Moisture tester having temperature controlled variable time delay circuit

Claim 2

Apparatus for determining the moisture content of a quantity of grain placed within it and comprising: first means for taking a measurement of a first physical characteristic of said grain; second means for sensing a second physical characteristic of said grain; means coupled to said first and second means for altering said measurement in accord with an output of said second means; and means coupled to said first and second means for delaying the taking of said measurement for a period related to the differential between the value of the second physical characteristic of said grain and the initial condition of said second means before said grain is placed within said apparatus.

Claim 3

Apparatus for determining the moisture content of a quantity of grain placed within it and comprising: first means for taking a measurement of a physical characteristic of said grain; second means for sensing the temperature of said grain; means coupled to said first and second means for altering said measurement in accord with an output of said second means; and means coupled to said first and second means for delaying the taking of said measurement for a period related to the differential between the temperature of said grain and the temperature sensed by said second means before said grain is placed within said apparatus.

Claim 4

Apparatus for determining the moisture content of a quantity of grain placed within it and comprising: first means for taking a measurement of a physical characteristic of said grain; second means for sensing the temperature of said grain; means coupled to said first and second means for altering said measurement in accord with an output of said second means; and means coupled to said first and second means for delaying the taking of said measurement for a period related to the differential between the temperature of said grain and the temperature sensed by said second means before said grain is placed within said apparatus.

Claim 5

Apparatus for determining the moisture content of a quantity of grain under test comprising: first means for taking a measurement of a physical characteristic of said grain; second means for sensing the temperature of said grain; means coupled to said first and second means for altering said measurement in accord with an output of said second means; and means coupled to said first and second means for delaying the taking of said measurement until the time rate of change of an output of said second means falls below a predetermined value.

Claim 6

Apparatus for determining the moisture content of a quantity of grain under test comprising: first means for taking a measurement of a physical characteristic of said grain; second means for sensing the temperature of said grain; means coupled to said first and second means for altering said measurement in accord with an output of said second means; and means coupled to said first and second means for delaying the taking of said measurement until the time rate of change of an output of said second means falls below a predetermined value.

Claim 7

Apparatus for measuring the moisture content of a quantity of grain under test by determining the value of a physical characteristic of said grain having a known relationship to the grain moisture content wherein said relationship varies with the temperature of said grain comprising: first means for generating an output related to said physical characteristic; second means for sensing the temperature of the grain under test; third means coupled to said first and second means for altering said output in accord with an output of said second means; and fourth means coupled to said first and second means for time delaying the generation of said output until the rate of change of the output of said second means falls below a predetermined valUe.

Claim 8

Apparatus for measuring the moisture content of a quantity of grain under test by determining the value of a physical characteristic of said grain having a known relationship to the grain moisture content wherein said relationship varies with the temperature of said grain comprising: first means for generating an output related to said physical characteristic; second means for sensing the temperature of the grain under test; third means coupled to said first and second means for altering said output in accord with an output of said second means; and fourth means coupled to said first and second means for time delaying the generation of said output until the rate of change of the output of said second means falls below a predetermined valUe.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first means is operative in response to the application of a control signal and said fourth means comprises differentiating circuit means for generating a signal related to the time derivative of the output of said second means and control circuit means for preventing the application of said control signal to said first means when said derivative signal is above a predetermined value.

Claim 10

Apparatus for measuring the moisture content of a quantity of grain under test by determining the value of a physical characteristic of said grain having a known relationship to the grain moisture content wherein said relationship varies with the temperature of said grain comprising: first means for generating an output related to said physical characteristic; second means for sensing the temperature of the grain under test; third means coupled to said first and second means for altering the response characteristics of said first means in accord with an output of said second means; fourth means coupled to said first means for initiating the operation of said first means; and fifth means coupled to said second and fourth means for preventing the operation of said first means when the time rate of change of the output of said second means is above a predetermined value.

Claim 11

Apparatus for measuring the moisture content of a quantity of grain under test by determining the value of a physical characteristic of said grain having a known relationship to the grain moisture content wherein said relationship varies with the temperature of said grain comprising: first means for generating an output related to said physical characteristic; second means for sensing the temperature of the grain under test; third means coupled to said first and second means for altering the response characteristics of said first means in accord with an output of said second means; fourth means coupled to said first means for initiating the operation of said first means; and fifth means coupled to said second and fourth means for preventing the operation of said first means when the time rate of change of the output of said second means is above a predetermined value.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said fifth means comprises differentiating circuit means for generating a signal related to the time derivative of the output of said second means, full-wave rectifier circuit means for generating a signal related to the magnitude of said time derivative signal, and threshold circuit means for preventing the actuation of said first means by said fourth means when the output of said full-wave rectifier circuit means is greater than a predetermined magnitude.

Claim 13

A grain moisture tester comprising: a capacitive cell for receiving a quantity of the grain under test; an oscillator circuit having said capacitive cell as a frequency determining element thereof; a frequency measuring circuit having an output related to the moisture content of said grain; a temperature sensing element operative to sense the temperature of said quantity of grain and coupled to said frequency measuring circuit; a differentiating circuit coupled to an output of said temperature sensing element; a control circuit having an output coupled to said frequency measuring circuit and operative to initiate operation of said frequency measuring circuit; and a threshold circuit coupled between said control circuit and said differentiating circuit and preventing operation of said frequency measuring circuit when the output of said differentiating circuit exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 14

A grain moisture tester comprising: a capacitive cell for receiving a quantity of the grain under test; an oscillator circuit having said capacitive cell as a frequency determining element thereof; a frequency measuring circuit having an output related to the moisture content of said grain; a temperature sensing element operative to sense the temperature of said quantity of grain and coupled to said frequency measuring circuit; a differentiating circuit coupled to an output of said temperature sensing element; a control circuit having an output coupled to said frequency measuring circuit and operative to initiate operation of said frequency measuring circuit; and a threshold circuit coupled between said control circuit and said differentiating circuit and preventing operation of said frequency measuring circuit when the output of said differentiating circuit exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 15

The grain moisture tester of claim 8 further comprising a full-wave rectifier coupled to the output of said differentiating circuit and wherein said threshold circuit comprises a gate coupled to the output of said full-wave rectifier and interposed between said control circuit and said frequency measuring circuit.

Claim 16

The grain moisture tester of claim 9 wherein said control circuit comprises a manually operable circuit means operative to alter the signal present at said control circuit output.