilizing the stored time, and a meter and engine factor to form a quantity representing the fuel horsepower of said engine, according to the formula:
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 23 including the steps of: programming a meter factor number into said calculation; and programming a number into said calculation representing the engine factor of said engine.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for computing fuel horsepower of an engine comprising: selecting the engine RPM at which the computation is to be made; indicating when the selected RPM is reached; counting a predetermined number of fuel pulses representing fuel consumption at the selected RPM; registering and storing the time required to count said fuel pulses; computing the fuel horsepower of said engine utilizing said stored time and a meter and engine factor according to the formula:
Claim 33
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for computing fuel horsepower of an engine comprising: selecting the engine RPM at which the computation is to be made; indicating when the selected RPM is reached; counting a predetermined number of fuel pulses representing fuel consumption at the selected RPM; registering and storing the time required to count said fuel pulses; computing the fuel horsepower of said engine utilizing said stored time and a meter and engine factor according to the formula:
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 25 including the steps of: programming a meter factor number into said calculation; and programming a number into said calculation representing the engine factor of said engine.
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) | 1976-03-26 | 1976-09-25 | 1977-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-26 | 1980-09-25 | 1981-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-26 | 1984-09-25 | 1985-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |