Pulse generator

Claim 1

A pulse generator comprising: a base, a member movably mounted on said base; a variable reluctance transformer including a magnetic body fixed relative to said member, said body having a plurality of spaced projections, each pair of immediately adjacent projections being spaced by a groove, said transformer also including a pickup positioned adjacent to said projections, said pickup being fixed relative to said base, said body being constructed and fixed relative to said member in a manner such that movement of said member relative to said base causes movement of said projections past said pickup in a predetermined direction which is normal thereto, said predetermined direction also being approximately perpendicular to the direction in which said grooves run, said pickup including an approximately E-shaped magnetic core having a magnetic cross bar and first, second and third magnetic legs extending from positions continguous to said cross bar toward a plurality of said projections, said pickup including first, second and third windings around said first, second and third magnetic legs, respectively, all of said legs being fixed relative to said cross bar, each of said legs having an outer end face spaced from said cross bar, said projections being movable in said predetermined direction past the said end faces of all three of said legs in a manner to bring each projection adjacent to each of said end faces in succession, all of said projections having approximately the same size and shape, all of said grooves also having approximately the same size and shape, the width, w, of each projection being approximately equal to the width of each groove and vice versa where the projection and groove widths are both measured in said predetermined direction, said second leg being positioned about midway between said first and third legs in said predetermined direction, the said end faces of each of said first and third legs having a width approximately equal to w measured in said predetermined direction, the end face of said second leg having a width approximately equal to 2w measured in said predetermined direction, the end faces of said first and third legs being spaced apart in said predetermined direction a distance, w (n + 2), where n is any positive odd integer; a rectangular wave oscillator having an output, said oscillator being constructed to produce a rectangular wave of a fundamental frequency, f, at said output thereof, said output being connected across said second winding; an output circuit having one input and first and second outputs; first and second NAND gates, each of said NAND gates having first and second inputs and one output; a flip-flop having a set ''''1'''' input, a set ''''0'''' input and an output, said oscillator output also being connected to said output circuit input, said first and second outputs of said output circuit being connected to said first input of said first and second NAND gates, respectively, the outputs of said first and second NAND gates being respectively connected to said set ''''1'''' and set ''''0'''' inputs of said flip-flop, each of said first and third windings having first and sEcond ends, the first ends of respective first and third windings being connected together, the connection of said first winding ends causing the voltages induced in said first and third windings to buck each other, said first and third windings being of approximately the same size, one of said winding second ends being connected to a point of qreeference potential, the other of said winding second ends being connected to each of said second inputs to said first and second NAND gates, said output circuit being responsive to said rectangular wave for producing first and second sets of gating pulses at said first and second outputs thereof, respectively, movement of said body causing a comparison signal to be generated at the said other one of said winding second ends which changes from a first predetermined phase to a second predetermined phase 180* therefrom, said first gating pulses always occurring when said comparison signal is of said first predetermined phase and of a polarity to provide an energizing set ''''1'''' input to said flip-flop, said second gating pulses always occurring when said comparison signal is of said second predetermined phase and of a polarity to provide an energizing set ''''0'''' input to said flipflop.